Quick Links
Resident Evil 4 Remake, like its predecessors, times how long it takes for a player to complete the game. Completing the game as quickly as possible earns a higher rating after the credits roll, along with some amazing perks for subsequent runs! Achieving the highest ranks, S and S+, require in-depth knowledge of the game and some impressive skills.
Of course, it's much easier to earn a higher rank if you know what the requirements are to begin with! Read on to find out what you need to do in order to achieve each rank at each difficulty level - can you manage an S+ rating?
Updated May 22, 2023: We've added a video guide to this article that shows you how to finish Resident Evil 4 on S+ rank.
How Is Rank Determined?
While the requirements vary between the difficulty settings the most important factor in determining your rating is the in-game clock. The clock starts as soon as you begin a new playthrough, and ends when Leon and Ashley escape through the mouth of the Island cave on the jet ski. Any time you load a previous save from the same playthrough, whether it's because you died or decided to start a section over, the timer carries on without reverting!
The highest rank, S+, has additional restrictions that make it even more challenging. If you don't meet the requirements for any of the listed ranks at your chosen difficulty, the game defaults to giving you a B rating.
All Rank Requirements In Resident Evil 4 Remake
Take a look at the charts below to find out what you'll need to do in order to achieve each rank! Note that for S+ rank on all difficulties, you must start a new playthrough without carrying over any equipment from a previous run. However, bonus equipment unlocked through Challenges and Deluxe Edition content is allowed.
Assisted Difficulty
Rank | Requirements |
|---|---|
A |
|
S |
|
S+ |
|
Assisted Difficulty is best for absolute beginners to Resident Evil or to shooters in general. Aim assist corrects Leon's aim so that you have fewer near misses, you'll receive more ammo from crafting, and if Leon's health bar reaches the red danger zone, he'll recover automatically if you avoid damage for a while.
Standard Difficulty
Rank | Requirements |
|---|---|
A |
|
S |
|
S+ |
|
Standard Difficulty is the baseline setting for the game. While the game won't provide you with any help, it also doesn't throw any curveballs at you either. If you're having trouble on Standard Difficulty, the game will allow you to switch to Assisted when you receive a Game Over.
Hardcore Difficulty
Rank | Requirements |
|---|---|
A |
|
S |
|
S+ |
|
Hardcore Difficulty is recommended for experienced Resident Evil players or for those who have already completed the game at least once. Enemies are slightly more numerous, deal more damage, and have more health. The Merchant also charges twice as much for some items, notably the First Aid Spray.
Professional Difficulty
Rank | Requirements |
|---|---|
A |
|
S |
|
S+ |
|
Professional Difficulty is enough to challenge even the best RE4 Remake players. Not only are enemies even tougher than they are on Hardcore, but you can no longer parry with Leon's knife unless you perfectly time your input. Furthermore, autosave is disabled, meaning if you die you'll have to go back to the last manual save you created.
That last part is what makes achieving S+ on Professional such an extraordinary challenge. Limiting the player to fifteen saves means that you're only really allowed to save between chapters, and going back to the beginning of any chapter all but guarantees that you won't reach the end in under five-and-a-half hours. Realistically, it means you need to complete the game perfectly, without dying, on the highest possible difficulty setting.
Tips For Getting S+ Rank
Getting an S+ rank on any difficulty is worth some serious bragging rights. The only way to pull it off is to ignore everything that isn't essential to completing the game. If you can escape a fight without killing every enemy, do so. If you don't need a hidden treasure, leave it behind. It's best to avoid the Merchant as much as possible, and to know exactly what you're buying and selling ahead of time when you do visit him.
Of course, you'll need to do some shopping so that you aren't stuck with Leon's starting gear for most of the game. We recommend limiting your treasures to those that can be sold for full value without taking the time to inlay gems. You'll also want to ignore all Merchant Requests, even the ones that are easily completed along the main path.
Upgrade your preferred weapons as much as possible, but save the rest of your cash for a rocket launcher. Use it to one-shot Saddler in the final battle, immediately ending a long and drawn-out fight.
Accessories unlocked on earlier playthroughs, like the Cat Ears or Chicken Hat, provide powerful buffs at the cost of looking slightly ridiculous, and they're allowed on S+ runs. Use them to reduce your chance of dying, because a single Game Over can keep you from S+, especially on Professional.
If you need to take a break - nature calls, the doorbell rings, or you're getting dehydrated - be sure to go to the pause screen and not the inventory screen. The pause screen stops the clock, letting you come back fresh and ready to keep going. It's really the only bone that the game throws you during an S+ attempt, so don't be afraid to use it!