The fun – or rather, nightmare – isn't over after a single playthrough of the Resident Evil 3 remake. Once the credits roll, players unlock a shop from which they can buy special items using points accumulated by completing Records.
There is quite a selection of special items to choose from, and the following list will help sort out which ones are worth the hard-earned points based on how helpful they are in future playthroughs. Choosing the right things to buy is essential to making the harder difficulty modes more manageable for anybody who is not an absolute master at the survival horror game.
Updated October 4th, 2020 by Christopher Fain: With Halloween on the way as well as the upcoming Resident Evil: Village, fans find themselves returning to the recent remakes in droves. With popular streamers like Orchlon breathing new life into the fandom, there's no better time to dive into this zombie-infested world. The new game plus item shop still delivers on some fantastic purchase options to spice up additional playthroughs.
Whether fans of the series are more into super-powered guns or just want to strut around in iconic clothes, the shop has everything a zombie-loving heart needs. Everything for a price, that is.
15 Lock Pick - 2,800 Points
A lock pick may seem like a trivial item, but for those who wish to unlock every hidden chest and room, they're hot commodities. Lock picks are specialized tools that allow players to pick locks, as the name suggests, when no keys are available.
These handy tools are available throughout the game, but they're very hard to find. On additional playthroughs, these relatively cheap items become extremely valuable. Stock up on lock picks in preparation for the next locked chest or door. That, or to find a good hiding place.
14 Bolt Cutters - 2,800 Points
Many, if not all, of the Resident Evil games have chains to cut through. They often lock doors or block off important areas players must reach. The usual go-to tool for this is a pair of bolt cutters, although they're not always available when necessary. Bolt cutters cut both chains and cables along with any other similar items.
As players begin their second playthrough, they may not remember where the bolt cutter locations were. If not that, then maybe they simply don't want to deal with the monstrosity guarding them. Either way, their best option is purchasing a pair in the shop for a menial 2,800 points.
13 HOT DOGGER - 7,200 Points
Only Umbrella would develop a weapon with a whimsical name like HOT DOGGER. And the whimsicality of it doesn't stop there. This corporate-designed, anti-bioweapon dagger has the ability to superheat itself. When stabbed through zombies, their bodies light up in flames.
It's a neat, glowing weapon that doesn't quite make sense, but it adds a whole lot of fun to new plays. After blowing through dozens of bullets and killing hundreds of zombies, it feels good to stab one in the head and watch the flames.
12 Samurai Edge - 5,600 Points
For a gun with superior accuracy, massive firepower, and Jill's personal touch, there's no better option than the Samurai Edge. This 15-shot 9 mm is one of the best handgun options in the game. This is one shop item that is only available after beating the game once, offering further incentive to do so.
Imagine taking out hordes of zombies so much easier with Samurai agility. It's Jill's personal favorite and destined to be the players' as well. It only takes a few shots to discover why.
11 Infinite CQBR Assault Rifle - 28,400 Points
For a whopping 28,400 points, players get access to a beast of a weapon known as the Infinite CQBR Assault Rifle. This incredibly fun and equally powerful 5.56x45 mm assault rifle was made specifically for this outbreak by U.B.C.S. It's short, fairly lightweight, and advertised to be an excellent choice in urban environments, ironically.
While there are definitely assault rifles available in the first playthrough, none compare to the Infinite CQBR. With this weapon in-hand, Nemesis doesn't stand a chance.
10 S.T.A.R.S. Gear - 2,000 Points
This one has no gameplay functionality, but any fan of the series would kill to play as Jill in her iconic outfit from the debut entry. It makes one wonder just what they could do if Capcom decided to do yet another remake of the first game.
Of course, this is unnecessary, because the 2002 reimagining for the GameCube is still an exceptional horror game that holds up well today. Fortunately, Jill wears whatever outfit is selected in all the cinematics.
9 Infinite MUP Handgun (8,000)
For anybody whose first playthrough was on either of the first two difficulty modes, the Infinite MUP Handgun will be helpful in tackling "Hardcore" mode. With unlimited pistol ammunition, Jill can make sure every zombie is dead and save up the more powerful ammunition for powerful monsters and boss fights.
Resource conservation is a vital aspect of the higher difficulty modes, but anybody who doesn't want to deal with it has an alternative in the Infinite MUP Handgun.
8 Crafting Companion (4,800)
The Crafting Companion yields more ammunition from mixing gunpowder while equipped. This is especially helpful on higher difficulties where the gunpowder concoctions dole out less ammo than usual.
When mixed with the Infinite MUP Handgun, one will never have to worry about running out of Shotgun or Grenade Launcher Ammo. The player will also end up with more Lightning Hawk bullets by the end, which comes in handy during the penultimate boss encounter.
7 Recovery Coin (4,000)
When equipped, the Recovery Coin slowly heals Jill. While in the caution state, the recovery is relatively quick; however, when in danger, it takes a notable amount of time. Fortunately, one can buy two and equip them simultaneously for even quicker healing.
One of the Records tasks the player with beating the game using only one recovery item, making the Recovery Coin particularly vital. The one healing item in question is for a story event. A Drain Deimo infects Jill with a Parasite and she must use a Green Herb to flush it out.
6 Iron Defense Coin (4,000)
The Iron Defense Coin acts just like its name sounds, ramping up Jill's defensive capabilities. When paired with the two healing coins, most enemies are far less threatening.
Even on the higher difficulties, Jill can take quite a beating from the zombies and the two types of Hunters before a game over. It is almost essential for getting an S rank on the highest difficulty, where autosaves are disabled and one can only use a Typewriter five times.
5 Assault Coin (4,000)
Attacks become more powerful with the Assault Coin. On "Hardcore" mode and above some of the enemies have an absurd amount of health, so having at least one of these evens the odds.
Bosses especially tend to drain most of Jill's ammunition, but the Assault Coin gives every bullet an extra punch, saving on ammunition.
4 RAI-DEN (12,000)
This energy weapon is more stylish than practical. When on Jill's back, electricity can be seen coursing through the transparent part of its body. The gun is pretty much a one-hit kill when targeting an enemy's weak point.
Unfortunately, it is completely useless against other parts of the body. Only accurate players will find a lot of use for the Rai-Den, but it is a neat weapon and not too expensive compared to some of the other special firearms.
3 S.T.A.R.S. Field Combat Manual
Dodging is essential to surviving Raccoon City's zombie-infested streets. The timing is tight, but buying and equipping the S.T.A.R.S. Field Combat Manual makes the mechanic more forgiving.
This is essential for playthroughs on "Inferno" mode, where even with all the defensive items some enemies can still swiftly take Jill out. The last boss, in particular, has an instant kill move, so dodging is the only defense.
2 Hip Pouch (4,800)
Buying the Hip Pouches from the shop gives the player extra inventory space without having to find them in the world. With all the aforementioned special items, one will also need to buy all the available Hip Pouches to equip them at the beginning of the game.
They help save time during speed runs and make a no item box run less stressful.
1 Infinite Rocket Launcher (62,400)
While ludicrously expensive, the Infinite Rocket Launcher is worth the investment. It takes out every normal enemy with one hit and makes quick work of most bosses, even on the highest difficulty. For an easy path towards saving up enough points, farm kills for the Records that require a certain body count with each gun.
Players can repeatedly save and reload certain areas without losing the kills because the count is saved to the profile and not the individual save slot. With the Infinite Rocket Launcher, all other guns are insignificant and the harder difficulties are a piece of cake.