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Resident Evil 5 – Weapon/Combat Guide
PlayStation 3
Weapon/Combat Guide by xoChrisiskingox
Version: 1.0 | Updated: 12/20/09
Resident Evil 5 (PS3/X360) Indepth Weapons and Combat Guide Version 1.0 Copyright 2009 Christopher Lane Email: chrissilverdogs(at)yahoo(dot)com (Just copy and paste the address and put the correct symbols in) Note: If you see 'RE' in this guide its most likely an abbreviation for Resident Evil, its very tiring typing you know ;-] ----------------------------------------------------------------- ******************** 1.0 Version history: ******************** 1.0 - First and hopefully last version. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Attention! I'm not intentionally putting spoilers in my guide but guides of this nature may give away some snippets of story and/ or events in the game. Just wanted to warn you now incase you haven't completed the game at least once. This guide is intended for players who have completed the game at least once and want to master the awesome weapons and combat system, not first time players as you'll want to learn by experience first. ********* Contents: ********* Note - press ctrl and f together to enter the 'find' widow and just simple enter the code of what you want to read/visit first e.g. Say you wanted to know which is the best pistol you'd go to section 3.7, easy right. 1.0 - Version History 1.1 - Introduction 1.2 - Guide setup 2.0 - Melee combat 2.1 - The Knife/Machete 2.2 - The Stun Rod 3.0 - Pistols 3.1 - M92F 3.2 - H&K P8 3.3 - SIG P226 3.4 - M93R 3.5 - Px4 3.6 - Samurai Edge 3.7 - Conclusion: which is the best pistol? 4.0 - Shotguns 4.1 - Ithaca M37 4.2 - M3 4.3 - Jail Breaker 4.4 - Hydra 4.5 - Conclusion: which is the best shotgun? 5.0 - Rifles 5.1 - S75 5.2 - Dragunov SVD 5.3 - H&K PSG-1 5.4 - Conclusion: which is the best rifle? 6.0 - Machine Guns 6.1 - VZ61 6.2 - H&K MP5 6.3 - AK-74 6.4 - SIG 556 6.5 - Conclusion: which is the best machine gun? 7.0 - Magnums 7.1 - S&W M29 7.2 - L. Hawk 7.3 - S&W M500 7.4 - Conclusion: which is the best magnum? 8.0 - Special Weapons 8.1 - Grenades 8.2 - Grenade Launcher 8.3 - Rocket Launcher 8.4 - Gatling Gun 8.5 - Longbow 8.6 - Proximity Bomb 8.7 - Gun Turrets 8.8 - Environmental weapons 9.0 - The ultimate weapon load out! 10.0 - Coming soon... 10.1 - Thanks 10.2 - Contact info/Questions 10.3 - Copyright/Legal info ------------------------------------------------------- ***************** 1.1 Introduction: ***************** Hey up Resi fans I'm writing this here to welcome you to my indepth guide on the weapons and combat system available in Resident Evil 5. This is my second guide and I plan to make this one bigger and better than my first, while still keeping my easy going writing style. I ain't holding anything back either, I'll give you every bit of info I believe will help you decide on which weapon is right for you in every situation. Just so you lot know, I'm a real resi fan and have completed most of them and I'm really happy with this latest installment regardless of the negative and unjustified bad reviews it seemed to have received. Seriously some review sites should be ashamed, but hell thats just my opinion. In this one it seems the main story behind the Resident evil saga reaches it climax with all the main characters returning to settle old rivalries and the until now, unseen Ozwell E. Spencer (the main man along with Edward Ashford who discovered the Progenitor virus) makes his first appearance while revealing some new shocking truths. Resident Evil 5 combines the revolutionary gameplay of Resident Evil 4 while in some ways bringing the feel of old Resi back i.e. story and characters, not as many scares as the oldies though. Oh and did I mention theirs also a whole new partner system? Either co-op or working with the brillaint AI, Resi 5 is very much team work based. So looks like another masterpiece by Capcom and I just hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Anyway as much as you love it, enough chit-chat for now and on with the guide. I'll start with the Melee combat and move onto the weapon section to help you out as much as I can for when you, yet again, enter the world of survival horror! ------------------------------------------------------- **************** 1.2 Guide Setup: **************** I'll be doing each weapon class individually starting with Melee combat and ending with the special toys you can get your hands on. I'll lay it out as follows: Weapon name, when and how you get it and the price (I'll be using # as the African money symbol). Weapon stats, upgrades and prices. When fully upgraded, is it worth all the cash you spent? Aesthetics of the weapon, this is a totally subjective but interesting point about how the gun looks, feels and sounds. In the game: I've tested every gun actually in the field so to speak and I'll tell you if the stats tell the whole story. Comments: This is my honest take on the weapon and what its best suited for, again this is based on experience using the specified weapon. Summary, Pros and Cons of the weapon. That's it, now sit back get a drink, relax and most importantly enjoy. Please Note! - I'm discounting unlimited ammo in this guide as it not only takes away the fun and realism it also takes away some advantages and disadvantages of the weapons which would make a lot of this info invalid. Plus its more rewarding not using unlimited ammo, that's just for crazy fun runs or for checking stuff out without having to use ammo. Last note, enemies have a set HP (health Points) just like Chris and Sheva (at full health they have 1000 HP). Each enemy has a different HP depending on the circumstances such as the difficulty you chose or the stage of the game your at. Also not every enemy of the same type will have the same HP. I mention this as throughout my guide you'll see damage points and all this means is how much HP each shot, slash, bang, or smack will do. Understand? I hope so as it isn't rocket science, well not unless your using the Rocket Launcher that is 8*] . ---------------------------------------------------------- ***************** 2.0 Melee combat: ***************** Resi 5 really upped the ante were melee attacks are concerned. Both Chris and Sheva have a whole load of useful attacks that both saves ammo and your butt in many situations. Now I have to point out that although there's more attacks than Resi 4 its not as easy (taking on a crowd of 10 majini with just a pistol and a single kick is not easily done anymore) as your attacks don't have as much spread as Leon's kick did so the reliable head shot, kick and knife to death routine goes out the window, by the way did I mention the knife is weaker than it was in resi 4? But in return you get yourself a huge selection of attacks that have varying effects and damage. You can even chain attacks with your partner, with devastating effects on the poor fello it hits, ha! Below I will detail both Chris and Sheva's melee attacks, how to perform them, their effect and damage: ¬¬¬¬¬ Chris ¬¬¬¬¬ Chris is the powerhouse of the two players, his newly gained muscles do kinda give it away (seen those Biceps! 8*o ). Anyway all that gym work has obviously paid off as he's much stronger than he used to be and much stronger than Leon was in Resi 4, hence his attacks deal heavy damage more so than his partner, only just though. In return he is slightly slower than Sheva in his attacks, as running speed is virtually identical (I'd say Sheva is minutely faster). Chris is my favorite character and his moves are one of the reasons for this. His attacks are as follows: Straight - Chris leans back and puts all his weight and strength into one hell of a punch. This will knock down whoever it hits (it can actually knock his/her block off, literally, some times) and anyone the victim falls into. To do this amazing attack just stun the enemy with a non-critical head shot. It inflicts 400 damage. Hook - A popular and simple punch. Chris swings his fist in a horizontal fashion that sets up a combo attack (must be done with partner). This does less damage than a straight, 300 and you have to shoot the enemy in the upper-arm area to achieve this attack. Uppercut - Another brain mashing attack that does the same damage as a straight, 400. Shoot the majini in the leg till he/she falls to their knees or grabs their knee in pain to do this devastating attack that if their lucky enough to survive will knock them back. This is that powerful it can be used on sub-bosses as well. Kick - This attack is just hilarious as it sends the bugger it hits across the room and into other poor gits. This also proves that Chris has been doing the squats as well as pumping the iron. It does 300 damage and must be performed from behind after hitting the majini in his arm/middle section just like a hook. Can also be used to set up combos in some cases. Stomp - This attack can be an instant kill if used when facing the majini's head as it simply crushes it, errr gooey. If not it may still kill him/her due to the sheer force that is thrusted onto them which results in severe internal damage. As the name suggests it has to be done while the majini is on the floor and stunned. It does a tremendous 600 damage. A word of warning if you do go for the head popping option though, because like all head kills spunky (sorry I mean the parasite Cephalo, me and all my friends have called it spunky since Resi 4!) may come bursting out and will have to be dealt with. Backhand - This is a very outlandish and powerful attack that is the final strike of a 3 hit combo (must be done with partner) so it can be rather tricky to achieve (one of the Trophies/achievements is to actually to perform a 3 hit combo called 'The Works'). So naturally a very powerful attack that does a massive 3000 damage, no majini will survive this, sometimes they don't survive the two previous required attacks so this just sends them to another dimension. The only drawback is the fiddly ness to set it up right, you got to start with a hook, sheva must now do her knee attack (from behind) so Chris can deliver this awesome attack. It can also be used on the Gatling gun majini's if they are stunned correctly by heavy headshots. Haymaker - Just like the backhand this is the final hit in a combo and can be performed on the Gattling gun majini's like the backhand if they are positioned correctly after enough damage has been caused to his head. It causes 3000 damage and is basically a straight with more weight put into it, hence the slight delay till impact and recovery afterwards. Its a beauty to watch. Neck breaker - This was Hunk's trademark attack in Resi 4's Mercenaries and what an attack it is. Less stylish and more practical than Hunk's but still deadly as ever, its an instant kill attack on all standard majini. To perform this attack simply shoot the majini in the leg (just as if you were setting up an uppercut) and when he/she is grabbing their leg in pain simply run to them and note the option to uppercut will appear, don't do this just walk a bit further forward (almost past the majini) and the uppercut option will quickly change to neck breaker and bam! Their dead as soon as you press Square/X. Its even easier to get this when standing behind a majini already as all you have to do shoot its leg till it falls to its knee and run up to him/her and press Square/X. Grapple breaker - This is the move Chris performs when freeing Sheva from the grasp of an enemy. Chris obviously cares for his new partner as he chucks his whole self into this punch to make sure it frees Sheva and knocks the culprit down. This does a massive 500 damage and is easy to perform, just press circle/B when close to Sheva while she's getting groped by a horny enemy ;o). Uppercut 2 - This is almost identical to Chris's other uppercut except it can only be done just before a Licker does a jumping slash attack (which is fatal), so timing is pretty important here. If the correct buttons are pressed in time Chris will perform a adrenaline fueled uppercut and due to this it does more damage than the standard version, 600. Stab - This is another Licker only attack and its an instant kill 9 times out of ten. The new Licker variations weak spot is its heart right in the centre of its chest and this attack forces Chris's machete right into it, ouch! Like the Uppercut 2 timing is very important here as it can only be done while the licker is lying on its back and stunned. Now the quickest way to get a licker on its back is to shoot its exposed brain (quite the opposite of the usual method of buying a meal and some jewlry eh?), with a rifle preferably, but be quick as these little 'gits' get up quick. ¬¬¬¬¬ Sheva ¬¬¬¬¬ "I may not be as big as you but I can still hold my own" My words exactly Sheva. Just like the girl said herself, she can't half handle herself well, infact she can deal with every enemy chris can, except a little faster. Her attacks are performed qicker than Chris's but are generally less damaging (probably due to the fact she hasn't got biceps the size of everest). She performs attacks exactly the same way as Chris in the sense that the enemy needs to be stunned in a certain way, she has a totally different fighting style though. Below are the details to her ass wooping attacks: Roundhouse kick - This is Sheva's replacment of Chris's straight and a perfect example of her doing slightly lower damage but quicker delivery, it dishes out 350 damage. Shoot a majini in the head so it grasps its head in pain and run over and press the attack button to see Sheva lift herself of the ground and perform a nice RHK and knock all other enemies in the area over. Twist kick - Replacment of Chris's hook, this mild kick is used to set up combos and causes 250 damage to who it hits. Shoot a majini in upper-arm area to make this attack available. Somersault - This attack is stunning to watch and a great trade off for Chris's meaty uppercut. Does 350 damge and is performed while a majini is stunned on its knees, simply shoot his/her leg. Can be used on sub-bosses also. Knee - This attack is self explanatory, surprisingly Sheva knees an enemy in the back 'Shock...Horror!'. Not nearly as cool or funny as Chris's propelling kick but it does the job as the second hit in a combo. Causes 250 damage and has to be done from behind by either being shot in the mid section, arm mainly, or straight after Chris has done a hook. Throat slit - This more than makes up for the boring knee attack but again pretty self explanatory. Performed exactly the same way as Chris's neck breaker attack (refer to that for tips on performing this move). Sheva pulls out here knife and cuts the majini's neck open causing instant death, nice! Impale - Again another tease for the senses. Awesome to watch and even better to perform. When a majini is stunned and on the ground Sheva will pull out her knife and slam everything she's got into a life taking stab. If performed on the head it will decapitate its victim in a similar manner as Chris's stomp. But again be aware that spunky may pop out to pay a visit. If done to the body it will still kill in one stab most of the time so maybe this is the best option as nothing will come out of the victims head. Also note this is one attack that actually casues more damage than Chris's, this will do 800 damage wereas Chris's stomp only does 600. Spinning back kick - This is Sheva's final strike in a 3 hit combo and is a contender for Chris's haymaker. If you can get this combo to work, shoot a majini's arm them do a Twist kick, get Chris to do a Kick from behind and press the attack button to get Sheva to lift herself of the ground and forcfully hammer a kick into the majini's head and do a massive 3000 damage. This can also be done on the gatling gun majini later in the game if their stunned properly. Skull Crusher - Another combo finisher done in exactly the same way, depending on the position of the majini before you press the attack button to deliver the final blow it will vary between this and the spinning back kick. This also does 3000 and tends to decapitate the enemy as Sheva jumps on the poor majini's head and wraps her legs around it (no childish jokes please, thats my job) and slans him/her into the ground before releasing them "Now Breath, ahhhh!". Grapple breaker - This is essentially another roundhouse kick that frees Chris when he's being grabbed by a majini. Sheva obviously doesn't take kind to her fello Africans attacking tourists as this attack does major damage, 450, to ensure Chris is freed. Thanks Sheva. Somersault 2 - This is exactly like Chris's uppercut 2, a counterattack to a Licker's jumping slash. For details just refer to Chris's Uppercut 2. It does a major 600 damage to those pesky freaks. Stab - Again identical to Chris's heart stab on Lickers, refer to Chris's for details. It should be an instant kill but actually does slightly less damage than Chris's stab, due to Sheva only having a Knife and Chris using a machete. Chris does 1200 damage and Sheva does 900. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************** 2.1 The Knife/Machete: ********************** Both Chris and Sheva have a nicely sharpened blade at their disposal throughout the game. Chris has a machete and Sheva has a knife, surprisingly their is no difference in damage only length. Chris's machete has more range than Sheva's knife hence its the better of the two for this reason alone, also I prefer the way it looks both holstered and in use but that's a matter of opinion. Now although melee attacks have been majorly improved the knife has been weakened from the one in Resi 4, although variety in style and use(s) has been expanded. So the shoot in the head (or knife if your skilled enough), kick group onto the floor, knife to death and repeat tactic has been hampered which adds to the reason Resi 5 is arguably more difficult than 4 (yes that tactic was that useful and easy).Don't worry though you get all those cool hand-to-hand moves to compensate, which in my opinion is much better, realistic, enjoyable, adds more variety and is more of a challenge. Its also worth mentioning if you try that old tactic (which I have on several occasions) your partner just ends up shooting the majini on the floor which defeats the object of saving ammo anyway. There is however a similar tactic to the 'shoot/knife, kick, knife till dead and repeat' tactic that can be used on sub-bosses such as the Executioner and Chainsaw lunatic. Best done using a shotgun, simply shoot the enemy till the option to do a melee attack appears but don't perform it till the very last second you can and keep shooting him. Then at the last second hit him and he'll go into his recovery sequence giving you loads of breathing space to fill him with more ammo, repeat this till dead. Doing this means sub-bosses shouldn't pose much trouble just make sure you get your timings just right or you may pay with your life. Never the less the knife/machete is still always there in times of need and can be used effectively as long as its only used sparingly. Both Chris and Sheva do 50 damage with every slash but if its used to save a partner from a crawling or flying spunky (that's either a Kichwa or Kipepeo) while being grabbed it does a nice 500 damage to make sure it dies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ***************** 2.2 The Stun Rod: ***************** The stun rod is another melee weapon Chris and Sheva can use to increase the variety and fun in close combat fighting, its probably also to make up for the weaker knife along with the new melee attacks. Its used exactly like the knife albeit a bit slower to recover from a swing. Its causes a huge 666 damage (the Beasts number if I'm not mistaken) to anyone it hits and has a 50% chance of a critical head shot, or swing in this case. Most standard majini die in 1-2 hits but please beware that some enemies are just simply immune to the effect. One major plus to this is that it can kill a spunky in one swing to the head/parasite. Just be quick as you gotta get close enough to actually hit the parasite and that's when it tends to attack you. This awesome perk means it rivals Flash grenades for effective spunky killing and can be used as many times as you like were as you gotta find or buy flash grenades/rounds but there's always a risk of getting hit, grenades don't have this problem. Its up to you which is best for the situation your in. The stun rod costs #3000 and becomes available at the end of chapter 2-3, it takes up one of your nine item spaces. One final note, if your going on farming runs (re-doing chapters for ammo or money/treasure) then I recommend giving this to your AI controlled partner and keeping them in Cover mode to save ammo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************ 3.0 Pistols: ************ Pistols are your workhorse so to speak and are most likely the gun you'll be using the most, so its very important you pick the right pistol to get you through this nightmare in one piece. Just like RE 4 the pistols have been improved from the old REs, and just like RE 4 the pistols are the hardest category to decide which is the best one and I've done the most homework on them to help me decide. I fought the horde of majini's at the beginning of chapter 1-1 in the ally way with each pistol fully upgraded and took on the second horde with the Executioner (public assembly) for some brain splattingly good fun research as well. Anyway I think I've come to my conclusion and the following section details it all in its glory. But please note that 'best' is a subjective term and I've done my best to keep an unbiased and honest opinion and just give you the facts for you to decide yourself (just like I have with every weapon category). Regardless of what I recommend I'd still like you try all the guns yourself as its not only fun but you may prefer a gun that I didn't recommend. Note that pistol ammo is the most common so don't be afraid to use it when your ammo reserves are low. ********* 3.1 M92F: ********* This is the Pistol you first get at the butchers shop with your other gear, after that its available from the weapon shop straight away for a cheap #2000. If you decide to sell it you'll get 10% of the buying price and the price of upgrades you've bought so far. So It would be #200 for an un upgraded one and varying on the upgrades you bought, this is the same for every weapon in the game. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 150 | 170 | 190 | 210 | 230 | 250 | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #5000 | #6000 | #20,000 Firerate - Fast = bang-bang-bang Reload speed - 1.70sec | 1.62sec | 1.53sec | 1.36sec | Total Price - Default | #1500 | #2000 | #2500 | #6000 Capacity - 10 | 13 | 16 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 33 | 37 | Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #1000 | #1000 | Capacity - | 40 | 45 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 100 | Total Price - | #2000 | #2000 | #4000 | #5000 | #5000 | #12,000 | #35,000 Critical % - 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total Price - Default | #3000 | #8000 | #13,000 | #24,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - So to fully upgrade this pistol it'll set you back #85,000 but in return you get yourself a very good pistol indeed, easily worth it and read below to find out why. Aesthetics - This gun is designed after the classic Italian Beretta series and looks very nice in both Chris and Sheva's more than capable hands. It has a laser sight underneath the barrel for targeting and is loaded with standard 9x19mm Parabellum bullets inside black clips/magazines, and every time you reload you get a nice view of the cool design on the side of the handle. A RE favorite as its been the pistol of choice in many of the series games although different variations and modifications. Its placed in Chris and Sheva's holster when not in use. It has a sorta 'pop' sound which suits the firearm very nicely as the Beretta ist an overpowered handgun by any means. Something else worth noting is that this is the gun Sheva and Chris always seem to have in the games videos so using this would add to the continuity of the whole experience. Finally after every shot a puff of smoke comes out of the barrel of the gun. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Pretty much. Its not as weak as you may expect when compared to the other pistols, its got a swift reload animation, a mega cool capacity, good speed for a handgun and a very high critical % that just wipes out swarms of majini with ease. Comments - This pistol may be your first one but just like the first one in RE 4 its an amazing handgun that will help you through this game on any difficulty without much trouble. First off it has an insanely high capacity that saves you two entire item spaces of ammo, so you only need one box for the rare times you do reload or if your like me you will want your gun fully loaded at all times. Secondly the high Critical % is any headshot specialists dream, I can guarantee that every 3 headshots you make one will be a critical, if not everyone! Oh and don't worry if spunky is gonna pop out of a majini's head as it'll come out anyway if it wants to, so don't let that stop you going for the headshots. The firepower isn't very high but its high enough for a pistol especially when you take the other perks into account. Finally, fully upgrading this gun unlocks the M93R, so that's just another reason to make this your handgun of choice. Summary, Pros and Cons - An overall excellent choice of a handgun for any style of player, especially for those who like headshots and need as many item spaces as they can keep free. Pros: You get it for free, good upgrade Price, Very high capacity, frees up item space, amazing Critical headshot %, Swift reload and looks sweet. Cons: The only issue I can see with this gun is that its the weakest out of all the pistols but defiantly strong enough. *********** 3.2 H&K P8: *********** This Pistol becomes available for purchase after chapter 2-3 from the weapon shop for a fair price of #4000. Sale value is #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 140 | 160 | 180 | 200 | 220 | 240 | 260 Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #4000 | #5000 Firepower - | 300 | Total Price - | #6000 | #26,000 Firerate - Fast = bang-bang-bang Reload speed - 1.53sec | 1.36sec | 1.19sec | 1.11sec | 1.02sec | 0.85sec Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #3000 | #7000 Reload speed - | Total Price - | #18,000 Capacity - 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 25 | Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #5000 | Capacity - | Total Price - | #14,000 Piercing power - 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Total Price - Default | #5000 | #9000 | #12,000 | #26,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? This pistol costs #84,000 to fully upgrade, that's #1000 cheaper than the M92F and a case of you get what you pay for as the M92F is more than worth the extra #1000. However if you want a pistol with more kick, miss the rapid reloads of RE 4's pistols and want the ability to pierce through groups of majini and shields then this is a bargain of a gun. Aesthetics - Designed after the German made Heckler & Koch USP and very well done indeed. Its a nice change from the M92F's roundish design to this more blocky and fancy look, similar to the Blacktail from RE 4. Its laser sight is attached to the gun in a style that looks as if it was made like that i.e. more solid and less under sling like the M92F. It makes a hefty crack sound when fired and smoke comes out the barrel after every shot. Stored in your holster when not in use and although the reload is fast it still gives you a glispe of the detail of the side of the weapon and the black clip that gets loaded each time. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Again their pretty much dead on. When fully upgraded the reload takes less than a second and the piercing power is great. But I didn't really notice the power difference between this and the M92F. Comments - Like all German made guns this is very good, although I see no need in switching from the M92F if you've invested in upgrades already unless the piercing and rapid reload grabs your attention. This would be a great gun for your AI partner as their programmed to go for body shots more often than not, so the piercing factor would be perfect for them. This is kinda like the Punisher from RE 4 (although much better) so enemies that have shields pose no problem for this as you will shoot straight through it and if you love taking on groups with pistols then there is no better tool for the job (well, except maybe the M93R). Also note that although it says 300 damage per bullet, you can rack up more damage per bullet with enemies in groups e.g. 3 majini's would equal 900 damage per bullet. So you can really save ammo here. Summary, pros and cons - If you liked the Punisher from RE 4 but wished it did more damage then this gun is a dream come true, also if you miss the fast reloads from RE 4 this is your pistol of choice. Pros: Does more damage than the M92F, has a rapid reload, holds a fair amount of bullets, the piercing factor can be deadly and ammo conserving in the right hands, looks very tech-cool and is a brilliant weapon to give to your partner plus its cheap to upgrade. Cons: The piercing factor can be a waste and miss used at times and there really is no need to swap your M92F if its been upgraded already for this on your first or even second run. ************* 3.3 SIG P226: ************* The SIG P226 is for sale in the weapon shop after chapter 4-2 for the same price as the H&K P8, #4000 and can be sold for #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 180 | 220 | 240 | 260 | 280 | 300 | 320 Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #4000 Firepower - | 340 | 350 | 370 | 390 | 410 | 430 | 480 | Price - | #4000 | #5000 | #5000 | #7000 | #7000 | #10,000 | #15,000 | Firepower - | Total Price - | #68,000 Firerate - Fast = bang-bang-bang Reload speed - 1.70sec | 1.62sec | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 Capacity - 8 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 16 | Total Price - Default | #1000 | #1000 | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #11,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #81,000 buys you a pistol which can do more damage than two of the available shotguns, with the range of a pistol and at the cost of one pistol bullet. So yeah, I'd say its worth it. Though their is some drawbacks. Aesthetics - Yet another German designed gun complete with a black finish. Just like the H&K P8 Its more blocky looking than the M92F and the laser sight is again screwed on with an actual attachment, not under sling. Looks just as cool as the P8 in Chris and Sheva's hands yet more smooth and sleek, a real treat for the eyes. And it makes a wonderful loud bang when fired to warn anyone of its high power. And just like the others a puff of smoke comes out of the barrel after every shot is fired, also its stored in Chris and Sheva's leg holster when not being used. Finally it's a good job the reload looks good because its long enough. You can see some nice detail on the gun along with the handle and clip. Do the stats tell the whole story? - In one way they do as they let you know about the awesome firepower but some people may miss the other weak stats due to the extreme power factor, its easily done. Or you might think with power that high the capacity and reload speed don't matter, but they do especially when surrounded by several enemies. Comments - A interesting pistol this one. Now as much as I'd like to whole heartedly recommend you use this, I can't, let me explain. Anyone remember the red9 from RE 4? Well that weapon was the most powerful pistol in that game yet it had a good capacity and a swift reload plus a stock to increase accuracy. Do you see what I'm getting at? It was just too good, had no drawbacks and a pistol with high power has to have drawback to make a game a challenge, the SIG P226 is what Capcom should have done with the red9, evened it up a bit. By the way I was never a real fan of the red9 (although it was fun) I always thought the original handgun was better. Now the SIG P226 has brilliant power like the red9 had yet is evened out by its combination of poor capacity and slow reload so you gotta make those 16 bullets of 480 damage count. But if you use the quick item screen reload trick (that's combine ammo with the gun with just two taps of the action button, from the ammo to the gun) then the reload speed becomes less of a problem but still keep an eye on the number of rounds you have left. Never the less this is a pistol that can do major damage from all ranges at just the cost of a handgun round (ultimately rifles are the best for high power for long range shots) and can tackle anything from crowds of majini to bosses as long as its used properly and reloaded often. Summary, Pros and Cons - Overall a beast of a handgun that can cause some serious damage to all foes regardless of its shortcomings. Pros: Mega damage for the cost of a single pistol round, looks and sounds super sleek, cheapest of all handguns to fully upgrade. Cons: Pathetic capacity combined with the slowest pistol reload really does hamper the gun (though this is both good and bad, we don't want a game too easy now do we?!). Oh I almost forgot, it has no special perks such as piercing of high critical %. ********* 3.4 M93R: ********* You can buy this pistol from the weapon shop once you have fully upgraded the M92F. It will cost you a whopping #30.000, don't worry though its worth it. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 170 | 190 | 210 | 230 | 250 | 270 | 290 Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #4000 | #4000 Firepower - | 310 | 330 | 350 | 370 | 400 | Total Price - | #5000 | #5000 | #7000 | #8000 | #15,000 | #58,000 Firerate - This gun can be fired at different rates, but the standard is a rapid 3 round burst = bangbangbang-bangbangbang Reload speed - 1.70sec | 1.62sec | 1.53sec | 1.36sec | Total Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #3000 | #6000 Capacity - 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 Price - Default | #500 | #1000 | #1500 | #1500 | #2000 | #2000 Capacity - | 24 | 26 | 30 | Total Price - | #2500 | #3000 | #8000 | #22,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #86,000 plus the #30,000 to buy the gun itself makes it the most expensive pistol in the game. Good job its a bit more than a pistol then, worth every penny! Aesthetics - A relative of the M92F and just as sleek as its Italian brother. Resi fans will know this is the gun Claire Redfield used in Resident Evil Code Veronica (X). It's got a very modded look and rightly so as its got a built on stock and handle to control recoil. Its Laser sight it attached on top of the gun unlike the other pistols in the game were their underneath. During reload you get a look at the pretty brown handle and a quick glimpse of the clip sliding in with the standard handgun ammo. