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Leon should normally put his first upgrade parts into the Matilda, then the W-870’s Long Barrel. The Matilda is available from the beginning and benefits from several early improvements, while the Long Barrel gives the shotgun both more shells and greater destructive power. Leave the Lightning Hawk for later because it arrives late and its .50 ammunition is scarce.
Claire’s best general-purpose first investment is the SLS 60 Speed Loader. It fixes the revolver’s slow reload without committing you to rare ammunition. The Reinforced Frame is powerful but specialized; the MQ-11 and GM79 are excellent follow-up choices when your ammunition, enemy mix and inventory space support them.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Resident Evil 2 Remake PS4 | $23.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Resident Evil Origins Collection - PlayStation 4 Standard Edition | $19.70 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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Resident Evil 2 (PS4) | $24.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Resident Evil 5 (PS4) | $21.69 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Resident Evil Origins Collection (PS4) | $22.05 | Buy on Amazon |
Quick answer: the best first part for each campaign
| Campaign and situation | First focus | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Leon, ordinary first playthrough | Matilda | It is your starting handgun, appears throughout the police-station section and receives useful capacity, accuracy and firing-mode improvements. |
| Leon, strongest early heavy weapon | W-870 Long Barrel | Capacity rises to eight shells and destructive power increases. |
| Leon, magnum-focused run | Lightning Hawk parts | The Long Barrel and Red-Dot Sight are excellent, but the weapon is obtained later and .50 ammunition is limited. |
| Claire, standard progression | SLS 60 Speed Loader | It directly addresses the revolver’s main practical weakness: slow reloading. |
| Claire, elemental or area control | GM79 parts | Flame and acid rounds solve enemy- and location-specific problems, while the Shoulder Stock improves handling. |
| Claire, sustained damage or boss focus | MQ-11 | Its high rate of fire and 50-round magazine can deliver heavy sustained damage, but ammunition and inventory space are concerns. |
These are priorities, not mandatory routes. Weapon parts are tied to individual guns rather than a shared currency, so the right decision depends on when you obtain a weapon, how much ammunition you have and whether your inventory can absorb a larger weapon footprint.
How weapon parts work in the remake
Each custom part is compatible with a particular weapon. You do not spend points from a universal upgrade screen, and a Matilda part cannot be moved to the W-870 or another handgun. The practical choice is therefore permanent for the run unless you deliberately remove a detachable part and manage the resulting inventory burden.
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Attaching a part
- Open the inventory and highlight the weapon or the compatible custom part.
- Choose the inventory command to combine items, then select the matching weapon.
- Confirm the combination and inspect the weapon description so you can see the resulting capacity, firing mode or handling change.
Parts found during the police-station portion have the longest opportunity to help early weapons. Do not automatically install every part the moment you find it, however. A detachable part can make the assembled weapon occupy one additional inventory slot. In a crowded inventory, that extra slot can force you to leave healing items, ammunition or a key item behind.
Removing a detachable part
If you need the slot or prefer the weapon’s original handling, examine the assembled gun and choose the option to remove its custom part. The part returns as a separate item, and the weapon returns to its previous configuration. Removing a part does not create a new upgrade; it only lets you carry or use the components separately again.
Leon: upgrade Matilda first, then the W-870
1. Matilda — the safest first investment
Matilda is Leon’s starting, general-purpose handgun. Because it is available before the heavier weapons and is used through much of the early and middle game, improvements to it pay off over the greatest number of encounters.
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- High-Capacity Magazine: raises the magazine capacity to 24 rounds. The larger magazine reduces the frequency of reloads during ordinary hallway fights and gives you more flexibility when several enemies are approaching.
- Muzzle Brake: suppresses muzzle rise and improves accuracy. This is the handling upgrade to favor when you want more controlled follow-up shots rather than a larger magazine.
- Gun Stock: allows three rounds to be fired with one trigger pull. It can produce a sharp burst of damage, but it also consumes ammunition three rounds at a time, so it is not automatically the best choice for conservation.
