Resident Evil 4 Remake - Professional - New Game

Resident Evil 4 Remake - Professional - New Game - No Damage

hisbrokenbutterfly August 08, 2023

This is my playthrough of Resident Evil 4 Remake in Professional difficulty, New Game, and No Damage mode. The "no damage" part was the real challenge, of course, because of certain traits that the game has that make such a mode quite frustrating. The remake is nothing like the classic Resident Evil4 when it comes to attempting a run without getting scratched. Technically, the original was more difficult but it was set up in such a way as to allow you room for planning out an effective strategy. The Knights room, for instance, the room where, in the original game, you find the King's Grail, has very limited space compared to its counterpart in the remake, which is the room where you find the Lion's Head; but the way the enemies move and attack, you can organize your strategy a lot better than in the remake, where the knights wiggle their heads so much and so fast that landing a successful headshot on them feels like some kind of impossible feat.

In the remake, although it is also possible to study and keep mental note of the enemies's moves and attacks, there is also the factor of the unpredictable AI and the fact that in Professional difficulty in particular (something that also applies to Hardcore, but it is more highlighted in Pro) their alertness span is bigger and sometimes they are able to sense Leon's presence even if he is well hidden behind a large obstacle. A good example of this is the first Garrador that you meet in the castle: although the guy is supposed to be blind, and only able to realise that Leon is around if he accidentally bumps onto a hanging chain or runs instead of walking or crouching, in Professional difficulty his blindness is literally cancelled, as he can sense Leon even if he is crouching in the farthest corner of the cell, without moving or even breathing. It is notable that while in Standard difficulty you can crouch around and sneak behind the Garrador to stab his plaga enough times to eventually kill him this way, in Professional this is impossible to do: when Leon is several steps behind him, he will always turn around and attack. This means that him being blind is practically not a thing in Professional, which is quite unfair if you ask me.

Gameplay layout is even worse in the twin Garrador room, after the Ballroom: one of the Garradors has his whole head covered with a sturdy helmet, yet he is able to "see" Leon and attack him ferociously even if he is at the other end of the room. What I mean to say with these examples is that difficulty in the remake is not based on how tough the enemies are or on how hard they can hit Leon, but mostly on tricks that the player cannot even see. Moreover there are certain (apparently scripted) actions that can never be avoided if you make a wrong step: in the mine cart sequence with Luis, the game "allows" you to miss one or two hits against the passing enemies, but if you miss again the enemies will be able to hit your cart even if there are rocks in the way. Sometimes enemies with projectile weapons are able to hit Leon even if they throw them in the most obnoxious angle, or even if there is a barrier blocking their way.

For this playthrough, I unlocked the expanded treasure maps and went for all those extra treasures as well. This was a great financial boost, as selling those additional treasures resulted in having more money, therefore being able to do more upgrades sooner. I am using Leon's starting arsenal and his default Combat Knife, then I switch to the Red9 handgun when I find it, and later sell the first shotgun to get the Riot Gun. In the castle, I sell the first rifle to get the Stingray. Specifically before the battle with Bitores Mendez, I decided to sell the Chicago Sweeper so as to be able to upgrade the Riot Gun as much as possible. I found this step to be necessary, because the more the battle with Mendez lasts, the more he is likely to hit Leon, so I needed to have the Riot Gun well upgraded; and I didn't want to sell the Bolt Thrower that early because I knew I was going to need it later in the game. I am using the Antlers accessory (and a mod to hide the gear) which boosts the knife attacks, and I did this mostly for the knife fight with Krauser in Chapter 11, because some of his attacks can cause Leon some damage. I am also using my two extra golden upgrade tickets.

On three instances, I am using a 1-shot Launcher: the first to kill the Verdugo; I almost always do this because he is an optional boss and at this point in the game fighting him with standard weapons is a waste of time and ammo. The second, for the last phase with Krauser. I know it is possible to do with regular guns and relatively fast too, but the closest save you can make at that point is before his transformation, so getting hit or dying during the final confrontation sets you way back, and I wanted to be sure that I wouldn't have to repeat this whole process again and again. The third, for the first phase with Saddler. Again I know it can be done "normally", but it takes too much time to get to know every single spawn and move, not to mention that those insects are highly unpredictable, and I didn't want to risk messing with them at all.

Playlist: