1.) Unequip Sheva - Sheva is beyond annoying, and if you're not careful, she will burn through your inventory of curative items and ammunition faster than you can possibly imagine. And this goes for Chris, too, if you're playing primarily as Sheva during a subsequent playthrough. While there are no doubt gamers who disagree and like the addition of a brainless partner, that brainless partner will make your life much, much harder. The solution? Simply use your partner as an extra nine inventory slots. Remove his or her weapons (your partner can carry a Stun Rod, but no guns). This will force him or her to carry ammunition, but never expend it, which he or she will do flagrantly and with much annoyance on your part. Your partner can also carry just about anything else you can't, hold spare ammunition you don't have room for you in your own inventory, and generally free you up for stress-free exploration. Playing through the game rarely necessitates your partner being armed, and in fact will make your partner scared of enemies (thus hiding more often), so consider this highly-recommended technique from the get-go.
2.) Go For Headshots - While ammunition isn't exactly at a premium like it was in past iterations of the series, it's still a valuable thing that you won't want to wantonly waste. When using guns like handguns and machineguns, it's best to aim for the head, and at worst, the chest. Headshots maximize damage dealt to just about any enemy, so if you can aim carefully and scarcely miss, going exclusively for headshots whenever possible is an inherent way to save valuable ammunition. Plus, it will down all of those scary enemies a lot quicker... you know, the ones trying to kill you.
3.) Constantly Reload - This should go without saying, but sadly, so many people are ignorant to the altered-reality facts of videogames and firearms. In real life, a gun can be reloaded whenever, whether its bullets are expended completely or whether a magazine is almost completely full. However, stray bullets left in a real-life magazine are lost. Not so in videogames, and certainly not so in Resident Evil 5. Let's say your pistol holds thirty bullets, and you've only shot five. Reloading will fill the magazine again without wasting any bullets, and more importantly, allow you to confront future waves of enemies with a gun that can go longer without needing to be reloaded, if you happen to find yourself in a pinch. Thus, reload often. Never stop reloading, especially when things are quiet. You'll be glad you did when the difference between you reloading or not before a battle equals the difference between you reloading or not in a battle. Follow?
4.) Upgrade Often - All firearms in the game (with the exception of items like the Grenade Launcher and Stun Rod) can be upgraded. Most weapons share upgradable traits, such as power, magazine size, and the like. Others have unique or varying upgradable stats, like critical hit percentage. It's not obvious that you can upgrade any given weapon, but you can, simply by visiting it on your inventory screen in between chapters (or after you die) and selecting Upgrade in any weapon's given menu. Consider concentrating on upgrading only one weapon at a time, since fully-upgraded weapons can be used with infinite ammunition after the game is beaten. Furthermore, it allows you to be realistic in not scarcely upgrading each weapon you encounter, which is an impossibility even after two full playthroughs. Use all of that money you have to upgrade, and do it often, but don't overextend yourself, or your upgrades will be a useless waste of cash.
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5.) Combine Herbs - This is old hat for Resident Evil veterans, but if you're new to the series, this is integral. You'll find two types of curative herbs in the game -- Red Herbs and Green Herbs. Green Herbs can cure you a miniscule amount when used alone, while Red Herbs are completely and utterly useless on their own. However, if you combine the two in your inventory, you won't only free up a valuable inventory slot, but you'll have an item that heals you completely when used (R&G Herb). In fact, you can combine two Green Herbs as well for a similar item (G&G Herb). The point is this; if you have a Green Herb and nothing else, try not to use it unless you absolutely have to. When combined with another herb, it becomes much more powerful.
6.) Move Methodically - While Resident Evil 5 is a game that's somewhat abandoned its more slow-moving and methodical roots, it's still a game you shouldn't rush through. There are unpleasant and dangerous surprises around every corner in Resident Evil 5, and it behooves you to be careful when traversing unknown territories. Thankfully, traps are scarce (though not completely non-existent... just wait 'til you run into all of those plastic explosive traps!), but enemy encounters are more numerous in RE5 than any other game in the series up to this point. Scout future locations using a sniper scope when you can, and take in everything. You never know when a little nugget of knowledge will save you, that would have otherwise been skipped completely had you been running around like a chicken with your head cut off.
7.) Alternate Weapons - Every single, solitary weapon you encounter in the game has a special use. For instance, while a pistol is great to use against lesser enemies, you may want to break out a shotgun to use against thick groups of those same enemies, so you can dispatch them quickly. Sniper rifles are invaluable for long-distance and stealth killing. That grenade launcher can cause some serious havoc, too, while your magnum-class firearms are one-hit slaughtering machines. Never rely on only one weapon. Have at least four with you in your inventory at any given time, and make sure they're at the cardinal directions, so that your directional pad can be used to quickly call any of them up.
8.) Collect Everything - Between you and your partner, you will have only eighteen item slots to use. This isn't a lot, especially later in the game. However, there's plenty you can do to ensure that you acquire the proper amount of goods whenever you encounter anything. The first is to be sure to clear your inventory in between chapters of unwanted or unneeded goods. You don't have to sell them; simply stow them in your passive inventory. Also, combine goods, whether it's herbs or ammunition with their guns, to free up more slots. Doing things like this will allow you to quite literally collect everything you encounter. Nothing you find should be passed up unless it absolutely has to be, because frankly, you'll never know when you need something until you actually need it. And by that point, it may be too late.
9.) Thoroughly Explore - Resident Evil 5 is a linear affair, just like its predecessors, but this doesn't mean that you shouldn't explore thoroughly. Things are well-hidden everywhere, and you'll want to make sure to find all of it. Barrels and boxes should be destroyed when possible; for some reason, they always carry something valuable. Explore behind static objects -- you may find a rare BSAA emblem when you do. And of course, look around for the myriad documents hidden around environments you traverse, since they go a long way to furthering RE5's intense storyline. There's no excuse to rush through an area, especially when you first arrive. Explore!
10.) Try Different Things - And finally, we come to the obvious. Certain techniques work better than others in very specific situations. The same technique won't work everywhere, and if you try the same tired things over and over again, you'll only succeed in frustrating yourself, and little else. For instance, when you encounter a pesky enemy like the chainsaw-wielding zombies, it's best to combine Proximity Mine attacks with melee attacks. But if you try this technique with their Gatling-gun-wielding brethren, what you will find is a blood bath... made of your blood. Examine situations, try different things, and of course use our walkthrough if you're having trouble. But don't fool yourself thinking you can get through the game repeating the same techniques over and over again with the same weapons. You'll fail if you do.
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Resident Evil 5: Desperate Escape
Capcom
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