One ofResident Evil 4’s most beloved characters is the enigmatic Merchant who supplies Leon with the weapons and modifications necessary to survive in a sinister world. Part of the Merchant’s role in theResident Evil 4remake is to buy treasures that the player collects throughout their adventure in exchange for pesetas, the game’s primary currency. However, this remake puts a spin on the typical loot-collecting mechanic, creating an innovative treasure-hunting system that has a lot of potential for future titles to iterate upon.
Collecting loot is a common part of modern gaming, whether it be finding new weapons and equipment, or discovering rare items that can be exchanged for gear.Resident Evil 4doesn’t follow the typical formula for loot gathering that an open-world game might have, but instead builds its own system that incentivizes players to explore and complete requests in order to gain new upgraded equipment. While looting may not seem very exciting in a game of this genre, it ends up being an enjoyable experience thanks to some unique mechanics andhidden details in theResident Evil 4remake.
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Resident Evil 4 Puts a Unique Spin on Loot Collecting
Money is an important part ofResident Evil 4, as players need to purchase the best weapons and upgrades if they wish to survive. While selling basic items can earn players a bit of cash, the real money comes from collecting various treasures hidden throughout theworld ofResident Evil 4. This treasure hunting mechanic is a lot more complex than one would expect, keeping loot collection from growing stale.
To start,Resident Evil 4players can purchase treasure mapsfrom the Merchant to aid in their hunt rather than flying blind. Obtaining these treasures isn’t always easy, since some run the risk of being damaged and devalued if not handled with care. Some treasures will be found hanging over wells, requiring players to shoot them down, but doing so might cause the item to fall into the well and get dirty, decreasing its value. Players may have to think strategically about how to approach these treasures.
Other treasures give players the ability to slot in gems to increase their value, adding another layer of strategy for players trying to maximize the pesetas they earn. While it might be tempting to sell treasures right away, sometimes saving them and adding gems later can yield better results. For example, some treasures earn a value multiplier when slotted with gems of the same type, giving players an incentive to hold on to their items for the right piece of loot. With how crucial it is to earn pesetas, strategically selling loot toResident Evil 4’s Merchantis a necessity.
It’s rare to see games take such an in-depth approach to a mechanic as simple as loot collecting, butResident Evil 4provides a breath of fresh air in this regard. Strategic treasure selling might not seem like an important part of anaction-horror game likeResident Evil 4, but as players get into the nitty-gritty, they’ll find it plays a bigger role than one would expect. With the direction a lot of games are going, loot gathering trends toward player burnout, so finding ways to keep it from going stale is going to yield greater success in the long term.
Resident Evil 4is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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