For most first-time Leon players, install the High-Capacity Magazine or Muzzle Brake according to what is slowing you down. Add the Gun Stock when you are comfortable spending ammunition quickly or need short bursts against a dangerous target. The important point is that all three parts improve a weapon you already possess, rather than asking you to wait for a late-game specialist gun.
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2. W-870 — the first heavy-weapon priority
Once Leon obtains the shotgun, the W-870 becomes the natural destination for the next major upgrade. Its Long Barrel is usually the most noticeable shotgun part: it increases capacity to eight rounds and raises destructive power. More shells mean fewer interruptions, while the power increase makes the shotgun better suited to close-range threats that justify spending scarce shells.
The Shotgun Stock makes rapid firing easier. That matters when a target survives the first blast or when you must create space quickly, but the Long Barrel generally changes more situations because it improves both capacity and power. If you can install only one early W-870 part, choose the Long Barrel first; add the stock when rapid follow-up shots are a recurring problem.
3. Lightning Hawk — save it for a specialist plan
The Lightning Hawk’s parts are strong but rarely the best first investment. Its Long Barrel reduces recoil and increases destructive power, while the Red-Dot Sight enables faster aiming. Those effects make the magnum a formidable specialist weapon, yet it appears later than Matilda and the shotgun and uses .50 ammunition that is scarce.
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Use Lightning Hawk parts early only if your route is deliberately built around magnum ammunition and you are willing to reserve that ammunition for high-value targets. For a normal first campaign, spending your first parts on a gun you use constantly gives more reliable value than improving a late weapon that you may fire only a handful of times.
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- A spine-chilling reimagining of a horror classic - Based on the original PlayStation console release in 1998, the new game has been completely rebuilt from the ground up for a deeper narrative experience
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- Terrifyingly realistic visuals - Built on Capcom's proprietary RE Engine, Resident Evil 2 delivers breathtakingly photorealistic visuals in 4K whilst stunning lighting creates an up-close, intense and atmospheric experience as players roam the corridors of the Raccoon City Police Department (RPD)
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4. Chemical Flamethrower — a situational investment
The Flamethrower’s Regulator makes fuel last longer. It is worth prioritizing when you rely heavily on the weapon or want greater fuel efficiency during the laboratory section. Otherwise, it can wait behind Matilda and the W-870 because it solves a narrower set of encounters and does not replace the handgun’s everyday role.
Claire: start with the SLS 60, then choose utility or sustained damage
1. SLS 60 — Speed Loader for general progression
Claire’s SLS 60 is a practical first target because the Speed Loader directly fixes its slow reload. Faster reloading keeps the revolver usable when a fight does not justify switching to a heavier weapon and reduces the time you spend exposed while loading individual rounds.
The SLS 60’s Reinforced Frame permits high-powered rounds as well as ordinary ammunition. High-powered rounds are very strong, but they are extremely rare and cannot be crafted. Treat the frame as a specialist power spike, not an automatic second purchase. If you do not have a clear plan for those rare rounds, the Speed Loader provides the broader day-to-day benefit.
2. GM79 — elemental and area-specific control
The GM79 fills Claire’s heavy-weapon role in much the same way the W-870 does for Leon, but its ammunition gives it a different job. Flame Rounds are particularly effective against Lickers, G-Adults and Ivy Zombies, making the launcher valuable when those enemies or related areas are the immediate problem. Acid Rounds are craftable, although the cited walkthrough assessment considers them generally less dominant than the flame option for the most demanding encounters.
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The Shoulder Stock improves aiming. It also increases the launcher to two inventory slots, so install it when better handling is worth giving up that space. If your inventory is already carrying key items, healing supplies and several ammunition types, the unmodified GM79 may be the better short-term compromise.
