Reapers are a mutagenically modified insectoid, resembling a giant humanoid cockroach. Standing upright at around seven feet, they have four upper body claws that they use as arms, as well as two legs. As revealed in this file, found in Chapter 5-2, Reapers were exposed to the Uroboros virus at the Tricell African Research Facility.
Shooting off their appendages will cripple a Reaper; the removal of an arm will stop it from using its instant-kill grab. However, Reapers are capable of regenerating limbs extremely quickly, taking only a few seconds to repair its head, arms, or legs. The only two ways to kill a Reaper are to shoot the glowing abdominal sac when the armor plating shifts off to vent gas, or by hitting the Reaper with explosives powerful enough to obliterate its body completely (which usually means that only a well-placed rocket will do the job). The Reaper also has two glowing sacs on its back, which when destroyed (a grenade launcher seems to work fairly well if you have trouble targeting them) stuns the Reaper and forces it to prominently reveal its abdominal weak point.
The Reaper attacks primarily by using its upper claws to grab a target, and using its middle scything talons to repeatedly puncture and shred the victim's abdomen, an attack from which the victim cannot be saved. When one or more of its claws are destroyed, the Reaper can still counterattack by slashing with its remaining appendages. The Reaper can quickly close distance on enemies by crawling on its six appendages; however, while doing so it cannot attack, revealing the two glowing sacs on its back.
Reapers vent noxious gases from their dorsal and abdominal sacs while exposing their weak points, creating a blur effect that acts as a simple yet effective form of cloak, making difficult to aim at their vitals. Fire is extremely ineffective against a Reaper (incendiary grenades cannot damage a Reaper's weak points, remove its limbs, or slow it down in any way). However, it is possible to kill a Reaper by exposing it to constant, intense heat, such as leading it into an incinerator (as seen in Chapter 5-2).
After a Reaper has been killed, a Heart-Cut yellow Topaz (Power Stone) can be found on their corpse (not always though), which sells for ₦5,000. While similar to the Chimera from the original Resident Evil, Reapers are not part of any project, neither from Umbrella nor from Tricell. They were, in fact, a completely random and unprecedented mutation of mere cockroaches which came in contact with the Uroboros virus when a fire broke out in the missile bay of Tricell's African research facility. The beasts were codenamed "Reapers" when whole squads of armed Majini were sent to capture a specimen and were torn apart, as if disemboweled by scythes or spears by its claws.
Strategy
- The Reaper is one of the most dangerous creatures in Resident Evil 5, dealing with them should be your first priority. Luckily, in the Story Mode, most of their encounters have no additional enemies (considering the player deals with them first before the Reapers appear or vice versa).
- Stay as far away from it if you can't take out a limb quickly. The smallest error may result in instant death.
- The rigid carapace will protect the Reaper from explosive attacks, therefore Grenades and Proximity Mines do not affect it. If a Reaper is caught on an explosion, it will simply curl up in a ball-like position and roll closer to the player. Only a Grenade Launcher can penetrate it. Acid Rounds seem to do the most damage to the Reaper, damaging them even when the weak spot is not open.
- Grenades can, however, be quite effective to escape in a tight situation, as the rolling animation is quite long and the Reaper cannot attack while doing it.
- One direct hit from a Rocket Launcher will instantly kill it.
- Two flash rounds from the Grenade Launcher will make it expose its main weak spot. Concentrate your fire at the glowing sac with a fast or powerful weapon when this happens. Note that flash grenades won't work.
- Using a fully upgraded rifle to shoot the weak point on the Reaper's chest will cause it to expose a weak point on its side. Shooting this will reveal a third weak point, and shooting that will kill the Reaper.
- Though it's risky, shooting with a Shotgun at close range (even the Ithaca) seems very effective. Just keep shooting it non-stop near its weak spots until it starts to scream and falls to the ground.
- Opening fire on it with a machine gun on the upper body is an effective way to expose its weak spots.
- The usually best (and safest) way to kill a Reaper is using a machine gun to hit the chest weakspot when it's open, and then proceed to shoot his shoulder sacs when it kneels, by using a stronger weapon (such as Shotgun or Magnum). After hitting the two sacs in the shoulders you can finally hit the one on the chest again which will kill it.
- Although the Reaper is extremely strong, with the right arsenal it can be quite simple to kill. All it takes is a well aimed Stun Rod strike and the Reaper will fall, revealing its two destroyable glowing sacs for weapons fire. If you don't have a stun rod, transformers (environmental hazard), electric rounds and flash rounds from the Grenade Launcher work just as well. In case you do have a stun rod, attack right after one of the limbs has been blown off and don't let up.
- On a few occasions that a small group of Reapers will appear at the same time, the RPG-7 is the quickest way to handle them. However, except for Chapter 6-3, it's possible to avoid encounters with multiple Reapers if done right, and being able to take them one-by-one.
- They seem to be attracted to heat. If you try to leave one of them near an incinerator with yourself far away from it, it will walk into the fire and literally commit suicide.
- The Gatling Gun works fairly well since it fires an innacurrate bunch of bullets at it.
- Any Handgun can make the fight easier. In Chapters 5-2, 5-3 and 6-3 carry a Handgun if you don't want to spend 20,000 of money in 2 Rocket Launchers. Carry at least 100 Ammo for the Handgun, make sure it's fully upgraded. In 5-2 when you hear the scream, watch out for it. When you see it try shooting at the limbs. Once one is down the Reaper will be slightly stunned, giving you a chance to dismember another limb, after that stay in FRONT of the Reaper to destroy the sacs. In 5-3 do the same here, and have ready a bunch of ammo (same in 6-3). Do the same but DON'T GO FOWARD or you will have to face 2 Reapers (maybe even 3). In 6-3 its recommendable you apply one of these tactics (the ones up like using the Rocket Launcher) to make the fight easier with 1 Reaper. Use the Handgun Tactic, or kill 1 then evade the other, flash him when you go through the area where the Gatling Majinis appear, at your left there is a Turret. At this point use a Grenade Launcher (flash) to stun it and have the change to go to the turret and start firing at it.
- A viable tactic against Reapers is to use the Sig. When the Reaper releases the cloud of distorting dust, aim for it's chest. If you hit it, they Reaper pitches forward, revealing two white pods on its back. Shoot the top-most pod, and then hit the other one. The reaper will stand back up, opening it's chest, and stagger around. Aim for the pod in its chest, and in five or six shots from a lightly upgraded Sig, the Reaper will fall, dropping the Power Stone.
Resident Evil: The Deck Building Game
The Reaper is an Infected card in the Resident Evil DBG, first appearing in the expansion set, Alliance.
The Reaper's effect is very specific and in most circumstances may not apply to whichever player killed it. If the Reaper wasn't defeated from damage equal to its own health, then the player has to trash the highest costing card attached to their Partner Character. The only character who would seem to benefit from successfully matching their damage to the Reaper's health is Carlos Oliveira; who can move one card from his discard pile to his hand after he explores. The Reaper has 35 Health, deals 40 Damage, and is worth 4 Decorations.
Further Notes
- Reapers are one of the few enemies that will inflict damage on any Majini that is close enough while the Reaper is trying to attack the player.
- Despite the fact that Reapers were a random mutation when they came in contact with Uroboros, there is questioning on whether or not this was a successful merging or another rejection. The objective of the virus is to advanced its host to the next stage in evolution only if it was able to successfully adapt to the host genetic sequence. Reapers show consistency with this claim as they are more powerful and advanced than their previous forms.
Gallery
| |||||||||||||||||