This page details info about weapons and related gameplay mechanics in the Resident Evil 2 remake.
Description[]
Weapons are the player's main means of attack in the game. Basic weapons such as Handguns are starting items in their inventory.
There are certain weapons that can be only unlocked by completing an objective in the Records or by purchasing DLCs with real money. All of them will be placed in the Item Box after unlocking them.
Input[]
The following table shows a list of action controls related to weapons from their respective platforms.
Action | PS4 | Xbox One | PC |
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Aim Weapon | ![]() |
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Fire Weapon | ![]() |
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Use Sub-weapon | ![]() ![]() |
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Counterattack | ![]() |
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Switch Ammo type | ![]() |
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Gameplay[]
Aiming[]

Resident Evil 2 remake uses an over-the-shoulder third person perspective, where the player can freely-aim their weapon while moving the camera angle accordingly. The player must first equip a weapon via the inventory to aim it at the desired targets.
A reticle will appear once the weapon is aimed, which will become smaller when aimed for a short period of time while not moving. If the reticle is small, it gives the player's gunfire much more accuracy and damage. Attempting to fire the weapon or moving while aiming will reset the reticle.
Switching weapons[]

Shortcut menu for the weapons.
The player can manually switch weapons with the following methods in their inventory screen:
- By selecting the chosen weapon and clicking the "EQUIP" button. However, the player cannot use the other weapons in the shortcut slot unless that weapon is unequipped.
- The player can click the "SHORTCUT" button to reassign their weapon to the designated shortcut of their choice. The player can switch weapons by using the
on consoles or the scroll bar on PC.
Custom parts[]

The W-870 upgraded with the Long Barrel (W-870).
Some weapons have custom parts designed for them which modify them in certain ways. These parts greatly increase their effectiveness, such as by raising their attack power or reload speed, making them more efficient at killing enemies.
Some parts give the respective weapon new abilities. For example, the Suppressor (MQ-11) reduces gunfire sounds, preventing the player from being attacked by enemies such as the Tyrant or Lickers, which use echolocation to track down the player's character.
A few of these custom parts cause the weapons to take two slots instead of one in the player's inventory screen. This can be remedied by removing custom parts, allowing the player to save slots for their inventory and store them for later use.
Ammunition[]
Weapon ammunition is scattered throughout most locations of the game. Sometimes, ammo is found in lockers, which may be locked with padlocks that require a code to open, while at other times the player may need to find a Roll Film to reveal the location of ammo caches.
Some weapons can use two different types of ammunition, such as the GM 79 which can fire either acid or flame rounds.
While most types of ammunition can be crafted them using resources such as Gunpowder, other types such as Large-caliber Handgun Ammo can only be acquired by finding them at certain spots in the game.
As noted by the Uses of Gunpowder file, the player must pay attention when combining resources to create ammo, or else they might end up crafting ammo that they do not need, thus wasting resources.
Critical Hit[]
- Main article: Critical Hit
Sometimes, a headshot has a chance of dealing critical hits, especially against low-tier enemies like Zombies. A successful critical hit means the assured death of the enemy. Visually, when a Zombie is killed by a critical headshot, their heads blow into pieces while blood and flesh scatter around the floor.
With the W-870 shotgun, a critical headshot is guaranteed only if the player fires it at point-blank range, while the Lightning Hawk MAG pistol can yield critical headshots regardless of distance.
List of weapons[]
Image | Name | Additional Notes |
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Matilda | |
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SLS 60 | Equipping it with the Reinforced Frame allows it to fire High-Powered Rounds (SLS 60). |
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M19 | Only obtainable in Leon's 2nd run scenario. |
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Quickdraw Army | Only obtainable in Claire's 2nd run scenario. |
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Broom Hc | Exclusive to Ada's segment only (Leon). |
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JMB Hp3 | |
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MUP | Exclusive to HUNK's The 4th Survivor minigame. |
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Samurai Edge (Original Model) | Unlike the other Samurai Edge weapons in-game, this one has infinite ammunition. |
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Samurai Edge (Jill Model) | Pre-order bonus |
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Samurai Edge (Chris Model) | Pre-order bonus |
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Samurai Edge (Albert Model) | Unlocked via DLC |
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Anti-tank Rocket | Can be reloaded whit infinite ammo in the DLC The Ghost Survivors. |
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ATM-4 | Unlike the Anti-tank rocket, this one has infinite ammunition, albeit a slightly smaller blast radius. It can also terminate the Super Tyrant in one shot (two in Hardcore). |
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Minigun | There is also an infinite version of this weapon which can be unlocked by completing any of Claire's scenarios in Hardcore with an S+ rank. |
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Chemical Flamethrower | |
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Spark Shot | |
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W-870 | |
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GM 79 | Can switch ammunition between Flame or Acid rounds. |
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Lightning Hawk | |
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MQ 11 | |
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LE 5 | Exclusive to HUNK's The 4th Survivor minigame. There is also an infinite version of this weapon which can be unlocked by completing any scenario in Hardcore with an S rank. |
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Combat Knife | |
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Combat Knife | Unlike the regular Combat Knife, this one never breaks. |
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Flash Grenade | |
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Hand Grenade |
Sub-weapons[]

