Skip to main content

How to get every weapon in Resident Evil 7

Unlike the last few games in the series, Resident Evil 7 is a horror game first and an action game second. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t worry about your arsenal — on the contrary, surviving the Baker estate requires mastery over all the game’s weapons. To master them, though, you’ll have to find them first. Some of them are acquired naturally and are found in plain sight, while others are tucked away in areas you might not expect.

This guide will help you get your hands on every single weapon in Resident Evil 7 (in as close to linear order as possible). You’ll need them.

Recommended reading:

Recommended Videos

Ax

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The ax is the first weapon you get in Resident Evil 7, and you’ll immediately use it to fend off a very angry opponent. Unfortunately, you’ll lose it after the game’s prologue, and there’s currently no known way to get it back. Still, it will serve you well during the preliminary sections of the game. 

M19 handgun

Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’ll get the M19 handgun during Resident Evil 7’s prologue in the Guest House, in a room near the attic. It’s located on a table, after your initial encounter with Mia. The weapon is taken from you shortly afterward, but it’s possible to get the gun back later. Use a repair kit on the broken handgun you get in the trailer in the yard, and you’re back in business. The first accessible repair kit is under the main house’s porch, across from the trailer, behind a metal sheet you can pry off.  

Pocket knife

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The main knife you’ll use throughout Resident Evil 7 to open crates and fend off enemies in desperate times when you’re out of ammo is given to you as part of the story after the dinner scene in the main house.

G17 handgun

Image used with permission by copyright holder

This less-powerful handgun is on the ground in the garage as soon as the Jack boss fight begins. Pick it up right after Jack kills Officer Anderson. 

M37 shotgun

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The M37 shotgun is the first weapon you could potentially miss as you explore the Baker estate. Once you have access to the main house’s basement (the “processing area”), look around until you find the Scorpion Key. Take that up to the rec room on the house’s second floor and use it to enter Grandma’s room (watch out for Jack, who at this point is probably patrolling this area). Take the broken shotgun from there and swap it with the shotgun being held by the statue in the main hall (the M37). With the M37 in your inventory and the broken shotgun in the statue’s hands, you’ll be free to exit the room and continue.

Chainsaw

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The chainsaw is a powerful melee weapon that’s unfortunately available for only one fight: The second encounter with Jack. Pick it up from the corpse once he grabs his giant scissors. Unfortunately, there’s currently no known way to get it outside that fight.

44 MAG

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The magnum is accessible as soon as you escape the Bakers’ main house and enter the trailer in the yard, provided you’ve collected enough antique coins. It takes nine to unlock the 44, though it’s arguably not worth it since ammo is so scarce throughout the game. If you are going to use it, better to grab the stabilizer and/or steroids first and grab the magnum later in the game.

Burner

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The burner is a great tool for taking out the swarms and other bugs in the Old House. You’ll have to assemble it from parts found throughout Marguerite’s territory: The Burner Grip is found outside of The Old House, close to the save point. It’s located in a trash can by some crates. The Burner Nozzle is found outside as well, in a small shack to the right of the large hornet’s nest. If you exit through the kitchen, this small room is on the right, across some wooden planks. Combine them to create the burner.

Grenade launcher

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The grenade launcher is accessible as soon as you find the Crow Key in the Old House outhouse. Take it back to the Main House to unlock the door in the observation room (the room with the stuffed deer on the second floor). The grenade launcher’s in there, but use it wisely, as ammo is scarce.

M21 shotgun

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The M21 shotgun is more powerful than the M37, although it fires fewer shells before needing to be reloaded. Nevertheless, it’s worth using, and you can actually get it pretty early. Once you get outside the house, you can grab the repair kit under the porch and use it on the broken shotgun found in Grandma’s room. If you used the broken shotgun to weigh down the statue in the main hall in order to grab the M37, you can go swap them out again. And if you used the first repair kit on the broken handgun, don’t worry — there’s another one. Grab the treasure photo (the one that shows the mannequin head) in the storage room off the master bedroom on the second floor, then locate the head in the first part of Lucas’ testing area.

M19 handgun

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The process of acquiring the M19 handgun is similar to getting the M21 shotgun in that it requires the repair kit. This time, use the repair kit on the broken pistol in the trailer to get your hands on the M19.

MPM handgun

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The MPM is the handgun you find in a drawer in the first save room after you arrive on the tanker. At that point, it’s your only weapon, so use it well.

P19 machine gun

Image used with permission by copyright holder

You’ll use the machine gun for the first time during the flashback tape you play on the tanker as part of the story. Later, you can get it again when you find the Captain’s Cabin Locker Key in the locked side of the bunk room after getting the corrosive as part of the story. It’s on the table in the Crew’s Room on the second floor. Take the key back up to the Captain’s Cabin on the fourth floor, and use it to unlock the cabinet.

Survival knife

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Like the machine gun, you’ll use the survival knife first in the tanker flashback, but it’s easy to find it again on the second floor just outside the elevator, sticking out of an overturned table. You’ll need to climb down the elevator shaft from above to come out of the broken exit below to find the knife. 