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Yes and no. They alert you of the weapons awesome firepower and 3 round burst but don't inform you of the many ways the gun can be fired with some practice. And of course its got a swift reload and comfortable capacity. Comments - This is easily a contender for best pistol in the game, you defiantly get your moneys worth here. To start of it does major damage, just below the SIG P226, but doesn't have as much a problem when it comes to reload speed and capacity. It has a stock and handle to improve accuracy and control the recoil, and due to its unique perk it needs them both. This gun has the ability to fire bullets rapidly with no break in-between each shot. This feature can be used many different ways and essentially turns this pistol into a machine gun with more power and accuracy. There are many ways it can be fired and I encourage you to experiment to find your favorite, this also means it can be used for different jobs from crowd control to boss killing. The main ones worth mentioning are as follows: Single shot = Can still be fired like a standard handgun for accurate hits or ammo conserving. Just tap the fire button, the faster you tap the faster the bullet will fire. 3 Round burst = This is what the gun is advertised with and a returning feature from older RE games. Just hold down the fire button and you will fire 3 shots rapidly then the gun will stop to recover, press again for another 3 shots. 3 Round burst without the recovery = This is about timing, just before you fire off the last shot let go of the fire button and press it again and you should fire off another 3 rounds without the recovery period between bursts. Constant rapid fire = This is very much like the 3 Round burst without the recovery but slightly faster and can be continued for as long as you like or till you need to reload. Just repeat the 3 Round burst without the recovery method but time your fire button 'release' and 'press' so it fires no stop like a machine gun. May require some practice to get it right. So as you can see this is a monster of a gun and can be used as much more than pistol. But, and it is a 'J lo' BUTT, due to its rapid fire nature and ability to be used on all enemy types it goes through handgun ammo like George Bush went through retarded quotes. So unless you have completed the game a few times and have a huge stock load of pistol ammo in your inventory box (the one you have access to between each chapter) or heaven forbid you use Infinite ammo? You must be careful not to waste too much ammo and use your others guns as well. Summary, Pros and Cons - If you like the SIG P226's power but hate its drawbacks then this is a more than good replacement for a pistol with power. In a way its more powerful as its standard 3 Round burst can cause a huge 1200 damage. Its swift reload and cool capacity is a plus and don't forget its mega cool perk of all the different fire rates, which includes rapid fire. Pros: High power, comfy reload speed and capacity, stock and rest handle to increase accuracy and reduce recoil and the ability to be fired at different rates. Cons: Only the high price and ammo consumption is a problem, ammo Consumption can be controlled though. ******** 3.5 Px4: ******** This is a wicked pistol that's exclusive to Jill BSAA in the Mercenaries game, shame as its such a brilliant gun. It can't be upgraded and its stats are as follows: Firepower - 300 Firerate - Fast = bang-bang-bang Reload speed - 1.70sec Capacity - 25 Critical % - 87.5% Please note: I'm note sure what numbered level the critical is as the game doesn't tell you unlike the other guns with a high critical %. But from my experience using this and a fully upgraded M92F I'd say its a 5. Is it worth it? - You get it for free as Jill BSAA in Mercenaries. Aesthetics - This a direct lift of a Beretta Px4 Storm, made by the same Italian company as the Beretta pistols. Very easy on the eyes and makes a lovely sound when fired (even more so if an enemies head is blown off by the shot ;-] )and has the cool smoke effect after each round. The laser sight is attached on very much like the H&K P8 and SIG P226. Its stored in Jill's leg holster when not in use and uses the standard handgun bullets. Do the stats tell the whole story? - If you understand the whole critical % system? then yeah the stats are dead on. The system is simple, each gun starts with a standard critical % and all the upgrades do is increase the chances of you landing a critical headshot with a single hit to the head. Comments - I love this gun! The critical % of the M92F is awesome, but this one is just godly. Every two headshots will be critical, guaranteed. Actually every shot will most likely be critical. It does a respectable 300 damage, which is more than the M92F, in fact the only thing the M92F has over the Px4 is a higher capacity and a faster reload. But the reload speed is manageable with the capacity which isn't important as item space shouldn't be a problem with Jill in Mercenaries. The 25 rounds should give you enough breathing space till your next reload. I really can't credit this gun enough, I wish it was in the main game, its also one of the reasons Jill BSAA is one of my favorite characters in the Mercenaries. Summary, Pros and Cons - Aim high and you will always prevail against all standard majini's, even crowds can be wiped out in seconds. Don't worry about the possibility of spunky popping out of the majini's head because Jill BSAA comes with 5 Flash grenades as standard. Pros: Godly Critical %, good power, reload speed and capacity. Oh and it looks cool. Cons: You can't get it in the main game 8-( . ***************** 3.6 Samurai Edge: ***************** This is unfortunately another Mercenaries exclusive gun and belongs to the man in shades, Wesker STARS. Just like Jill's Px4 its stats are un upgradeable and set at the following: Firepower - 400 Firerate - Fast = bang-bang-bang Reload speed - 1.70sec Capacity - 15 Is it worth it? - You get this with Wesker STARS in the Mercenaries game as standard. Aesthetics - In my opinion this is the best looking pistol in the game, and a contender for best looking gun in the game. RE fans will remember the Samurai Edge handgun from the Resident Evil remake for Gamecube. There was many different variations on the Samurai Edge, Chris, Barry and Wesker all had different modifications. Its a modded M92F originally made by Joe Kendo, the brother of Robert Kendo who owned the gun shop in Raccoon city. The one in this game is the best of the lot and personally modified by Albert Wesker. He still has it now as the gun he shoots you with in the main game is this very weapon. Extremely stylish with its black and silver finish, the brown handle with a gold star in the middle (STARS logo, can be seen during reload) just adds to the very nice look of this gun. Makes a meaty bang when fired, has the puff of smoke effect after its been fired and is stored in Wesker's leg holster when not killing enemies. Oh and I almost forgot the laser sight which is attached under the guns barrel, kinda like the Px4 but looks much better. Also note the 15 round clip, this gun is from the old RE's and most pistols held 15 bullets then. Nice one Capcom 8*) . Do the stats tell the whole story? - Yep, except the reload doesn't seem as long as the SIG P226 (un upgraded) even though there supposed to be the same length. This also applies to Jill's Px4. This could be pure psychological on my part due to the Samurai's beauty. Comments - This is the most powerful pistol available in the Mercenaries and can be used on all the sub-bosses if so desired. The capacity and reload aren't great but they seem to be more of a nostalgic twist to the gun (The old RE's pistols held 15 rounds and weren't that quick at reloading). Plus the fact the gun is gorgeous looking makes it more bearable (much like myself actually). This mega awesome pistol just adds to the reason Wesker STARS is one of the best characters in the Mercenaries. Again I wish it was in the main game for Chris/Sheva to use. Summary, Pros and Cons - I don't think I can praise this gun anymore without repeating myself. Pros: Strongest pistol in the mercenaries, looks very groovy and has a nice nostalgic touch to it. Cons: Doesn't have any special perks and I suppose the slow reload and smallest pistol capacity in the game could be considered bad but like I said above I like the nostalgia of it, well suited to Wesker STARRS. ----------------------------------------------------------------- ****************************************** 3.7 Conclusion: which is the best pistol?: ****************************************** This ones a real toughie, but I'd have to go with the Px4 due to its ridiculously high critical % perk, great power and decent capacity, the reload speed isn't too bad either when you take the capacity into account. I decided on the Px4 due to the fact you'll mostly be using your handgun on standard Majini's and this gun goes through them like a hot knife through butter. I am aware you can't get this gun in the main game, so the best handgun you can get in the main game has to be the M92F because it has the same perk as the Px4, although not quite as high a %. It also has the advantage of saving you two whole item spaces with its awesome capacity and its power is enough for a handgun as long as you don't take on too many tougher enemies with it. Honorable mentions have to go to the M93R for its power and versatility, and the H&K P8 for its piercing ability and rapid reload. Both the SIG P226 and Samurai Edge are great weapons but offer nothing new or better when compared with the other pistols. However if your only taking the Mercenaries into account the SIG P226 and Samurai Edge are two of the best pistols available. And the winner is = Px4/M92F ----------------------------------------------------------------- ************* 4.0 Shotguns: ************* Resident Evil wouldn't be Resident Evil without a shotgun to blow zombies (majini's in this case) brains into mush and RE5 certainly raises the bar when it comes to quality of the shotguns you get to play with. All four shotties are unique and have their advantages and disadvantages and it can be hard to pick between them, that's were I come in. Below I've done my best at evaluating each shotty individually and then summarizing to see which is ultimately the best shotgun to have on your back, literally. Also note that shotgun shells are rather common, especially when using your shotty regularly, so don't be afraid to blow a hole or few into all kinds of enemies when needed. *************** 4.1 Ithaca M37: *************** The M37 is found during chapter 1-2 inside the old building, its right next to the building where the woman in the black dress screams for your help. You'll need a key to get inside, the key is inside the top floor of a house, just assist jump Sheva at the first broken ladder you come across (at the beginning of the chapter) to see it and then again at the second for her to go and get it. Once your in the old building the Ithaca is in full view in the typical RE style, on a wall mount. After that it becomes available to buy from the weapon shop for #2000, sells for #200. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 200 | 230 | 260 | 300 | 330 | 360 | 400 Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #5000 | #9000 Firepower - | Total Price - | #24,000 Firerate - Pump action shotgun = bang'pump'bang Reload speed - 3.00sec | 2.85sec | 2.70sec | 2.40sec | Total Price - Default | #500 | #1000 | #3000 | #4500 Capacity - 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #1000 | #1500 | Capacity - | 16 | 17 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 25 | Total Price - | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #5000 | #7000 | #10,000 | #36,500 Critical % - 1 | 2 | Total Price - Default | #5000 | #5000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #70,000 is the asking price to upgrade this to its full potential, making it the cheapest shotgun in the game. Its worth the money because fully upgrading it unlocks the Hydra, a major plus, and the gun itself isn't too bad either. Aesthetics - The stats may not be the best but this gun don't half look good, during use and while resting on your back. This gun is a perfect example of the detail Capcom put into their games, even the scuff marks on the reloading handle look awesome. One little thing I think looks amazing on this gun, and again shows off the detail, is the actual metal switch that the wooden reload handle pumps to load another shell ready to be fired (it can be seen much easier while the guns on your back). That's a very minute thing but its the little things that make the big difference, all the best game developers know this (the likes of Rockstar, Naughty Dog and Capcom). Another interesting point is that this gun seems to be made for Chris's BSAA costume as it suits it perfectly while resting on his back. It still looks cool on Sheva though. The gun itself is an identical copy of the Ithaca M37 Shotgun used by both American Military and Police. The reload is a simple one, you load two shells into the gun (regardless of the number you actually need) and pump it. Makes a lovely bang when fired and has the standard smoke after each shot, also the laser sight is attached to the side of the gun so you can get a good shot on the enemies. One final point is that you can see this gun can have a strap attached due to the hole available on the handle, you can't actually do it in this game though. Do the stats tell the whole story? - I didn't notice much difference in the ability to blow heads off between this and the M3 for example, infact due to the M3's power it blows heads off easier. But other than the critical factor the stats let you know what your dealing with. Comments - Seeing as this is the first shotgun you get your gonna love it regardless of the others available later on. And if your on your very first playthrough? (which if you are what are you doing reading my guide?! Naughty naughty) this will serve you very well without the need to change to one of the other shotties later in the game, as long as your not on a difficulty higher than Normal. I really like this boomstick and it has saved my ass many times in tough situations, including sub-boss encounters. Like all shotties its a reliable source of power and the ultimate crowd control tool so you can get real use out of this weapon. Its large capacity has to be noted as well because it almost holds an entire box of shells, saving you much needed item space. It has a standard power factor of 400 which is a nice hole just waiting to be made. But also be aware that shotguns have a varying power factor, at longer ranges the power will be lowered and at extremely close range it can do more damage than the stats tell you. This applies to all shotguns, especially the Jail Breaker and Hydra. If you want proof of this start a game on the Mercenaries on Public Assembly as Wesker STARS and wait for the Executioner to come and start shooting him with your L. Hawk which does 2300 damage per bullet and see how many rounds it takes (make sure you shoot him in the same spot till dead or the results may differ). Now kill the next Executioner with your Hydra, which does 500 damage per shell, as up close as you possibly can and see how many shells it takes. I can almost guarantee it will take the same or most likely less ammo than the L. Hawk took. Magic eh? Nah its just ballistics. Summary, Pros and Cons - Overall a steady and reliable shotgun with a high capacity and decent firepower, also it has a swift reload and a critical headshot factor, though I have to admit this isn't as noticeable as I'd expected mainly due to the guns spread effect. Worth upgrading to unlock the Hydra alone and I just love playing with this weapon regardless of the stats. Pros: Cheapest shotty, high capacity, critical % and respectable power along with a quick reload. Oh and it looks groovy. Cons: Compared to the other shotguns its rather weak and basic, critical factor can be hard to even notice. ******* 4.2 M3: ******* The M3 is found in chapter 3-3 on a small docking area just behind where Josh docks the boat for the second time. It then can be bought for #4000 from the weapon shop once the chapter ends. Sale value is #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 300 | 320 | 350 | 370 | 400 | 420 | 450 Price - Default | #1000 | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 Firepower - | 480 | 500 | 550 | 600 | 650 | 700 | Price - | #4000 | #4000 | #5000 | #5000 | #8000 | #10,000 | Firepower - | 900 | Total Price - | #12,000 | #60,000 Firerate - Pump action shotgun = bang'pump'bang Reload speed - 3.00sec | 2.70sec | Total Price - Default | #3000 | #3000 Capacity - 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Total Price - Default | #1000 | #1500 | #2000 | #2500 | #3000 | #10,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #73,000 buys you arguably the most powerful shotty in the game with only a slow reload and weak capacity to hold it back. But those factors are unimportant due to the fact you should never need to go more than 10 shells to clear a crowd or kill a sub-boss with a power factor of 900, letting you reload in peace. For what you get this gun is rather cheap. Aesthetics - This meaty weapon looks just like the real life combat shotgun Benelli M3 made by the Italian firearms manufacturer Benelli. Used by police SWAT teams and sportsmen. I especially like the way an empty shell is ejected out the gun, if you pause the game while shooting you can see the ejection port on the side of the gun opening and shutting. Looks very modern and techno compared to the M37 and also looks cool on Chris's back, especially the Safari costume. Reloading is identical to the M37 and shows of the details on the side of the gun and the reload itself seems more easier and marginally quicker (I'm referring to the pump between each shot, not the shell reload as that's slower than the M37). It makes a louder bang when fired than the M37, what a surprise, and has the little smoke effect after each shot. Much like the M37 the laser is connected to the side of the gun, but on the barrel this time. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Yes they do. But unlike the SIG P226 the low capacity and slow reload isn't an issue. Comments - Anyone remember the Riot Gun from RE4? Well I loved that gun and thought it was the best shotgun in the game and the M3 is like a supped up Riot Gun so you can imagine how much I love this weapon. If you want your shotty to wipe out crowds and make bosses scared of YOU? Then this is the shotgun you'll most likely want. The standard power factor is through the roof and when your up close its even more effective, 'is it a bird? is it a plane? is it Chuck Norris?! NO its a majini's head!'. Also note it has a longer barrel than the other shotguns letting you get nice and close to the enemies various soon to be gone body parts. Summary, Pros and Cons - If you have this weapon on your back it'll rarely let you down, contender number one for best shotty in the game. Pros: Mega damage even without taking the extra shotgun damage factor into account (refer to the M37 for details), cheap price considering what you get for it, and you get it rather early on in the game. Has a longer barrel for easier close up shots. Cons: Slow reload and poo capacity is this guns only flaws however they are both very irrelevant. Doesn't have any special perks either. ***************** 4.3 Jail Breaker: ***************** You get this shotty very late in the game, chapter 6-1 just before you enter the room where you speak to Excella underneath the massive square spiraling stairs. After that its up for sale in the weapon shop for #4000 once you have completed chapter 6-3. You can sell it un upgraded for #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 180 | 200 | 220 | 250 | 300 | 350 | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #7000 | #10,000 | #26,000 Firerate - Semi-Auto shotgun = bang--bang--bang Reload speed - 2.52sec | 2.38sec | 2.24sec | 2.10sec | 1.96sec | Price - Default | #500 | #1500 | #2000 | #5000 | Reload speed - | 1.82sec | Total Price - | #7000 | #16,000 Capacity - 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 Price - Default | #1000 | #1000 | #1500 | #1500 | #2000 | #2000 Capacity - | 12 | 13 | 15 | Total Price - | #3000 | #4000 | #6000 | #22,000 Attack range - 7 | 10 | 15 | Total Price - Default | #6000 | #15,000 | #21,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - You'll be paying #85,000 for this not so normal shotgun and if its used properly you'll be glad you did. However if you like the way this gun works you will be better off not upgrading this straight away and save up for the Hydra. Aesthetics - In terms of looks this gun looks just like a grenade launcher, I'm not aware if there is a real life shotgun designed like this but I'd imagine so, some kind of riot weapon. It may be a variation of a Atchisson Assault Shotgun with a drum magazine? In game it has a very fancy and techno/modern look to it with compact size, adjustable arm rest and handle. You can see the drum magazine operating during use, ejecting and loading shells. The weapon looks rather cute when on your players back but that cuteness soon evaporates when you fire the damn thing and see all the pellets go into someone, makes a cool sound when fired as well. The reload is very quick and all you see is the player slamming two shells into the drum of the gun. Finally the laser sight is on the side of the gun in a very attachment style. Do the stats tell the whole story? - They don't give this weapon justice unless you know about the attack range perk or the extra damage all shotguns are capable of, especially this one. Key point here is its not as weak as you may first think. Comments - Down on paper this is the weakest shotgun in the game but that's not the case, although its not as stupidly overpowered as the Striker was in RE4. The Striker in RE4 suffered from the red9 syndrome (Did I just coin a phrase? Damn I'm goood!) it was way overpowered and had a ridiculous capacity of 100 shells along with a similar attack range perk as the Jailbreaker does. Although thankfully Capcom have done with this what they did with the SIG P226, evened it up a bit. Now lets get the basics out the way, it has a wicked fast reload which compensates for the not great but not bad capacity. But the main point of this gun is the power factor and Attack range perk. As I briefly mentioned above the Jailbreaker only has a damage factor of 350 (the basic Ithaca M37 does 400) so it may seem turd for a shotgun but take into account that all shotguns can nearly double there damage at close range and with its range perk it can almost be tripled. You see the Attack range doesn't just effect long range shots because it also boosts its close range aswell due to all the extra pellets that's fired. Add to this the fact the gun doesn't spread as much (the circular radius of pellets fired is much smaller than the M37 and M3 but contains the same amount, leading to more concentrated shots) makes one awesomely powerful weapon in the right hands. Unlike the M37 and M3 this shotgun can be used to hit more precise targets with all its power going into that one thing e.g. a bosses weak spot or a majini's head, instead of being spread across the whole enemy. So if you like to blow heads off with a shotgun or need to hit an exact target? This is the tool for you. This also makes it better at head shots than the M37 regardless of its critical perk. So this gun can pump out some serious damage regardless of what the stats say. A word of warning though, you must get close to whatever target you wish to hit/do major damage too as even with the extra range given by the perk its still crap at distances (I believe that attack range perk is to boost the guns power at closer ranges rather than improve its long distance effectiveness as I detailed above). One final thing, you hold the gun by the hip and not on the shoulders like the M37 and M3 so aiming is different and may be awkward if you can't find the laser while targeting a very close enemy. Oh I almost forgot, it doesn't need pumping after every shot so its also faster at firing than the other two shotties, again adding to the guns ability to cause some serious damage. Summary, Pros and Cons - After reading the above I think you're aware how great this shotgun is when used correctly. Pros: Fastest reload of all shotguns, faster firing 'Semi-Auto', has more compact pellets (less spread, more straight) when fired than the M37 and M3 allowing more precise shots on specific objects e.g. heads and bosses weak spots, and the Attack range perk boosts the close range power to almost triple the standard 350. Cons: Its low capacity and aiming from the hip seems the only problem but the capacity issue is eased by the lightning fast reload and the aiming is a subjective matter. Also you don't get this gun till the very end of the game. There's also the matter of the gun being very poor at longer ranges regardless of what the Attack range perk may make you believe. This certainly isn't the shotgun for you if you use it any further than close-medium range, medium is pushing it! ********** 4.4 Hydra: ********** You unlock this boomstick of death by fully upgrading the Ithaca M37. The price is a measly #30,000, compared to the power it gives you thats nothing. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 280 | 290 | 310 | 330 | 350 | 380 | 400 Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #4000 | #4000 | #5000 Firepower - | 420 | 440 | 460 | 500 | 550 | Total Price - | #5000 | #7000 | #7000 | #10,000 | #13,000 | #63,000 Firerate - Sawn-off shotgun = bang--bang--bang Reload speed - 3.67sec | 3.30sec | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 Capacity - 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 Price - Default | #1000 | #1000 | #1000 | #1500 | #1500 | #2000 Capacity - | Total Price - | #8000 Attack range - 7 | 10 | 15 | Total Price - Default | #6000 | #15,000 | #21,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #94,000 means this is the most expensive shotgun in the game and I'll just say this...BUY IT! Aesthetics - The Hydra is easily one of the most stylish guns in the game. Whether its the classical look of it or the super cool reload sequence, this gun oozes awesome. Its obviously a direct copy of a real life Sawn-off shotgun with the added bonus of a third barrel. The gun fits onto the players back lovely and looks just as good as the M37, if not better. I also love the way the laser sight has been taped onto the bottom of the gun in a very makeshift fashion. The reload sequence as I previously mentioned is a sheer joy to watch and makes those three seconds of reload time fly by, probably the best reload sequence in the game. The deafening boom it makes when being fired is brilliant and really makes you realise the damage you just caused. I can't compliment the way this gun looks enough! Do the stats tell the whole story? - Very much like the Jailbreaker, if you understand how the Attack range perk works then you will be fully aware how formidable this gun is. If you want the details on the attack range perk refer to the Jailbreaker. Comments - I present to you contender number two for the best shotgun in the game. This beauty is like a hybrid of the three other shotties in the game. It has the Ithaca M37's style and looks, the M3's brute strength and the Jailbreaker's Attack range perk. Need I say more? No, but I will anyway. Forget the low capacity as nothing short of bosses can survive 10 close up shots from this monster so that's not a problem and the super stylish reload will most likely make you happy the reload takes 3.30 seconds. Now 550 damage is great to begin with but add the extra damage a close up shot from a shotgun can do as well as the Attack range perk that makes close up shots even more deadly (I explained how this works in detail in the Jailbreaker section, check that for details) so we're talking 1000's of damage here. I actually figured That Wesker STARS in the Mercenaries mode has both a L. Hawk and a Hydra and the Hydra is capable of doing more damage than the L. Hawk (I explained this in the M37 section, check there for more details) and that one isn't even fully upgraded. The Attack range perk also means its pellets are less spread and more straight which makes it better for hitting a particular target such as a majini's head or a Reapers soft spot. But much like the Jailbreaker its works best at extreme close range although it is better at long range shots than the Jailbreaker is. Finally I have to mention the fast fire rate it has due to the fact it doesn't have to pump between shots, it fires just as fast as the Jailbreaker but with more power. Oh and incase your wondering you can only fire one shell at a time not two or the whole three like Sawn-off shotguns can as it only has one trigger, the design and extra barrel is mainly for show and to let you know about its intense power. One final yet important fact is that you aim different with this gun than you do with all other guns in the game. Its aimed and fired with one hand (by Chris and Wesker, Sheva uses two) at a level a bit higher than the shoulder held shotties, M37 and M3. This can be strange at first but you'll quickly get used to it and then love it. Sheva just uses it like other shotguns. Summary, Pros and Cons - At close range this weapon makes you practically invincible! This is the closest gun in the game your gonna get to one of RE4's stupidly overpowered guns such as the Striker or red9. But due to its slow reload, weak capacity and charm it gets away with it and doesn't fall victim to the 'red9 syndrome'. Pros: High standard power and insane power when used up close with its attack range perk, sexy reload sequence and appearance. Can kill all and any enemy in the game, especially good against spunky that pops out of majini's head because if you don't have a flash grenade handy they can drain ammo. Not with the Hydra, one or two close up shots at the most kills it. Cons: Both the reload speed and capacity are poor but really don't matter. It'll take you awhile to get this due to its high price and the fact you have to fully upgrade the M37. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ******************************************* 4.5 Conclusion: which is the best shotgun?: ******************************************* This is a clear fight between the M3 and the Hydra and depending on how and what you use your shotgun for will decide on which you prefer. If you tend to use your shotgun for all ranges when its required and still want a big kick out of it then the M3 can't be beat with it high power although it lowers over high range. But if you use your shotty mainly close up and want tremendous power then the Hydra wins because it actually does more damage than the M3 up close due to the attack range perk, regardless of what the stats tell you. But for me I'd have to say the Hydra wins it because it takes the best bits from the other three shotguns and combines them to make a devastating yet stylish weapon. And the winner is = Hydra ------------------------------------------------------------------ *********** 5.0 Rifles: *********** Rifles where first introduced to Resident Evil in Resident Evil Code Veronica (X) by the hilariously insane Alfred Ashford. But it wasn't until RE4 that they became a proper weapon that can be used throughout the game, and they make a marvelous comeback in RE5 . Rifles are easily one of my favorite weapon classes due to their high power, accuracy, versatility (if your skilled with it) and their ability to blow heads clean off 'BOOM HEADSHOT!!!'. Just like RE4 there are two distinct types of rifle available and below I've detailed both of them across all three rifles you can get in this game. Rifles are best for long range sniping hence why they come equiped with a zoom scope for zooming in on distint and sometimes hidden targets. They can however be used in close range fighting as well, especially the Semi-auto ones. So if you need power in close quaters don't be afrade to whip your rifle out. If your playing co-op it may be a good idea to have one player scope out an area before entering and having that same sniper take point in tough situations. Rifle ammo is neither common nor rare so use accordingly. Beaware that the more you use a gun the more ammo will appear in random ammo drops so if you like rifles and can use them in close quarters as well as sniping then use it as much as you like. ******** 5.1 S75: ******** This is the first rifle you get in the game but don't let that trick you into believing its not as good as the others. You find it in chapter 2-1 just before you enter the shanty town and just after the dock area. Its in a house where loads of majini come bursting out, also Kirk starts shootings rockets at them just before you get to the house. It becomes available in the weapon shop after you complete chapter 2-3 for #2000 and can be sold for #200. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 750 | 800 | 850 | 900 | 950 | 1050 | 1120 | Price - Default | #1000 | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | Firepower - | 1200 | 1270 | 1350 | 1420 | 1500 | 1700 | 2000 | Price - | #3000 | #3000 | #4000 | #5000 | #5000 | #8000 | #12,000 | Firepower - | Total Price - | #51,000 Firerate - Bolt action rifle = bang'load another cartridge'bang Reload speed - 3.67sec | 3.30sec | Total Price - Default | #3000 | #3000 Capacity - 6 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 17 | Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | Capacity - | 20 | 22 | 25 | 40 | 50 | Total Price - | #3000 | #4000 | #4000 | #8000 | #10,000 | #36,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #90,000 is the asking price to fully upgrade this rifle and if you ask me its worth every penny. This weapon can be used by both sniping masters and beginners, its power is only beat by magnums and the brilliant capacity saves you space in your inventory. Also its one of the most Aesthetically pleasing weapons in the game. Did I mention that fully upgrading it unlocks the Longbow to buy? You have to complete the game as well though. Aesthetics - This thing is as beautiful as the Hydra and Samurai Edge and its reload animation rivals the Hydra's. Take your pick which one but its designed after a bolt action rifle used for hunting large game or snipers that prefer this over the semi-auto style rifles. Everything about this gun looks good, I especially like the reload after each shot and the full reload (when you actually put more ammo in the gun) is even better, the sound it makes is divine. It also looks cool on Chris BSAA's and Sheva's 'Clubbin' back when not being used. In the looks department this gun is pure class and super stylish. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Basically, its super strong, super cool and has a huge capacity. Comments - I just adore this rifle and its one of my favorite guns in the game. To start off with its got a huge 2000 damage per bullet ontop of the piercing factor all rifles have, so this beauty can be used on anything from a majini to the very last boss battle. Also note it only takes two clean hits on the ammo draining spunkies that randomly burst out of majini's heads, showcasing the weapons power. Its amazing 50 round capacity will save you loads of space because you don't need to carry a box of ammo with you. And its reload maybe slow but when it looks this good who cares, plus with a capacity of 50 you won't be reloading often anyway. Its also cheap for such a strong weapon. Now onto this guns weakness, if you want to call it a weakness, the reload between each shot. Seeing as this is a bolt action rifle you have to load a round every time you fire a shot to ready another to be fired. During this time you will no longer look down the scope for a brief moment while you load another cartridge into the gun, this may make you lose you bearings to what your shooting, especially if you missed your target. But what it also does is make you aware of your near surroundings (something you'd most likely be unaware of if you were still looking down the scope) a huge plus in my mind as its very annoying when a majini creeps up on you just as your about to decapitate his friend. Something else the reload does is exaggerate every shot you take, so if you miss it feels really bad due to the reload and the enemy is still there. But on the other hand, if you blow a majini's head off it makes it all the more enjoyable while your loading another round into the gun. This is one of the reasons using this gun is so much fun, its a headshot Specialists dream come true. One final point I have to make is to dismiss any beliefs that this rifle is for pros only, due to the fact their less likely to miss so the reload between each shot isn't so bad. Whereas if you miss with the Semi-auto rifles it doesn't matter due to their fast firerate. Now I understand why people may think this but remember the S75's extreme power, so you can just aim for the body to kill majini's in one shot, which is a bigger target than the head (the head is what you'd have to hit to kill a majini in one shot with either Semi-auto rifle, most of the time anyway). So this can be used by novices too, but pros will have more fun going for the headshots with this monster. Finally, this may not be the best rifle to be used in close quarters combat but pros can manage it, I do and its high power always pays off. Summary, Pros and Cons - As you can probably tell from my comments section I really like this gun and recommend you pick this as your rifle of choice. An awesome weapon in every respect. Pros: Very high power, can be used on all enemy types (even bosses), holds loads of ammo saving you item space, can be used by pros and beginners, stylish looking is an understatement and rather cheap considering what you get. Cons: Slow reload but it looks so good and you shouldn't need to reload often, needs reloading in-between each shot and you stop looking down the sight while doing this (I've detailed above why neither of these is really a problem, and the reload animation sounds and looks great). Not the best rifle for close quarters fighting unless you're very good with it. ***************** 5.2 Dragunov SVD: ***************** This is the second rifle you get throughout the game and its the first that's semi-auto. It's found in chapter 2-2 just after the cut scene with Irving in a locker and this is just at the moment when a rifle is extremely useful, how convenient. It can be bought for #4000 after chapter 2-3 and sold for #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 650 | 700 | 750 | 800 | 850 | 900 | 950 | Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #4000 | #5000 | Firepower - | 1000 | 1100 | 1300 | Total Price - | #5000 | #8000 | #12,000 | #44,000 Firerate - Semi-auto rifle = bang--bang--bang Reload speed - 2.83sec | 2.69sec | 2.55sec | 2.41sec | Total Price - Default | #500 | #1000 | #1500 | #3000 Capacity - 7 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 16 | Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | Capacity - | 18 | Total Price - | #6000 | #15,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #62,000 will buy you a fully upgraded Dragunov and if you prefer semi-auto to bolt action rifles then this is the one to pick and worth the upgrade price. Aesthetics - In the looks department this is a rather attractive weapon but not as stylish as the S75. It does look just like a real Dragunov SVD sniper rifle and goes very well on both Chris BSAA and Sheva's BSAA back. The reload is a simple clip reload and has a rather quirky bang when fired. Finally like all rifles it has a laser that the other player can see while aiming and the smoke effect after firing. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Tells you everything except for the atrocious sway you have to put up with while aiming the gun. Comments - As I stated before this is the first semi-auto rifle you in the game so people who don't like the bolt action rifle, can't use the bolt action rifle or both will be very pleased with this and out of the two semi-auto rifles this is the best due to its higher power and bigger clip. Although this doesn't do as much damage as the bolt action rifle it can pump damage out quicker due to its faster rate of fire and against enemies that are fast, deadly and take shit loads of damage e.g. Lickers this is a very useful tool to have. Speaking of Lickers this is the best weapon against them besides the Rocket launcher and Nitrogen rounds due to its power, firerate and scope. The best and quickest way to kill them is shoot the Licker in its head so it lifts it higher than normal and shows its heart on its chest, now shoot the heart and it should be dead. You couldn't do this with the bolt due to the reload because the Licker would already have its heart covered by its ugly head before you could get a second shot off, it doesn't have time with the Dragunov and H&K PSG-1. One more thing to mention is that due to its faster rate of fire and still high power its generally better in close quarters than the bolt as you can clear a group of enemies dead easy and can be better than a shotgun at times. Like all rifles it has great penetration and can kill enemies lined up or blast through shields like paper. Just bear in mind that's its lower power means it may not kill a majini in one shot unless its a head shot which are harder to get with this as its doesn't have a cross for its scope, it has a red dot which seems to make accurate shots harder to achieve. Oh did I mention the sway? This gun has awful sway when aiming, the worst in the game never mind the worst in the rifle category! Summary, Pros and Cons - This is the best semi-auto rifle available and if you don't like the bolt then this is the rifle for you. Also if you need to pump out damage quickly with a rifle and have loads of ammo then this is what you want. Pros: Decent power and capacity, bearable and plain reload, good firerate, great at pumping out damage in a short space of time, rather cheap and one of the best weapons against the Lickers. Cons: Has a stupid amount of sway when aiming which can make accurate shots harder (or easier if you go with the rhythm??), per bullet the damage is average when compared to the S75 and the dot sight in the scope isn't as good as the cross on the S75 making it less accurate, with the sway on top this really isn't the best rifle for sniping. ************** 5.3 H&K PSG-1: ************** The last rifle and the 2nd Semi-auto one you get and probably the worst of the lot but it does have its perks. You get this late in the game during chapter 5-3 in the power room for the moving platform. It can be bought for #4000 after chapter 5-3 and sold for #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 600 | 650 | 700 | 750 | 800 | 900 | 1000 | Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #4000 | #5000 | Firepower - | 1200 | Total Price - | #7000 | #25,000 Firerate - Semi-auto rifle = bang--bang--bang Reload speed - 2.55sec | 2.41sec | 2.27sec | 2.13sec | 1.98sec | Price - Default | #500 | #1000 | #1500 | #3000 | Reload speed - 1.7sec | Total Price - #5000 | #13,000 Capacity - 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 15 | Total | Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #5000 | #15,000 | Scope Upgrade - | 1 | 2 | Total Price - | #3000 | #8000 | #11,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - It costs you #64,000 for a weaker rifle with a smaller clip compared to the Dragunov so in short, no its not worth it but thats not everything. Aesthetics - This really is a pretty weapon whether its being used, reloaded or simply resting on your back (especially Chris BSAA). Visually its a direct copy of the German Heckler & Koch PSG1, not surprising this is the 3rd H&K weapon in the game as they are high quality weapons like most German made things (shame about the majority of the people!). Can't really say much more about this gun except it has a super cool reload animation and the usual smoke effect after being fired oh and it has a cross style scope when looking through it like the S75. Do the stats tell the whole story? - The scope upgrade is extremely overrated but everything else is clear. Comments - I have mixed feeling towards this weapon because I really like it but it has major drawbacks and its unique perks, mainly the enhanced scope, don't make up for it. Speaking of the upgradeable scope, its a complete waste of money as you never need to zoom in that much and it makes 99.9% of all shots harder not easier as you'd expect. The zoom is also extra sensitive due to the longer distance it can zoom in on. In my opinion the only good thing about the zoom is if you want a good view of something to appreciate the effort Capcom have put into the detail of the game, so it has no practical use only Aesthetic. The guns main drawback is its lower power and capacity compared to the Dragunov, yes I know its only 100 damage and 3 extra bullets but I use (and I recommend that you do as well) my rifle as a damage dealer to all enemies particularly bosses so this takes more bullets to achieve the same damage and with rifle ammo not being the most common ammo this can cause problems, add the rapid reload and you can find yourself ripping through more boxes of ammo than enemies. The guns rapid reload is probably its main perk as long as you dont waste ammo as I mentioned above. This guns scope however is better than the Dragunovs as its a better crosshair when looking through it and it doesn't have that awful sway that the Dragunov does. So if you want an accurate rifle that doesn't reload after every shot this is the rifle you'll be wanting. Now as contradicting as this may sound this is the best rifle IF, and only IF, you have unlimited ammo on because it eliminates ammo usage worries and with it being semi-auto it can pump out damage quicker than the S75. Along with that it doesn't have that stupid sway that the Dragunov has while aiming and the lower capacity and power is irrelevant due to the unlimited ammo allowing continuous fire until the enemy's dead. But You shouldn't be using unlimited ammo anyway, should you!? Summary, Pros and Cons - The worst rifle in the game unless you want a rifle with pin point accuracy with no sway and no reload between each shot. Unique zoom perk is almost useless and defiantly a waste of money. Pros: Rapid reload, Extra Zoom (mostly useless), looks sexy and is the best rifle if you have unlimited ammo on. Cons: Weakest rifle, worst capacity, Zoom upgrades are a waste of money, you get it late into the game. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ***************************************** 5.4 Conclusion: which is the best rifle?: ***************************************** If you've been paying attention then you already know which is the best rifle. The S75 is the undisputed champ of the rifles, with its awesome power per bullet, huge capacity, sleek looks and reload it has no competition from the other rifles unless you include the H&K PSG-1 with unlimited ammo on, which were not...ever! An interesting fact is that a fully upgraded S75 is the most damage a single item space can do, times the 2000 damage by the 50 bullets loaded into it and you have 100,000 damage, not even the S&W M500 and Rocket Launcher can compete with that. Yes the Stun rod eventually could beat it but thats not practical and the Longbow and Gatling gun would obviously hammer it but they have the evil unlimited ammo as default so they don't count unless Chuck Norris says they do (hang on...Chuck says no as only wimps use unlimited ammo and he hates wimps, infact he says only wimps use guides so I'd run!). And the winner is = S75 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ***************** 6.0 Machine Guns: ***************** Machine guns get a lot of bad press due to their relatively low firepower and I agree, partly, but if you don't have a shotgun on you then a machine gun is the best crowd control tool you could wish for. They also make good pistol substitutes in some cases but a machine guns true power lies in its ability to pump out damage at an astonishing rate 2nd to few, add the bundles of ammo and you start to see the appeal. Machine guns aren't just for inexperienced players that couldn't hit a Blue Whale at 2 feet, no as even top quality players can get use out of the machine guns on offer in this game. There are two sub machine guns and two assault rifles and one from each category is best used as a spray/crowd control weapon and the other is best used as an accurate, controlled single fire/burst weapon and I'll be explaining them all below. As I said above Machine gun ammo is very common which is a good thing with them being automatic and all. Don't be too shy or too eager to burn machine gun ammo, just use it at a casual yet healthy rate. ********* 6.1 VZ61: ********* This is the first gun you find in the game (well besides the M92F but you get given that, you don't find it) on chapter 1-1 in the public assembly area (where the axe looney and all the majini's are). But very much like the Rifle category don't let that fool you into thinking its the worst because its arguably the best. It can be bought for #2000 after chapter 1-2 and sold for #200. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 50 | 60 | 80 | 100 | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #4000 | #8000 Firerate - Fully Automatic = bangbangbangbangbangbangbang Reload speed - 2.83sec | 2.69sec | 2.55sec | 2.27sec | Total Price - Default | #1000 | #1000 | #2000 | #4000 Capacity - 50 | 60 | 80 | 100 | 120 | 140 | 160 | 180 | Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #1000 | #1500 | #1500 | #2000 | Capacity - | 200 | 220 | 240 | 260 | 280 | 300 | Total Price - | #3000 | #4000 | #5000 | #6000 | #7000 | #10,000 | #43,000 Critical % - 1 | 2 | 3 | Total Price - Default | #5000 | #15,000 | #20,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #75,000 is the cost to upgrade this head popping machine gun to its full potential and I wouldn't cry too much about the cost as you get what you pay for. Aesthetics - This a small gun that looks rather cute on your back compared to all the other big guns that rest on your back. Its an Czechoslovakian weapon (Skorpion) and true to its real life counterpart. It looks really smart with its brown handle, under sling style laser dot and small clip (must be a magic clip to be able to hold 300 rounds). Makes a 'pop' sound when fired which is true to its low firepower. Has the standard smoke effect like every other gun in the game. The reload is rather bland but does the job anyhow. