Welcome to the GamesRadar Resident Evil 5 Strategy guide and Boss guide
First things first: fairly obviously this guide contains MAJOR GAME SPOILERS. The last page (page 4) contains images from the end of the game - so if you don't want to know what happens steer clear of it.
This guide is not a walkthrough (something we decided wasn't overly useful in Resident Evil games) instead it is a strategy for playing the game, that points out useful hints and tips for progressing through each of the Acts. It also contains sections on where to find the best weapons and detailed boss battle strategies.
ACT 1
Chris and Sheva arrive at Kijuju town in search of Irving; a nasty piece of work who’s up to no good. It’s clear they’re unwelcome, but they never imagined it would turn out to be this hostile.
STAND AND FIGHT
Want to beat the executioner? Here’s how to do it… You’ll need ammo, so knife the piles of fruit for hand grenades and bullets.
There’s a stash of grenades on the highest roof (see ‘Hide and Seek’, below) which come in extremely handy, and more inside the two houses in the town’s middle. Hurl these one at a time, and when the executioner drops to his knee run in close and punch him to cause some extra damage.
Don’t forget to use environmental factors. There are red barrels dotted all over town that will eat at chunks of the executioner’s health, and power transformers positioned high up that will stun him – make sure you take advantage of them. Then let rip with the uzi when he’s down to finally defeat him.
HEADS UP!
Think you can save the blonde girl early on in Act 1-2? Think again. Grab the shotgun from the nearby hut and prepare for a battle: as soon as she’s hit, a giant snake-like growth bursts from her head!
The golden rule here is to keep back. Stay back even when she’s on the ground and you should be okay, especially if you empty the shotgun into her growth.
HIDE AND SEEK
Finding the town fight too tough? Hide instead:
- Start off by barricading yourself in the opening house by pushing the two bookcases against the entrances
- When the Executioner majini appears, run past, take a left, hop the fence and climb the ladder to your left
- You’ll now be above the room you began in. Climb the ladder in the back to reach the roof of the building
- Up here you’ll find a stash of hand grenades to keep the majini at bay. Not that you’ll need them…
- Enemies can only climb up the roof by the ladder or the ladder itself. Apart from the Executioner, who can’t reach you at all!
WEAPON WATCH
This act’s most powerful weapons:
VZ61
Sprint past the Executioner majini once he destroys the gate. The VZ61 is on the right, past the final building
Ithaca M37
Boost Sheva up the first two broken ladders to spot and collect the Ithaca M37 shotgun hut key. It unlocks the blue door of the small hut opposite the balcony the blonde girl is attacked on. You can’t miss it
BOSS GUIDE: UROBOROS
The first boss is an easy one, provided you follow these instructions:
Collect the furnace key from the dead body by the control panel and head back the way you came
Uh oh! Don’t bother tackling it head on. Once Uroboros appears it’s time to retreat back to the furnace
There are two upright gas canisters. Run in a clockwise route and knock each of them over
Then lure the Uroboros into the furnace after it’s swallowed a gas can. Aim for the can and… boom! With the Uroboros licking its wounds there’s just enough time to kill it off
Hit the switch by the furnace’s right door to close both exits and burn the oily monster to death
TIPS
1. Your first BSAA token can be spied from the small balcony of the large house, after you’ve grabbed the shotgun key. Shoot these tokens for lots of unlockables.
2. Once you’ve climbed the gooey stairs and the subsequent ladder you’ll find a door. Before breaking it, turn left, jump the gap and raid the box for plenty of gold.
3. When you hop in the mine kart you’ll need to aim to the right and quickly shoot two trip wires. And that’s it… Not as long as Resi 4’s mine kart ride, is it?
ACT 2
The BSAA pair manage to escape Kijuju and its oily monster, only to find the mines and surrounding desert populated by infected townsmen and far nastier creatures than ever imagined.
TRUCKING TRAGEDY
When you leap the gap in the bridge a Resident Evil 4 set-piece returns for a second bite… Ready your weapon as the truck hurtles forward and aim left. When the truck pulls level with the nearby barrels shoot the left one to destroy it. A dozen majini will follow it, so use the other barrels to take several out at a time and you should survive this section easily enough.
ALL ALONE
You’ll eventually explore a building and boost Sheva over to a nearby rooftop. It’s time to go solo, but you need to make sure that Chris has the rifle before splitting up though. You then drop down the hole to your right once Sheva’s landed. You’ll need to cover Sheva for this segment of the game – don’t shoot the barrel when she’s near or it’s game over. She can deal with the majini on her level, so pick off those on the stairs and in the street below instead.
CHAINSAW CHARLIE
Your first chainsaw majini’s a nightmare, and he needs to be defeated to continue:
- Employ the same tactics as the executioner: use transformers and grenades, and run in close when he drops to one knee
-Make sure you use every explosive barrel that you possibly can to speed things up – they’re great for killing the villagers who jump over the walls.
TAKE COVER
When Irving exits via the window you need to grab the rifle (in the locker) and take cover below the window – this is important, or you could die. Squeeze LT when the turret’s reloading to pop out and shoot the gunner.
WEAPON WATCH
The act's most powerful weapons:
H&K MP5
The H&K MP5 is impossible to miss. It’s in the shiny crate in the opening room, over to your left
S75
After Kirk’s given you helicopter support push into the building the majini burst from. The S75 rifle’s there
Dragunov SVD
The Dragunov SVD rifle’s available immediately after Irving appears and escapes. Raid the lockers to your left.
BOSS GUIDE: POPOKARIMU
The second boss is best tackled from both sides - co-op players have it easy!
Duck into the huts and pick up the proximity mines inside. Be wary of the Popokarimu’s swooping attacks: a button prompt will flash up on the screen if it swipes
Lay the proximity mines on the main path in between yourself and the Popokarimu. If it runs past it don’t panic; just run past it (he’s pretty slow) and lure it to you once more
When the mine works, Chris and Sheva need to fire into its fleshy underbelly. Repeat the mine trick when the Popokarimu rights itself and it’ll be dead in minutes.
CHASE HQ
Act 2 finishes off with a lengthy on-rails chase. Trucks will soon appear from both sides, so prioritise these over the biker majini. The early biker waves are also separated by three short quick-time event segments, and when you reach the roadblock just ignore the barrels.
BOSS GUIDE: NDESU
Boss three appears straight after the chase. Get ready for more QTE dodging:
All of the Ndesu’s attacks can be countered. The stamp is stopped by shooting its foot, and its charge is ended by hitting the Ndesu’s face
Inflict enough damage and parasites will burst from the skin. Pop them both to coax a larger parasite out of the Ndesu’s back… and then blow it away!
Now it’s mad. When the troll rips up the road switch your fire to the rock. Get enough shots in and it will crumble before you take any damage
Another four parasites will burst from the Ndesu, followed by the giant parasite. Keep plugging these to kill the troll for good
If he picks up a pylon get ready to hit X (360) or square (PS3). Whenever the Ndesu takes a swing press X (360) or square (PS3) to duck under its attack. Then return the favour with some hot lead
TIPS
Most of the enemies in the dark mine grow a giant head tentacle. Whoever has the lamp can’t put it down in the water, so keep them at the rear.
Next page: Acts 3 and 4
