RESIDENT EVIL (With a knife) - PlayStation STRATEGY GUIDE

by J Woodrow ([email protected]) 03/03/2002



Every guide to Resident Evil that I've seen recommends that you ditch the
knife in the first available Chest, simply to free up another slot in
your inventory. Someone in the team at Capcom surely took a good deal of
time to allow you to equip and use that apparently useless weapon, so out
of curiousity, I thought I'd give it a chance. (I don't imagine I'm the
only one ever to do this.) Once I'd figured out how to take on that first
Zombie without panicking and getting mauled in seconds, I got to
wondering just how far I could go without any other weapon and the answer
is: right to the very end! (Eventually.) You don't need any other weapon
whatsoever until Brad drops the Rocket Launcher. Now, I know what you
critics are thinking...


You mean the idea is to take on all those Zombies armed with just that
titchy little knife?
-Yes.

Even when they come mob-handed?
-Yes.

But what about the dogs?
-Them too.

But surely not the Hunters...
-Even the Hunters.

The giant Spider?
-Not a problem.

And the Lab Monsters?
-A mere distraction.

If you say so... Ah, but what about the Bosses? You always need your
biggest guns for them! I mean the Snake, and that Plant Virus thing!
-It's OK, honestly. Just the knife.

Stop right there. You CAN'T take on Tyrant with 'just' a knife.
-Well, I didn't say it was going to be easy...

Too right! It's madness! I just don't believe you can do it.
-I'm not going to. You are!


RESIDENT EVIL (With a knife)

First off, I'd better stress that this is a mission for experts only. If
you are reading this without having played the game much at all, then
it's just not for you; there are plenty of excellent guides available on
the net if you are looking for some tips on your first attempt. Good
luck, and come back when you've played through the whole game a couple of
times at least. I'm expecting you to know your way through the game to
the point where it has become a bit routine or even (gasp!) boring, and
that is the whole point of this little challenge. You need to recapture
the magic.

Remember the very first time you played this superb game? The feeling of
dread at your heavy footfall on the stairs, the apprehension at every
turn of a door handle and the rising panic at watching your stock of
bullets dwindle as an endless number of Zombies lurched toward you? You
won't jump at the dogs bursting through the windows again, but your heart
will beat faster as you limp along with damage on Red, desperately
evading the clutches of a corridor of undead, knowing that you are out of
Herbs and a long, long way from a typewriter. You owe it to yourself to
enjoy once again that sense of achievement as the Snake evaporates into
the lino or Plant 42 finally shrivels and dies. It's all very well
earning the Rocket Launcher, but you soon find it an empty experience,
having effortlessly blasted every last living thing off the map. This way
you will again have to think very carefully about your strategy, screwing
up the courage to leave the sanctuary of a Save Room and face the hungry
horde outside. You will collect and husband each precious Herb and fall
like a starving man on those all too scarce F-Aid Sprays - and you'll
probably need every last one. You might also want to think about risking
your neck to collect every available Ink Ribbon, because progress will be
slow and hard-fought, so you'll want to Save often. You probably know it
is usually best not to combine these, but keep them in ones and twos so
they leave your inventory clear, but this is not a problem in this
challenge, as you will always have plenty of slots free in your
inventory. At least you will save a lot of effort by not going into rooms
which have drawers containing 'only' Shotgun Shells etc. You already know
What to do and When to do it, so it's just a matter of collecting key
items and keeping yourself in one piece. On the plus side, it is
amazingly liberating, not having to worry about ammo or deciding which
weapon to select and carry; you just need to bring along some healing
Herbs and carry whichever key item you are using next. All right then -
Let's Go To Work...

Since you are a Resident Evil veteran, I will assume you play as Chris,
because he has a tougher time of it and fewer slots, although I've
noticed that girls especially seem to prefer to play as Jill. 'Girl
Power' I suppose, and why not? I've got a soft spot for her myself,
especially when you can let her dress in the rather fetching crop-top
outfit. She's an Amazon. You know the differences anyway, so please
disregard those references that don't apply to your preferred character.
I won't need to tell you anything about how to play the game either, so
this guide is really just to offer some tips on combat strategy which I
hope you find useful.

As soon as you have control of your character, equip the knife and take
the opportunity to practice your strokes. You will notice that you can
sweep nicely in front and also stab upwards (by holding the D-pad UP
button) and down (not surprisingly by holding the D-pad DOWN). These will
be useful in some situations. Move backwards around the table, slashing
and stepping back so you build up an instinctive rhythm: Slash and
Retreat. Slash and Retreat. Make this your mantra. As you step back, try
holding the edge of your thumb on left or right at the same time, and
notice how you weave from side to side. I don't want to tell you what you
already know, but of course this is not your everyday combat stance, so
practice it well, as you'll need to be perfect when you get into a
desperate fight. Now let's go and get that blade wet.

