In the Resident Evil 4 remake, Punisher is a lightweight handgun with high penetration. Aside from Leon’s starting gun, SG-09 R, Punisher is the second pistol that can be unlocked at the first Merchant site in Chapter 2. But unlike the original game, it’s not rewarded to the player for breaking Blue Medallions. Instead, it’s now a tradable weapon, requiring a special currency. If that sounds confusing, use this guide to get the Punisher and see if it is actually worth the effort.
How to Unlock Punisher in Resident Evil 4 Remake
Punisher is a tradable pistol. To get it, go to the “Trade” section of the Merchant menu and buy the weapon for 5 Spinels. Players with no Spinel should complete at least two Requests. But note that once the gun is unlocked, it costs 10,000 Pesetas per repurchase.
How to Collect Enough Spinel to Get Punisher
The fastest way to get Spinels for Punisher is by completing the first two side quests: Destroy Blue Medallions and Pest Control. The former includes shooting five blue symbols on the Farm, and the latter is achieved by killing three rats in the Factory.
Players can see their active Requests under the Files tab next to the Map. (Press Y or Triangle to access this section.)
How to Make the Most of Punisher
Invest in Power and Fire Rate to capitalize on Punisher’s perks. The pistol is already more precise than Leon’s default gun, but it has a short reach and is slow. Upgrading the weak aspects, therefore, is the best option to maximize its potential.
Punisher is also compatible with Laser Sight; getting the attachment certainly improves its already above-average precision, but it’s not an essential add-on.
What Is Punisher Good For
In Resident Evil 4, Punisher has high-penetration bullets. Its shots pierce through multiple enemies and penetrate heavy armor. Therefore, it’s ideal for jam-packed areas and shielded enemies like Zealots, but its primary benefit is cutting back on the pistol ammo. With Punisher, one bullet is enough to drop two or more enemies simultaneously.
Punisher Vs. SG-09 R: Stat Comparison
A maxed-out Punisher beats SG-09 R in all aspects except for power. It has a higher Fire Rate, faster reload speed, larger ammo capacity, and better precision.
Feature | Punisher Stats | SG-09 Stats |
Power | 1.90 | 2.00 |
Ammo Capacity | 24 | 18 |
Reload Speed | 1.50 | 1.40 |
Rate of Fire | 1.91 | 1.52 |
Precision | 4.50 | 4.00 |
Despite higher stats, Punisher is not necessarily a better handgun than SG-09 R. With its Exclusive Perk, SG-09 has five times better chance of a critical hit, which is often more beneficial than penetration.
Is Punisher Worth It?
Considering its upgrade price, Punisher is not worth it in the first playthrough, but it is an excellent choice for NG+ because its maxed-out version is OP. That is, of course, if the player is willing to pay the hefty price of its upgrades.
Getting Punisher from level 1 to level 5 takes 209,000 Pesetas. Now add 70,000 Pesetas on top of that to buy its Exclusive Perk. Basically, players should invest 279,000 Pesetas in this pistol to unleash its power. To put that into perspective, SG-09 R costs 304,000 Pta to fully upgrade.
The Resident Evil 4 remake is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.