Unlockables have been a staple of Resident Evil since day 1. Between new costumes for Chris and Jill and the Infinite Rocket Launcher, the original Resident Evil set a precedent for post-game content that most entries in the series have expanded upon since. A return to form in virtually every sense, Resident Evil 7 is no stranger to unlockables and has some of the best in the series.
A single playthrough is never enough when it comes to Resident Evil, and Resident Evil 7 does the best it can to keep audiences coming back for more. From a brand new difficulty mode that completely changes the game to new weapons and items that only increase replayability, Resident Evil 7 isn’t over until you get every unlockable.
Edited on August 27, 2021 by Renan Fontes: Resident Evil Village is a love letter to the franchise, but it’s also a considerable change of pace from Resident Evil 7. RE7 was content in being a down-to-earth, return-to-roots soft reboot of sorts while Village pays respects to the entire series’ chronology – from story to gameplay. Village embracing the greater Resident Evil franchise so much makes it even easier to appreciate Resident Evil 7’s elegant simplicity. Especially when it comes to unlockables.
Madhouse
Madhouse is the single hardest difficulty in Resident Evil 7, but it isn’t playable on a fresh file. Madhouse is only unlocked after beating the game at least once. While Resident Evil has never shied away from dynamic difficulty changes, Madhouse redefines Resident Evil 7 as a video game – upping the tension and forcing you to think carefully about how you use their resources.
Ammo is considerably less present, Separating Agents are now a mainstay (forcing Ethan to break down his item in order to get different items), and Quick Molded appear much earlier in the game, making the initial trek through the Main House significantly more difficult. Not just that, Molded on a whole are much faster and have greater health. Rounding out Madhouse is an abundance of Antique Coins, giving Bird Cages greater in-game value.
Madhouse’s best gimmick is to show the mode makes you rethink Resident Evil 7 entirely. Items get rearranged, Jack’s chase pattern is far more aggressive, and areas feel brand new by virtue of remixed enemy placement. Madhouse is akin to the original Resident Evil’s relationship with its Director’s Cut re-release: it really does feel like a brand new game.
Albert-01R
During the final battle against Eveline, Ethan is rescued by Blue Umbrella and franchise mainstay Chris Redfield tosses him a super-powerful handgun to finish the job: the Albert-01. Unlike Resident Evil Village, which has a host of unlockable guns, Resident Evil 7 only has the one. By completing the game once, you’ll be able to find a weaker version of the gun in your item box on every subsequent playthrough.
Instead of holding 9 rounds, the Albert-01R holds 3 bullets at a time and has a fair bit of recoil when shot. The gun also takes a decent bit of time to reload compared to other weapons. That said, the Albert-01R is a powerful handgun that makes repeat playthroughs all the easier. More importantly, Enhanced Handgun Ammo is almost always a one-hit kill if you land a headshot with the Albert-01R. The gun is a must-use for Madhouse.
Secrets Of Defense
Resident Evil 7 features several passive items that you can carry in your inventory to boost Ethan’s stats. By completing the game on Normal mode, you can unlock the Secrets of Defense in your Item Box. Like the Albert-01R, Secrets of Defense will be available on every subsequent playthrough.
When placed into your inventory, Secrets of Defense increases Ethan’s damage reduction while blocking. This makes a Madhouse playthrough far easier than it would be otherwise, but there is another passive defense item you should look into unlocking before diving into Madhouse.
Essence Of Defense
Like the Secrets of Defense scroll, Essence of Defense further reduces the amount of damage you take while blocking, allowing you to tank quite a number of hits before needing to heal. Essence of Defense feels downright necessary for some of Madhouse’s toughest bosses. Unlike Secrets of Defense, Essence of Defense requires a fair bit of effort to unlock.
You have to track down all 20 Mr. Everywhere Bobbleheads in the game and break them to unlock the Essence of Defense. Thankfully, Mr. Everywhere progress is retained from playthrough to playthrough, allowing you to chip away at the unlockable with time instead of needing to worry about all 20 in a single run.
Walking Shoes
The Essence of Defense isn’t the only unlockable tied to the Mr. Everywhere side quest. By finding and breaking all 20, you’ll also unlock the Walking Shoes for your Item Box. When placed into your inventory, the Walking Shoes increase your walk and crouch speed. While your run speed remains the same, the brief boost in mobility for walking goes a long way in completing the main game quickly (and is outright necessary for two of the unlockables). It also has the benefit of making the faster Molded in Madhouse more manageable. That said, the Walking Shoes are the unlockable you should prioritize least if you’re moderately skilled at the game.
X-Ray Glasses
Part of Resident Evil’s replay value stems from the fact that each main game actually times how long it takes for you to complete a playthrough. This is a feature that stems back to the original Resident Evil on PlayStation, with Resident Evil 2 onwards introducing proper letter Ranks that were influenced by total playtime and saves/First Aid Spray used.
To unlock the X-Ray Glasses, you need to complete a playthrough in less than four hours (which is easier said than done). You’ll need to meticulously study each area’s layout, boss patterns, and plan a route that has next to no doddling. Once you’ve beaten the game in under four hours, the X-Ray Glasses can be found in your Item Box. When placed into your inventory, the glasses show every single item in the vicinity – effectively acting as a permanent version of Psychostimulants. It goes without saying that X-Ray Glasses go a long way in Madhouse.
Circular Saw
Along with the X-Ray Glasses, you can unlock the Circular Saw by completing the main story in less than four hours. Similar to the Chainsaw, the Circular Saw is a melee weapon with two distinct types of attacks that you need to get close and personal with to use. Unlike the Chainsaw, the Circular Saw is extremely powerful and doesn’t run out of juice.
While you’ll need to be at very close range to use the Circular Saw reliably (in turn putting you at risk from Molded attacks), the Circular Saw is guaranteed to stun and drops enemies faster than any other weapon in the game. That alone makes the Circular Saw worth unlocking.
Infinite Ammo
The only unlockable tied to Madhouse, completing the hardest difficulty in Resident Evil 7 nets you Infinite Ammo. Unlike Resident Evil Village where you can unlock weapons with infinite ammo with CP, Infinite Ammo is an item that applies to every weapon in Ethan’s kit so long as it’s placed in your inventory. Although unlocking Infinite Ammo requires beating the single hardest challenge in Resident Evil 7, it does make replaying through Madhouse much easier – and cathartic as a result.
