Resident Evil 2 Cheats & Secrets for PlayStation

Released on January 21, 1998, Resident Evil 2 is the (at the time) highly anticipated sequel to the groundbreaking Resident Evil. Development on the title would begin shortly before the launch of the original Resident Evil and suffer several critical setbacks, including the scrapping of an entire version of the game to restart development from scratch. A large part of the development difficulty rests on disagreements in the game’s ultimate vision, with series creator and producer Shinji Mikami having a different idea of what the game should be from new director Hideki Kamiya. After the scrapping of what’s now known as “Resident Evil 1.5”, development on the final retail release of Resident Evil 2 would begin in earnest, with Capcom showing off a preview build along with the release of Resident Evil: Director’s Cut.

Acclaim for Resident Evil 2 was instant and universal, with players and critics praising the game as the next evolution of everything Resident Evil did well. In addition to some very strong review scores, Resident Evil 2 would go on to sell 6 million units on the PlayStation, far outselling the original Resident Evil and its own follow-up, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The game is more than just the best Resident Evil title on the original PlayStation, often cited as one of the greatest video games of all time, survival horror or otherwise. The success of the PlayStation version would lead to a later DualShock version compatible with analog controls, as well as ports to multiple consoles and PC.

Resident Evil 2 Premise

Weeks after the explosion of the Spencer Mansion at the end of Resident Evil, a series of tragic events give way to the entirety of Raccoon City becoming infected with the T-Virus. Simultaneously, rookie RPD police officer Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, younger sister of former S.T.A.R.S. member Chris Redfield, arrive in Raccoon City at the same time and cross paths with one another, saving each other’s lives against a horde of zombies. A freak accident separates the pair, leaving them to each find a way out of the city and escape with their lives while searching for any survivors.

In terms of its gameplay, Resident Evil 2 operates similarly to the original Resident Evil. The gameplay takes place from a third-person perspective and utilizes fixed camera angles to give each room a specific cinematic viewpoint. Players choose from one of two main protagonists, whose campaigns are separated across the game’s 2 discs. New to Resident Evil 2 is the ability to play a second, altered scenario with either character after loading up a clear game file from the other protagonist’s Scenario 1. Ultimately, though, players will still need to search for valuable, limited resources to take out enemies as well as notes and clues to aid with puzzle solutions that give way to advancing further along the critical path.

Resident Evil 2 Main Characters

The events of Resident Evil 2 pick up just a few weeks after the Spencer Mansion incident in the original Resident Evil. The Umbrella facility now destroyed, the company begins the process of pulling out of Raccoon City as part of a cover-up to deny any wrongdoing. In the process, lead researcher William Birkin is killed when he tries to escape with a new, more powerful version of the T-Virus codenamed the G-Virus. In his dying moments, Birkin injects himself with the G-Virus, kicking off a chain of events that see the virus spread throughout all of Raccoon City, turning the sleepy mountainside town into ground zero for the zombie apocalypse. Rookie RPD cop Leon S. Kennedy reports to his first day on the force and comes across Claire Redfield, who is venturing to Raccoon City in search of her brother Chris. The main characters in Resident Evil 2 include:

Heroes

• Leon S. Kennedy: A rookie police officer reporting for his first day of work in Raccoon City, Leon is one of two protagonists in RE2. His scenario sees him joining up with super spy Ada Wong to obtain the G-Virus.
• Claire Redfield: Claire is the other main protagonist in RE2 and the younger sister of one of the original game’s main protagonists, Chris Redfield. She heads to Raccoon City to track down her brother and ends up trying to save the young Sherry Birkin.

Villains

• William Birkin: William Birkin is a former colleague of Albert Wesker and one of the Umbrella Corporation’s chief minds behind its bio-weapon research. He acts as the main antagonist of RE2.
• Annette Birkin: Annette is William Birkin’s wife and a fellow Umbrella researcher. She acts as a secondary antagonist in Leon’s campaign and is trying to obtain the G-Virus to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
• Ada Wong: Ada is the manipulative super spy attempting to steal Umbrella’s bio-weapon research. She poses as an FBI agent to get into Leon’s good graces and have him unwittingly help her.