3. MQ-11 — sustained-damage specialist
The MQ-11 fires rapidly and can deliver very high sustained damage. Its High-Capacity Magazine raises capacity to 50 rounds, reducing reload interruptions during a prolonged fight. The Suppressor reduces sound and muzzle rise, which makes the weapon easier to control and less conspicuous.
The trade-offs are significant. MQ-11 ammunition is comparatively scarce, so it should not be treated as a universal replacement for Claire’s handgun. The Suppressor also makes the weapon occupy two inventory slots. Favor the MQ-11 when you are preparing for sustained damage or a difficult target and have enough ammunition to support that plan; otherwise, preserve it for situations where its rate of fire matters.
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The JMB Hp3 is a useful side option rather than an automatic replacement for the SLS 60. Its High-Capacity Magazine raises capacity to 26 rounds. Choose it according to handling preference and the role you want from a secondary handgun. There is no reason to abandon an upgraded SLS 60 simply because the JMB Hp3 can hold more rounds.
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How to choose when your situation differs
If ammunition is tight
Favor the weapon you can feed consistently. For Leon, that usually means Matilda before the magnum; for Claire, it means the SLS 60 Speed Loader before the Reinforced Frame. A theoretical damage increase is not useful if the upgraded weapon spends ammunition faster than you can replace it.
If your inventory is full
Check whether the part adds a second slot before combining it. The GM79 Shoulder Stock and MQ-11 Suppressor are the clearest examples of a handling benefit that carries an inventory cost. You can postpone the combination, move ammunition into storage, or remove the part later if the extra slot becomes more valuable than the effect.
If you are preparing for a specific enemy
Match the part to the encounter rather than following a universal ranking. Claire’s GM79 with Flame Rounds is a targeted answer to Lickers, G-Adults and Ivy Zombies. Leon’s Flamethrower Regulator is similarly valuable when fuel efficiency is central to your laboratory route. Specialist upgrades are strongest when the situation they solve is about to occur.
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- As Leon, improve Matilda first, then install the W-870 Long Barrel when available.
- As Claire, install the SLS 60 Speed Loader, then decide between GM79 utility and MQ-11 sustained damage based on your ammunition.
- Delay Lightning Hawk parts and Claire’s Reinforced Frame until you know you can support their ammunition requirements.
Common mistakes with custom parts
- Spending the first part on a late weapon: the Lightning Hawk’s excellent effects do not outweigh its late arrival and scarce .50 ammunition for ordinary play.
- Assuming every upgrade is a damage upgrade: several parts improve capacity, recoil, accuracy, reload speed or firing control. Those handling changes can be more useful than raw power in routine encounters.
- Using burst fire without checking ammunition: Matilda’s Gun Stock fires three rounds per trigger pull. It is powerful, but it can empty a magazine rapidly.
- Ignoring inventory pressure: a detachable part may add a slot to the assembled weapon. Plan around that cost before combining it.
- Confusing rare ammunition with craftable ammunition: Claire’s high-powered SLS 60 rounds are extremely rare and cannot be crafted. Do not choose the Reinforced Frame solely because the rounds look attractive on paper.
- Turning a specialist weapon into a hallway gun: the MQ-11’s high rate of fire is expensive to sustain. Reserve it for encounters where its output justifies the ammunition.
Recommended upgrade order at a glance
| Character | First | Second | Later or situational |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leon | Matilda High-Capacity Magazine or Muzzle Brake | W-870 Long Barrel | Matilda Gun Stock, W-870 Shotgun Stock, Lightning Hawk parts, Flamethrower Regulator |
| Claire | SLS 60 Speed Loader | GM79 or MQ-11, depending on ammunition and encounters | SLS 60 Reinforced Frame, GM79 Shoulder Stock, MQ-11 Suppressor or High-Capacity Magazine, JMB Hp3 High-Capacity Magazine |
The order is deliberately based on availability, frequency of use, ammunition economy and inventory cost rather than an unsupported damage ranking. No single part is mandatory, and a different order is sensible when you are following a specialized route.
Quick Recap
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