Resident Evil 4: Differences in Difficulty and How to Change
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This article explains the Difficulty levels in Resident Evil 4 Remake. Learn the differences between the modes and the strategies for them!
Differences in Difficulty
| Difficulty | Differences and Features |
|---|---|
| ASSISTED | ・Assisted aiming ・Increased ammo crafting quantity ・Automatic health recovery up to a certain value ・Lower prices for some items |
| STANDARD | ・Standard difficulty ・Can switch to ASSISTED upon failure |
| HARDCORE | ・Increased difficulty in enemy and trap placement ・Higher prices for some items |
| PROFESSIONAL | ・No autosave ・Only perfect parries are effective ・Weapon upgrades fully unlocked from the beginning |
Enemy Health and Attack Frequency
| Difficulty | Number of ammo (torso) to defeat initial villagers |
|---|---|
| ASSISTED | 5 shots |
| STANDARD | 8 shots |
| HARDCORE | 10 shots |
| PROFESSIONAL | 14 shots |
The higher the difficulty, the higher the enemy's health and the more frequent their attacks. There is a significant difference between Hardcore and Professional, so it is recommended to start with Standard difficulty and adjust the difficulty later.
Number and Placement of Enemies
The number and placement of enemies change between difficulties below the Standard and difficulties above Hardcore. More enemies will attack you, and enemies will be placed in locations that were not present in the Standard difficulty. Therefore, when tackling difficulties above Hardcore, it is best not to rely on memories from lower difficulties.
Mystery Puzzle Answers
| Standard and below | Hardcore and above |
|---|---|
|
|
The answers to some of the puzzles are different between difficulties below the Standard and difficulties above Hardcore. Some puzzles become more complex or have different answers, so be careful when playing through them again.
| List of Puzzle Answers |
Recommended Strategy Order by Difficulty Level
| Recommended Strategy Order by Difficulty Level | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Start by enjoying the game on the Standard difficulty |
| 2 | On the second playthrough, play on Assisted difficulty while farming money to obtain the Infinite Rocket Launcher |
| 3 | Strive to achieve Professional Rank A |
| 4 | After obtaining Professional Rank A, aim for S+ rank on Assisted, Standard, and Hardcore difficulties in that order |
| 5 | Equip rewards and aim for Professional Rank S+ |
| 6 | Clear Professional difficulty without bonus weapons in a NEWGAME |
Starting with Standard difficulty is recommended
When selecting the difficulty level, start with the Standard and lower it to Assisted if it feels too difficult. Since it's not possible to change the difficulty to Hardcore even if it feels challenging, let's enjoy the story on Standard difficulty first.
On the second playthrough, buy the Infinite Rocket Launcher on Assisted difficulty
After completing the first playthrough of RE4 Remake, it is recommended to collect money on Assisted difficulty and buy the Infinite Rocket Launcher. Professional difficulty is challenging even with the clear data from the first playthrough, so let's prepare with the Infinite Rocket Launcher for smoother gameplay.
Aim for clearing Professional Rank A
Equip the Infinite Rocket Launcher and aim to clear Professional Rank A. The Chicago Sweeper reward from Professional Rank A becomes an essential weapon for achieving Professional Rank S+, so let's clear Professional Rank A as preparation.
Obtaining S+ on Non-Professional Difficulty
After clearing Professional with an A rank, aim for an S+ on non-professional difficulties. The accessories you can obtain by achieving S+ on each difficulty have special effects that are useful for your strategy, making them extremely helpful for clearing Professional S+.
| Conditions for obtaining S+ rank and tips for achieving it |
Aim for Professional S+ using all equipment
Once you have achieved S+ on each difficulty, utilize the equipment you have obtained so far and aim for Professional S+. Equipping accessories with special effects may not be easy. However, with a solid understanding of the strategy, it is possible to clear the game. Make sure to prepare for boss battles and remember the save point locations.
Clear Professional on the first playthrough without bonus weapons
Finally, by clearing the Professional difficulty on a new game without using bonus weapons, you can obtain all the difficulty clear rewards. This is the most challenging condition, but with the Cat Ears as a reward in Professional S+, your ammo will be infinite. Stay calm and aim for a clear.
| How to Obtain Handcannon and its Stats |
Rewards by Clear Rank of Difficulty
Rewards by Clear Rank of Assisted Mode
| Rank | Clear Time | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| S+ | 4:00:00NEWGAME Exclusive |
Wolf Tail |
| S | 4:00:00 | - |
| A | 15:00:00 | - |
Wolf Tail Increases Melee Power
The Wolf Tail reward for the Assisted S+ rank increases melee power. It is a valuable accessory that enhances the power of melee attacks. This allows you to make the most of it in any situation where ammo conservation is important.
| How to Obtain Wolf Tail and its Effect |
Rewards by Clear Rank of Standard Mode
| Rank | Clear Time | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| S+ | 5:00:00NEWGAME Exclusive |
Deer Antlers |
| S | 5:00:00 | - |
| A | 12:00:00 | - |
Deer Antlers Increases Knife Power
The Deer Antlers reward for Standard S+ rank increases the power of Knife attacks. It can be useful when stopping enemies with a knife after knocking them down or during boss battles where you rely on the knife.
| How to Obtain the Deer Antlers and its Effect |
Rewards for Hardcore Clear Rank
| Rank | Clear Time | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| S+ | 5:30:00NEWGAME Exclusive |
Chicken Hat |
| S | 5:30:00 | - |
| A | 10:00:00 |
Ashley: Armor |
Chicken Hat reduces damage
The Chicken Hat reward for Hardcore S+ rank reduces the damage Leon takes. With reduced damage, the risk of death is minimized, making it useful for tackling high-difficulty levels.
Armor prevents damage
The Armor reward for Hardcore A rank or higher makes Ashley completely immune to damage. Not only does it protect against enemy attacks, but it also prevents Ashley from being carried by certain enemies, significantly lowering the difficulty of the game.
| How to Obtain the Chicken Hat and its Effect |
| How to Obtain Ashley Armor and its Effect |
Rewards for Professional Clear Rank
| Rank | Clear Time | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| S+ | 5:30:00NEWGAME Exclusive Save 15 times |
Cat Ears |
| S | 5:30:00 | - |
| A | 7:00:00 |
Chicago Sweeper |
Cat Ears can Infinite Ammo
The Cat Ears reward for achieving Professional S+ rank is an accessory that allows for infinite ammo. It is a powerful accessory that allows you to shoot guns even without ammo. However, reloading is still necessary, so be mindful of the timing to reload during battles.
Chicago Sweeper can be fired infinitely with exclusive perk
The Chicago Sweeper reward for achieving a Professional A rank or higher can be fired infinitely with an exclusive perk. Unlike Cat Ears, the Chicago Sweeper does not require reloading, making it extremely powerful in close-range combat.
| How to obtain Cat Ears (Infinite Ammo) and its effects |
| How to Obtain Chicago Sweeper and its Stats |
How to Change Difficulty
Only the Standard can be lowered later
In RE4 Remake, only the Standard difficulty can be changed to Assisted from the game over screen. It is not possible to change from Assisted to Standard, and Hardcore difficulty cannot be changed at all.
