Resident Evil 5 remains an iconic entry in Capcom's survival horror franchise, offering players a wealth of hidden content and powerful rewards to discover. Rather than relying on traditional button-combo cheat codes, the game rewards strategic gameplay, completion milestones, and thorough exploration. Mastering these unlockable secrets allows players to enhance their arsenal and experience the campaign with powerful new abilities.
Unlocking Infinite Ammunition for Powerful Weapons
Acquiring infinite ammo is one of the most rewarding secrets in Resident Evil 5, drastically altering how combat encounters play out. To unlock infinite ammunition for a standard firearm, players must fully upgrade all of its individual attributes in the item management menu and finish the main story. Once these requirements are fulfilled, the option can be purchased using Exchange Points within the Bonus Features menu.
Special end-game weapons offer unique avenues for infinite firepower without requiring standard upgrades. For instance, completing the entire campaign in under five hours on any difficulty unlocks the devastating Infinite Rocket Launcher for free. Players can achieve this target time incrementally by replaying individual chapters through Chapter Select to optimize their speedrun totals.
Secret Uber Weapons and How to Obtain Them
Upgrading starter weapons to their absolute limits reveals powerful hidden firearms that cannot be bought directly at the start. Maxing out the base M92F handgun unlocks the triple-burst M93R, while fully upgrading the Ithaca M37 shotgun makes the high-damage Hydra available. Similarly, maxing out the S&W M29 magnum grants access to the colossal S&W M500.
Character-exclusive ultimate weapons are also tied directly to specific weapon upgrade trees. Fully upgrading the VZ61 machine gun unlocks the massive Gatling Gun, a heavy weapon designed exclusively for Chris Redfield. Meanwhile, fully enhancing the S75 rifle grants Sheva Alomar access to the Longbow, a silent yet lethal option.
Campaign Costumes and Bonus Visual Filters
Player customization is a major feature unlocked by fulfilling specific completion criteria throughout the campaign. Outfits such as Safari Chris and Clubbin' Sheva become available simply by finishing all campaign chapters once. More elaborate costumes, including S.T.A.R.S. Chris and Tribal Sheva, require collecting dozens of hidden BSAA emblems hidden across the levels.
Visual screen filters can also be unlocked to alter the cinematic atmosphere of the gameplay. Completing the game on higher difficulty settings rewards players with distinct graphical modes like Classic Horror, Retro, and Noise. These filters can be enabled for free in the Bonus Features menu after meeting their difficulty thresholds.
Bonus Game Modes and Extra Content
Finishing the main story opens up whole new game modes that test player skill and tactical precision. The Mercenaries mode is unlocked upon clearing the main campaign, offering intense arcade-style combat encounters against endless waves of enemies. High ranks in this mode earn additional Exchange Points to purchase rare character figurines and extra items.