Your first encounter with the Zombie snacking on Kenneth gives you the
perfect opportunity to establish your technique one-on-one. It usually
seems to take seven or nine hits to polish a Zombie off (fewer if you
play as Jill), so get your first strike in as soon as you can. A downward
slash in the back is enough to get his attention, and then you'll have to
step back out of his way because he can turn unfeasibly quickly. It may
be best to turn and run back to the next camera view to give you time to
compose yourself. Don't be too hasty; just take one slash and then back
off fast. Now you can see the correct distance to leave so that you can
sweep safely at arms length. If you get it just right there is a
satisfying kerSCHNICKick! and then, as before, you should back off. If
you go for another hit then he is more likely to grab you for a good
necking, and although this is not an immediate hardship, you don't want
to waste your health on petty encounters like this. You already know how
to break free of his clutches should this happen, but when you throw him
off he stunbles two paces back (just out of slashing range), which makes
your next strike awkward, so it's best not to get involved in a wrestling
match in the first place. He can move forward a little faster than you
can step backwards, so a useful trick here is your 'left or right as you
step back' move, which will cause him to stagger off to one side instead
of lunging at you. If you haven't quite got the hang of it, then at this
early stage it's no dishonour to turn around instead and run to a clear
space for safety. If you go too far down the corridor you may not be able
to see what's going on very well, so now you can practice another useful
technique - the Bodyswerve. Step backwards towards one side as suggested
above, and as he lurches forward in pursuit, dash forward while holding
your thumb across left or right (as appropriate) and then switching to
the opposite direction AND forward the whole time. This will cause you to
run in a little S-shaped arc out of his reach and leave the poor sap
clutching at air. Taunt him with another backslash and retreat as before,
this time backing up the corridor. He should sink to his knees after
about five hits and then you can run around behind him to stand just
behind his ankles. Make a downward stab to bring him round and then step
back and take another slash just when he has regained his feet, which
should be enough to put him down for good. Phew! That wasn't so bad was
it? Now, I guess that when you are playing as Jill the game designers
hadn't expected any player to kill off this first Zombie, because when
you go back out to see Barry, the Zombie will still be in hot pursuit, as
in your earlier encounters. Ah, well.

Collect the Ribbon from the Entrance Hall, and take a few moments to use
the arches on either side to practise that Bodyswerve. Weave in and out,
running the whole time, up and down without bumping into the pillars,
until it is second nature. You just have to rock the edge of your thumb
on the left and then right button while holding Forward. Get it? Got it.
Good. Now head up to the Statue balcony.

Don't hang about here, but ignore the first Zombie and run and start to
push the statue. The second Zombie will stagger up to greet you, but you
can now shield yourself behind the statue and start slashing in complete
safety. You can easily get the first five hits in to put him down, so
quickly run to his ankles and go for the last couple of hits, then run
back and resume pushing the statue over the edge before Zombie Number One
comes up behind you (sometimes he seems a bit confused and stays on his
side of the gallery, which is a bonus). Just as he's nearly on you, run
away around the top of the gallery and exit the other door. If you are
too slow to take out that other Zombie then things get a little more
difficult. If he is down but not dead and Zombie One is nearly on you,
run past Zombie Two and turn around to face them both before he gets up.
You should now be able to slash two for the price of one! Again use your
Slash and Retreat technique, or if you are messing up your timing, pull
out and head up around the gallery to lure them away from the statue so
that you can go all the way around and finish pushing it while they are
still shambling after you. (If you are confident enough to run past
Zombie Two, you could do this anyway without fighting anybody.) You'll
still need to exit the other door, so all this may take a while. You'd
better get some practice in.

The twisty corridor is the perfect place to try out your Bodyswerve, and
since these Zombies only want to vomit on you (charming!), you should
shimmy past the lot of them without taking any damage at all, and then
quickly head down the stairs. Dive into the Save Room and take a
breather. How are you doing? If you have managed to get this far without
taking any damage, then you're a natural. More likely, you have taken
some damage but feel you're getting the hang of it. Collect the Sword
key, tell Rebecca 'No' and then head back out. You won't have to come
back here, so there is no need to mess with the three Zombies waiting in
this corridor (fancy footwork again), but as you know, the next area is
visited a couple of times, so for a quiet life you'd better clear it.
There are three ex-Lab Assistants to take care of, so get stuck in.
(Geddit?)  Take on the chap in front of you before the second comes to
join the action, then deal with him in a similar manner - dodge around
and run toward the plant room and work backwards if they start to get you
cornered. Trot back around the corner to the Tiger room passage, where
number three is swaying gently, wondering where his next meal is coming
from. He'll have to go.

