Resident Evil 4 Getting Started guide screenshot

Getting Started

Getting Started with Resident Evil 4



Welcome to Resident Evil 4! Whether you're playing the 2023 Remake or the 2005 classic, this guide will help you survive your first hour, understand the controls, and avoid common pitfalls. No character creation exists—you play as Leon S. Kennedy, a government agent on a mission to rescue the President's daughter.

First Hour Walkthrough (Remake & Original)



Your first hour sets the tone. After a cinematic intro, you arrive at a rural village. Follow these steps:

1. The Path to the Village – Walk forward, ignoring the first few ganados (enemies). Enter a house to find a handgun and a knife on a table. For the remake, you'll also find a green herb. In the original, check the drawer for a handgun.
2. The First Enemy Encounter – A lone enemy will attack. Use your knife to conserve ammo. Stab them when they're down. For the remake, you can also kick them after a stagger (tap the melee button).
3. The Village Square – Follow the path to a large open area with a bonfire. Here, a bell will ring after a short time, triggering a horde of enemies. Survive for about 90 seconds; you don't need to kill everyone. Run to the house with the 'RE' emblem (the village chief's house) and climb the ladder. In the remake, you can also jump out of a window. In the original, head to the church bell tower.
4. The Church Bell – Use the shotgun (found inside a house) to ring the bell from the tower area. This triggers the end of the siege. In the remake, the bell rings automatically after the timer, but you can still shoot it to end it early.
5. The Lake Village – After the bell, head to the lake area. You'll encounter your first El Gigante (giant) boss fight later, but initially just explore and find the boat key in a locked drawer (remake) or in a hut (original).

Controls (All Platforms)



Below are the default controls. You can customize them in the options menu.

#### PC (Keyboard & Mouse)
  • WASD – Movement

  • Mouse – Look/Aim

  • Left Click – Shoot (when aiming)

  • Right Click – Aim / Zoom

  • R – Reload

  • Space – Sprint (hold) / Action (interact) – depends on context

  • E – Interact (open doors, pick up items)

  • F – Knife attack (remake: quick attack; original: use knife)

  • Q – Switch weapon (tap) / Quick turn (hold + movement)

  • 1-5 – Weapon hotkeys

  • Tab – Map

  • I – Inventory

  • Esc – Pause menu


    • #### PlayStation (PS4 / PS5)
  • Left Stick – Movement

  • Right Stick – Look/Aim

  • R2 – Shoot

  • L2 – Aim

  • R1 – Sprint (remake; original: L1)

  • R3 (press right stick) – Quick turn

  • Circle (remake) / Cross (original) – Interact / Run (if sprinting)

  • Square – Reload (remake) / Knife (original with L1)

  • Triangle – Switch weapon (hold for quick menu)

  • D-pad Up – Map

  • Touchpad – Inventory (remake) / Map (original)

  • Options – Pause


    • #### Xbox (Xbox One / Series X|S)
  • Left Stick – Movement

  • Right Stick – Look/Aim

  • RT – Shoot

  • LT – Aim

  • RB – Sprint (remake; original: LB)

  • RS (press right stick) – Quick turn

  • A – Interact / Run

  • X – Reload (remake) / Knife (original with LB)

  • Y – Switch weapon (hold for quick menu)

  • D-pad Up – Map

  • View button – Inventory (remake) / Map (original)

  • Menu button – Pause


    • Important for the Remake: The knife parry is a new mechanic. While aiming, press the knife button (F on PC, R1 on PS, RB on Xbox) to deflect projectiles or melee attacks. Practice this early!

    UI Overview



    The Heads-Up Display (HUD) gives vital information:
  • Health – Green bar at bottom left. Colors: Green (full), Yellow (okay), Red (danger). Use herbs when red.

  • Ammo – Current weapon and total ammo shown near the crosshair (remake) or top right (original).

