As I walk through the valley of the mad Ganado
The valley is the site of the biggest brawl you’ll encounter in Chapter 2 of the Resident Evil 4 remake. Though there is loot in this area to uncover, you’ll mostly be fighting waves of villagers who are out for blood. If you’re unprepared, you could find yourself taking more hits than you’d like. However, like many things in Resident Evil 4, a little foresight can make this battle exponentially easier. Here’s what you should do.
Good eye, sniper
Having been just introduced to the Merchant, you have access to a few new toys just begging to be used. Among these is the SR M1903 Rifle, which even comes with a scope for free. If you choose to pick this gun up, you’ll immediately have a good opportunity to try it out.
To enter the valley, you’ll need to drop down from a small ledge by the closed gate. However, if you use your shiny new Rifle, you can pick off a few enemies before they know you’ve arrived. Use this opportunity to take out enemies perched in high places that would be tough to fight otherwise. You’re safe up here, so spend time to get the lay of the land.
The best route to take in the valley
Once the battle music starts, enemies will swarm in from many different directions. Believe it or not, one of the safest places for you to hide is right near your starting point. After you drop down, you’ll see a small shack to your left. Though the door is boarded up, you can still jump through the window and find a couple items laying around.
This window creates an easy choke point for you to defend. You’ll have eyes on the one spot where enemies can even reach you, and they’ll have to go through a long animation to climb through the window. Take shots while they’re trying to get in and there’s a good chance you’ll knock them into the valley’s chasm. Even better, at the start of the fight, you might coerce a villager to throw dynamite towards you from a short distance away. As long as you aren’t right by the window, these sticks of dynamite will blow up enemies patiently waiting to take a stab at you.
You can’t stay in this spot forever, so you’ll eventually have to explore and inevitably encounter more hostile villagers. If you’re not confident in your combat abilities, run back to this shack and wait for anyone pursuing you to try slowly climbing inside. Just be careful of any enemies with ranged attacks, as you’ll still be in danger of getting axes to the face.
How to get the Hexagonal Emblem
Aside from the safety shack, there is one notable building near the center of the valley. If you were sniping, you might have noticed a particular weather vane atop the residence moving with the wind. That’s where you’ll get the Hexagonal Emblem, which is necessary to progress further in the game.
There’s still some fighting you’ll have left to do here. Make your way behind the building and you’ll find a window you can jump through. Score an easy stealth kill on the enemy inside and climb up the ladder. You’ll find yourself right next to the weather vane. Grab the Hexagonal Emblem and keep your eyes peeled for any enemies that are approaching. You’re out in the open at this point, so avoid sneak attacks as best as you can.
How to open the door to get out of the valley
Now that you have what you came here for, you can finally leave the valley itself. Of course, that isn’t quite so straightforward. From where you started, you should notice a path leading up a slope on the left side of the valley. This is marked with a torch, so follow the path upwards and keep your wits about you. There will be enemies lurking here, so do your best to pick them off efficiently. Make sure to use explosive barrels strategically, as you’ll be able to pick up some clean kills without wasting ammo.
Once you reach the awning at the end of the trail, take a left towards the small wooden bridge. Interact with the wheel to open the gate leading out of the valley. Make sure to explore the area thoroughly before you leave so you don’t miss out on any free ammo or herbs!