I don't know what your preferred route through the game is, but we're
going to leave Rebecca practicing at this point, before going for the
Chemicals. Go to the Map room through the blue double doors and get set
for a little light relief. Head into the ante-room and approach our
friend napping on the floor. Keep out of grabbable distance and run to
his ankles and start downward slashing. Remember the first time you
stepped over this guy and he made you jump out of your skin? Now it's
payback time. Watch him crawl helplessly in circles as you chase him
around the room like Homer Simpson with that poodle..."Hee-hee! C'mere
Fluffy! Hee-hee!" Priceless. Your real target is the Ink Ribbon, which is
not so useless to you this time around. Now use the Sword key to enter
the Dog corridor and suddenly things get serious.

The dogs like to attack from behind, so your strategy should be to keep
your back to the wall or stand between two cabinets. Alternatively, try
spinning gently around on the spot by holding left or right, which should
have him chasing his tail for a moment as he tries to work out exactly
where 'behind' is, and then you can get your all-important downward first
strike in. You'll need to stay calm, as putting the dogs down is hard
work and you will need deadly accuracy. You have to time your swipe after
he jumps (because a forward swipe is too high), and connect just before
he nips you. Too soon and you'll miss, too late and Chris (or Jill) will
recoil with the shock, and you'll be slashing at thin air and taking
rapid amounts of damage. However, if you get it just right the dog will
go down on his haunches, and then here is the tricky bit - you need to
dash forward and stab DOWN before he gets up and has another go at you.
The catch is that each blow knocks him back just out of range, so you'll
have to run forward to just the right place to stab down again, and don't
miss or you will have to start over. It's very satisfying when you have
it just right though, and only four blows will make that Devil Dog yelp
his last. I would say that you have no chance of doing this if the dogs
come at you more than one at a time, so perhaps it is better to chalk one
up to the dogs whenever you meet them, and start with a sprint through
this corridor. You won't be back at this stage anyway.

You are thankfully spared the task of getting the Shotgun, and you know
the drill with the next corridor of Zombies. You can try the 'double'
technique when the second joins the first, or swerve past before he
arrives and duck straight into the stair corridor, where you can take on
the lone Zombie for more practice. If you are Chris, it can sometimes
take up to thirteen hits if you encounter one of those barstools who get
up three times. There doesn't seem to be a predictable pattern, but
you'll know you are up against one of these because it's quite satisfying
to observe that you can slice his arm clean off for starters. If you run
to the stairs you get an impressive overhead view, so you can finally
judge your slashing distance exactly. All you are after here is the bag
of Chemicals and any health items going, so after another Save it's time
to go upstairs. Go left and take out the first Zombie before number two
comes up behind you. You can then turn to meet him and if you swerve past
to free up some space, you get another very nice camera angle so you can
again see (from the side this time) at exactly what distance to strike.
Having dealt with the first two Zombies, just for the hell of it run down
to the end of the corridor where a third is staying out of trouble around
the corner. A neat trick here is that you can stand right on the corner
and slash this hapless Zombie the necessary five times in complete safety
as he tries to grope forward, then finish him off from behind once he
slumps to his knees. Well, there's no point in taking senseless risks.

Now go out to the central corridor and you should have your technique
down by now, so that these boys present little obstacle. If you're still
struggling with your timing then you can easily run past them, but it's
better to take them on for the practice, since at this stage you have
nearly cleared your path of Zombies and soon the enemies will be a lot
tougher than these poor fools. Just remember not to be too cavalier - you
are not racing the clock this time, so it's Slash and Retreat, Slash and
Retreat, taking as long as necessary, and don't be tempted to take 'just
one more', or they will be on you and that precious Health is gone in no
time. It can help you to judge their grabbing distance if you look at
your respective shadows, although maybe not in this corridor, as it is
quite dark. (I reckon that the game as a whole could be greatly improved
if all the lighting was spooky like this.)

Go down to the main Entrance Hall and back into the dining room. Collect
the Blue Jewel and the Wooden Emblem and swap it for the Gold one.
Collect the Crest from the Tiger room and use the Chemicals to get the
Armor key and mix up all those lovely Herbs. Pick up the Shield key on
your way back through the dining room and Save on the stairs because the
slithery Snake is up next! You may first like to go into the other room
off the Entrance Hall, for a good opportunity to practice yet again in a
one-on-one encounter and then release your aggression on the Poodle in
the ballroom. The prize here is the Green Herbs. If you are having a
really torrid time of it, then you might want to use the Armor key to go
out to gather up all those Herbs out there with the dogs, although you
may lose more health than you gain. For now, you should have just your
Knife, the two Keys and lots of that precious Health because it's time to
visit the Attic.