Leon using the Combat Knife to defend himself against an attacking Zombie.
Sub-weapons are the player's secondary means of attack in the game. They include Combat Knives (or their unlockable variant), Hand Grenades, and Flash Grenades.
They are used as both offensive and defensive weapons; as offensive weapons, they allow the player to deal heavy damage to enemies (or, in the case of Flash Grenades, to temporarily disable them). As in the remake of the original game, they can also be used as defensive weapons; when the player is grabbed by an enemy (such as a Zombie or a Licker), they are prompted to press the Sub-weapon button (which varies depending on the platform) to counterattack and free them from the enemy's grip. If the player does not respond, the enemy will damage them, potentially killing them if the player's character is low on health. If the player is attacked by a Zombie and a second Zombie joins the attack, the prompt to counterattack with the Sub-weapon will disappear. However, when Sub-weapons are used as defensive weapons, they are much less effective than when used as offensive weapons.[1][2]
The Combat Knife has a peculiarity compared to the other two Sub-weapons: it can be retrieved by the player, but only if they have killed the enemy against which they have used the knife as a means of counterattack.[3]

As with regular weapons, the player can also switch Sub-weapons.
Switching Sub-weapons is done by either clicking the "EQUIP" button on the chosen Sub-weapon in the inventory screen, or by using the on consoles or the scroll bar on PC while holding the 'ready Sub-weapon' button (which varies depending on the platform).
Combat Knife[]
- Main article: Combat Knife (RE2 remake)
The Combat Knife is the first Sub-weapon the player comes across in the game. It has a durability gauge that gradually depletes when used, and it will break once the gauge is empty. The first Combat Knife in the game is given to the player by Marvin Branagh right after they are saved by him from an attacking Zombie during a cutscene. Shortly afterwards, the knife is actually used as a Key item to open a tape-sealed electric fuse box in the main hall of the Police Station, allowing the player to progress the story.
There is also an unlockable version of the knife which has no durability meter and never breaks. This knife can be unlocked by destroying all hidden 15 Mr. Raccoons scattered throughout the game.
Flash Grenade[]
- Main article: Flash Grenade (RE2 remake)
The Flash Grenade is a throwable Sub-weapon. It stuns all enemies caught within its wake, giving the player an opportunity to run past them. It can also slightly stun the player if they are caught by its radius.
Hand Grenade[]
- Main article: Hand Grenade (RE2 remake)
The Hand Grenade is an another throwable Sub-weapon. Upon being thrown to the ground, it explodes, instantly killing most low-tier enemies within its blast radius, or dealing tremendous damage to high-tier enemies like William Birkin's G forms.
In The Ghost Survivors minigame, it is possible to find both High-Grade Gunpowder (White) and High-Grade Gunpowder (Yellow) on the same map. Mixing the two of them will create a Hand Grenade.
Gallery[]
Sources[]
- ↑ Resident Evil 2 (2019), file: "Flash Grenade".
- ↑ Resident Evil 2 (2019), file: "Hand Grenade".
- ↑ Resident Evil 2 (2019), file: "Combat Knife".
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