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Depends how you look at them, the low power may make you think its useless and the high capacity may make you think its great for spraying, you'd be wrong about both. If you use this properly the power is unimportant and the capacity is for saving you item space not spraying. The critical is important and dead on as its not as high as the M92F's which is a level 4 fully upgraded, this is a level 3 when fully upgraded. Comments - This is one of the sub machine guns and the accurate, controlled single fire/burst one due to its low power and critical perk. Spraying is just a waste of ammo with this as its the weakest gun in the game, its enormous clip may make you think spraying is the way to go but its certainly not. This is the best machine gun if you don't have the M92F as its critical perk is great at decapitating majini's, although not as good as the M92F's. If you prefer to use another pistol for whatever reason you can still have the awesome critical perk with this gun. If you do have the M92F however this is the worst machine gun you could have as its main perk becomes redundent. Its capacity has to be noted as its quite impressive especially if you use this properly (not spraying but going for accurate headshots) it will last you forever along with saving you two item spaces. Its slow reload isn't even worth mentioning due to the insane capacity and fully upgrading this along with completing the game unlocks the Gatling gun for purchase from the weapon shop. The one time you could spray is if you were crowded by Majini's as you could spray in a horizontal line across all their heads and hopefully most their heads will explode due to the critical but except some not to and to waste some bullets. Summary, Pros and Cons - Either the best or the worst machine gun in the game depending on what pistol your using. Pros: Critical perk, huge capacity, found early in the game and is a respectable replacement of the M92F oh and it can make a funny continuous head explosion fest. Cons: Weakest gun in the game, ammo can be wasted if its used wrong and has a rather slow reload. ************ 6.2 H&K MP5: ************ The 2nd machine gun you get during the very beginning of chapter 2-1. Its actually in the first room your in with the Hummers. Can be bought from the weapon shop for #2000 and sold for #200 after chapter 2-3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 120 | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #6000 | #8000 | #23,000 Firerate - Fully Automatic = bangbangbangbangbangbangbang Reload speed - 2.70sec | 2.55sec | 2.40sec | 2.10sec | Total | Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #3000 | #6000 | Capacity - 45 | 55 | 65 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 | Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | Capacity - | 130 | 150 | Total Price - | #4000 | #6000 | #23,000 Piercing power - 2 | 3 | 4 | Total Price - Default | #3000 | #12,000 | #15,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - It'll cost you a total of #67,000 to fully upgrade the MP5 which turns it into the best crowd control weapon in this category. So yeah if want to use it for that purpose its defiantly worth it. Aesthetics - Easily one of the best looking guns in the game with one of the best reloads to top it off. Its a perfect replica of the H&K MP5 with torch and red dot sight (like in Call of Duty 4) modifications that sadly do nothing but make the gun look more groovy. Sounds really cool too especially when its being reloaded, speaking of the reload it has a really good reload animation thats also swift as well as sleek. Ontop of all that it looks really nice resting on your back especially on Chris BSAA's (like most guns actually). Has the standard smoke effect when fired and the laser dot comes out of somewhere underneath the barrel not the red dot sight ontop of the gun. Do the stats tell the whole story? - They really do tell you everything with this one except for how beautiful the gun is. Comments - This is the 2nd sub machine gun and the spray/crowd control one. Another contender for best machine gun in the game with its rapid fire, piercing power, high capacity and speedy reload all contribute to its ability to rack up some serious damage to several enemies in a relatively short space of time. You can go into crowds of Majini's and other similar enemies with no fears of getting overwhelmed or killed with this baby on you. Its Damage isn't great but give it time and it can have devastating effects on even sub bosses. Again like the H&K P8 the piercing power can be wasted but due to the fact this is a machine gun and the ammo isn't as precious as pistol ammo its not as big a problem as it can be with the P8. Also like the other Heckler & Koch weapons (P8 and PSG-1) its got a fast reload and slick looks. This is also the best weapon to give AI Sheva as it plays to hear programmed strengths, lets her take on a variety of enemies and doesn't waste your more important ammo. Summary, Pros and Cons - If you want a machine gun to wipe out crowds and look good doing it you can't go wrong with this German masterpiece. Pros: Piercing power, fast reload, good capacity, looks really good, 2nd only to shotties for keeping hordes at bay and fairly cheap. Oh and makes enemies with shields a walking joke. Cons: Weak unless you stand your ground and keep firing at the target(s) (the other attributes of the gun encourage this however). Needs to be fully upgraded and in the right hands to be fully appreciated. ********** 6.3 AK-74: ********** The powerhouse of the machine guns and the 3rd you'll find during chapter 5-1 in a little room that's easy to miss, its just after the first fight with the two lickers and there's also a red herb and a safe with cash in it within the room. Can be bought for #4000 after chapter 5-3 and sold for #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 140 | 150 Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #3000 | #3000 Firepower - | 160 | 170 | 180 | 190 | 200 | 220 | Price - | #4000 | #5000 | #5000 | #6000 | #8000 | #10,000 | Firepower - | 250 | Total Price - | #10,000 | #64,000 Firerate - Fully Automatic = bangbangbangbangbangbangbang Reload speed - 2.83sec | 2.55sec | Total Price - Default | #3000 | #3000 Capacity - 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | Total Price - Default | #500 | #1000 | #1500 | #3000 | #6000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - It'll cost you #73,000 to get a machine gun that does 250 damage per bullet with a magazine of 50 so you can pump out 12,500 in about 10 seconds if you don't miss a single target. If you think that being able to do that much damage in such a short space of time at just the cost of machine gun bullets is worth #73,000? then its easily worth it. Aesthetics - The world famous AK-74 almost looks as good as it shoots. The perfect mix of wood and metal gives the gun a very smart appearance. Its been modified with a laser dot on the side of the weapon that is actually used to aim with. Looks good on both Chris and Sheva's back while not being used and looks cool when being used. Your going to be seeing the reload animation quite alot if you don't do the quick reload via the your equipment menu, its not a riveting animation but its not boring. Either way get used to it because its a slow reload and the gun has a low capacity. The standard smoke effect is present and the gun has a deeper bang than both the MP5 and VZ61. Do the stats tell the whole story? - The stats may or may not make you aware how bad the combination of a piss poor capacity and slow reload speed can hinder you against several enemies at once. The power per bullet and total damage per clip is great but you have to use the equipment menu reload to get the best out of the gun. Comments - I like this gun buts its not without its problems. As I mentioned above the snail paced reload speed ontop of the small clip causes serious problems, especially with this being a fully automatic weapon. The equipment menu reload is a MUST. But thats the price for such a powerful weapon, granted it only does what the M92F does in terms of damage but the M92F isn't a machine gun nor does it use the plentiful machine gun ammo. You can cause serious damage with this in a short space of time at a very low cost. The AK is the first assault rifle you find and due to its weaknesses of low capacity and slow reload with the high power factor its the accurate, controlled single fire/burst one. You can take crowds on with this by popping one round at a time into the enemies. The best technique is to stun the lot of them with a single shot to the head and finish 2-3 of them off quickly and then reload before the others come out of their stunned state. Simply repeat and you'll always prevail. There is however one time when spraying is a good tactic and thats against tougher foes including sub bosses/bosses. Just try not to miss as with all the machine guns it jumps around a bit when firing continuously, and concentrate your fire into your target then do the equipment menu reload while there stunned, repeat till dead. Summary, Pros and Cons - If you have the M92F and the Hydra which makes the perks of the VZ61 and MP5 almost useless and you just want a machine gun as an extra tool to play with and use up all the bundles of machine gun ammo then this is arguably the best one you could use. Pros: Really high power per bullet for a machine gun, can cause major damage in a short time at the cost of the common machine gun ammo. Cons: Low capacity and slow reload which are both emphasized by the rapid fire nature of the gun. Rather expensive for a gun thats only real perk is damage. ************ 6.4 SIG 556: ************ The last machine gun you find in the game during chapter 5-2 right next to where the conveyor belt that needs power to move is. Dead easy to spot and there is an Incendiary grenade right next to it on the desk. Costs #4000 and can bought after chapter 5-3, resale value is #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 80 | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 | 140 Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #3000 | #4000 | #4000 Firepower - | 150 | 160 | 180 | Total Price - | #6000 | #8000 | #12,000 | #44,000 Firerate - Fully Automatic = bangbangbangbangbangbangbang Reload speed - 2.55sec | 2.41sec | 2.27sec | 1.98sec | 1.70sec Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 Reload speed - | 1.42sec | Total Price - | #4000 | #12,000 Capacity - 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 Price - Default | #500 | #500 | #1000 | #1000 | #2000 | #4000 Capacity - | 80 | Total Price - | #6000 | #15,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - This is the same situation as the AK-74 except it has slightly less power in exchange for a bigger clip, faster reload and a cheaper price tag of #71,000. It can actually cause more damage with its clip at 14,400 but thats because it has 30 more rounds and it obviously takes longer to achieve the damage. I'd say its worth it but like the AK-74 it shouldn't be your 1st priority when upgrading all your guns. Aesthetics - A very slick looking weapon and its good to have an assault rifle that isn't either the M4 or M16 for once. This is an improved version of the SG 550 assault rifle made in Switzerland and is a real eye pleaser. Looks very cool on Chris BSAA's back and everyone else's back for that matter. Makes a unique noise like a mixture of the AK-74 and the MP5 when fired and has the standard smoke effect after being fired. The laser dot comes from just underneath the front of the gun. The reload is just like the AK-74's but because the gun looks better the reload looks better to, shame its a lot faster. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Yeah they do with this one, its an allrounder and the stats show that. The reload does however seem faster than the stats say to me. Comments - The 2nd of assault rifles and due to its good power, reasonable clip size and rapid reload speed its better used as a spray/crowd control weapon. Very similar to the AK-74 with some slight differences in the power, capacity and reload speed. It has 70 less power per bullet but in return you get a far superior reload speed and a more comfortable capacity much better suited for taking on groups of enemies. As for taking on a single enemy and wanting to pump serious damage into him/her this can do that as well. Because it still has a respectable damage factor of 180 per bullet and a larger clip compared to the AK-74 it can actually pump more damage out at just the price of a few more rounds and seconds, I'd say you can pump out 14,400 (if you don't miss) in about 15 seconds. Still it doesn't beat the AK-74 in damage per second so if you really need to pump damage out as fast as possible with a machine gun the AK-74 is the better choice. Summary, Pros and Cons - This gun is a very middle of the road weapon and does a great job in all departments although excels in none. If you want a machine gun as an extra gun for some fun and to use up all the machine gun ammo you get then this is a top choice along with the AK-74, but without any of the drawbacks of the AK. Pros: Good at both crowd control and single fire for dealing damage, really fast reload as well as a fairly good capacity and it looks cool. Cons: Excels at nothing in particular besides reload speed and you get it rather late in the game. ------------------------------------------------------------------- *********************************************** 6.5 Conclusion: which is the best machine gun?: *********************************************** This is probably the hardest category to pick a winner for as each gun will benefit a different player depending on how they play, what they prefer and what other weapons their carrying. This is mainly due to the fact that a machine gun isn't a 'must have' as you can complete the game quite easily without using one at all, but you'll miss out on some real fun and variety doing so. So what I'm going do is put why each gun could be the best for YOU below, just use the one that best suits your needs. The VZ61 is the winner if: You don't have the M92F handgun. Simple as that, if your not packing that head popping monster for whatever reason then you should use this machine gun for the critical perk to allow easier decapitations of Majini's. The H&K MP5 is the winner if: You want the best possible gun other than a shotgun to deal with and wipe out crowds with ease. Also if shielded enemies piss you off this is a real winner for you as well. The AK-74 is the winner if: If you have the M92F and the Hydra/M3 and just want a machine gun to deal as much damage as possible in the shortest time then this is what you want. Like in real life, this is the most powerful of machine guns available in this game The SIG 556 is the winner if you: Have both the M92F and Hydra/M3 and just want a machine gun as an extra weapon thats suited for different jobs including crowd control and quick damage dealing to tougher enemies. ------------------------------------------------------------------- ************ 7.0 Magnums: ************ These babies are the powerhouses of the game and deal tremendous damage that nothing short of the Rocket Launcher can compete with. Very much like the shotgun and pistol they have been in Resident Evil since the very first one and make a welcome return in this installment as well. There are 3 different magnums in the game and picking between them can sometimes be more trouble than its worth but each one has its advantages over the other and that's what I'll be detailing below for you to pick which best suits you. Beware that magnum ammo is very rare so you should only use it for boss's, sub-boss's or in emergencies. Also you should take advantage of the capacity upgrades available for ammo. So if your know your near the end of a level and have an empty magnum dont waste what little bullets you have just wait till you get to the weapon shop and then upgrade the capacity to get a fully loaded magnum. Note: If you're low on magnum ammo but have loads of cash then you can actually buy ammo for your magnum. Just buy a S&W M29 from the weapon shop for #4000 and then sell it and you get to keep the 6 rounds that came with the gun, repeat till you have all the ammo you need. This can actually be done for all ammo types just buy the cheapest weapon that uses the ammo you need and sell it for the ammo, repeat. But unless you have bought and upgraded everything in the game its probably not worth doing it for any ammo other than magnum. ************ 7.1 S&W M29: ************ This is the first magnum you get which is actually bait for a trap in the village during chapter 3-1 Marshlands. If you go to take it before you kill all the majini's in the area you get trapped and surrounded by a group of bow and arrow majini's, I recommend you wait till every ones dead before collecting it. After chapter 3-3 it'll become available to buy for #4000 and can be sold for #400. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 1500 | 1700 | 1900 | 2100 | 2400 | 2700 Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #6000 | #8000 Firepower - | 3200 | Total Price - | #10,000 | #33,000 Firerate - Like a Pistol with a bigger recoil = bang--bang--bang Reload speed - 3.53sec | 3.36sec | 3.18sec | 2.83sec | Total Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #3000 | #6000 Capacity - 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 Price - Default | #3000 | #4000 | #6000 | #6000 | #7000 | #10,000 Capacity - | Total Price - | #36,000 Piercing power - 2 | 3 | Total Price - Default | #3000 | #3000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #78,000 is the upgrade cost to get everything you can out of this magnum and its certainly a good price for the most all rounded magnum in the game. Aesthetics - Although the least attractive of the magnums its still has a unique classic look, almost looks like it has a bit of rust developing on the metal. The super awesome reload animation more than makes up for it though, it has the same sleek reload that the handcannon had in Resident Evil 4 (before the reload speed was fully upgraded, infact I never fully upgraded the reload speed of the handcannon as I loved the first reload so much). One of the best reloads in the game along with the Hydra and S75. Its based on the real life Smith & Wesson Model 29 made famous by the Dirty Harry films and it recreates it accurately besides the fact the real Smith & Wesson only holds 6 rounds not 12. The red dot comes from the side of the brown handle and when it fires it makes a hefty bang along side a huge recoil to warn people of its power. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Yes they do, when compared to all the other magnums this is the one in the middle with great power, reload speed, capacity and piercing power. A true all rounder and the stats reflect that. Comments - Seeing as this is the first magnum you get and by the time you find the next one (L. Hawk) you'll probably already have dumped loads of cash into upgrades for this one, then add the fact this one is overall better than the L. Hawk and fully upgrading it unlocks the S&W M500 this is defiantly the magnum you want to be carrying for a while. It holds 12 rounds so you wont be reloading often, well you probably will as the reload animation is so cool but you wont actually NEED to reload often as few enemies can withstand twelve rounds from this thing. It has a power factor of 3200 per bullet plus the piercing power that magnums have from scratch and the piercing upgrade means this can cause all sorts of damage from the likes of crowds of majini's all the way to the final boss of the game. The slow reload isn't even worth mentioning due to the fact it looks so good you'll be glad of its length. Also like all magnums its great if you want to deal high damage from any distance without having to look down a scope like you do with rifles. The ultimate emergency weapon as you can quickly equip it in sticky situations and pump out serious damage quickly to wipe out bothersome enemies at any distance, the only other gun that can do that is rifles but again you have to wait a second till you look down the scope to get a shot off which could be a second too late. Summary, Pros and Cons - If you want a gun that can be used on all enemies in all situations and cause serious damage at the same time then this is what you want to be in your inventory. A great all round killing machine, including those irritating sub-bosses. Pros: Intense power from all ranges, really good capacity for a magnum, beyond awesome looking reload animation, a very effective piercing ability, relatively cheap for a meaty magnum and you get it early on in the game so stick with it. Also fully upgrading this unlocks the S&W M500 to buy from the weapon shop. Cons: There's only two I can think of and there not really proper problems, a slowish reload but who cares when it looks this good and the ammo is very rare but that's the same for all magnums. Oh and I suppose there is a more powerful magnum available but again that's not a proper issue. ************ 7.2 L. Hawk: ************ The second magnum you find in the game at a rather late stage during 5-3 while your in the heat of battle with Wesker and Jill. Its in a huge stone coffin on the 2nd floor that you'll need your partner to help you open it. You have to collect it during the first half of the fight (while Wesker's still there) or you cant get it. Its then available after the chapter (5-3) for #5000 and can be sold for #500. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 1400 | 1600 | 1800 | 2000 | 2300 | 2600 Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #6000 | #8000 Firepower - | 3000 | Total Price - | #12,000 | #35,000 Firerate - Like a Pistol with a bigger recoil = bang--bang--bang Reload speed - 1.70sec | 1.62sec | 1.53sec | 1.45sec | 1.36sec Price - Default | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #6000 Reload speed - | Total Price - | #15,000 Capacity - 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Total Price - Default | #1000 | #2000 | #3000 | #6000 Piercing power - 3 | 5 | 7 | Total Price - Default | #5000 | #10,000 | #15,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - #71,000 makes this the cheapest magnum in the game and if its style and debatable perks make the difference for you then its worth your cash. I think its worth it simply because its so cool looking and fun to use regardless of its shortcomings. Aesthetics - This is another sheer beauty to look at, one of the best in the game if you ask me. First of all its a direct copy of a Desert Eagle so it already looks sleek then the gun seems chrome plated as well with a stylishly indented handle to finish the look off. Although not as groovy as the S&W M29 or the S&W M500's reload animation its still an eye pleaser with the indented handle and swift clip insertion. The laser dot is attached to the bottom of the barrel and again makes the gun look very smart indeed, best suited to Chris BSAA's costume. Like all magnums it makes a huge bang when fired along with an even bigger recoil. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Everything except the piercing power is correct. The piercing is very overstated as I can't tell the difference between this and the other two magnums piercing abilty one bit. Maybe there is a difference but from the many tests I've done I can't tell in the slightest. So totally ignore those extra piercing points in the stats because if there's any truth in it you wont notice it. Comments - As I mentioned above the guns main supposed perk (piercing power) is no different to the other magnums piercing ability so that goes out the window. Also contrary to popular belief this does not fire any faster than the S&W M29. Its also has a lower capacity and lower firepower than the S&W M29, I know its only 200 power less but seeing as magnums are first and foremost about delivering hefty damage to tough enemies that extra 200 makes a hell of a difference over a short amount of time and magnum rounds. So the only thing this gun has over the S&W M29 is a slightly faster reload that still looks good but not even near as good as the S&W M29's sexy reload. Its not looking very good for this gun is it, when the only advantages it has over S&W M29 is a faster reload and a slightly cheaper price saving you #7000, oh and it looks a lot better too (except for the reload) but other than that your much better off sticking with the first magnum till you unlock and can afford the S&W M500. Never the less its still incredibly fun to use regardless of its weaker stats compared to the other magnums as long as you've got the cash and have already bought and fully upgraded both the S&W M29 and the S&W M500. Summary, Pros and Cons - The cheapest and worst of all the magnums but still tons of fun using it and its great looks make it very easy on the eyes. Pros: Looks super cool, very swift reload, cheapest price for a magnum that can still do the job that the other two can but takes a bit longer doing it. Cons: Weakest magnum when power is the whole point of a magnum, piercing power is really overrated, not the best capacity. ************* 7.3 S&W M500: ************* To get this inhuman weapon you have to fully upgrade the S&W M29 and it'll then be available to buy for #30,000. Can be sold for #3000 but you'd have to be an idiot to sell this. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Firepower - 2100 | 2300 | 2500 | 2700 | 2900 | 3100 Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 | #3000 | #4000 | #4000 Firepower - | 3300 | 3500 | 3700 | 3900 | 4100 | 4300 Price - | #5000 | #6000 | #6000 | #8000 | #8000 | #10,000 Firepower - | 4500 | 5000 | Total Price - | #10,000 | #15,000 | #83,000 Firerate - Like the two other magnums but with an even bigger recoil = bang---bang---bang Reload speed - 3.53sec | 3.18sec | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 Capacity - 5 | 6 | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 Piercing power - 2 | 3 | Total Price - Default | #2000 | #2000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it worth it? - The #89,000 worth of upgrades ontop of the #30,000 buying price makes this one of the most expensive weapons in the game. But seeing as this gun makes every single enemy in the game a complete laughing stock I'd say its worth it. Aesthetics - This monstrous beast is an exact lift of the Smith & Wesson Model 500 which is the most powerful handgun in production on the planet. Looks very stylish with all its indentations along the stupidly long barrel which has an oddly shaped tip on the end of it (I was going to make a dick joke then but I wouldn't want you to 'blow a load' with laughter now would I!?). Looks almost just like the handconnon from RE4 but with a black handle and different designs along the barrel, the black handle and black strips on the sights really contrast the silver color of the gun (could be chrome plated). The laser dot comes from the handle in the same fashion as the S&W M29. When fired you don't half get knocked back by the enormous Recoil of the gun and the noise its makes is very dense, loud and proud is the perfect description for this weapon of the gods. Oh and it has the same amazing reload as the S&W M29 to top this piece of eye candy off. Do the stats tell the whole story? - Yep and with a firepower factor of 5000 who cares about the other statistics honestly!? Comments - There isn't really that much that needs to be said about this gun except pure annihilation for anyone or anything unlucky enough to get shot by it. But you know me by now, I'm going to enthersize the point till I get bored! This thing hits like a speeding train, a solid right hand punch from Rocky Marciano, a round house kick from Chuck Norris...actually that's not true, going a bit too far there but you get the point. With a stupendous firepower factor of 5000 this is the gun to be packing when things get tough or when you just want to blow an annoying enemy into the next millennium. Its six round capacity is more than enough as absolutely nothing except major bosses can withstand 6 clean hits from this. The slow reload much like the capacity isnt a problem and it looks so good who cares. Finally the piercing factor is as good as the other two magnums in the game (ignore the L. Hawk as its piercing isnt any better than the other magnums regardless of what the stats say) if not slightly better due to the insane firepower. In comparison to the Handcannon from RE4 I'd say this one is better due to the fact the Handcannon in RE4, much like the red9 and striker, is beyond insanely overpowered plus that had a higher capacity and a faster reload. Like the other weapons improved in RE5 the S&W M500 is far more even and realistically fair, so it doesn't fall victim to the red9 syndrome thankfully. Summary, Pros and Cons - This gun is Chuck Norris's gift to RE5 and a sheer joy to use after you have earned it, worth every penny. Pros: Unbelievably strong (strongest gun in the game), looks sublime, has one of the best reloads in the game, reload speed and capacity are both good enough for the gun when viewed as a whole package including the great piercing factor. Cons: There is nothing bad about this gun except for the price but you get what you pay for. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ****************************************** 7.4 Conclusion: which is the best magnum?: ****************************************** No need to blabber on here, the S&W M500 is the undisputed champion of the magnums due to its power factor and magnums are all about the firepower. Its also backed up by cool looks, ample capacity and reload speed and it also has one of the best reload animations in the game too. The S&W M29 should be the magnum you use until you unlock the S&W M500 as the L. Hawk just isn't up to scratch but fun to use nevertheless. And the winner is = S&W M500 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ******************** 8.0 Special Weapons: ******************** This special weapon section includes all weapons that don't fall into any specific catergory but are still used in the game to kill enemies. They can either be unlocked by doing a required task and then bought in the weapon shop or found lying around throughout the adventure. Below I'll be detailing each weapon and how or where you'll find it/ unlock it. ************* 8.1 Grenades: ************* You can find three different types of hand grenades all over the place (mainly in box's and on tables) while your making your way through this nightmare. Hand grenades were first introduced in RE4 and they make a welcome return in RE5. You have the same three types as you did in RE4 and they do the exact same job although look a bit different, better actually. Something weird I noticed was that your player doesn't actually pull out the pin of the grenade before throwing it. They just throw it and it blows, that'd kinda be like pointing a shotgun at an enemy and it firing without pulling the trigger?? Anyway I highly doubt the majini that just had his legs blown off really cares that you have a batch of magic grenades. All three grenades have different uses but some are better than others, below are each ones details: Frag Grenades - These are the green grenades and probably the most common. They'll explode after a few seconds once you've thrown one and cause some major damage to anyone in its direct blast (1500) and still hurt any one near the explosion with splash damage (1000). Great for wiping out crowds of majini's and slowing down sub-bosses just remember to think ahead as it wont explode immediately on contact. You can carry up to 5 in one item space. Beware you can hurt yourself if you get caught in the explosion. Incendiary Grenades - These are the red ones and the overall least useful of the lot. They burst into flames on contact and leave a trail of flames that will cause damage (500) and stop anyone who steps into the fire that's left. Handy if you want to slow enemies down (note not every single enemy in the game will be effected by the flames) but not the best at dealing out damage. I look at these as a hybrid of the Flash and Frag grenades as it stuns enemies but not as good as a Flash and it does damage but not as much as a Frag. Its very much Jack of all trades master of none this one. It does however have two jobs that its really worth having for though. The first is killing the evil mutated dogs in one go with no fuss, as long as they have not spunkied i.e. there heads split in half and they somehow become more foul, basically they mutate even further. If they do mutate on you you'll be needing a flash like you do with all spunkies. The one other job these are good for is the bosses that are harmed by fire i.e. all three Uroboros's. They are super effective against those two enemy types. You can carry 5 of these in one item space but most of the time there a waste of space. Beware you can burn yourself if you throw it too close or run into the flames. Flash Grenades - These babies are the blue grenades and easily the best of the lot due to the fact they can kill everything and anything that is a spunky or has spunkied out on you in one go. As long as the enemy is in the flash radius they will die instantly and most of these enemies take a hell of a lot of ammo that could be better used on something else. Here's a list of all the spunkies that the flash grenade will evaporate into thin air with one blast: Bui Kichwa Cephalo Mutated Adjule 'aka' mutated dog Kipepeo Duvalia So as you can see Flash's can kill all these pains in the ass instantly so its always worth carrying some with you all the time. Also note that they can be used to stun enemies that haven't spunkied as well. They can blind and briefly stun enemies to a complete halt while they cover their eyes allowing you to follow up with an attack unbothered. Some smaller animals e.g. rats, can be killed just by throwing one at them. You can carry 5 in one item space and very much worth the space. Beware you can blind yourself if you throw the grenade too close to yourself and the screen goes bright white for a short period of time, can be dangerous if a un-blinded enemy runs and attacks you. ********************* 8.2 Grenade Launcher: ********************* You'll find the Grenade Launcher during chapter 4-1 Caves in the last big statue puzzle area, just head down the first set of stairs and turn left then take your next left and there it is. Its then available after the chapter for #10,000 and can be sold for #1000. It fires its grenade shells in a straight line and stays like that till it hits something, not in the traditional fashion of slowly falling to the ground like most grenade launcher