Take the opportunity first to grab the Herbs beside Richard, then just
run up the stairs to avoid the Zombie there, and enter the Snake's lair.
If you are one of those people who are able to run rings around him to
grab the Crest and leave without a scratch, then I take my hat off to
you. Go with honour. For the rest of us, life is harder. Just for the
record, it takes a good seventeen hits to make him retreat with his tail
between his er, tail, and you've realistically got no chance of surviving
that long. Therefore I don't think you should resort to the knife on this
encounter. Instead, you'll have to lure him out and then retreat behind
the pillar to draw him to the left of screen, then dash back toward the
door and swerve and run around his tail and then feint to come around the
pillar again but loop back toward the barrels and turn at the last moment
to dash for the fireplace. With luck and good timing, your twisty turning
will have left him in knots long enough to grab the Crest, and now it
depends where he's managed to position himself whether you'll escape
without being poisoned. Check your health if you have taken more than a
couple of hits because you'll be on Danger, and with the next strike
you'll find that You Died. If he has you pinned in the fireplace area
then it's curtains I'm afraid. I hope you Saved when you had the chance?
If he is still by the pillars then you should be able to swerve one more
time, left or right as appropriate, and exit pronto. Phew! It's a bonus
not to have been poisoned, as you can pick up the Gas Room Crest and then
go straight down the back stairs to the Crow gallery. If Rebecca has
saved you then it's a bit of a trek back up here. But you already knew
that.

You also know that you don't have to fight the Crows in the picture
gallery. Take the next opportunity to Save, having cleared your inventory
of everything except Knife and the four Crests. Go and use them now. If
you have a vicious streak, then you can try your luck with the dog out
here. Walk up and he'll prowl suspiciously - Nice Doggie. Who's a lovely
boy then? YOU'RE a lovely boy...yes, you ARE. Yes you...Take THAT! And
That. And That. And THAT!... Hah! Nice Doggie, me R's. Or you could carry
on calmly walking by and quickly place each Crest before he decides to
bound up to you. Clear off and leave him in peace then, you big softie.
Even if you got a clean kill that time, you honestly have no chance
against the pack coming up next, so bag the Crank (and the handy Small
Key if you are Chris), then go outside and collect as many Herbs as you
can before those dogs come to investigate. Walk as far as they let you,
then dash for the garden. Follow the same stealthy approach to get your
character safely into the Guardhouse.

Scoop up the F-Aid Spray and Save, then get the C. Room Key out of the
bath. You can duck in and out before trouble arrives, but then you have
to deal with the two Zombies to get the Red Book off the bed. There seems
to be plenty of fight in these boys, so keep your contact to a minimum. A
couple of strikes will take the first one down, then run to the bed
before the other one cuts you off. Turn and flee before that first one
comes round and exit quickly. Unless you are desperate for an Ink Ribbon,
there is no need to go into the Bar, so go to the Wasp's nest and get
that key. Now, I expect that every other time you came here the objective
was to grab the key and run for the door before those little buzzers got
to you? On this visit you effectively have unlimited ammo, so although it
is usually not worth killing any of the wasps (they don't reappear on the
next visit after all), now is the time to try something new. Move back up
the passage a little, so that you get the shot of the nest in the
foreground, and now you have plenty of time to see them coming. Stand
your ground and as the first little swarm attacks, start slashing. You
get a wonderful Technicolor effect as you slice three with one sweep, and
if one becomes tangled then your character gets annoyed and flings it to
the ground! Nice touch. It's best to bring one or two of those otherwise
fairly useless Blue Herbs because you will probably get stung. After
quite a long pause, another batch arrives. And another. And another. On
and on it goes, and I was just on the point of giving up when - WHAT
THE...! It's the Wasp Queen, and just look at the size of that thing!
That's a nice piece of programming, and just think - most people never
even bother to find it. However, Capcom let themselves down at this point
by sending yet more outsize wasps at infrequent intervals - at least a
dozen, as well as more of the smaller ones and then nothing happens at
all as far as my patience would allow. Boo. Needless to say, you are only
going to take this diversion if you are an Ace knife fighter, as you will
otherwise suffer a lot of damage, and a poisoning to boot, for no good
reason. You can simply waste all your Herbs here if you are curious, and
then resume the real game from your last Save.

Back to business, then, and after collecting the Herbs hidden behind the
statue outside Room 002, go and do the tedious mucking about in the
basement. It might interest you to know that you can fight the Sharks off
if you biff one on the nose (just like in the real world), but I don't
think you can kill them in the water. All you are after here is the 003
key, and of course the Green Herbs should be more than welcome. Take a
moment on the way out to despatch our flapping friends - it's the kindest
thing.

Now it is time to face Plant 42. Use the Small Key to get the Ink Ribbon
from the desk in Room 003 - remember how disappointed you were the first
time you wasted a key on that? If it is the only one you have left then
go and Save now; and bring lots of health because you may just need it.
In you go!

