Resident Evil 4 Remake Mercenaries Mode Guide: Bring On the Mayhem & Earn a High Score in Resident Evil 4!

About
Latest Posts

Trevor is a skilled content writer who enjoys laid-back gaming with friends. He plays versatile genres with a taste for survival horror, RPGs, and Sci-fi adventures. He enjoys video games with rich story elements and otherworldly video game music. He has played prominent titles like Resident Evil, Dead Space, and Dead by Daylight. He finds a great sense of accomplishment every time he tackles challenges in video games.

Bottom Line Up Front

Resident Evil 4 Mercenaries mode is a bonus game you can unlock by beating the campaign on any difficulty.

Four playable characters are available: Leon, Luis, Krauser, & Hunk. You can play them across three intricate stages, including the Village, Castle, & Island.

To get a high score in this game, utilize Mayhem mode while not losing your kill chain for a higher bonus.

An intimate understanding of each character will help, but the most crucial step is to play consistently and practice to improve while adapting to each map and strategy.

Unlocking Mercenaries Mode

To unlock Mercenaries mode, you must beat the campaign on any difficulty. I recommend you play the game without aim-assist initially if you intend on playing Mercenaries because it will be a much easier transition.

After you beat the game, you’ll be greeted with a new world of possibilities and many ganados to slaughter under the pressure of a time limit.

There are various ways to add time to your countdown to extend the session and get a higher score. First, let’s debrief each character, and I’ll give you some valuable strategies for playing each of them!

Resident Evil 4 Mercenaries Characters

There are four characters you can unlock in Mercenaries, and they all have unique subtleties that make them special and accommodating for varying play styles.

Some of them will be harder than others. For example, Luis has been known to trouble players by correctly timing the dynamite and getting enough kills for higher scores.

Each one has their personality expressed in their arsenal, so let’s get down to business and master them all! Remember that there are more characters to come, and I highly anticipate the addition of Albert Wesker, Ada Wong, & more!

Leon S. Kennedy

Leon S. Kennedy is the main protagonist of RE4 & fights tooth and nail to complete his various missions with overwhelming odds. He’s no different when playing Mercenaries and has a relentless arsenal to fight countless enemies without breaking a sweat.

I lied; you might sweat a little when the chainsaw sisters appear, but remember, you have enough equipment to eradicate them all.

How To Unlock: Unlocked By default
Leon’s Weapons: Riot Gun, Stingray, Combat Knife, & SG-09R Handgun
Starting Equipment: High-powered Scope, Laser Sight, Handgun/Rifle/Shotgun ammo, First Aid Spray
Mayhem Ability: All abilities enhanced with power & speed
Health Stats: Higher than average

Expert Tactics for Playing Leon

Leon has many tools to deal with any threat expediently and efficiently. His laser sight and scope increase his accuracy, which is incredibly important in Mercenaries because aiming is manual.

One of the main differences between him and others is his lack of initial crowd control options like grenades, which can be picked up on the maps and utilized anyway.

First, the key to understanding Leon and every character is to study their inventory and establish a game plan. Leon is a master of weapon versatility. Utilize the handgun and combat knife often for standard kills of weaker ganados.

The riot gun is excellent for clearing crowds of enemies rioting against you. There will be many opportunities to hit enemies from afar, so don’t forget to use the Stingray occasionally after checking your surroundings.

Leon has good speed, so get away when you can, then kill a few and keep moving while picking up ammo. If you have the opportunity to melee attack, do it because it’s great for crowd control and getting out of a tough spot.

He has two nodes for his Mayhem mode, and I prefer to save them before activating. These are best used on large groups or the special enemies that spawn. I.e., the pig, cow, chainsaw ganado, or chainsaw sisters.

Luis Serra

Luis Serra is a former researcher of Umbrella Corporation & ex-researcher for the Los Illuminados cult in Resident Evil 4. He later risked his life with Leon to save Ashley to make amends for his past.

His dying words were, “What do you think, Leon? People can change, right?” with his final cigarette slipping from his lips.