  • Map – Press Tab / D-pad Up. Shows rooms, locked doors, and objective markers (remake).

  • Inventory – A grid-based case. Manage items carefully. In the remake, you can rotate items (RMB or left stick click) to fit better.

  • Attaché Case – Upgradeable via tokens (remake) or by buying larger ones (original). Use charms (remake) for bonuses.


    • Essential Early Objectives



    1. Acquire Weapons – Get the handgun and knife from the first house. Later, find the shotgun in a house with a broken wall (village).
    2. Survive the Village Siege – Don't get overwhelmed; run and use the environment.
    3. Find the Church – After the siege, head downhill to the lake area. The church is your next main objective. You need the Church Key (found in the village chief's house after the bell).
    4. Rescue Ashley – She's in the church. Free her by solving a simple puzzle: rotate the statue carvings (remake) or pull the lever (original).
    5. Escape the Village – After rescuing Ashley, you'll be pursued by the village chief in a chainsaw-wielding rage. Run through the valley and use crane segments (original) or just sprint (remake).

    What to Do First and What to Avoid



    DO this first:
  • Adjust your controls and sensitivity in options.

  • Explore every corner; break crates, barrels, and boxes (use the knife to save ammo).

  • Combine green+green or green+red herbs immediately for better healing.

  • Save the game often at typewriters (use ink ribbons in the original; unlimited in remake).


    • AVOID:
  • Wasting ammo on non-essential enemies. You can run past many ganados early on.

  • Ignoring the merchant – He appears in safe rooms. Use him to buy, sell, and upgrade.

  • hoarding without combining – Carry herbs in combinations to free inventory slots.

  • Forgetting to equip a knife – It's crucial for breaking free from grabs (remake) and stunning enemies.

  • Not using the quick turn – It saves your life. Default is back+action button (remake) or press R3/RS.


    • Early Resource Priorities



    Herbs – Always combine before using. Green+Green heals more than two separately. Red+Green gives a full heal. Yellow herbs increase max health.
    Ammo – Conserve for bosses and tough crowds. Use the knife on isolated enemies and to break crates for items.
    Money (Pesetas) – First purchases: Better weapon case (remake: large case from merchant) or rifle (original). In remake, buy the TMP (machine pistol) for crowd control, but don't upgrade it heavily.
    Spinels (remake only) – Earn from challenges. Trade with merchant for rare items like the Riot Gun or treasure map.

    Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)



  • “I keep dying in the village.” – You don't have to kill everyone. Run in a loop, climb ladders, and wait for the bell. Use the shotgun to push enemies back.

  • “I can't aim.” – Use the laser sight (remake) or red dot (original). Steady your aim by not moving. Tap the aim button to snap to center (original).

  • “My inventory is full.” – Sell treasure (jewelry, gold items) to the merchant. You never need egg or fish for healing—use herbs instead.

  • “I can't escape grabs.” – In the remake, press the knife button when grabbed to break free. In the original, mash the action button.

  • “I'm playing on Hardcore and it's brutal.” – Start on Standard (remake) or Normal (original). You can always change difficulty later? (No, you need to restart in the remake, but you can load a previous save in the original.)


Day-One Checklist



[ ] Adjust graphics settings (brightness, subtitles, etc.)
[ ] Set control sensitivity to your comfort (start at 50% and adjust)
[ ] Learn the knife parry (remake) or quick turn (both)
[ ] Combine first two green herbs immediately
[ ] Equip the knife as a secondary weapon (on d-pad or hotkey)
[ ] Save your game after the first major cutscene
[ ] Buy the Attaché Case upgrade from the merchant as soon as possible (remake)
[ ] Practice the quick turn in a safe area
[ ] Do not use the magnum or rocket launcher early (save for emergencies)
[ ] Explore every area before leaving; you can't return later in some chapters (original has limited backtracking)

Good luck, Agent Kennedy. The mission is critical. Survive, conserve, and adapt.