As soon as you gain control, get in close and start slashing. Dodge the
tentacles and try to find the 'exposed' area and get two or three hits
in, then run in a circle before they zero in and sweep across to knock
you back. As for the acidic white goo, if you can stay close there isn't
much of it. Every time you get thrown to the floor, check your health. As
you know, Caution means use a Green Herb or two and Danger needs a Mixed
Herb or F-Aid Spray. Don't be stingy with the healing - after all, this
thing, Snake and Tyrant are what you should have been saving them for,
and there are a couple of health items still to be found before you meet
the Snake again. After about thirteen strikes the first (and worst)
sequence of attacks is over. (If you are Jill, then you should have taken
the time to use the V-Jolt first, and then Barry will arrive now.) Chris
must wait and watch out for any stray blobs of goo, and then, when it
regenerates, move in for the kill. Stand close and stab upwards this
time. Those tentacles can still catch you, but there are fewer of them,
and after only about eleven strikes it plops to the floor. Well done! I
think that was easier than with a gun.

Weave your way carefully back past those suspicious dogs and prepare for
the arrival of the Hunters. Most reviewers seem to be of the opinion that
these enemies are the most troublesome in the game, and in a fair fight I
agree - they have that disconcerting habit of flip-flopping menacingly
toward you and then LEAPING as you fire off your Shotgun at thin air.
EEEYAAH! EEEYAAH-EEEEEEYAAAH! I don't know what they do to Chris or Jill,
but they frighten the bejaysus out of me! Of course, when you get the
Colt Python it is almost a pleasure to meet one - "Go Ahead, Punk..." But
right now you are as good as defenceless, so we need a different
strategy, and I think cowardice fits the bill nicely. That's right - Run,
Run, Run! As this first one arrives, duck into the office for the Doom
Book 1, and face up to the fact that you are going to have to go and save
Rebecca. What - you would think of  leaving her to the mercy of these
dastardly creatures, after she risked herself for you? You cad! Pull
yourself together and get upstairs.

You should be quick enough to swing left and press Action immediately to
dive through the door to the stair corridor before that first Hunter
swipes you. Although you can stand a quick slashing, avoid it if you can,
because with these chaps it's three strikes and you're out. Now it's time
to try out your most valuable manoeuvre for this stage of the game. If
you didn't know it already, it may surprise you that you can easily run
STRAIGHT PAST the Hunters without a scratch. You just have to feint to
the right, then swing left as you brush past on their right side, and
although they swipe after your departing figure, it seems so half-hearted
that it is like a kitten with a ball of string. There is plenty of room
in this corridor to practice this ubermove, so wait for him to advance
around the corner to face you, and go for it. Watch out that he is not
ready to spring at you, though. Dive into the Save Room and grab every
piece of healing you have (leaving one slot for the Green Herb by the
fireplace upstairs) and Save, because now it is time to tackle the Snake.
Oh yes. Dash past the Hunter outside again, and this may be a good
opportunity to practice that Running Pass. Using the nice overhead view,
run past him on the right side, backwards and forwards beneath the
stairs, keeping tight to the wall, and notice how he swipes forlornly
only after you have passed. When you can do it half a dozen times without
a scratch, you can consider it learnt. Or if you have taken a lot of
slashing, simply give up on life and Load your game to be back in the
Save Room with nothing lost. There is another good opportunity to rush
the one off down to the left in the corridor upstairs to make sure you've
got it. You should be feeling quite pleased with yourself, as you realise
that those enemies you thought required nothing less than Shotgun Shells
are really not so fearsome after all.

Which can't be said about the Snake. No two ways about it, this is going
to hurt you just as much as it hurts him. You will probably need three
full doses of Health (Green Herb x 3 mixed or F-Aid Spray) plus any other
leftover Herbs. Trigger his arrival and strap yourself in for a rough
ride. Try to weave left and right to tangle him up and move around the
whole room, slashing any part of him that is trailing by, and watch for
the head to strike. Remember to slash down, one or two strokes at a time,
and keep moving away from the head. All you should worry about is the
number of hits you are taking. It seems that only about three will put
you in danger, so keep checking your health meter and, as with Plant 42,
use Green Herbs for condition Caution and don't waste valuable F-Aid
Spray unless you are in the Red. I think it will take about twenty-five
to thirty hits (possibly depending on where you strike) before he is done
for, so just keep plugging away and keep your health up. It's quite a
little rush when he finally gives up the ghost, especially if you have
used all your health and this is your ninth attempt! (Don't ask)

Winding through the Zombies in the cellars is a breeze. I suppose you
will have to risk going for the Green Herbs if your condition is Red.
Luring them away and jinking around those Greencoats is no problem after
what you've been through, so fill your boots. Your next objective is the
Battery, and of course the MO Disk. That's right - we're not only going
to rescue Rebecca, we're going to free Jill as well. Go on, get the
Battery AND the Disk and I'll see you back in the kitchen. Oh, and watch
out for that guy lying down over there... If you are low on health, you
should also risk some close combat to get some Herbs from the Zombie in
the corridor past the Battery cupboard, because you will definitely need
full health for your next battle.

