Leon S. Kennedy's mission in the Resident Evil 4 remake gives players a goal to strive for. As the rookie-cop-turned-government-agent, players have to save Ashley Graham and find out the motives of her captors. But while rescuing Ashley is Leon's main objective, this doesn't mean it is the only activity players can partake in.
The Resident Evil 4 remake has tons more side content than the original game has. Various side missions have players eliminating stronger versions of basic enemies like the Regenerador and Colmillos to completing strange tasks like throwing eggs at a portrait of Ramon Salazar. But one of the most useful side activities has to be the Clockwork Castellans.
Clockwork Castellans Are Unique To The Resident Evil 4 Remake
The spiritual successor to the Resident Evil 2 remake's Mr. Raccoons and the Resident Evil 3 remake's Mr. Charlie bobbleheads, the Resident Evil 4 remake's Clockwork Castellans are special collectibles found throughout the game. These figures are tiny miniatures of Castle Salazar's misunderstood castellan Ramon Salazar and are tucked away in hard-to-find locations. Once players have a visual on these figures, they can destroy them. A single swipe of Leon's knives or a shot from his starting SG-09R handgun is enough to eliminate each Clockwork Castellan and count it towards the overall total. There are 16 of these figures in the Resident Evil 4 remake and all of them must be eliminated if players want the ultimate prize.
The Primal Knife Is A Combat Tool Unlike Any Other
As with the Resident Evil 2 remake, destroying all the miniature figures in the Resident Evil 4 remake rewards players with an unbreakable knife. But unlike the Infinite Combat Knife which is unbreakable from the start, players have to put in some extra time, effort, and money to bring the Resident Evil 4 remake's Primal Knife up to speed. The Primal Knife can only be unlocked in the Extra Content Shop for 1,000 credits after players have desotryed all of Ramon Salazar's miniatures. It is only once this step is complete can the real work begin.
Much like the game's other weapons, the Primal Knife has to be upgraded with Pesetas at the Merchant. Doing so increases the Primal Knife's Power and Durability, with the final upgrade making it indestructible. A grand total of 310,000 Pesetas are needed to fully upgrade the Primal Knife and while it is weaker than Leon's other primary melee weapons, its indestructible nature makes it all worth the trouble.
The Clockwork Castellans Reward Players With More Than Just A Knife
While the final reward isn't as invaluable as other Resident Evil weapons, simply searching for the Clockwork Castellans is a reward unto itself. The task makes players more appreciative of the Resident Evil 4 remake's level and sound design by incentivizing them to keep their eyes and ears open. The Clockwork Castellan in the game's fourth chapter, for instance, brings players back to the Lakeside Settlement near where they fought Del Lago. It is here where they can enter the Forest Altar - a location they would otherwise miss that also serves as the setting for the game's initial cutscene. Here players can find several useful items, the Clockwork Castellan, and the woman who was murdered by the Los Ilumunados before Leon's arrival.
Without the Clockwork Castellans, players might overlook some of the nuances of the Resident Evil 4 remake. The great sound design means players have to listen for the telltale mechanical sound over the shouts of Las Plagas-inflicted enemies. The hard-to-find collectibles have players looking high and low at everything the levels have to offer. The Primal Knife may be a great reward for shooting all the Clockwork Castellans but the collectibles themselves have their own charm to them.
Resident Evil 4 is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.