The Resident Evil 4 Remake retains much of the beloved gameplay from the original while introducing new mechanics that can make survival even more challenging. If you want to avoid getting chainsawed in half, follow these nine combat tips to maximize your efficiency and stay alive in the treacherous villages of RE4.

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1. Prioritize Ammo Conservation

Like any good survival horror game, ammo is precious. To make every shot count:

• Aim for the head or kneecaps to stagger enemies.
• Once a white marker (new to the remake) appears above their head, use a melee attack for extra damage and crowd control.
• Use melee attacks after a perfect parry to capitalize on stunned enemies.

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2. Master Knife Combat

New to the remake are expanded knife skills, including:

• Parrying attacks
• Stealth kills
• Finishing off downed enemies
• Auto-escaping enemy grabs

Each of these actions reduces knife durability, so use them wisely.

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3. Maintain Knife Durability

• The Combat Knife can be repaired at the Merchant.
• Other knives break permanently but will automatically switch back to your Combat Knife when destroyed.
• Tip: Manually equip breakable knives first to use them up before damaging your Combat Knife.

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4. Execute Enemies Before They Mutate

• If an enemy is wriggling on the ground and the white marker appears, finish them with a knife attack.
• Delaying this may allow them to transform into their more dangerous Lost Plagas form.

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5. Learn the Different Knife Attacks

• Quick Stab: Ready the knife before pressing the attack button for a fast, precise strike.
• Wide Slash: Press the attack button without aiming for a slower but sweeping attack.
• Eye Stabs: A quick stab to the eyes will stagger enemies similarly to a headshot.

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6. Be Mindful of Knife Durability Usage

• Parries, slashes, and quick stabs use less durability.
• Stealth kills and emergency escapes consume significantly more durability.
• Durability costs vary by knife type and upgrade level.

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7. Utilize Traps to Your Advantage

• Bear traps can now be set by enemies, but they can also trap them.
• Disarm bear traps safely using knife attacks.
• Tripwires can be disarmed by crouching and interacting, instead of shooting them.
• Shooting detonated tripwires can still harm enemies nearby.

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8. Use Enemy Attacks Against Them

• Bigger enemies can damage their own allies—lure smaller enemies into their attack range.
• If surrounded, quick turn (Down + Sprint Button) and reposition yourself.
• Dynamite-throwing enemies can be neutralized early by shooting the dynamite in their hands before it is lit.
• Wait for enemies to group together before shooting explosives for maximum efficiency.

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9. Use Flash Grenades Wisely

• Flash Grenades instantly kill exposed Las Plagas.
• If you see tentacle mutations emerge, throw a Flash Grenade to eliminate them efficiently.

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Final Thoughts

By mastering these combat techniques, you’ll be better prepared to handle the horrors of Resident Evil 4. Stay efficient with your ammo, maximize melee attacks, and make good use of the knife’s expanded mechanics.

Got additional RE4 combat tips? Share them in the comments!

For more guides and gameplay insights, be sure to check out our Resident Evil 4 Remake review and keep it locked here for everything gaming!