Done all that? Good. While you were gone I tidied up a bit - these
bloodstains are just impossible. I expect that the first time you played
this game, then just like me you were on edge waiting for whatever the
hell was coming down the stairs to get you, and then couldn't believe it
when this character turned up. How come he's just about the only Zombie
in the entire game that knows how to open a door? Vent your indignation
by slicing him to ribbons. Or you could be nice, and lead him gently
around the kitchen table so you can exit upstairs.

Make it snappy as you brush aside the Hunter in the Kenneth corridor (on
his left side), and hurry through to go to the aid of Rebecca. Stay on
the side away from the Tiger passage and run to the Save Room corridor
with the thwarted Hunter hot on your heels. (Say that three times very
fast.) Now it is time to teach one of these abominations some manners.
You, Sir! Unhand that girl!

Forget trying to run around getting in opportune thrusts and parries - he
will simply leap around like a mad thing and give you a vicious headswipe
every time. There is really only one technique here, and you'll have to
steel yourself for it: go toe-to-toe and trade blows. Move forward to get
your slash in first to make him gasp, then you'll have to take his swipe
and you can go again. If he starts to creep around, just turn slightly to
meet him, keeping your thumb on the trigger as sometimes you'll manage
two hits on the trot. Luckily you can dish it longer than he can take it
(watch your health after taking a couple of hits though), and after only
five or six blows he is screaming for his Mummy. Now wasn't that worth it
to rescue Rebecca? Little Cutie! Look - she even uses the wrong hand to
salute, bless her...

Now don't imagine after this encounter that you can tackle any more of
the Hunters unless you are a glutton for punishment - Run, Run, Run past
the lot of them. Upstairs or down, there are plenty in your way, although
you already know how little a threat the giant Spiders pose, so that
route is probably best. There is another pussycat in the twisty corridor
(and didn't HE make you jump the first time?), don't forget the first one
is still there and by now you won't even notice the one playing sentry in
the outdoor passage. Creep past more pesky dogs, then use the
Battery...and this is normally when I remember I've forgotten to bring
the Crank. It's a short trip to the Guardhouse, so pick out an Ink Ribbon
while you're there, for use in the Underground Passage.

You will need to grab that vital F-Aid Spray down there, so get it before
all the mayhem kicks off. You may need to tempt the Hunter away from
Crank No. 2 before you can pick it up without being rudely manhandled.
The passage is wide enough to sprint past every one of these green
demons, including the last one by the Spider room, as long as you stay to
his right on rounding the corner. If you are playing as Chris, don't
forget to pick up the flame-thrower first, but you're not allowed to use
it - you will only be cheating yourself, you know... Come on, you can do
this. Now for the Spider!

Timing your attack on this little lady is tricky. For some reason, the
only strike that hits home is from directly in front, and as you know,
you get sprayed faster than a Bloomingdale's customer at the perfume
counter if you hang around there. She will hold you out of striking range
if you stand for too long between the front legs, so you have to move
forward and strike down just as she falls after spitting, and then pull
back and move around to make her scuttle to one side for another go.
Offering you her underbelly is a trick; it's one thing giving her a taste
of the Shotgun, but quite another to dive in there and attempt to stab it
- you'll only get a faceful of poison. Keep moving around in circles,
occasionally pausing to tempt her into chucking another spout of venom at
the spot you just left, and then you can dash in for another strike. It
will take twenty hits or more, during which you'll inevitably take a lot
of damage, which you can do without since you were saving that Spray for
Tyrant. This was so easy with the Colt...
Plan B: On entering her lair, dash straight for the webbed door and
simply start slashing. Look neither to the left nor the right; just stick
to it. You would have got a poisoning anyway, so take the hits and after
only six swipes you can get the hell out of there. (I said the Spider was
Not a Problem!) Come back another time with that fabulous Flame-thrower
and show her who's Boss. If you are so low on health that you cannot
afford to take another hit, then you could try standing in front of the
door and moving at the last moment so that her venom melts the webbing,
but I wouldn't reccommend it. It's a bit of a swizz that the game
designers take the trouble to give you a knife, and then the only time
you actually need the thing, they leave another one glinting away for any
idiot to pick up. Let them earn it like we've had to!

Go about your business in the last passage, and you ARE still collecting
the MO Disks, right? I have to ask because I know what you're like, and
you can't consider this challenge over unless you get the Good ending.

