Resident Evil 4quickly enshrined itself as one ofCapcom’s finest achievements when it originally launched in 2005, eventually finding itself ported to most consoles, including thePlayStation 4,Xbox OneandSeries consoles,Nintendo Switchand PC. With a from-the-ground-up remake coming from Capcom in 2023, the wonderful array of weaponry the original game featured has fans speculating on what weapons will return and what will be changed.
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The arsenal made available to Leon Kennedy and an array of other characters in the game’s Mercenaries mode is quite vast, especially for a shooter from 2005, with upgrades and customization that would become standard fare as shooters progressed and evolved up to the present day. Let’s look at Resident Evil 4’s weapons and see which were essential components of a player’s adventure and which could be left on the Merchant’s table.
18P.R.L. 412
The 412 is overpowered by design. Unlocked for free after beating the game on Professional Difficulty, the 412 can one or two shot every single enemy and boss in the game, firing a charged beam cannonnot dissimilar to fellow Capcom staple characterMega-Man.
While this destroys the challenge presented in the gameplay, using the P.R.L. 412 to better navigate and explore the game world for secrets and easter eggs makes these processes much simpler, and sometimes killing an annoying boss in a single shot is the catharsis players need.
The Striker is an expensive weapon to purchase and upgrade, costing 435,000 points from initial purchase to final upgrade. Firing fast from the hip, the Striker may havelow range and low accuracy.However, with Leon being frequently funneled into tight spaces by mobs of infected villagers and grotesque monsters, having aget-out-of-jail shotgunat the ready is an invaluable asset. Fully upgraded, it holds 100 rounds, reinforcing this gameplay use and relieving the player of having to worry about keeping its magazine topped off.
16Chicago Typewriter
What’s a shooter without a Thompson? Unlocked by completing theSeparate Waysmode (or Assignment Ada on the GameCube version), the Chicago Typewriter packs a powerful automatic punch with unlimited ammo, costing 1,000,000 points once unlocked and available, and it’s well worth every last penny.
The Chicago Typewriter is perfect for players on repeat runs that want to give some Chicago Mob love to the Las Plagas-infected beasts standing between Leon, Ashley, and freedom.
15Rocket Launcher (And Variants)
Resident Evil 4 gives players three flavors of RPG to pick and choose from.
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Resident Evil 4 lacks in one category, and that’s automatic weapons. The TMP is the player’sonly real automatic weapon during a standard playthrough, and it’s an essential component for players hoping to survive. The TMP is accurate and effective, hitting projectiles out of midair and staggering groups of infected villagers with ease, allowing Leon to have a sliver of breathing room while being mobbed by monsters from all sides. The 340,000 point cost to purchase and fully upgrade it is justified for having the best full-auto protector that in-game currency can offer Leon and the player.
13Handcannon
A special beast of a weapon, the Handcannon is the ultimate magnum in Resident Evil 4. Available for free forgetting 5 stars in every mission and with every character in the Mercenaries mode, the Handcannon is expensive to upgrade,costing 790,000 points to max out, but rewards the player with a massive damage boost andinfinite ammoupon completion. If players are willing to grind out perfection, they will be greatly rewarded for their efforts.
A military staple andthe best handgun in the game.The Red-9, a historic and rare variant of the C-96 pistol, costs 14,000 points up-front and an additional 331,000 to fully upgrade. The RED-9 is powerful, accurate, and fast to reload but takes up a bit more inventory space than some other handguns in the game. The RED-9 is man’s best friend when rescuing the President’s daughter.
11Rifle (Semi-Auto)
The Semi-Auto is an excellent upgrade to the standard Sniper Rifle, with afaster fire rate and better effectiveness in close-quarterssituations. The Semi-Auto is accurate, hard-hitting, and stylish, costing 35,000 points to purchase, with an upgrade tree improving the fire rate further. If players can spare the inventory space, this rifle is worth keeping strapped to Leon’s back.
10Riot Gun
A hard-hitting semi-automatic shotgun, perfect for pumping damage into bosses and groups of approaching infected. The Riot Gun has better range and accuracy than the Striker but asmaller ammo capacity.The final upgrade is another boost to the weapon’s damage output and costs 32,000 points upfront, with a total upgrade pathcosting 415,000 points. This is a good weapon for clearing a pathway before being mobbed on all sides.
No Resident Evil is complete without a hard-hitting magnum, and the Killer7 does it in style. A visual reference to theTerminator’ssidearm in the first film, the Killer7hits hardthroughout most of the game,even without upgrades. While it is slow firing compared to more standard handguns, the Killer7 brings power and aesthetic for the low cost of 77,700 points up-front.