rounds do. Each round is also a damaging projectile without the contents of the grenade. All this means is if the shells were empty they'd still do damage but only 100. This is useful if your using the Nitrogen rounds because if you don't mind using another round you can use one to freeze the enemy and use another to shatter him/her without having to get close to them or swap to another weapon, although I'd recommend using another weapon. Now there are six different grenade round types and each has its own uses and some are better than others. Below I'll detail them all: Explosive Rounds - These are your basic grenade rounds and come loaded with the grenade launcher. They cause 1000 damage with a direct hit and are best used against crowds of majini's and moderately tough sub-bosses. Similar to the Hand grenade except they explode on contact and do 500 less damage. The launcher can hold 12 rounds and the rounds can be bought from the weapon shop after chapter 4-1 for #4800. Beware much like the Frag you can hurt yourself by firing it too close to you. Flame Rounds - These are exactly like Incendiary grenades except fired straight ahead. They do 500 damage and are best used against dogs and Uroboros which are weak against fire. Can be useful to slow down enemies by covering the area/floor with rounds to almost make a wall of fire that certain enemies can't cross till the flames die down. Will cost you #2400 for a box of shells and you can buy them at the weapon shop after chapter 6-3. The Launcher will hold 12 shells. Beware just like the Incendiary grenades you can burn yourself with the flames. Acid Rounds - Another Resident Evil classic although not as powerful as they used to be. Does the same damage as the Flame rounds (500) except it also knocks the enemy down unlike Flame. Good to use on a large variety of enemies including lickers. Can be bought for #2400 from the weapon shop after chapter 4-1. The Launcher will hold 12 shells. Electric Rounds - These really only have one use and that's a Flash Grenade/Round substitute as there very good at killing the spunkies that pop out of the majini's head, 2nd only to flash. Its takes between 1-3 hits to the parasite to kill it and in return of not always killing them instantly like the Flash do it packs some damage as well (400) so it can be used on other enemies to stun them like the Stun Rod does and eventually kill them, although not recommended as there not very strong. Cost #1200 and can be bought after chapter 6-3. The Launcher will hold 12 shells. Watch out you can easily electrocute yourself by shooting an enemy too close to you. Nitrogen Rounds - These things were introduced in Resident Evil 3 and are a great tool to have by your side. Each shell is filled with liquid nitrogen and one shot will freeze most enemies solid making them shatter able in one hit including a melee attack (I recommend quickly switching to your pistol or machine gun for the job). These are also the absolute best weapon to kill those damn Lickers with as their absolute ammo sinks. Instead of wasting countless bullets just one shot from this will freeze the shits and then one shot from your pistol/machine gun will kill them. However they have a very weak fire power rating (100 which is the actual shell damage not the nitrogen damage as all that does is freeze) so if you use it on an enemy that can't freeze e.g. Gatling Gun Majini, its a waste of shells so don't bother. The launcher will hold 12 rounds and you can buy the ammo after chapter 6-3 for #4800. Flash Rounds - Much like the Hand grenades I'd say these Flash rounds are the best of all the grenade launcher rounds available. They have the exact same ability as the Flash grenades (check Hand grenade section for details) but with better range and you can hold 12 flash shells in one item space instead of the 5 Flash grenades. Surprisingly cheap at only #600 and can be bought after chapter 4-1. Does only 100 damage which is the shell impact not the actual flash. Like the Flash grenades be careful not to blind yourself by shooting the rounds too close to yourself. One final note about the Grenade Launcher is that is doesn't half look good with its modern design and striking/contrasting colors. It also has a really awesome reload, if you want to see it just make sure you have a box of the ammo type loaded into the Launcher in your inventory and simply reload as you would any other gun (not the inventory screen method, although if you want to load another ammo type into the Launcher that's how you do it). ******************** 8.3 Rocket Launcher: ******************** Another solid regular of the RE series and always a source of explosively good fun. This is the only weapon in the game that is more powerful than the godly S&W M500, each rocket round/shell does an enormous 30,000 damage which is equivalent of 6 full blasts from the S&W M500. It also has a big blast radius so splash damage aplenty. You can find one for free during chapter 3-1 Marshlands on the half sunken boat in the large open area at the beginning. You can then buy it for #10,000 after chapter 3-3 and be sold for #1000. It takes up one item space and holds only one rocket so make your shot count, especially at this price, its best reserved for bosses/sections of the game that you just can't beat or can't be bothered trying as one rocket will kill almost all bosses in one hit. I only ever use the Rocket Launcher on fun runs (and boy is it fun!) as it feels cheap using it to beat hard parts of the game, that's the point after all a challenge. During chapter 6-3 you can use a reload able Rocket Launcher but this is a one off for that particular boss battle. Note that it also has a zoom-in scope to make sure your one hit wonder doesn't miss, even at longer ranges and it also stresses that you really don't want to fire it too close as you can seriously hurt yourself. However I find in emergencies (completely surrounded by tough enemies) you can shoot the ground in front of you and as long as you don't literally hit your toes it will wipe them all out and you'll hopefully just cover your eyes and not get hurt. Finally it's worth mentioning that you can unlock an infinite Rocket Launcher by achieving a total game completion time of 5 hours or under. You don't have to do it in one go just redo chapters that you spent too long doing and the game will let you know when you unlock it. **************** 8.4 Gatling Gun: **************** Reminiscent of the Gatling gun fun available in RE 2 and 3, it makes a disappointing return to action. Identical to the one the Gatling gun Majini's are packing in the game and is unlocked buy both fully upgrading the VZ61 and completing the game. You can then buy it for #50,000 with infinite ammo and only Chris can use it. I personally don't like this and think its a waste of money, unfortunately there's no refunds and you'll only get #5000 for selling it. First of all its the least accurate weapon in the game and can take you ten shots to just land one on your target, even with its rapid fire and 450 damage per bullet its still bad and a pain to use. Secondly it looks just awful when its in your inventory whether you actually have it equipped or not, the massive ammo box is so clunky and it restricts your view of both Chris and everything else in front of you. If you want a powerful rapid firing weapon with infinite ammo to wipe out crowds just use the AK-74 with unlimited ammo enabled, you'll be so much better off. ************ 8.5 Longbow: ************ Sheva's exclusive toy but unlike Chris's Gatling gun this is really good and actually fun to use. You can unlock it by fully upgrading the S75 and completing the game, it then becomes available to buy from the weapon shop for #50,000 and can be sold for #5000. It has unlimited ammo as standard, looks cool as Sheva uses it and does a huge 1500 per arrow. So what's the catch I hear you ask...what you didn't ask? Well, I'm gonna tell you anyway! It has no aiming laser attachment (Like krauser's did in RE4 in the Mercenaries) so you've got to aim it yourself buy sight, judgment and experience. Its really not as hard as you may first think because after a few shots you get good judgment of where the arrow is going to go and how it fires, with plenty of practice you'll soon be splattering Majini's heads every shot and bringing bosses down to size. The lack of laser does make it more realistic and fun to use plus it evens the weapons other strong aspects out to make it more fair (Capcom have done this with other weapons as well e.g. SIG P226) plus its not that fast between each shot. This is good to give to AI Sheva if you don't want her using up your ammo and still want her helping you out but be aware that AI Sheva is good and just one hit from this will kill all/most Majini's so I find it takes away some of the fun for me. I give her the Stun Rod or nothing at all so its almost like the other RE's and I take on this horror on my own and she's my mule i.e. a living breathing carry case for my ammo and extra items. ******************* 8.6 Proximity Bomb: ******************* You get these mines for the first time during the first fight with Popokarimu at the end of chapter 2-2 and are used to stun it so you can damage its weak spot. Not something I use often but for those who like setting strategic traps for idiotic enemies that happily walk onto them these are great. They do the same damage as a Frag grenade (1500) and can be placed almost anywhere on the ground and they can be picked back up if not detonated. They don't blow up if you or your partner stand on it thankfully but will hurt you if you stand near it while an enemy sets it off. You can hold 5 in one inventory space and can be bought for #300 each after chapter 2-3, sold for #30 and can also be found throughout the rest of the game. **************** 8.7 Gun Turrets: **************** There are 3 different gun turret types in the game, Gatling gun, RPD style heavy machine gun and a Rocket Launcher, they all have infinite ammo but can overheat with continuous fire. The Gatling gun styled ones are available throughout the whole game at different points and are just like the Gatling gun Chris can get but with better accuracy and stability. The RPD is only available to Chris during chapter 2-3 on top of the 4X4 throughout the car chase and is a more powerful AK-74. The Rocket Launcher style one is only available during the Irving boss battle and seems a weaker version of the Rocket Launcher you can carry with no zoom-in scope. Obviously these are stuck to the ground and have limited view but are very powerful and can save you ammo against tough enemies, however I usually prefer to use my weapons in my inventory as its more fun. ************************** 8.8 Environmental weapons: ************************** There are 3 different types are environmental weapons that can injure and even kill enemies. As the name states these are objects in games different environments, usually in the background and can be hard to spot sometimes. They are as follows: Explosive barrel - These have been in RE for a long time (since RE3 I think) and cause major damage to anyone in the direct blast and still hurts enemies further back. It causes 1000 damage and can wipe out crowds of Majini's or slow down sub-bosses with a bang. Be careful not to be too close when you set it off though as you may get caught in the blast. Their usually red metallic barrels and easy to spot. Oil canister - These are usually in groups of 3 and once set off cause a small temporary fire along the whole oil trail to hurt and stop/slow enemies down. Not as good as the explosive barrel and best suited to stunning not killing enemies (however enemies can be killed by it as long as they've been weakened before hand) with its low damage factor of 500. Be careful not to burn yourself with the fire. Electrical Transformer - These are the hardest to spot as there above ground on top of Electrical posts and need to be shot down. Funny if they land on enemies heads which causes a bit more damage than a headache, it also electrocutes the enemy(s) it falls on and you can start the electricity going again by simply shooting the Transformer, works great when an enemy(s) walks past it. Can be shot to get this effect as much as you like however the shock only does 200 damage. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ********************************** 9.0 The Ultimate Weapon load out!: ********************************** As you can tell by my guide I've had a lot of practice with the tools of destruction (probably too much) in this awesome game. And If you want to know the weapon load-out to have that basically makes you unstoppable on any difficulty against any enemy then you've come to the right section. If you have these following weapons in your inventory then nothing this game has to throw at you can stop ya: Fully Upgraded M92F - Makes all Majini's and weaker enemies a breeze. Fully Upgraded Hydra - This gun demolishes 'anything' within range and makes trouble some crowds a thing of the past. Fully Upgraded S75 - The ultimate tool for long range destruction and the key to headshot heaven. Fully Upgraded S&W M500 - This turns all enemies into a walking joke including the toughest of bosses, pure annihilation. Grenade Launcher loaded with Flash Rounds - 12 Flash rounds to dispatch those pesky spunkies that always pop out of heads when you least expect it, nothings quite as good at spunky killing than this. *Optional* Fully Upgraded AK-74 or SIG 556 - Good extra weapon to have for fun and to use all that spare machine gun ammo, it's a matter of opinion if it's worth the extra item space though. If you have those 5 weapons I can guarantee you won't come across a situation where you'll need another weapon in the entire game. Place the M92F, Hydra, S75 and S&W M500 in the four quick select spots and the Grenade Launcher in the centre spot for quick and easy selection when its required. Put ammo in the other free spaces and a health item, get Sheva to hold the rest of your ammo and more health items. Give AI Sheva the Longbow if you want her help, if not give her the Stun Rod or nothing (she'll use her knife when she's not standing behind you) so you can use her as a mule i.e. holding all your items you cant carry. That's it, the Ultimate Weapon load out. You couldn't have a better selection of weapons to survive the game, with these you are basically invincible. ******************** 10.0 Coming soon... ******************** I'm seriously considering making an Indepth Mercenaries guide as Its one of the best parts of the game and I love it. However I see Gamefaqs already has an Indepth guide to the Mercs. If I do make one it won't be till after the new download content 'Mercenaries Reunion' mode is out in Feb-Mar and I've had some time with it so I can then make my guide more detailed and up to date. I've got SS rank with every character on every map in Solo play (my preference) and my guide will be concentrating on the best tips and techniques for every character to use on every map so YOU can also get those SS ranks. No maps, item/enemy locations or other generic stuff like that as you can get that anywhere, I'll be giving you the good stuff to get those monster scores. Hopefully I'll get round to it, you'll just have to wait and see. ************ 10.1 Thanks: ************ I'd just like to say a few thank you's to the following: ME! For writing and finishing this awesome, If I say so myself, guide. I'm glad I kept motivated and eventually completed it, it took awhile as you can probably see. Capcom for making another outstanding Resident Evil game and for releasing new 'GOOD' download content, Versus sucked! But the new up coming episodes and Mercenaries upgrade has got me excited 8*) . Piggyback for the Official Guide to RE5 as I briefly used it for reference, I wanted to check odds and ends to make sure I had it right, and I did! GameFaqs for hosting my guide. My Brother and friends who I've enjoyed playing RE5 with and experiencing everything you've just read about 1st hand. Finally I'd like to thank you for reading, I hope it has Helped you somewhat and more importantly you enjoyed the read. **************************** 10.2 Contact info/Questions: **************************** If you have questions about anything I've discussed in this guide or have any questions about/need help with RE5 don't hesitate to contact me through email or PSN. Your probably better contacting me through PSN, I don't usually accept completely random strangers adding me as friends but if you explain you've read my guide and need help or whatever I'll add ya. My info is follows: PSN - xoChrisiskingox Email - chrissilverdogs(at)yahoo(dot)com ************************** 10.3 Copyright/Legal info: ************************** This document is Copyright 2008 Christopher Lane and seeing as Chuck Norris is my friend I wouldn't even dare using it without my permission!! Seriously if you want to use my guide that's great but a quick email or message through PSN to ask first wouldn't hurt as I'm very likely to allow you to use it. Remember credit were credit due, don't go round the web saying you did all this. Naturally Gamefaqs have my permission to host it.
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