Down into the Lab and the end is in sight. Get rid of everything except
your trusty knife and the MO Disks, as we now need to collect every bit
of Health going. None of these Zombies should give you a scratch with
your swervy running skills, but actually you know you are back here
several times, so take the opportunity to kill them off right now. It
should be good fun - you can tempt them after you one by one, and pile
the bodies up neatly by the elevator. Head down and go and access the
computer locks - just in and out, nothing fancy. Back upstairs to collect
the Lab key and MO Disk, then go down again.

Now you will have to go and use the first of the MO Disks. Without a
distance weapon, the room full of naked Zombies is just about the
trickiest part of this whole challenge, and you may need to hone your
skills or Save elsewhere before attempting it. I can say that I tried
many times to take them on with the knife, but there are really just too
many in there. Even if you take out the first one or two with your expert
knifework, if more than one lines up to have a go at you your health goes
down very quickly. Your character throws off the first one, just in time
for the second to take his turn. Then number one has another go as number
two waits patiently etc. If three line up for a snack then it's almost
funny to watch, as you are completely powerless to do anything but watch
them thirstily sway in line, and that's it for you, without the chance to
even open your inventory, let alone fight back. No, for this task our
principal weapon must be cunning and guile. Our TWO principal weapons...
Enter the room, take one pace forward and STOP to attract the first two
Zombies. As they turn their attention to you, make a dash to your left
and hug the wall, and the others are already heading for the wrong spot.
Stick to the wall until you round the corner then pull an 'S' swerve to
fool the last Zombie, then it's a clear dash for the code machine to
obtain Pass Code01. Take a deep breathe and then resume. Now they have
zeroed on the corner with the machine, dash to your right, to the
bookcase, and hug it as you rush past the lot of them and swing around
the corner and head for the door. That woman had better appreciate
this...

(On a footnote: for me, one of the best of the many great touches in
Director's Cut was arriving at this room to find it apparently empty. -
Strange..? This used to be about the toughest area, and now its... BU-
LUDDY HELL! - Just like in 'Young Winston'.)

Now you come to more naked Zombies. Sweet Fancy Moses. You know from your
previous encounter that these poor unfortunates are quite tricky if they
attack together, as they too will take it in turns to neck you.
Previously you would have shot them without a thought, but now you'll
have to brush up close. Even if you take them out in your expert manner,
they will somehow reappear on your subsequent visit - almost as if they
were 'undead' or something. As you exit that last corridor, stand at the
foot of the stairs for a moment to draw the first one toward the corner
there, then dash forward AND right to swing behind him toward the camera
and go straight ahead until the next camera view shows two more Zombies.
Once again, pause in the corner until they both lurch toward you, and
then do a U-turn to swerve around them as they bumble about in confusion,
and now make a dash for the Lab door and use the key to go through.
That's how you're gonna beat them, Butch...just keep underestimating
them.

Next objective is Pass Code02. I guess it is a common complaint that you
can't see very well what is going on with the boxes in the Autopsy Room,
because if you have Director's Cut, then you know that this room is
completely redrawn, with better views and a floor grid. You know what to
do in there, and don't forget the Red Herb, as you will need it soon.

No need to bother with the ex-Lab Assistants on your return; a quick
swerve and a dash into the Save Room will bring you a Green Herb to mix
with the Red one you just got. If you have a couple of Ribbons left, then
Save before you mix it with the Lab Monsters, or risk it if you are
feeling confident. Dodge the poor fools in the corridor and head for the
Power Room. If you know where the Lab Monsters hang out (Stop it, you're
killing me), then it is quite easy to dash into each room and simply
swerve as they attempt to slash you going by. Don't bother to use your
knife unless you want a faceful of maggotty monster. You can quite easily
kill the ones on the floor with ten or twelve hits, but knocking them
down is another story. The first one is hanging by the power panel off to
the left, as you can see on your approach. He is easily avoided by
swerving when you get to the corner by that machine. Watch his shadow to
let you know where he is above you as you leave, and swerve again at the
last moment. The next one is scuttling about on the deck, and he is even
easier to run past than a Hunter. Go to the corner and turn right, (not
the first right, since there is another one waiting there), and then go
straight down and through the door. The next one is readying himself for
a swipe at you. Give him the soft-shoe shuffle: advance within range and
then pull a swift U-turn and run back a pace or two as he slashes, then
another U-turn and a swerve and continue your dash past as he swings
about like a lemon. You almost feel sorry for them. After accessing Pass
Code03, pull the pause-and-dash trick when he has another go, then take
the middle branch past two more feeble floorwalkers and go and switch the
power on. Take a deep breathe and start your journey back, noting that
the monsters outside have reversed their positions floorwise. Hang back
on the first section until these two swing into view, then swerve as you
did for the first one, and then simply run for the door as number three
comes scuttling after you. Too late, my friend. Stick to the wall going
out through the last room, but dodge the one swinging down by the door
and emerge without a scratch, to find that the Zombies in this corridor
have gone! Now, you might not have known they clear off by themselves
because every other time you came here you gave them a taste of hot lead.
That's what they mean when they say "Fighting foes is not the only way",
Grasshopper.

