Whether you’re a casual gamer who just wants to breeze through the game or a hardcore vet who wants to explore all it has to offer, buying items from the item shop in Resident Evil 3 Remake can enhance your gameplay. To unlock the item shop, you either have to complete your 1st playthrough of the game (any difficulty will do), or buy the “All In-Game Rewards Unlock” bundle from the store on your platform, bypassing the previous requirement. From there, you have to complete a set of challenges (called “records” under the “Bonuses” category on the start screen) to accumulate points to use.
In this article, I’ll be ranking the top 10 items in the shop in terms of usefulness (there are 15 in total, so the bottom 5 will be excluded).
10. Crafting Companion
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More ammo, more fun
Stats:
1 inventory slot
4000 points to unlock in the shop
Gives twice the ammo when crafting. The crafting companion is a nifty little item that, when equipped in your inventory, gives you double the amount of ammo from crafting for it (except for, curiously, the grenade rounds in the rocket launcher). This helps out when you just need that little bit extra to get through an area or take down a tough enemy. It’s this low on the list only because it’s only decent whereas a lot of the other items are busted.
Why The Crafting Companion is Useful:
Makes double the ammo. More ammo in games where you have to shoot is never a bad thing.
Saves time. With more ammo being made per crafting session, you can spend less time running back and scavenging for gunpowder or stray bullets if you find yourself in a tough encounter or needing a specific sort of ammo.
Helps on higher difficulties. Items are more scarce on higher difficulties in the game, and if you’re playing the honest way (with no overpowered weapons), you’re going to need all the ammo you can get to take down the enemies.
9. Infinite MUP Handgun
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Close-up of the MUP
Stats:
1 inventory slot
8000 points to unlock in the shop
Infinite ammo. This bad boy is exactly what its name suggests-a handgun that never runs out of ammo. It’s lightweight, easy to aim, and deals equal damage to the starting handgun, so it’s very useful against bog standard enemies (like normal zombies) and for hitting smaller objects you might need to hit (like generators or bobbleheads). It sounds pretty powerful, but it’s still not completely bonkers like some of the other items on this list.
Why The Infinite MUP Handgun is Useful:
Infinite ammo. This completely erases the need to forage for ammo at any given point. That means no backtracking if you don’t want to, and no having to hope you reach a certain checkpoint to avoid getting stuck in a permadeath loop if you encounter a situation you don’t have enough ammo for.
It’s accurate. There are a few small items you have to take aim at in the game, and this weapon is the best thing to do that with. No more whiffing shots on those bobblehead collectibles!
Fast reload. Being a handgun, it's got one of the fastest reload times in the game. This helps if you’re being swarmed or pressed by enemies and can’t reload your heftier weapons (like the grenade launcher).
8. Infinite CQBR Assault Rifle
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Close-up of the CQBR Assault Rifle
Stats:
2 inventory slots
28400 points to unlock in the shop
Infinite ammo. The Infinite CQBR Assault Rifle edges out the MUP in terms of usefulness because of its higher dps and bigger ammo capacity (holds 32 bullets per mag compared to the 16 of the MUP handgun). It’s heavier, taking up two inventory slots, but the results are well-worth the price of carrying it. Still, it’s only decent because of the high price point compared to the relatively modest results (it’s the 2nd most expensive item in the game, but is not the 2nd most powerful or useful).
Why The Infinite Assault Rifle is Useful:
Ammo capacity. The Infinite Assault Rifle has one of the biggest ammo capacities in the game at 32 bullets before you have to reload and around 256 bullets to reload from at max capacity. In fact, it’s the biggest when not considering shop items (there is a regular assault rifle that you can get through normal progression in the game).
Firing rate. This weapon has the highest firing rate in the game, meaning that you can pump more lead into enemies in less time.
It staggers well. Due to the good firing rate, it staggers enemies very well.
7. RAI-DEN
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Not the guy from Mortal Kombat, but close enough
Stats:
2 inventory slots
12000 points to unlock in the shop
Infinite ammo
Critical Damage Only. The RAI-DEN is a beast of a weapon. It’s an “energy weapon”, has infinite ammo, and deals massive damage. The only caveats are that you MUST hit enemies’ weak spots (such as the head for most creatures) to deal any damage, and it has a rather slow firing rate with a cooldown of a few seconds after each shot. Those stop it from being too high on the list.
Why The RAI-DEN is Useful:
It’s very damaging. It is one of the two most damaging weapons in the game, provided you have good enough aim. Weaker enemies die nigh instantly, and even the bosses will go down in a few shots.
It improves accuracy. If you weren’t good at aiming before, extensive use of this weapon will help you tremendously. It won’t deal any damage if you don’t hit critical points on an enemy, so it’s good for learning how to aim in general and under pressure.
No reload is required. Unlike the previous infinite ammo weapons on this list, this one does not require you to reload at all. The cooldown between shots simulates this, but it will automatically begin this process. With other guns, you have to remember to manually reload if you run out of ammo or switch to another weapon.
6. Recovery Coin
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Would be nice to have IRL
Stats:
1 inventory slot
4000 points to unlock in the shop
Stackable. The first of the stat-augmenting coins in the game to appear on this list, the recovery coin will gradually heal you over time when held in your inventory. It’s very handy for when you’re running low on healing items but still need to heal to get through the next area. The effect can be increased by holding more than one in your inventory.
Why The Recovery Coin is Useful:
Automatic health regeneration. If you can find a safe place to hide from danger, the recovery coin will do the work for you of healing (and as there are literal safe rooms, you will always be able to do so if you hit the right checkpoints).
