Look, let’s be real. Running through a dark Spanish village while a guy with a burlap sack over his head tries to chainsaw your collarbone is stressful. We’ve all been there. But what makes the Resident Evil 4 Remake unlockables so addictive isn’t just the "clink" of a trophy popping—it’s the fact that once you get them, you basically become the final boss.
Most people finish the game once, see the credits roll, and think they’re done. Wrong. That’s just the tutorial. The real game starts when you're hunting for the Cat Ears or trying to figure out why on earth anyone would want to wear a Chicken Hat. I’ve spent way too many hours mapping out the most efficient way to break this game, and honestly, it’s easier than it looks if you don't overthink it.
The Big Three: Infinite Ammo Weapons
If you want to stop worrying about gunpowder and start treating Los Illuminados like target practice, you need the heavy hitters.
The Infinite Rocket Launcher
This is the "I'm tired of your nonsense" button. It’s the easiest one to get but the hardest to afford. You just have to beat the game once on any difficulty. After that, start a New Game Plus (NG+) and find the Merchant. He’ll sell it to you for 2 million Pesetas.
Pro tip: Don't just save your pennies. Sell your upgraded guns from your first run. A fully decked-out Red9 is worth a lot of cash, and once you have a rocket launcher that never runs out, you won't miss it.
Chicago Sweeper (The Thompson)
You might remember this as the Chicago Typewriter from the original. To get it, you need to clear the game on Professional Mode with an A Rank. That means finishing in under seven hours. It sounds tight, but since you can do this on NG+ with your Infinite Rocket Launcher, it’s basically a victory lap.
The Handcannon
This thing is a beast. Back when the game launched, you had to beat Professional Mode on a fresh save without using any bonus weapons. It was a nightmare.
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Now? Just play The Mercenaries. If you get an S Rank on all three original stages (Village, Castle, Island), you unlock it. It takes maybe 30 minutes. Use Krauser. His mayhem mode is literally a "get out of jail free" card.
Professional S+ and the Legend of the Cat Ears
Okay, let’s talk about the Cat Ears. This is the holy grail of Resident Evil 4 Remake unlockables because it gives Leon infinite ammo for almost every gun in the game. No more reloading. Just pure, unadulterated chaos.
To get them, you have to achieve an S+ Rank on Professional Mode. This is the part where people usually give up, but here are the hard rules:
- It must be a New Game (not NG+).
- You must finish in under 5 hours and 30 minutes.
- You can only save your game 15 times. Total.
If you save every time you see a typewriter, you'll fail. You have to be strategic. Usually, I don't even save for the first time until right before the Del Lago fight or the Village ambush.
The Secret "Cheat" Strategy
The game says you can't use NG+, but it doesn't say you can't use bonus items. If you’ve already unlocked the Primal Knife (by finding all 16 Clockwork Castellans) and the Chicago Sweeper, you can use them.
The real trick is the Exclusive Upgrade Ticket. If you do enough merchant requests to get 30 Spinels by the time you hit the Castle, you can buy a ticket and instantly give your Chicago Sweeper infinite ammo. Suddenly, your S+ run becomes a lot more manageable.
Accessories That Actually Change the Game
Not everything is about guns. Some of the weirdest outfits in the game have the best perks.
- Ashley’s Armor: This is mandatory. If you finish the game on Hardcore with an A rank, Ashley gets a suit of plate armor. She becomes invincible. Enemies can’t hurt her, and more importantly, they can’t carry her away. They just fall over trying to pick her up. It’s hilarious.
- Chicken Hat: Clear Hardcore with an S Rank. It looks ridiculous, but it significantly reduces the damage Leon takes.
- Wolf Tail: Clear Assisted with an S Rank. It boosts your melee damage. If you like kicking Ganados in the face, this is for you.
- Gas Mask: Clear Professional (any rank). It enables Aim Assist even on the harder difficulties where it's usually disabled.
The Indestructible Knife
Knives break in the remake. It’s annoying, but it adds tension. To fix this, you need the Primal Knife. You get this by hunting down all 16 Clockwork Castellans—those little mechanical Salazar dolls hidden in every chapter.
Once you find them all, buy the knife in the Extra Content Shop and then upgrade it fully at the Merchant. Once it’s "Exclusive," it has infinite durability. You can parry chainsaws all day long and it won't even chip.
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How to Plan Your Unlock Spree
Don't try to do everything at once. You'll burn out. Most veterans follow a specific path to make the Resident Evil 4 Remake unlockables feel like a natural progression rather than a chore.
- First Run: Just enjoy the game. Focus on finding as many treasures and Castellans as possible.
- Second Run (NG+): Use your saved money to buy the Infinite Rocket Launcher. Blitz through Professional to get that A Rank and unlock the Chicago Sweeper and Ashley's Armor.
- The Mercenaries: Take a break from the story and spend 30 minutes grabbing the Handcannon.
- The S+ Professional Run: This is the "big one." Use the Sweeper, use Ashley's Armor, and keep your save count low.
Honestly, the 15-save limit is what kills most runs. You'll feel great until you die to a random tripwire in the mines and realize your last save was 45 minutes ago. Space them out. Use them before bosses like Verdugo or the "Double El Gigante" fight.
Final Actionable Steps
If you're ready to start the grind, here's exactly what you should do right now:
- Check your CP: Go to the "Bonuses" menu from the main screen. Check how much Currency Points (CP) you have. You need these to "buy" the items once you've cleared the challenges.
- Do a Castellan Sweep: If you missed some dolls, load an old save. You don't have to find them all in one go; the game tracks them across all your save files.
- Get Ashley's Armor first: Seriously. Trying to do an S+ run while babysitting a vulnerable Ashley is a recipe for a broken controller. Get her the armor and thank me later.
The beauty of these unlockables is that they turn a survival horror game into an action sandbox. Once you have the Cat Ears and a Chicago Sweeper, the game stops being about "Will I survive?" and starts being about "How fast can I melt this boss?"
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Enjoy the carnage. You've earned it.