In this week’s edition of Power Trip, I explore Resident Evil 2 just in time for Resident Evil 5’s upcoming release.  Resident Evil may seem an obscure place to find an item that could power up the protagonist the level of near god hood, but one such enhancement exists in Resident Evil 2.  In a city where 9mm ammunition is like gold and finding a little green shotgun shell box will make you wet your pants, the following item is practically the Holy Grail.

Wanton moans drown out Leon’s footsteps as he limps down the dimly lit hallway.  Twelve 9mm rounds, one blue herb, and five shotgun shells.  He knows these provisions will not suppress the half a dozen shambling corpses that he narrowly evaded.  Somewhere between the sewage treatment facility and the factory Leon had taken a wrong turn, and now he’s facing a dead end, with the moans growing louder.  Gripping his sawed off Remington shotgun firmly, Leon backs into the corner of the deadlocked corridor, slowly sliding to the ground in despair.  That… thing that’s been stalking around the police station is getting stronger, and even this shotgun lacks the firepower to do more than agitate it.  Next to Leon lay the corpse of a construction worker, sporting a self-inflicted headshot.  The man’s firearm had since been dismantled, and all that lay near him are a reinforced gun stock and barrel extension.  With shaking hands, Leon attaches the newfound upgrades to his own shotgun and slowly struggles to his feet, the powerful gun revitalizing his will.  Sliding his remaining five shells into the chamber, Leon pumps the shotgun and leans back, aiming the deadly barrel at the rotting head of an incoming zombie.

This shotgun would give a Heavy from Team Fortress 2 an inadequacy complex

The shotgun parts in Resident Evil 2 are perhaps the most unassuming, seemingly random little trinkets you can pick up in the game.  But when they are ‘combined’ with Leon’s existing Remington M870 shotgun, they birth a beastly Remington 1100 semi-automatic 12 gauge.  Proving his manliness every step of the way, Leon refuses to shoulder the furious firearm, instead performing stylish hip-shots.  The immense shotgun is about as big as the missile launchers you find at the end of every game.  Similarly to the missile launchers, if you aim for a zombie’s head not only will it disintegrate upon pulling the trigger, but their arm, shoulder, and half of their torso will disappear in red mist.  What’s more, if you blast a zombie’s midsection as it shuffles towards you, its torso will sickeningly slide off its still standing set of legs and crawl after you.

Makes Resident Evil 5 look tame in comparison

In the early Resident Evil games, ammo is a precious commodity where even the standard box of 9mm rounds will make you breathe a sigh of relief.  That joy is far surpassed by the orgasmic bliss you feel when you find shotgun shells, and the upgraded shotgun increases their value ten fold.  Not only does the Remington 1100 match the power of the series’ legendary magnum, but surpasses its effectiveness by achieving a punishing spread shot that  allows you to down multiple enemies with a single shot.

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The upgraded shotgun isn’t only limited to dismembering zombies, however, as super lickers, Mr.X and even g-virus infected William Birkin must all make bloody bows to this powerhouse.  Blasting away bosses with this weapon will leave them withering piles of gore, and your magnum rounds will collect dust in your storage crate as you wonder why you ever lusted after them.

The Remington 1100 is a gem in Resident Evil 2, as it’s probably the strongest “ordinary” weapon available that only takes up one inventory space.  Other weapons like the infinite gatling gun and rocket launcher may be more obviously devastating, but they’re inventory space hogs and for cheating.

Leon will blast down the 4th wall if you doubt the power of the Remington 1100

If you fail to see the Remington 1100 as anything but supreme, then when the zombie apocalypse rolls around I recommend trying out a bolt gun instead.  Good luck with that.