Resident Evil 4’s best attache case, and where to unlock them all

Among the many updates Capcom made to Resident Evil 4 with its new remake, one of the most useful is the ability to customize your inventory with charms (which grant perks, as we’ve outlined in this charms guide) and completely new attache cases. Here’s how to unlock new attache cases, along with the bonuses they each offer, and our recommendation for the best one to use.

How to unlock new attache cases in Resident Evil 4 remake

In order to unlock some of Resident Evil 4’s most useful perks, you’ll need to complete Blue Note Requests (those pieces of paper pinned you can find pinned to walls) for the merchant. Some will ask you to kill a specific number of rats, while others task you with shooting a set of blue medallions scattered around certain areas. Once you’ve completed these tasks, return to the merchant to exchange them for Spinel, and head to the “Trade” tab. Here, you can spend Spinel on a variety of weapons, treasure maps, and yes, new attache cases.

There are five attache cases in the Resident Evil 4 remake: three cases will appear in the merchant’s inventory at various points in the game, one is a bonus in the game’s deluxe and collector’s edition, and one, unfortunately, is only available as a pre-order bonus. (More on that below.)

Best attache case in RE4R: Black Attache Case

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Merchant Price: 8 Spinel
Effect: Increased drop rate for Resources (L)
Available: Chapter 4

The second attache case available in Resident Evil 4 also happens to be the option we’d recommend for most areas of the game. The Black Attache Case increases the drop rate of Resources (L), which can be used to craft a litany of useful items and ammo types. Resources (L) are a necessary ingredient for crafting Bolt Thrower bolts (which can be recovered from the environment after they’re fired, thus saving ammo for your more powerful guns early in the game) and Submachine Gun Ammo (which is useful for low-damage crowd control). Resources (L) are also need to craft Rifle Ammo, Flash Grenades, and Heavy Grenades, each of which become crucial when battling more powerful enemies later in the game. By using the Black Attache Case, you can ensure a higher drop rate for one of the game’s most versatile items.

Silver Attache Case

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Merchant Price: N/A
Effect: Increased drop rate for Handgun Ammo
Available: Chapter 1

You won’t have to work hard to unlock this case, because you have it from the get-go. Leon S. Kennedy’s starting attache case increases the drop rate of handgun ammo. Aside from the Black Attach Case mentioned above, we found the Silver Attache Case to be the most consistently rewarding option throughout the game. It’s useful in gathering ammo for Leon’s starting handgun in the early chapters, and it becomes even more useful once you’ve begun upgrading the Red9 Handgun (which, as we outlined in our best guns guide, is still Resident Evil 4’s best weapon, after 18 years).

Leather Attache Case

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Merchant Price: 12 Spinel
Effect: Increased drop rate for Red Herbs
Available: Chapter 8

The Leather Attache Case’s perk initially sounds appealing. It increases the drop rate of red herbs, which can be combined with green herbs to fully replenish your health! But here’s the thing: Resident Evil 4 is already pretty generous with red herbs that are placed on the map, and thus, available at the same locations, even after dying, regardless of the drops from slain enemies or broken boxes. Compared to the Silver and Black cases, which grant you ammo for your most versatile weapons, and materials with which to craft a wide array of items and ammo, the Leather Attache Case’s perk is, frankly, underwhelming.

Gold Attache Case

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Merchant Price: NA
Effect: Increased drop rate for pesetas
Available: Deluxe/Collector’s Editions

Here’s where we get to the “bummer” attache cases. That’s not a reference to their perks (both would be extremely useful, if we had access to them!), but a comment on the fact that two of the five options are unavailable to anyone who bought the standard edition of Resident Evil 4, without pre-ordering. (It’s worth noting that Capcom eventually made similar bonuses in the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes available as DLC, so it’s possible that may be the case here, at some point.)

The Gold Attache Case increases the drop rate of pesetas, the game’s main currency, and the benefits speak for themselves. If you purchased the Deluxe or Collector’s Edition of the game, you’ll have more money to spend on ammo and healing supplies. You might even save enough pesetas to buy that weapon you’ve had your eye on , long before you’ve gathered the necessary treasures and gems to sell to the merchant.

Classic Attache Case

Image: Capcom via Polygon

Merchant Price: N/A
Effect: Increased drop rate for Gunpowder
Available: Pre-order Bonus

If you didn’t pre-order Resident Evil 4, bad news: Until Capcom potentially makes it available as a standalone DLC (like it did with similar bonuses in the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes), you won’t have access to possibly the most useful perk out of the five. The Classic Attache Case increases the drop rate of gunpowder, which is far and away the most useful crafting ingredient in the game. It’s needed to craft every ammunition type (including grenades), making it the most versatile item for villager-killing situations.