Resident Evil 2 (2019 Remake): Complete Survival Guide

A full primer for the RE Engine remake of Resident Evil 2: scenarios and play order, resource management, dealing with zombies, Lickers and Mr. X, puzzles and safes, unlockables, achievements, and PC notes.

Researched September 2026 — current as of the final PC build (post-2022 ray tracing update). Resident Evil Requiem (Feb 27, 2026) revisits the Raccoon City incident, and Resident Evil Veronica is announced for 2027. Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. Play Leon or Claire first, then the other character's "2nd Run". The first campaign (Leon A or Claire A) is the standard story; finishing it unlocks a 2nd Run for the other character with a different start, remixed items and puzzles, and the true ending and final boss.
2. Pick Standard for a first run. Assisted adds aim assist and health regeneration; Hardcore hits harder and requires Ink Ribbons to save at typewriters.
3. You don't need to kill every zombie. Zombies soak a lot of bullets and can get back up. Kill the ones in rooms you'll pass through repeatedly; walk around the rest.
4. Shoot legs to cripple. A zombie with a blown-off leg crawls slowly — a cheap way to clear a hallway you revisit often.
5. Sub-weapons save your life. A combat knife, grenade, or flash grenade in a sub-weapon slot automatically counterattacks when you're grabbed.
6. Walk past Lickers. They're blind and hunt by sound. Walk (don't run), and they often won't notice you.
7. Mr. X can't enter save rooms. When the Tyrant stomps after you, a save room is the only guaranteed escape.
8. Board up windows on the RPD ground floor with Wooden Boards; it stops zombies breaking in on your return trips.
9. Pick up every Hip Pouch. Each expands inventory; running out of slots is the most common early frustration.
10. Read the map. Rooms turn blue when fully looted and red when items remain — use it to avoid backtracking blind.

Scenarios, Modes, and Play Order

Recommended order: Leon A → Claire 2nd Run (or Claire A → Leon 2nd Run), then the other two combinations if you want every cutscene and both characters' weapon sets. There are four story runs in total (Leon A, Claire A, Leon 2nd Run, Claire 2nd Run).

Difficulty

Core Systems

Inventory and the item box

• Inventory is slot-based. Hip Pouches add slots; find all of them for the A Waist of Space achievement.
• Item boxes in save rooms are linked — anything stored in one is available in all.
• Keys and key items show a checkmark once they have no remaining uses, and you can discard them to free space.

Healing (herbs and sprays)

Mix herbs as soon as you have partners — it saves slots.

Gunpowder crafting

• Gunpowder and High-Grade Gunpowder combine into different ammo types depending on the character (and the combination).
• Before auto-crafting handgun ammo, check what you actually need. Many players prefer to save High-Grade Gunpowder for heavier ammo.

Sub-weapons

• Combat Knife: durability-limited, can be recovered from enemies after a grab counter. Also useful for cutting through a zombie's weakness while it's down.
• Grenade / Flash Grenade: when equipped as a sub-weapon, a grab triggers you to shove it in the enemy's mouth. Shoot the grenade after feeding it for Bon Appétit.

Weapons by character (main highlights)

Parts for weapons (stocks, mags, sights, etc.) are found around the map; customizing one unlocks Customizer. A rocket launcher shows up for the final showdown.

Enemies and How to Handle Them

Zombies

• Headshots are inconsistent; zombies often need several. Shoot legs to cripple and walk past.
• They can open doors and will follow you between rooms. Fully kill ones in main corridors (e.g., RPD's main hall routes).
• Stepping over a "dead" zombie is risky: some are just down. Nudge-shoot corpses you're unsure about, or go around.

Lickers

• Blind. Walk past them slowly with nothing loud going on. Running, shooting, or doors slamming alerts them.
• A Flash Grenade paralyzes their hearing (Keep Their Heads Ringin'). Shotgun and grenade rounds kill them fastest.
• Shooting one out of the air mid-leap earns Like Skeet Shooting.

Zombie dogs

• Fast and low. Shotgun or stay in corridors so they line up.

Mr. X (Tyrant T-00)

• Appears partway through the first campaign and stalks the RPD. Listen for heavy footsteps; the music tells you he's close.
• Can't be killed in normal play, only staggered. Several headshots drop him to one knee briefly — useful when he blocks a corridor you need. Knock his hat off for Hats Off!
• Loop around: the RPD's main hall and connected corridors let you circle him. Don't try to fight him in narrow spaces.
• Save rooms are safe. He'll lose track of you if you break line of sight long enough.
• Leading him away, then doubling back through another door, is the standard way to shake him.

Ivies (Plant 43) and G-Adults

• Late-game lab enemies. Ivies are weak to fire — Leon's Flamethrower and Claire's flame rounds make them trivial. Target the glowing weak spots.

Bosses

You'll face William Birkin in escalating G-forms across both campaigns, plus scripted set pieces (a sewer alligator chase for Leon, and Mr. X/Super Tyrant in the 2nd Run). General rules: shoot the exposed eyes and pulsing orange growths for bonus damage, use the heaviest ammo you've been saving, and circle the arena rather than backpedaling into corners.