And now the end is near - it's Tyrant time. If you have two Ink Ribbons,
first gather all available Health items and then Save right now. In fact,
if you have not Saved for a while, then definitely use even your last one
because your character WILL die. (Several times probably.) Learn from
each experience and get back up there, Soldier. Head on up now, to find
that Wesker has done you up like a kipper. He gets what he deserves, but
you will not want that little cut scene to end, because that means it is
time for you to Put Up or Shut Up. Why did you ever start this? Well,
there is good news and bad. The good news is that it takes just 23
strikes to put him down. The bad news is...you'll take 69 hits. OK that's
an exaggeration, but this is a battle of attrition, so expect to get
sliced up Big Time.
Take to your heels anti-clockwise around the glass tubes before you pause
to arm yourself with your pathetic knife. As you know well, Tyrant is no
brainless Zombie; he will stalk you until you are cornered and then whack
you with his appalling combo's before slashing out your heart and
flinging you to the floor. And you don't want that. Watch your opponent
carefully and anticipate his moves. He paces slowly until he zeros you,
and then comes a swift blow which is hard to avoid. ("Call that a knife?
THIS...") Don't just stand there dazed, because another three slashes are
following in succession, and then comes a final fatal stab. Check your
damage immediately, as this is usually the coup de grace, but you can
neutralise it if you heal yourself in time.
All very well, but how can you fight back? Not easily, as I said at the
start. Tyrant is a tough opponent but he has one very obvious flaw - he
can only slash what's in front of him! You, on the other hand, are
practised at the stab in the back... So what you have to do is try to get
behind him and stay behind him long enough to get a hit in. There is
really only one way of striking him up close, which is to get him to
follow you into the open at either end of the room, dash past wide on his
blind side and start to circle behind him. Never at any time just stand
in front or he will strike quickly. Try to keep moving backwards and
forwards as appropriate in a bid to stay behind him, and suddenly he will
lose patience and take a stab at you. With luck(!) he will miss, and then
he will pause as if surprised not to be holding your kidneys. This is
your only realistic chance to hit him, so turn in to face his back or
side (or backside) and quickly SLASH and then RUN. Remember, it is the
only way to strike him without taking a hit, so get the timing right and
you are halfway there. Take your time, and pull out if you can't set him
up just right; as you have done throughout the game, show some patience
and you will succeed. Run around the next corner and repeat the tactic as
well as you can, but don't get over-confident - he can finish you in
seconds. Even if you only get in one hit per 'lap' that is just fine; the
clock is not ticking. ONE strike only remember; no more and no less
(ideally). Count each strike, and when you have twenty you know you are
on the home stretch. Stick to it. As in your previous battles, I hope you
brought plenty of health, but don't waste an F-Aid Spray on anything less
than Danger, although don't hold off until you find You Died either. How
well you eke out your healing items will dictate how long you can stay in
the battle, so judge it well. I don't think I would have believed it
until I saw it, but eventually he WILL go down! I bet you are feeling
pretty good about that, but I don't want you to feel Pretty Good. I want
you to feel Great! You're nearly there.

Become reunited with Rebecca, and then you can easily outrun the grounded
Lab Monsters to go and free Jill. Look at that reception you get... Trust
me, mate - you're Golden. Don't forget there is a Green Herb in that
Mirror room if you need a security net for your final confrontation. No
need to tangle with these last Zombies if your health is low - fancy
footwork yet again.

I hope that you are well practised against Tyrant's attack when he makes
his reappearance. You should know the tactic of running diagonally as far
as you can, pulling a wide U-turn to the left at the last moment as he
rushes up behind you, and then doubling back to pause and do it again. In
this way you won't receive a single hit, just your nerves will be
shredded by that hideous chalkboard screech. Needless to say, the knife
is about as much use as a chocolate teapot, so the moment you get the
Rocket Launcher - Use It! And with that I think we can call it a day.
(And I just love that theme tune...)



What a tough guy! You've closed this case completely!





PS - Try RE2 with a knife - it's even more fun! I'll write a FAQ if there
is any interest... Or I'd like to read yours?


Copyright (c) 2002 J Woodrow

You are viewing proxied material from gopher.endangeredsoft.org. The copyright of proxied material belongs to its original authors. Any comments or complaints in relation to proxied material should be directed to the original authors of the content concerned. Please see the disclaimer for more details.