:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62968255/Screen_Shot_2019_01_30_at_11.22.32_AM.0.png)
Raccoon City is a pretty inhospitable place in Resident Evil 2, since it’s full of zombies and monsters and giant, evil corporations. You’ll find a lot of supplies to pick up along the way — like keys and Hip Pouches and ammo — but some items require a little assembly.
Since resources in Resident Evil 2 are pretty scarce, you don’t want to combine items just to see what happens. Instead, make sure you’re combining those valuable items to get what you actually need. This guide will give you all the recipes you need to know.
Gunpowder
Combining some Gunpowder with another Gunpowder will create ammo. What type of ammo you create depends on what type of Gunpowder you combine and what character you’re playing as.
You’ll find a quick primer on making ammo from Gunpowder in the West Office on the first floor of the Police Station.
Leon
There are three types of ammo Leon can create:
Resident Evil 2 Leon Gunpowder recipes
| Item 1 | Item 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Item 1 | Item 2 | Result |
| Gunpowder | Gunpowder | Handgun Ammo |
| Gunpowder | High-Grade Gunpowder (Yellow) | Shotgun Shells |
| High-Grade Gunpowder (Yellow) | High-Grade Gunpowder (Yellow) | MAG Ammo |
You will find a few bottles of Gunpowder (Large) throughout your game. These act like the regular Gunpowder, just … more. If you combine it with regular Gunpowder, you’ll get more Handgun Ammo. If you combine it with High-Grade Gunpowder, you’ll get a few extra Shotgun Shells.
Claire
Claire can also make three kinds of ammo:
Resident Evil 2 Claire Gunpowder recipes
| Item 1 | Item 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Item 1 | Item 2 | Result |
| Gunpowder | Gunpowder | Handgun Ammo (specifically, 9mm) |
| Gunpowder | High-Grade Gunpowder (White) | Acid Rounds |
| High-Grade Gunpowder (White) | High-Grade Gunpowder (White) | Submachine Gun Ammo |
Herbs
Herbs are the healing items in Resident Evil 2. There are Green, Blue, and Red Herbs. Health isn’t presented as a gauge like you might expect. Instead, there’s a condition in the lower left of your inventory screen — it looks like a heart monitor — that is color coded. Green means you’re healthy (Fine), yellow means Caution, and red means you’ll die if you take much more damage (Danger). Your character’s animation also conveys your condition. If they’re holding their arm or side, your condition is Caution. If they’re limping, grunting, and moving slowly, you’re probably in Danger (the edges of your screen will also be tinged red here).
- Green Herbs heal you and improve your condition.
- Blue Herbs remove poison — this becomes very important in the Sewers.
- Red Herbs don’t do anything on their own, but they can bolster the effects of the other two when combined.
In the Darkroom on the first floor of the Police Station, you’ll find a very quick (and not super useful) pamphlet about Herbs, but it doesn’t include any recipes.
Resident Evil 2 Herb recipes
| Item 1 | Item 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Item 1 | Item 2 | Result |
| Green Herb | Small amount of health | |
| Green Herb | Green Herb | Mixed Herb (G+G) — Medium amount of health |
| Mixed Herb (G+G) | Green Herb | Mixed Herb (G+G+G) — Large amount of health |
| Green Herb | Blue Herb | Mixed Herb (G+B) — Small amount of health and removes poison |
| Green Herb | Red Herb | Mixed Herb (G+R) — Fully restores health |
| Blue Herb | Red Herb | Mixed Herb (B+R) — Removes toxins, reduces damage and protects against poison for a short time |
| Mixed Herb (G+B) | Red Herb | Mixed Herb (G+B+R) — Fully heals and restores, reduces damage and protects against poison |
| Mixed Herb (G+R) | Blue Herb | Mixed Herb (G+B+R) — Fully heals and restores, reduces damage and protects against poison |
| Mixed Herb (B+R) | Green Herb | Mixed Herb (G+B+R) — Fully heals and restores, reduces damage and protects against poison |
As you’re picking up Herbs, use the recipes above to plan how to combine them (and try to combine them often to save on inventory space). Your goal should be to end up with a Mixed Herb (G+B+R) whenever you can — that temporary buff against damage is invaluable.
Depending on where you are in the game, you can hold off on picking up Blue Herbs. If you’re still in the Police Station, for example, you don’t have to worry about poison, so you can store your Blue Herbs in the Item Box for now.