• Welcome to the Resident Evil Community Forum!

    We're a group of fans who are passionate about the Resident Evil series and video gaming.

    Register Log in

Resident Evil 4 Resident Evil 4 - FAQ

Steve

Fearfully and wonderfully made
Admin
Moderator
Q: Where are save files stored for the PC version of the game?
A: While the answer greatly depends on your operating system, it has been confirmed that, when running Windows 7 or Vista, save files are generally stored in the following directory structure:

C:\Program Files\CAPCOM\resident evil 4\SaveData.dat

Backing up the SaveData.dat file will ensure that your progress is retained even after reformatting your hard drive.

Q: How can I remove the 30 FPS cap on the PC version?
A: The answer is: you can't. Well, not without installing a third-party add-on first, anyway. And even then there are a few idiosyncrasies to overcome: double-speed QTEs and certain cutscenes, to name only a few. At present, there is no officially supported means of upping the frame rate to 60 FPS or higher, and ther almost certainly never will be.

Q: What happens if you shoot Ashley?
A: Shooting Ashley will, in most cases, result in the young lady receiving a quick, totally deserved death.

Q: Why do I keep getting a "Game.exe has stopped working" error message when "alt+tabbing" out of Resident Evil 4 on PC?
A: This one could be down a number of issues ranging from old graphics card drivers to attempts at running illegitimate copies of the game. If you happened to have pirated the game and are trying to run the game with a cracked .exe, then I'm afraid you won't get any help from me. Having said that, the most common solutions to fix genuine copies of the game work as follows:

  1. Ensure that you are using either Nvidia's or AMD drivers, depending on your graphics card brand.
  2. Deactivate and remove all traces of any mods you might have installed to rule out one of the more common causes. One particular mod that is known to crash the game when alt+tab'd out is the otherwise perfect Bloom mod by cdiddy7. For certain, more ambitious mods which alter core game files, you might need to completely uninstall Resident Evil 4 from your hard drive and perform a fresh reinstall.
Q: How can I play the game in 1080p (1920x1080) resolution on PC?
A: An excellent question! As far as I can tell, while Resident Evil 4 does include support for most of your typical widescreen resolutions, anything above 1650x1080 is not an option. Thankfully, and while not the most ideal approach to attaining your desired 1080p resolution in-game, there does exist one solution: editing the SetupTool.ini file located in your game's default installation folder — typically C:/Program Files (x68)/CAPCOM/resident evil 4/. Open the file using Notepad — or your preferred IDE for the more advanced users — and, under the Screen section, edit the SizeX= value so that is reads SizeX=1920, and alter the SizeY field so that it reads SizeY=1080; hit File followed by Save and you're good to go.

The very next time you boot up Resident Evil 4, you should be viewing the game in an ultra sexy "full HD" resolution. Do bear in mind, though, that any time you attempt to change the game's settings via the pre-launch options manager the game will revert your resolution to something much less adequate. Repeating the SetupTool.ini editing procedure again will once more remedy the situation, though.

Q: Are there any benefits to saving the dog stuck in the bear trap in the first Chapter?
A: Why, yes! Of course there are! Not only will you be forever adored by that particular digital canine, but you'll also be guaranteed a four-legged companion during the first El Gigante boss battle. The plucky pup won't be able to kill the boss all on his own, but he will act as a diversion during the scrap, allowing you to get some much-needed shots off at the monster while he's occupied. So, yes, it there are benefits to spending ten seconds out of your day to rescue the poor thing.

Q: So, what's the deal with 'The Merchant': Is he human, Ganado, or something else?
A: Great question! Sadly, we don't have a solid answer. The Merchant's true nature is left open to interpretation, and is never definitely explained during the course of Resident Evil 4's story mode. His passive attitude towards Leon would have us believe that he's entirely human, but in later ports of Resident Evil 4, the Merchant is depicted as having bright red eyes, a trait common amongst Las Plagas victims. Fans have theorized that, perhaps, he is somehow immune to the Las Plagas' parasite's mind-altering affects, and simply goes about his life as he normally might. If he were somehow incubating a dormant parasite,

The P.R.L. 412, a super weapon included in later version of the game, will not harm the Merchant, despite being deadly to most every other enemy in the game, further lending to the theory that he might either be unintentionally incubating a dormant parasite, or just simply human.

Whatever the real reason, Capcom aren't saying.

Q: How am I supposed to kill those giant claw-wielding "Garrado" monsters? My shots seem ineffective!
A: With ease — that's how! Well, provided you're patient enough, it's relatively easy. A Garrado has one weakness: an exposed parasite attached to their back. Going in guns blazing will result in Leon being sliced to ribbons, but, when tackled much more calmly and slowly, the blind Garrado will not be able to detect your current position and will inevitably end up turning his back to you. Whilst keeping your distance, shoot the vulnerable parasite on his back and casually stroll to a safe spot; running will alert the monster to your location. If you have plenty of time to play with, then there's no reason you can't save on shotgun shells, and simply use your handgun.

Q: What on Earth is flailing and thrashing around inside that huge sack, in the prison during Chapter 5-4?
A: I have no idea. Actually, nobody knows. There are tons of rumours floating around out there, ranging from it possibly being a frightened animal, or even the real Ashley. It's all speculation, really. But one would presume that it's just meant as a quick scare and nothing more.

Q: Why was Ashley laboratory locked in that pod in Chapter 5-4?
A: Probably to keep her and the parasite residing inside of her incubated while it matures and gradually takes over her body, one would presume. During the course of the game, Leon manages to rescue Ashley countless times; it's likely that Saddler did not want it to occur again and risk losing one of his greatest assets for taking over the world. Upon inspecting the pod, Leon comments "what were they going to do to her," implying that either it could have had a bigger purpose for her, or that he is just an idiot.

Q: How do I unlock the 'Mercenaries' mode? It sounds neat!
A: Cool your jets there, Timmy! The Mercenaries mode will become accessible from the main menu after completing the game once on any difficulty setting.

Q: Why can't I access the bonus 'Separate Ways' campaign?
Q: It'll likely be due to one of two things: either you're playing on the original GameCube version of the game (which does not include this additional mini-campaign) or you have not yet already completed the game once. The Separate Ways add-on is only available on versions of the game older than the GameCube, ie: Wii, PS2, Xbox 360, etc., and only after clearing Leon's campaign — right the way through — first.

Q: Wasn't Resident Evil 4 supposed to include fog monsters and demonic dolls?
A: Yes, that much was at one time very true. An earlier prototype build of Resident Evil 4 — unlike the one we're familiar with today — was indeed looking more like it was following in the footsteps of Silent Hill than previous Resident Evil games, aiming for a much more paranormal type of horror experience than your typical "boo" scares of old. A sentient fog-like presence would apparently stalk Leon throughout a creepy castle, innocent-looking dolls would spring to life and launch into a frenzied attack, and a terrifying hook-swinging poltergeist would haunt and make the rookie cop's life a misery.

Numerous gameplay and plot revisions later, and many of the game's once-advertised features were either scrapped or replaced, leaving us with an experience that is radically different to what was once intended to be. There is still a slither of footage still skulking around on the web, though, and many of the fans refer to this early build as "Resident Evil 3.5" or "Foggy Resident Evil 4".

 
Last edited:
Top Bottom