Games in the Resident Evil Series

More than the original game in the series, Resident Evil 2 would go on to establish the franchise as an unstoppable force within the gaming industry. Currently the second best-selling game in the entire Resident Evil series across all platforms and versions, the original PlayStation release would be a blockbuster success, outselling the original by a large margin and eventually going on to sell roughly 6 million units on the PlayStation alone. The appeal of Resident Evil 2 among fans and critics as one of the best games in the series (as well as just being, in general, one of the greatest games of all time) would help ensure a remake two decades after the original’s release. Unsurprisingly, the Resident Evil 2 remake is yet another masterpiece within the franchise and in the survival horror genre. Games in the Resident Evil series include:

• Resident Evil (1996)
• Resident Evil 2 (1998)
• Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (1999)
• Resident Evil Survivor (2000)
• Resident Evil – Code: Veronica (2000)
• Resident Evil Survivor 2 – Code: Veronica (2001)
• Resident Evil Gaiden (2001)
• Resident Evil (Remake) (2002)
• Resident Evil Zero (2002)
• Resident Evil: Dead Aim (2003)
• Resident Evil Outbreak (2003)
• Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 (2004) /em>
• Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles (2007)
• Resident Evil 5 (2009)
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (2009)
• Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D (2011)
• Resident Evil: Revelations (2012)
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (2012)
• Resident Evil 6 (2012)
• Resident Evil: Revelations 2 (2015)
• Umbrella Corps (2016)
• Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (2017)
• Resident Evil 2 (Remake) (2019)
• Resident Evil 3 (Remake) (2020)
• Resident Evil: Resistance (2020)
• Resident Evil Village (2021)
• Resident Evil Re:Verse (2022)
• Resident Evil 4 (Remake) (2023)

Resident Evil 2 Cheats & Secrets

The original PlayStation version of Resident Evil 2 does not feature any official cheat codes for players to enter. However, the title does have several secrets and unlockables for players to uncover, as well as a plethora of Game Shark codes.

Resident Evil 2 Secrets & Unlockables

Unlockables

Shoot the Screen

Using a specific weapon in one specific area of the RPD Police Station, players can shoot the camera in Resident Evil 2. Head to the basement and make your way to the outside area where two dogs will attack. Have your character stand with their back facing the manhole cover and walk until the camera changes angles. Using the Shotgun, draw your weapon and shoot the screen to see bullet holes appear as if shooting a camera screen.

Secret Photo

There is a secret Film D players can discover in Resident Evil 2. In the S.T.A.R.S. Office, search Wesker’s desk. Ignore the message the game gives you and continue to search the desk. After 50 attempts, players will get the secret Film D. Take this film to the darkroom on the first floor and develop it to see a photo of Rebecca Chambers from the original Resident Evil.

Alternate Costumes

It’s possible to unlock bonus costumes for both Claire and Leon by completing very specific steps in the opening moments of Resident Evil 2. On Normal mode, begin the game and start making your way toward the RPD Police Station as soon as you have control of your character. Do NOT pick up the ammo in the gun shop or on the bus. Make your way to the station as quickly as possible, avoiding conflict when you can. After entering the tunnel, you’ll spot a zombie who looks eerily similar. This is Brad Vickers, Alpha Team’s helicopter pilot from Resident Evil. Defeat Brad and search his body to find the Special Key. This key unlocks the lockers in the darkroom where Claire and Leon can change into alternate costumes.

Secret RPD Entrance

If players kill Brad Vickers, they can also unlock a secret alternate view of the RPD Police Station.

• First, complete the steps above to spawn Brad Vickers outside the station and defeat him.
• After eliminating Brad’s zombie, take out the two zombies on the lawn outside the RPD station.
• Head directly across from the main entrance and search the wall to see the camera shift perspective.
• You’ll see a scene of three additional zombies trying to break into the Police Station

Ranking System Guidelines

One of the additions Resident Evil 2 makes to the series is its ranking system. Each playthrough earns a rank depending on player performance, with the highest rank being S and the lowest being D. Ranking criteria are also different depending on which difficulty players select.