The effects stack. You can have more than one of the coins in your possession, and the healing effect will increase proportionate to the amount of coins you possess.
It saves inventory space. With it, you won’t need to carry as many healing items on you as you can just go back to the last safe room (or area you cleared of enemies) and wait. This extra space can be used for other key items or simply to pack more of your favorite weapons on your person.
5. Assault Coin
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The Best Defense Is A Good Offense
Stats:
1 inventory slot
4000 points to unlock in the shop
Stackable. The Assault Coin shares many of the same advantages as the Recovery Coin. Its effects can be stacked if more than one is held, it’s lightweight, and it works passively. What gives it the edge over the healing variant is that you don’t have to wait to reap its full benefits. Any form of damage you deal will passively and instantly be increased by holding this coin.
Why The Assault Coin is Useful:
It allows you to conserve ammo. The increased damage in every bullet and grenade round will allow you to conserve ammo and move through areas quicker.
It goes well with the Crafting Companion. The crafting companion churns out twice as much ammo from crafting, and the Assault Coin allowing you to use less ammo means you’ll pretty much always have enough for any encounter.
It evens the playing field on harder difficulties. Enemies have more health on the harder difficulties, so your weapons can sometimes feel ineffective and slow. The Assault Coin basically neutralizes this and makes enemies feel like less of a bullet sponge.
4. Iron Defense Coin
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On second thought, maybe the best defense is this?
Stats:
1 inventory slot
4000 points to unlock in the shop
Stackable. All of the coins share similarities, but only this one will make you a nigh-impenetrable juggernaut. The Iron Defense Coin makes you take less damage from enemy attacks, and can be stacked to make you extremely hard to kill.
Why The Iron Defense Coin is Useful:
It’s the best of both worlds. You won’t need to carry as many healing items because you simply won’t take as much damage to need them (similar to the Recovery Coin’s passive regeneration), and the effect is instant like the Assault Coin.
It’s almost a necessity in higher difficulties. You can get by without the other two coins if you so wish, but this coin does a Herculean task in difficulties where everything can one-shot you. Having two or three extra chances after getting hit can make all the difference.
Saves your "saves". If you're going for a high rank on higher difficulties, not taking as much damage up to each checkpoint is paramount (as you can only make 5 saves in higher difficulties before your rank drops).
3. S.T.A.R.S Field Combat Manual
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"Bob and Weave” the item
Stats:
1 inventory slot
6400 points to unlock in the shop
Stackable. The Combat Manual is one of the most busted items in the game. It makes performing a perfect dodge incredibly easy, and perfect dodging itself is busted (it gives auto-aim to enemy weak points, brief invincibility, faster aiming, and faster shooting). To top it all off, it’s stackable like the coins.
Why The Combat Manual is Useful:
It pairs well with just about everything. The RAI-DEN, for example, needs you to hit crit shots to deal damage. The manual makes perfect dodging easier, and dodging in turn gives you auto-aim for crits.
Low price point. It being only 6400 points in the shop means you can acquire it after only a few of the easier challenges are completed… and then use it to breeze through more challenges with how overpowered it is.
Makes dodging easier. The window to dodge is increased by a large margin with this. Pulling off a correctly timed dodge will give you buffs (auto-aim to weak points, faster fire rate, increased knife lunge, etc) and the manual makes this easier to accomplish.
2. Hip Pouches
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Storage is always important
Stats:
Allows for two more slots in your inventory
4800 points to unlock in the shop
Maximum of two pouches purchasable (except on Assisted Mode). Hip Pouches are indispensable in this game. They are the very thing that gives you room to allocate for storing all of the items above. Without them, item management would be aggravatingly tedious.
Why Hip Pouches are Useful:
They give you more room. Each pouch obtained gives you two more inventory slots, and with some of the items taking up two slots themselves, it’s a godsend.
They're relatively cheap. At only 4800 points, they are incredibly inexpensive for the utility and value you get out of them (some single challenges will give you more than this).
Great for the “Minimalist” challenge. This challenge entails you completing the game without ever opening the item box. Hip Pouches allow you to carry everything you need so that you don't have to store things.
1. Infinite Rocket Launcher
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The Big Boss of Items
Stats:
2 Inventory Slots
62400 points to unlock in the shop
Infinite Ammo. This is the be-all, end-all of shop items. Its price point is very high (the highest in the game, as a matter of fact), but that’s for a very good reason. Nothing else really comes close to this in terms of impact and usefulness. It’s a literal rocket launcher that does rocket launcher things.
Why The Infinite Rocket Launcher is Useful:
It trivializes the game. It one-shots everything and has infinite ammo (and no prerequisites like the RAI-DEN). You could equip nothing else but this and still fly through the game’s story unchallenged.
It has a massive splash damage radius. The actual rocket does the most damage, but the splash damage has enormous range and will knock back or stun anything within its reach (if it didn’t already kill it).
It’s the perfect speed-run weapon. If you’re a hardcore gamer and want to tackle some of the time challenges, this weapon will let you breeze through enemies and areas. It also has the neat trick of being able to cut dialogue short if you aim it at the ground and shoot yourself, shaving some time off the “walk and talk” sections of the game.
There you have it, the 10 best items in the shop. Personally, I'd like to have the recovery coin IRL.
Writing for over a decade and gaming for twice that, I've poured countless hours into all things video games. Shooters, sports, fighters, you name it... just don't ask me to cook!
Gamer Since:
2001
Currently Playing:
Overwatch, Resident Evil 3 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Remake