How To Unlock: Achieve A Rank with your old pal Leon
Luis’ Weapons: Red9, SR M1903 long-range rifle, Boot Knife
Starting Equipment: Flash grenade, 2 First aid sprays, Biosensor scope, handgun, & rifle ammo
Mayhem Ability: Can place & shoot dynamite anywhere on the map
Health Stats: Average

Expert Tactics for Playing Luis

Indeed, people can change for the better despite a checkered past. You’ll also need to change to play Luis correctly. Playing this suave ladies’ man is as risky as his pickup lines.

However, you will have extra health and a flash grenade to get out of a pinch. You’ll notice that Luis doesn’t boast the impressive arsenal of our seasoned hero Leon.

He has the Red9, a more robust and accurate rifle for taking out plagas and brutal foes.

Using a flash with his dynamite can keep the enemies in place for a tactical explosion. You must know the maps well as Luis to navigate swiftly and effectively while avoiding being overwhelmed.

He gets ambushed easier than Leon, so memorizing where you can escape is best. Utilize his swing and overcharge moves to get through crowds and avoid getting too distracted and flanked.

His Mayhem mode power is dynamite, and I’ll be honest, it takes practice to master the timing.

The quicker you detonate it, the faster another one will be placed. Dynamite is good for mini-bosses and placing at various chokepoints where you know enemies will assemble to kill you.

Keep using his power with the other weapons appropriately, and you’ll get a great score!

Jack Krauser

Jack Krauser is a former Major in the United States Army under special forces operations before being seduced by the prospect of superior power through Osmund Saddler and the Los Illuminados cult.

He is a former mentor to Leon and is a thrill to play in Mercenaries mode with his impressive aptitude for slaying enemies in his path.

How To Unlock: Achieve A Rank with Luis
Krauser’s Weapons: EJF-338 Compound Bow, Fighting Knife, & TMP
Starting Equipment: First-aid spray, Explosive arrows/submachine gun ammo, & flash grenades
Mayhem Ability: Mutation gives you great power in thrust or standard close-combat attacks
Health Stats: Fully upgraded health

Expert Tactics for Playing Krauser

Krauser emphasizes relentless mutated force to mow down enemies with his incredible fighting knife, which I own, as a gaming artifact fan. The Merchant would be pleased.

On that note, please don’t overlook using Krauser’s knife because it’s exquisitely powerful and can quickly clear a path in front of you.

Warning, his knife is also very addicting, so don’t do it too much as I did for laughs the first time. Study his movement options while handling the blade; it will make it even more brutal with devastating lunges, backward cartwheel away, & side-to-side evasion.

Remember that the compound bow needs time to prepare a shot, and it’s the only weapon in RE4 where you must be still while aiming.

Ensure you have enough space before using it, and you can wipe out a good crowd. His mayhem mode is highly efficient for removing the more challenging enemies in your path.

Mayhem can thrust forward or hit close-range enemies for a deadly outcome. They disintegrate before your eyes with great satisfaction, but it’s short-lived, so use his Mahem wisely.

Hunk

Hunk, the inscrutable security officer for Umbrella, has made a mysterious return to Mercenaries mode, and he’s still the bare-bones specialized massacre machine we all know and love.

He uses a submachine gun with grenades to destroy enemies and quickly clear paths to new areas in an endless cycle of destruction.

How To Unlock: Achieve A rank as Krauser
Hunk’s Weapons: LE 5 submachine gun & boot knife
Starting Equipment: First aid spray, Hand grenades, submachine gun ammo
Mayhem Ability: Infinite ammo for the submachine gun
Health Stats: Average health

Expert Tactics for Playing Hunk

To play Hunk, you have to think like him, which means frequently going for that neck break on stunned enemies but not excessively.

It’s advantageous in quickly killing the more brutal enemies and can give you less anxiety and a higher streak. Shooting legs is a way to trigger a faster melee strike that affects surrounding enemies.

The submachine gun is suitable for racking up kills but fails regarding crowd control. That’s why you must be conscientious about where and when you toss grenades.

Also, as Hunk, you need to plunder the whole map to get more grenades while using sparingly to get even crowd control throughout the entire mission. His Mayhem mode consists of a timed infinite ammo sequence where reloading isn’t necessary.

Fire away without mercy and get as many kills as possible after luring ganados to a chokepoint and get them into a group before you activate.

Although tempting, using a neck snap during this is not wise, so keep firing until the mayhem meter is empty. Sometimes simpler is better, and Hunk shines as the no-nonsense plaga exterminator.

