Without the Mercenaries, the remake ofResident Evil 4would feel incomplete. The mode was a prominent feature of the original game, inducing extra action after the campaign. And luckily, it’s now afree DLC in the 2023 remake.
As with other remade features, the Mercenaries comes with some adjustments to better fit the modern gameplay:
RELATED:RE4 Remake: How to Unlock All Mercenaries Characters
Despite the new features, the Mercenaries’ premise is unchanged; the player must kill 150 enemies before they run out of time—or die. But this time, a rather complicated scoring system determines their rank, rewarding them accordingly. With this guide, players learn how to exploit the ranking system andget the highest score with all four characters.
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50,000
100,000
200,000
500,000
1,000,000
How to Get the Highest Mercenaries Score in RE4 Remake
The highest a player can score in the Mercenaries is about 1,500,000 to 1,800,000 points. For that, they will need to get a perfect 150-combo, kill all special enemies and bosses, and gatherunique items like the Golden Eggs. Melee, headshot, and Mayhem kills also add to the overall score.
In the new Mercenaries Mode, three factors determine the player’s score: Combo, Kills, and Extra Time. To put that in perspective, a player who kills all 150 enemies with the highest consecutive combo in the shortest period gets the highest score.
10 - 29
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25 - 49
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50 - 69
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70 - 99
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100 - 150
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Tips for Getting the Highest Score in the Mercenaries
AnaverageRE4playercan easily score as high as 500,000 in the Mercenaries. But that would only get them an S+ rank. In fact, achieving the best rank (S++) requires twice as much, 1,000,000 points.
But how should players aim for the highest score? Let the following tips help with that.
1. Prioritize Headshots and Melee Kills
Killing enemies with headshots or physical attacks has time and score bonuses. On average, the player earns 200 extra points as well as 2 seconds of added time per such kill. (This might be higher for special enemies or bosses.)
2. Lure Hordes of Enemies into One Area
Because combo matters, gather groups of enemies into small areas and butcher them simultaneously. Doing so would save time, spawn lucrative drops at once, and, most importantly, increase the combo bonus.
3. Exploit the Mayhem Mode
Whenever the Mayhem Mode is ready, press R3 + L3 to activate it. The mode boosts the characters’ abilities or gives them extra weapons for a limited time to use against stronger enemies.
Breaking the golden orbs in the map helps fill the Mayhem Mode bar faster.
4. Explore the Area Before the Fight
Invest some time in discovering the maps. See where the time orbs spawn, what escape routes are available, and what environmental advantages the enemies have.
5. Kill Special Enemies and Bosses First
Keep an eye on the exclamation mark in the upper-left corner. It indicates a special enemy or boss has spawned, which can grant 5,000 to 10,000 extra points. Prioritize killing these monsters first to qualify for the S++ rank faster.
The player has 10 seconds to kill an enemy before their combo vanishes. When reloading or looting an area, keep the 10-second rule in mind: Kill at least one enemy every ten seconds to maintain the combo.
7. Utilize Map-Exclusive Heavy Weaponry
The Cannon in the Castle, the turret gun on the Island, and the Heavy Grenade in the Village are map-exclusive weaponries to help the player score higher. Use them to clear jam-packed areas for extra points and time bonuses.
The Rewards for Getting the Highest Mercenaries Score
Unfortunately, the Mercenaries Mode doesn’t have any new rewards. The only two prizes are three Mercenaries-exclusive characters andthe Handcannon. The former unlocks by getting an S rank for each stage; the latter is achieved by getting three S ranks on different stages or four S ranks on the same map but with four different characters.
TheResident Evil 4remake is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
FAQ
Q: What Is the Mercenaries Mode in the RE4 Remake?
The Mercenaries is a survival mode in the Resident Evil 4 remake. It puts players in three maps (The Village, Castle, and Island), forcing them to fight 150 enemies in a limited time.
Q: What Is the Highest Score in the RE4’s Mercenaries?
Since the number of enemies that spawn in the Mercenaries is fixed, the highest a player can score is about 1,800,000 points. Of course, this is not the cap, and players might be able to get higher points by accumulating combo, kill, and time bonuses.
