The Basics

Ok, you've never played a Resident Evil game before...and the remake is your introduction to the series. If thats how it went with you then we're in the same boat. The remake is a mixed basket for the first game. On the one hand it's one of the best Resident Evil games. On the other hand it's one of the harder ones. Both the remake and the original are true survival-horror games. As there are far less supplies in them when compared to the other four main games of the series. Because of this I decided to include a tutorial, of sorts, on how to play the game without getting your face chewed off. It's my personal opinion that most faqs out there give shitty, shitty advice on how to play the game. So I'll be giving the advice that helped me.

If the remake is your introduction

If this game is the first time you've ever played a game from the Resident Evil series then the follow tips are important. First if you want to have a fun time with the game I suggest you start with Jill and set the game to easy. The reasoning for playing on easy is that you'll have less of a lack of ammunition and Ink Ribbons on easy. The reasoning for playing as Jill is that she not only has eight item spaces to Chris' six but she also gets a real arsenal of weapons. While Chris only gets the Handgun, Shotgun, Assault Shotgun, Flame Thrower and Magnum. Jill gets all of those weapons but the Flame Thrower, and she gets the Assault Shotgun sooner as well as getting her greedy little mits on a Grenade Launcher. Simply put, Jill is a walking death machine and Chris is a lost little boy with shitty weapons. Playing easy with Jill is a good way to be introduced to the style of gaming that is constant in all of the main RE games up to RE4. If you want to start with Chris for your first time through thats your prerogative.

If your first time is with Chris

Now, if you were ballsy enough for your first ever play though of an RE game using Chris...you're in for a ride. First off, Chris' starts with a knife. Thats right a knife, no ammo or guns...a damned knife. So when I say "don't attack the first zombie" in the walkthrough...DON'T ATTACK THE FIRST ZOMBIE. It'll devour your innards easily. With that being said playing as Chris is more of an "Oh crap, it's a zombie...RUN!!!" type of game. Since your basic weapons will be the Handgun and one of the Shotguns you'll be severely limited in the ammount of ammo you have. Especially since Chris can hold two less items than Jill. Basically, where you were killing enemies with some ammunition to spare with Jill, you'll be running away with Chris because you've got three bullets left and no shells for your Shotgun left because you didn't have the space. On the bonus side Chris starts with the lighter so you won't have to waste space with it, as it's his special item. But unlike Jill, Chris has no weapons that destroy zombies in one go, without having to torch the remains. Sure, he has the Flame Thrower but you have that for about ten minutes and you encounter no zombies while you're in possession of it. So basically you'll want to be wise without what Chris carries to do well in the game. Ensure he has the Handgun and ammo for it, a fully loaded Shotgun, Ink Ribbons and the Fuel Canteen. The Fuel Canteen is up in the air of whether it's actually useful or not. I don't carry it with me all the time because usually I go on a spree of corpse burning after I've killed enough zombies to warrant it. Keeping your wits about you is paramount. If you're smart enough to run when you need to and to NOT use the knife to fight any enemies you'll do fine.

Playing on Easy

Ok, easy mode is nothing to be afraid of. Handgun ammo is abundant and zombies take five shots or less. Headshots are more common, there are less zombies to kill and Crimson Heads don't appear until around an hour after killing the zombies. Ink Ribbons are common and there are more healing items then you're likely to know what to do with. Although there's plenty of ammo to go around I'm not advocating using it all, you never know what'll happen. You could have forgotten to torch a zombie or you forgot about one you didn't kill before. You've got enough ammo to survive, but you don't have enough to go hog wild.

