Resident Evil Village grants players the Knives Out trophy for completing the full story using only close combat weapons, with exceptions for a few boss fights. While it may seem daunting, this isn’t as hard as it sounds, and this guide will cover how to unlock the achievement, as well as when you can or can’t use ranged weapons, to help you unlock this easily.
How to Get Knives Out Trophy in Resident Evil Village
The Knives Out trophy description reads, “Not including some boss fights, finish the story using nothing but close combat weapons.” This is rather vague and can be pretty easily misinterpreted, so to clarify, you actually can use more than just close combat weapons, provided they aren’t being used for combat. You can use guns to kill animals, shoot treasure and destructible items, destroy the Goats of Warding, and interact with the environment. You can’t use guns for fighting enemies or bosses (with exceptions). Flashbangs are off the table as well, as they are considered ranged weapons.
There are two exceptions to not being allowed to use ranged weapons in boss fights. The first instance is during the first phase of the Heisenburg fight. Once you get back up on your feet, switch to your knife if you want to try for the Knives Out trophy. The second exception is in the final boss fight, Mother Miranda, when you shoot the energy mass above her. This occurs at the end of the fight when she grabs you and you lose control of your movement. Aside from these two fights, avoid using guns at all costs.
If you’re having some trouble unlocking the Knives Out achievement, you’re going to want to play on casual difficulty, as it is by far the easiest. It’s recommended that you do this after you have already beat the game once, as this will make the Karambit Knife available for purchase from the extra content store for 10,000 challenge points. After making the purchase, it will be available to buy in-game for only 100 Lei. This knife is what Chris uses by default, but you will be able to use it earlier in the game if you make this purchase. It isn’t a huge improvement, but it’s inexpensive and it’s best that you have a playthrough under your belt anyway so you’re not running through blind.
When playing through the game, focus only on the story elements and you should be able to get through in just a few hours. Prioritize getting around enemies as opposed to getting through enemies. You only have a knife, so combat should be avoided when possible. In the event that you can’t escape combat, try alternating between doing two quick stabs and tapping the block button. Blocking will animation-cancel the wait time in between attacks, so you can fit in twice as many hits in combat.
Other than that, it’s just a matter of persistence. You’re on casual difficulty, so you shouldn’t get caught up too much. The full run should take a few hours, and if you can get it done in under three, you’ll also unlock the Dashing Dad trophy for completing a three-hour speedrun. Take every opening you can to get past enemies and always keep it moving, and you should have no trouble unlocking Knives Out.
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