Normal Difficulty Rankings

• S Rank: Beat the game in 1:30 or less, no saves, no first aid sprays, no mixed herbs, no infinite weapons
• A Rank: Beat the game in 1:30-2:00, 1-3 saves, 1-2 first aid sprays, no infinite weapons
• B Rank: Beat the game in 2:00 – 3:00, 1-7 saves, 1-4 first aid sprays, no infinite weapons OR Beat the game in 2:00 – 3:00, 1-5 saves, 1-3 first aid sprays, use infinite weapons
• C Rank: Beat the game in 3:00 – 4:30, 1-7 saves, 1-7 first aid sprays, no infinite weapons OR Beat the game in 3:00 – 4:00, 1-7 saves, 1-6 first aid sprays, use infinite weapons
• D Rank: Beat the game in 4:30 or more, 7 or more saves, 6 or more first aid sprays, no infinite weapons OR Beat the game in 4:30 or more, 8 or more saves, 6 or more first aid sprays, use infinite weapons

Easy Difficulty Rankings

• A Rank: Beat the game under 2:00, 1-3 saves, 1-2 first aid sprays, no infinite weapons
• B Rank: Beat the game in 2:00 – 2:30, 1-3 saves, 1-4 first aid sprays, no infinite weapons OR Beat the game in 2:00 – 2:30, 1-2 saves, 1-2 first aid sprays, use infinite weapons
• C Rank: Beat the game in 2:30 – 3:30, 1-8 saves, 1-5 first aid sprays, no infinite weapons OR Beat the game in 2:30 – 3:30, 1-6 saves, 1-4 first aid sprays, use infinite weapons
• D Rank: Beat the game in 3:00 or more, 9 or more saves, 4 or more first aid sprays, no infinite weapons OR Beat the game in 3:00 or more, 9 or more saves, 5 or more first aid sprays, use infinite weapons

DualShock Ver. Infinite Ammo

Resident Evil 2‘s DualShock Version features an exclusive in-game cheat that grants infinite ammo. At any point during gameplay, press Select to open up the Options menu and navigate to the “Key Config” section. Inside the “Key Config” menu, hold R1 and press Square 10 times. If done correctly, the option for “Manual/Auto” will change from white to red. This code grants infinite ammo for all weapons in the game.

DualShock Ver. Unlockables

The DualShock Version of Resident Evil 2 features some exclusive unlockables over the original release.

Resident Evil 2 Game Shark Codes

The PlayStation release of Resident Evil 2 has several available Game Shark codes players can utilize. When playing natively on a PlayStation console, players will also need a Game Shark device to use the codes. Alternatively, players using an emulator can input and activate any of the following cheats in the emulator’s “Cheat” menu.

Leon (Disc 1) Cheats

Claire (Disc 2) Cheats

DualShock Ver. Leon (Disc 1) Cheats

DualShock Ver. Claire (Disc 2) Cheats

Resident Evil 2 Cheat FAQs

How do you get infinite ammo in Resident Evil 2?

Depending on which version players have, there are several ways to earn infinite ammo in Resident Evil 2. The standard way that doesn’t require cheats is to beat the game on Scenario 1 or 2 in 3 hours or less to unlock any of the bonus weapons. Each of the bonus weapons has infinite ammo and comes in handy for subsequent playthroughs. Alternatively, players can use a GameShark code to activate infinite ammo for all weapons. The DualShock Version of Resident Evil 2 also features a cheat code players can input on the Options menu to activate infinite ammo for all weapons.

What’s the code for the safe in the original Resident Evil 2 on PS1?

In the original Resident Evil 2, the code for the safe is 2236. Players can also devise this solution by paying attention to notes and other clues in the environment.

Where is the Diamond Key in Resident Evil 2?

Players can find the Diamond Key in the Basement of the Raccoon City Police Department. The key lies within the Morgue and players will need to fight a zombie to obtain it. After getting the Diamond Key, players will be able to progress further into the police station and, eventually, escape.

How long to beat Resident Evil 2?

While the ranking system for Resident Evil 2 indicates 3 hours as a general window to aim for beating the game, this requires intimate knowledge of the enemy and item placements as well as puzzle solutions. Most players will finish Resident Evil 2 in roughly 6 hours. To beat both scenarios for both characters, players will need to complete Resident Evil 2 a total of four times. However, the game grants some helpful bonuses that can carry from one playthrough to the next, helping to shorten overall playtime. To 100% complete Resident Evil 2 on PS1, players can expect to spend 15-20 hours.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©CheatCC/Matt Karoglou.