How to Get Cat Ears RE4: Unlocking the Special Accessory
Unlocking the Cat Ears accessory in Resident Evil 4 Remake is considered one of the ultimate achievements for players exploring survival horror challenges. Equipping this quirky cosmetic item provides Leon with infinite ammo for almost every firearm in the game. Understanding the exact requirements and planning your strategy carefully will help you conquer this grueling task.
Core Requirements for Unlocking Cat Ears
To earn the Cat Ears accessory, you must complete the main story on Professional difficulty while achieving an S+ Rank. Achieving an S+ Rank requires starting a completely fresh New Game playthrough rather than loading a New Game Plus save. Additionally, you must finish the story in under five hours and thirty minutes while utilizing no more than fifteen total manual saves.
Because autosaves are disabled on Professional difficulty, managing your limited save points becomes crucial to preventing massive losses of progress. Planning specific save checkpoints before challenging boss encounters or dangerous survival arenas will keep your attempt manageable. You can also review strategies to refine your overall campaign pace and route.
Essential Equipment and Useful Unlocks
While the S+ run requires a fresh save, you are fully permitted to equip previously unlocked extra bonus items and accessories. Earning Ashley's Armor costume by completing a Hardcore playthrough with an A Rank makes her completely immune to enemy damage and captures. Furthermore, wearing the Chicken Hat accessory significantly reduces the overall damage Leon receives from incoming attacks.
Bonus weapons like the Chicago Sweeper or the Handcannon can drastically simplify tough combat scenarios once upgraded. Completing side requests for the Merchant allows you to buy an Exclusive Upgrade Ticket early in the run to grant these weapons infinite ammo. Leveraging these advantages saves valuable time during difficult boss battles and scripted horde events.
Practical Gameplay Tips for Professional S+
Pacing is vital when attempting to finish under the strict time limit required for an S+ rating. If Leon dies during a run, avoid clicking the continue button directly because doing so continues to accumulate active playtime. Instead, quit to the main menu and reload your latest manual save to keep your timer optimized.
Focusing on essential story objectives while ignoring unnecessary side exploration will help you maintain a rapid speed. Utilizing environmental skips and heavy explosives on fragile obstacles allows you to bypass lengthy combat rooms altogether. Once you successfully achieve the S+ Rank, you can purchase the Cat Ears from the Extra Content Shop.