Playing on Normal

Normal is more of a challenge. There are about 50% more zombies than there were on Easy and almost half as much ammo. Ink Ribbons are still in abundance but there are times when you'll be so strapped for healing items you don't know what to do. While you'll have plenty of Ink Ribbons at some points in the game it's not a good idea to use them without thinking. You'll only find three in the Residence and before that you'll likely to have used a good portion of the ones you picked up in the Mansion. Just be smart with your saving and you'll be fine. Now, as Jill you can take on most enemies as you'll have a good selection of ammunition, as Chris you'll have to pick your battles but keep in mind that where Jill picked up a pack of rounds for her Grenade Launcher you're more than likely to find Shotgun ammo. So don't be afraid to fight if you have to. Be wise with your item space. As Jill keep two item spaces open and as Chris keep at least one. Chris can afford not to carry healing items with him because he can take more hits then Jill on Normal. Thats about all there is to it, while Normal is a fair sized step up from Easy it's nothing to be afraid of. Also, if you're trying to get the bonuses at the end of the game...ALWAYS play on Normal. You can't get bonuses on Easy, aside from the costumes, and Hard is far too difficult to actually beat the game in three hours.

Playing on Hard

Hard is most definitely not to be taken lightly. The enemies take seven or more shots and Jill can be killed in three or less hits. Poisoning is far more common on Hard and if you're at less than full health stay the hell away from Crimson Heads and Hunters. They can cleave your head right off your neck in a single blow. Ammo is even more scarce and there are even more zombies to contend with. Even Jill will be strapped for ammo at some points on Hard. Healing items are incredibly rare and for once Ink Ribbons are items to be cherished because you never know what the hell will kill you next on Hard. Crimson Heads revive in less than twenty minutes so it is imperative that you keep Incendiary Rounds with Jill and a full canteen of kerosene with Chris. Never be too ballsy to run, running is key. If you don't run from monsters you'll be dead at an alarmingly fast rate. Even the minor nuisances such as the ravens and zombees are dangerous on Hard. If you can avoid a fight then do so, such as with Plant42 and Lisa near the end. Keep your thumb near the run button because thats what you'll be doing for the most part.

Real Survival

I'm a master of the remake and even I have trouble with this mode. Auto-aiming is off and the item boxes don't connect to each other so you'll find yourself running around to the proper boxes to get what you want. Personally when I play on Real Survival I choose an item box I use and if I use another, such as in the Residence, I make sure to take all the items I'll need later with me. THe ammo is as scarce as it is on Hard, the monsters have as much health and your characters have the same piddly amount of health as well. Try to memorize where enemies hangout before you play this mode because of the lack of auto-aim you'll have to aim yourself so it's nice to no what direction the bastards are shambling at you from. Thats about all there is to it, it's Hard mode on steroids.

Invisible Baddies

So you're playing invisible mode, eh?(Yes, the 'eh' implies I'm Canadian...and I am...problem?) Invisible mode is basically the same as the Normal game but the enemies are 'invisible'. Well, not really. You can still see their reflections in mirrors and if you look closely you can see the distortion they make as they move. Foot steps and moans don't help as much as you'd think they would. Anyways, enemy location memorization is handy to have when playing this mode. It's a fun challenge if you're sharp sighted and quick on the trigger.

One Dangerous Zombie

This mode is hillarious. As you know, the Bravo STARS team was sent in first. You encounter a few of them on your playthrough and you encounter a couple of their corpses. Now, I'm going to assume that Forrester was the munitions expert on the Bravo team because in this mode his zombie is following you around with enough explosives strapped to his body to level the entire mansion...with you still in it. Basically the only difference between this and the regular game is that you have to be careful with what you aim at because if you accidentally hit Forrester the game is over.

Speed Playing

The secret to speeding through the game is having played it enough to know exactly where everything you need to get is and to know exactly what order to do things in. It may just be me but I can beat the game in less than three hours without even thinking...but then again I'm a living, breathing walkthrough for this game. Basically the secret to beating the game is not wasting time between goals. You want to get the Sword Key? When Barry tells you to check the upper area head up the first flight of stairs then turn around. The scene'll occur and he'll tell you to check out the side opposite the Dining Hall. Just head to the Golden Arrow Head and then to the Cemetery. If you're even half as fast as I am you'll be out of the mansion and out to the residence in less than forty five minutes. Thats basically all there is to it.