Resident Evil 2 is Capcom's 2019 rebuild of the 1998 survival horror classic, released on 24 January 2019 and constructed from scratch on the RE Engine rather than remastered. Rookie police officer Leon Kennedy and college student Claire Redfield arrive in Raccoon City on the worst possible night and end up barricaded inside the police station while an outbreak works through the population outside. The over the shoulder camera and modern controls replace the fixed angles and tank controls of the original, but the resource discipline is intact: ammunition is scarce, healing herbs need combining, and every corridor you clear can be repopulated. Each character has a separate playable campaign with a second run variant, and the difficulty tiers change the rules rather than just the numbers, with Hardcore removing autosave entirely. Treat it as a game about route planning and inventory management that happens to be terrifying.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Raccoon City streets
Key resources: Starting handgun, first healing items, the first taste of the resource economy Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for W-870 upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Raccoon Police Department
Key resources: Shotgun or grenade launcher, hip pouches, most weapon upgrade parts, safe room typewriters Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for W-870 upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
R.P.D. underground facility
Key resources: Key items that gate progress, additional gunpowder and upgrade parts Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for W-870 upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Sewers
Key resources: Progress key items, a strong test of ammunition discipline before the final stretch Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Matilda max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
NEST
Key resources: Endgame ammunition, the final encounters, and the completion time that decides your rank Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Matilda max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Raccoon City streets to Raccoon Police Department)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on W-870 once accessible
Mid Game (R.P.D. underground facility)
- Push W-870 to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Matilda
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Sewers to NEST)
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring R.P.D. underground facility farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Hip pouches beat ammunition in value terms. Every extra inventory slot means one fewer trip back to an item box, and trips cost time, which feeds directly into your rank.
- Farm R.P.D. underground facility during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Resident Evil 2 Guides
- Resident Evil 2 Resident Evil 2 Overview
- Resident Evil 2 Best Builds
- Resident Evil 2 Tier List
- Resident Evil 2 Walkthrough
- Resident Evil 2 Beginner's Guide
- Resident Evil 2 Tips & Tricks
- Resident Evil 2 Weapons Guide
- Resident Evil 2 Combat Guide
- Resident Evil 2 Boss Guide
- Resident Evil 2 Maps & Locations
- Resident Evil 2 Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Resident Evil 2, check out these related guides:
- Phasmophobia Crafting Guide: horror game with similar mechanics
- Lethal Company Crafting Guide: horror game with similar mechanics
- Dead by Daylight Crafting Guide: horror game with similar mechanics