Walkthrough Outline

1. Gas station and streets — tutorialized opening; get into the Raccoon Police Department (RPD).
2. RPD, first floor — main hall and the Goddess statue. Collect the three medallions (Lion, Unicorn, Maiden) to open the path under the statue (Path to the Goddess).
3. RPD, upper floors and library — puzzles, the first safes, and the Spade, Diamond, Club, and Heart keys that gate doors. Mr. X begins stalking you.
4. Parking garage / kennels / underground — find your way to the sewers.
5. Character detours — Leon controls Ada Wong for a section; Claire controls Sherry Birkin, including the orphanage.
6. Sewers — chess plug puzzle, water treatment areas, and Birkin encounters.
7. NEST (Umbrella's underground lab) — wristband upgrades, Ivy-infested greenhouse, final boss setup.
8. Escape — the finale, which differs in the 2nd Run with the true ending.

Puzzles and Safes

• Dial safes in the RPD (e.g., the West Office and the Waiting Room/second floor safe) have combinations found in memos — and they change between scenarios. Always read the memo in your current run instead of using a code from a guide for a different scenario.
• Portable safes are a pattern puzzle that randomizes; turn the dial and watch which positions it accepts. Inside are Hip Pouches and upgrades.
• Locker padlocks use codes found on nearby notes, photos, or scrawled on walls — read everything in the room.
• Photo hint items: Leon and Claire both find photos of hidden items (Treasure Hunter).
• Mr. Raccoon figures: small raccoon statues hidden throughout; destroy them all for Complete Vermin Extermination. There's a separate set in The Ghost Survivors (Got 'Em).

Unlockables and Ranks

• Your end-of-run rank (up to S+) depends on clear time, number of saves, and difficulty. Faster clears on higher difficulty with fewer saves rank higher.
• High ranks unlock infinite-ammo weapons (the Infinite Rocket Launcher is the famous one) and bonus content; unlocks are also available from the in-game Extra Content screens.
• Concept art, models and costumes unlock through files, raccoons, and completions.

Notable challenge achievements: Frugalist (no healing items), Minimalist (never open the item box), A Small Carbon Footprint (14,000 steps or fewer), Master of Unlocking (all safes and locks), Lore Explorer (all files). Hardcore clears for each character are separate achievements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Killing everything. You'll run out of ammo, especially on Hardcore. Prioritize zombies in repeat-traffic areas.
• Fighting Mr. X. Every bullet on him is a bullet you don't have for Birkin.
• Running past Lickers. Walk.
• Leaving sub-weapon slots empty. A grab without a counter costs lots of health.
• Carrying unmixed herbs. Combine for space and efficiency.
• Using a safe code from the wrong scenario. Codes differ across A and 2nd Run.
• Hoarding heavy ammo until the credits. Use magnum/grenade rounds on bosses and Lickers — that's what they're for.

Advanced Tips

• Steady your aim. The reticle shrinks the longer you hold still; a fully focused shot is much more likely to hit the head.
• Headshot-stagger then run past. A single focused headshot can stagger a zombie long enough to slip by without killing it.
• Hardcore route planning: Map out save rooms and Ink Ribbons; save only before bosses and long stretches.
• Speedrun-style routing for S ranks: skip optional rooms, avoid killing unnecessary zombies, keep Mr. X looping, and learn safe codes for your scenario.
• Knife durability matters. The Combat Knife breaks; don't waste it slashing downed zombies unless you need to.
• The 4th Survivor has no saves and fixed resources — it's about memorizing the route and conserving grenades for the dense final section.

PC Notes

• Built on the RE Engine; runs well on modest hardware. The June 2022 update added ray tracing and newer rendering paths on PC, alongside the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions.
• If the updated build causes issues on older GPUs, check the Steam Betas tab for a legacy (DX11/pre-RT) branch before troubleshooting further.
• Mouse aim makes headshots much easier than on controller; Assisted mode adds aim assist for controller players.

FAQ

Leon or Claire first? Either works; the story is designed so both A/2nd Run combinations make sense. Leon A then Claire 2nd Run is the most common recommendation.

How do I get the true ending? Play a 2nd Run (unlocked after finishing a first campaign) to its end.

Can you kill Mr. X? Not in the normal story — you can only stagger him. He's defeated in scripted fights later.

How do I unlock HUNK and Tofu? Finish a 2nd Run to unlock The 4th Survivor (HUNK); finish The 4th Survivor to unlock The Tofu Survivor.

Is The Ghost Survivors free? Yes, it's a free DLC with four extra scenarios.

Should I play RE2 before RE3 and Requiem? Yes. RE2 and RE3 cover the Raccoon City incident that Resident Evil Requiem looks back on.

How long is a single campaign? Typically around 7–10 hours on a first run; far less once you know the route.

Sources

• Resident Evil 2 on Steam (store page and official announcements)
• Resident Evil 2 Steam achievements list
• Resident Evil 2 (2019 video game) — Wikipedia
• Resident Evil Requiem on Steam