Knowing how to survive Resident Evil 4 village attack is largely a case of waiting out the clock. The message to "fight them off" simply tells you to survive, but when the villagers keep coming, that's easier said than done. Leon's first survival mission is brutal, and though there are advantages scattered around the village, a lot of them are secret, or at least not especially obvious to the eye. Fortunately, we'll show you how to survive the RE4 Remake village sequence, how you can get a shotgun to better protect yourself, and how to beat the chainsaw-wielding maniac who comes crashing through the gate. Obviously with some good Resident Evil 4 weapons this would all be alot easier, but this kicks in right at the start of the game when all you have is a pistol and your trusty knife.
How to survive the village in the Resident Evil 4 Remake
To survive the village in Resident Evil 4 Remake you simply need to last long enough until a bell rings and draws them away roughly two-to-four minutes after starting. To do this, you have several options, all of which you can mix and match as needed, and all of which I've tried and tested.
- Run away and avoid fighting
- Fight the zombies directly
- Set the barn on fire
- Barricade yourself in the house
Click on any of these for more details, but the reality is that you'll probably use at least a combination of these methods to reach the end.
If you're purely playing optimally, I honestly suggest mainly running away but also trying to kill the chainsaw enemy "Dr Salvador" along the way, as he drops a valuable Emerald you can sell later on. Running takes longer, but it's also the least costly process, not any more difficult than the other methods, plus evasion tactics are an important thing to learn early on, as the ability to duck, weave and parry will do you very well in later sequences.
How to escape the villagers
You don't have to kill the villagers, you simply need to survive. I've tried it, and it's entirely possible to evade the zombie villagers for the whole sequence and never fire a shot. Admittedly, it's not easy to avoid taking damage along the way, but it's not easy to do that in regular combat either - and this way you're not burning resources fighting them off.
Of course, the downside is that you don't get any rewards off the bodies you kill, including the potential emerald dropped by the man with the chainsaw - and that the game makes you wait longer for the end than if you kill them. If you go this method, use the whole village to your advantage, luring them around and clearing those ahead of you, while using the map to check routes ahead if you're still unfamiliar. A quick shot to the head will stun zombies, giving you a chance to sprint by, and dead ends are something to be avoided at all costs. Plus, if you find yourself getting overwhelmed, there's nothing stopping you from switching to the other two methods.
How to fight the zombies in the Village
This burns up ammo and can mean getting swarmed, but taking the fight to the villagers has three advantages - firstly, you're slightly more in control than running around like a headless chicken, secondly, you get all the loot they drop, and thirdly, you don't have to last as long as if you're just running and hiding all the time.
If you're not going into the house for a final showdown and want to keep fighting outside, then stay mobile and evasive, as outlined in our Resident Evil 4 tips. Headshots aren't guaranteed to be kills, and it's easy to get swarmed. Remember that you can't kill them all, the game keeps spawning villagers in - you're just trying to thin their numbers to make things manageable until you're told you've lasted long enough.
How to set the barn on fire
This won't win you the game, but it can provide a serious advantage - on the right as you enter the village is a barn with a cow inside that you can run through. Shooting the oil lamp hanging from the ceiling will rapidly ignite the whole building, killing any zombies inside. If things get really rough, lure the zombies in, then shoot the lamp when they're underneath it. Keep in mind that the barn is a danger zone from that point on, so don't get back inside!
How to defend yourself inside the house
If all else fails, head to the two-story house next to the tower. As you enter, a cinematic will trigger showing Leon locking the door. From this point on, this is probably your final stronghold, as there's no easy way to leave once you're inside. Here's some basic tips for surviving in here:
- There's a working shotgun hanging on the wall upstairs and some ammo on the bed. Grab them ASAP!
- You can push the cabinet on the ground floor in front of the window to delay villagers getting in this way.
- Villagers can still come in through the windows upstairs, but they'll need to use ladders for some of them. You can kick down any ladders that appear by getting close to them and pressing X/A, depending on your controller.
- The stairs are a great place to bottleneck enemies, clearing them with shotgun blasts or grenades.
- If you're careful, you can escape the house by using the main door again - though an enemy will have had to destroy it first.
How to beat the chainsaw enemy Dr Salvador
A huge foe with a bag on his head and a chainsaw, Doctor Salvador enters after a period of survival, and effectively acts as the boss fight (though you don't have to kill him if you can hold out). You should if possible though - as mentioned, he drops an Emerald you can sell later on.
Dr Salvador can be killed like any other enemy, with damage of all sorts, he just has a much bigger health bar. Use the burning barn and shotgun if you can, and don't get close! He has no ranged attack, but his chainsaw is a one-shot-kill if you get in range and fail to parry. Keep your distance, take your time, and use his slow movements to stay one step ahead.
How long do you have to survive the village?
Having tested all variations, the length of the village survival sequence actually varies depending on how bloodthirsty you are, and the approach you take, with kills mattering. Here were our results:
- Running around (no kills, not entering the house): Approx. 4 minutes.
- Total warfare (constant kills, not entering the house): Approx. 2.5 minutes.
- House defence (constant kills, entering the house): Approx. 5 minutes.
Our best guess is that the advantages of defending the house and getting a shotgun are negated by the fact that you have to hold out longer than if you were fighting in the open.
Can you get the TMP in the village?
No, you cannot get the TMP in the village when playing the full game. One of the Resident Evil 4 demo secrets was a hidden TMP, or machine pistol, that could be found if you dropped all your weapons before beginning the village sequence and looked inside a well.
Sadly, having checked the process, that is no longer in the full game - you can get the TMP at a later point by buying from the Merchant, but the well is blocked off at this point, and the only weapon in the village is the shotgun, which you can still get even after you wait to enter the house until after the horde is done.
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