The Ranking System Explained

Much like the campaign, a ranking system in Mercenaries gives you a performance gauge to improve for future missions.

You will be assigned a grade based on the final score, ultimately determined by your skill and decisions. For instance, forgetting to use Hunk’s grenades or neglecting to use Mayhem mode for any character might cost you ranks.

They range from C to S++ rank; anything in the S tier is considered a highly exceptional score. Below are the score requirements to get each of the ranks in Mercenaries, so you can set a goal and achieve it!

Rank C: 0-49,999 points
Rank B: 50,000-99,999 points
Rank A: 100,000-199,999 points
Rank S: 200,000-499,999 points
Rank S+: 500,000-999,999 points
Rank S++: 1,000,000+ points

Gaining More Time & Pickups

Getting a higher score is all about extending your time to milk the cow for all it’s worth. Or you could shoot the lamp in the barn and set it on fire to go berserk & injure ganados or you.

Killing an enemy will give you two more seconds, and the green orbs can also be picked up to add time.

These are imperative to get a score you can be proud of. Otherwise, the trial will be cut short, and you only start with two minutes on the clock.

You have no time to lose, and I like to prioritize them when the mission begins, along with any other pickups until my inventory is complete. Then it’s open season on the pesky plagas!

Mayhem Mode

Mayhem Mode is one of the primary keys to unlocking a higher score, but the placement of each character’s extraordinary power is equally important.

My advice is to go with your logic and use it when many enemies are swarming you. The better you do in the game, the faster you’ll charge your Mayhem.

It’s easy to think you’re invincible when the hyped, sped-up music starts. This isn’t Mario, though, and you can still get hit, but you’re much more deadly with any character.

Use Mayhem mode to your advantage; practice will help you use your instinct better when activating.

Unlock the Fearsome Hand Cannon

The Hand Cannon is back with a vengeance, and thankfully it’s much easier to unlock this time.

There are two ways to earn it. First, you can go for an S rank in each stage with one character in Mercenaries. Additionally, you can play through Professional mode without using any special weapons.

I found both ways manageable, but Mercenaries will yield it quicker. Once you get S on each stage with a character, the Hand Cannon will be available in the main game and packs a significant punch. You can then upgrade it to have infinite ammo and increased stats.

Mastering All Stages like a S.T.A.R.

Even if you have the characters down, you’ll still need to adapt to the stages. They’re familiar locations, but some details are different.

Don’t worry if you don’t get a fantastic score your first few times, and focus on studying the layout while paying attention to where the enemies are gathering and spawning from.

More stages will come in the future DLC, so this is only the beginning of the Mercenaries! Let’s analyze each location, and I’ll give you some advice on how to master them based on my experience.

Village Stage

The Village is the same as when you traversed it during the campaign, and I know you’ve done that because it’s a requirement to play Mercenaries.

You should be very familiar with the landscape here, but there are some things to remember. The space in the center of the Village is ideal for rallying up enemies, similar to Call of Duty zombies, only they are much more unpredictable, and you will take damage.

Always watch your back when moving around from one side to the other for a reliable flow of ganados so you don’t lose the streak. Never camp in a single spot; you will be punished severely by spawns from all areas.

Inside buildings is an excellent retreat to restock and calm the nerves, but always ensure you keep an enemy in your sight to maintain the streak.

Climbing the ladder is an efficient method for gathering enemies around the bottom and then using a grenade. There is a chest at the top of the tower with a heavy grenade inside, so that’s a worthy grab.

Castle Stage

The first thing to consider about the Castle stage is the Zealots with their deadly catapults.

Mirroring the campaign, you can shoot the counterweight to lift the cannon, but it only has a few shots. Take out the catapults and a few enemies first to reduce damage and complications.

Zealots are trickier than ganados, so remember to aim for the legs for shields and use melee when possible for crowd control.

I recommend you save some canon shots for the Garradors when they spawn because they’re a pain. Remember that the catapult enemies also count toward your streak and must be killed with the explosive barrels toward the end.

If you see a red-robed Zealot with a staff, immediately prioritize eradicating him, or you’ll face multiple plagas that can slow you down and make the mission much more challenging if he isn’t dealt with.

Island Stage

The Island will make you feel Closter-phobic with the narrow paths, but the turrets more than makeup for it. Use them sparingly and get out of there when the ammo is out, or you can get ambushed fast.

Keep moving, or you’re toast on this level, but don’t forget to stop and kill for short bursts and always keep the combo going. If you see Plaga spawn to infect hosts, then use a flash grenade to kill them all immediately.

The Island is not the stage to hunker down in an area, even if you’re Hunk. Instead, use the environment and don’t get too comfortable on a turret or a corner.

Prioritize taking out the rocket launcher ganados when they spawn, or your game might be cut short unexpectedly with a rocket to the face.

When facing the Pig Brutes, try to find cover because their gun can kill you quickly. Dropping down from the top area is a good escape plan after mowing down a few approaching enemies before it gets too overwhelming, and trust me, it will.

Pro Tips for Earning S-Tier High Scores

Pick up all-time emblems
Utilize melee for crowd control
Stay on the move often
Collect resources on the map
Use explosives wisely & collect them
Activate Mayhem mode logically
Turn down the music to reduce anxiety
Keep the combo going (150 is the max)
Study each character, map, & practice
Use every resource and weapon at your disposal

Kill Chickens for Golden Eggs

There’s one more quirky detail you will find eggceptionally beneficial for your score: taking the time to kill a poor chicken, but it’s for a worthy cause.

Each of the maps has a gold chicken egg that’s worth an extra 50,000 points. However, the chickens want nothing to do with you, and killing them with countless enemies around can be tricky as they are frightened.

The golden egg can also be used for total healing during the mission you found it in. Below are the gold chicken egg locations on each stage to boost your score immediately and achieve those higher S rankings.

Village: The Church Cloister near the gate leading to the graveyard or a hut by the gate leading to Village Chief’s manor.
Castle: On the ramparts, when you take the path towards the cannon, there will be a chicken up there.
Island: A chicken near one of the turrets at the island’s far end.

FAQs

Question: How is Resident Evil 4 Mercenaries mode different from the original?

Answer: There are a few differences, but the most prominent one is the increased potential for higher scores with the addition of Mayhem mode.

There are also some differences in loadout from the original, and the hand cannon is much easier to get. Overall, it’s smoother and more refined, with excellent replayability that will keep you hooked, feeling like a seasoned mercenary for hours.

Question: Is Mercenaries mode accessible for beginners?

Answer: The reality is that you’ll need to complete the campaign on any difficulty setting to unlock Mercenaries mode in the first place.

You’ll inevitably get some practice here and get used to the controls, which are the same when you transition to Mercenaries. However, it might be beneficial to experiment with different controller schemes for this mode.

Overall, the enemies go down quicker, and you will need a higher focus level than the campaign with regular appearances from stronger foes.

Question: Is aim-assist available while playing Mercenaries mode?

Answer: Could you call yourself a true mercenary if you need someone to aim for you? Mercenaries mode has no aim-assist, meaning you’ll practice the real deal in a professional mode run.

If you only played assisted way, you might be in for a rude awakening coming into Mercenaries. Aiming will eventually become second nature, and this mini-game will give you more confidence when playing the campaign.

Resident Evil 4 Remake Mercenaries Mode Guide Conclusion:

Mercenaries Mode Is a Rewarding Mini-Game Full of Mayhem That Respects the Original

mercenaries mode Resident Evil 4 Remake Mercenaries Mode

I’d imagine by now you’ve gotten S tier for all the maps and are ready to use that coveted Hand Cannon. Each character is enjoyable to play on the various maps, but the fast pace takes some getting used to. If you’re a beginner, expect to get overwhelmed a few times, but you get better and more confident with each round.

Mercenaries will surely test your reflexes and overall knowledge of Resident Evil 4 with no mercy.

However, the enemies are weaker than the campaign and drop like flies. It gives the perfect amount of challenge while remaining fun and accessible for newcomers. You know how to play now, but it’s time to implement it.

Mercenaries mode pays homage to the original game with a fluid and intuitive combat system that keeps you engaged and wanting to improve! Here’s some final inspiring advice.

In the words of Leon to Krauser, “Go with your gut, don’t think, that’s the first thing you taught me.” It has been my pleasure teaching you, too, now earn those S ranks or better, soldier!