Sticky bombs

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sticky bombs are one of Resident Evil 7’s most useful and incredible destruction tanker tools. You can do some serious damage with these, and they’re everywhere, so they are easy to find. We suggest collecting as many as possible. We’ve found that there are plenty of them in the Control Room tanker section, located on the fourth floor.

Crowbar

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Many gaming fanatics may not get the opportunity to see the single fight that uses the crowbar weapon. Whether or not a player obtains a crowbar depends on their gaming decisions once they’ve gone through around 75% of the game. A surefire way to get your crowbar is to select Zoe rather than Mia while you’re fighting in the boss battle. We promise it’s worth it in the end.

Albert-01R

The Albert-01R is the most lethal handgun ever created. Die-hard fanatics will immediately acknowledge that the name is a Resident Evil reference to the particular series involving a villain named Albert Wesker. You’ll get an upgraded edition of this gun once you’re actively engaged in the final boss battle, acquiring a somewhat simpler version. The next level up for an O1R has three bullets in the chamber and offers players the ability to shoot through storage boxes during playthroughs.

Circular saw

Image used with permission by copyright holder

There’s no messing around when it comes to the circular saw. This is a deadly brawl weapon designed to kill. If you want it, you’ll have to work for it. Try your hand at completing the entire game within four short hours. Good luck.

Michael Rougeau
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Mike Rougeau is a journalist and writer who lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two dogs. He specializes in video…
Best commander promotions in Civilization 7
An army at the ready in Civilization 7.

In older Civilization titles, each unit you had in a military could earn XP and eventually level up. Now, with Civilization 7, things have changed and new tips and tricks are needed in your combat tactics. Commanders are a brand new unit type that are the only ones who can level up and will carry over into new Ages. They work quite differently since they don't engage in combat directly, but the various skills can greatly increase your army's potential. Because they are the only unit that earns promotions, they come with multiple skill trees that take a lot of XP to work through. Being such a key part of the game, similar to Influence, we wanted to run you through the best promotions you should unlock with your commanders.
Best commander promotions to unlock
Commanders don't directly attack other units in Civilization 7, but have two other very important functions. First is that they can "pack" adjacent units. This will bring four (or more with upgrades) normal units and have them all move as one with the commander. This makes moving armies way more efficient and allows for tactical assaults and retreats.

The other function is providing buffs and coordinated moves to nearby units. Just having a commander next to your army grants various buffs (again, based on upgrades), plus the option to command multiple units to attack a single target at the same time.

Read more
The best Leaders and Civs to pick in Civilization 7
Two world leaders, Cleopatra and Caesar, going up against each other in front of their flags.

Among all the many changes to Civilization 7, such as Ages, Influence, Independant Powers, and more that require a complete rethinking of your ingrained tips and tricks, the one thing that remains mostly unchanged is how you achieve victory. Just like past games, you have the choice to go for one of four major victory conditions through cultural, military, economic, or scientific paths. These are represented by Legacy Paths now and require you to complete multiple milestones along the way before another civ beats you to the punch. This race begins before the first round when you are deciding which of the dozens of Leaders you want to play as and which civ you will use in the first Age. Depending on your choices, you can have much easier time working through these Legacy Paths. There are more possible combinations than ever, so we'll advise you on the best Leaders and civs to pick in Civilization 7.
Best Cultural Leaders and civs

Augustus - Cultural/Expansionist
Our first Leader pick is Augustus who comes with a great general perk of adding  +2 production in the capital for each town to help kickstart your growth. Once you expand and set up Towns they can purchase cultural buildings right away to help increase your culture income without having to wait to upgrade them into Cities. The +50% gold discount on purchasing buildings in Towns makes that process even easier.=
Jose - Cultural/Diplomatic
Jose is another solid pick, though feels a bit more random. His main buff is that narrative events give +20 culture and gold each Age and will get more narrative events than normal Leaders. His other major boon is that celebrations last 50% longer and add +50% happiness, which may or may not include a temporary culture buff. It's less reliable but has greater payouts when a narrative event or celebration do give you a culture bonus.
Egpyt

Read more
How Influence works in Civilization 7
Civilization 7

One of the foundations of the Civilization franchise has always been learning the tips and tricks for how to engage with the other Leaders. Whether they are players or NPCs, relations between the other major players are unavoidable. You still have the choice to be friendly or hostile, but Civilization 7 introduces a new system that adds even more strategies and options to how you interact called Influence. There are a lot of similarities to Influence as other resources you need to manage, such as Gold and Food, but what you need and use it for is vastly different. We'll help you be the best leader you can be by explaining everything you need to know about Influence in Civilization 7.
How Influence works
Influence is a new form of currency you can accumulate in Civilization 7 each turn based on what structures you build, social policies you research, Wonders you make, and more. Anything you see the Influence icon for, which looks like a circle with a grid, will impact your Influence. But, there are ways to lose Influence besides spending it as well. If you do things like surprise attack another civ or razing settlements will cost you Influence. You can see how much Influence you are earning per tern on the top of the screen next to your gold total and income.

As you build Influence, you will need to decide how you want to spend it. Your first opportunities will be when you first meet a new civ and are given the option to give them a friendly, neutral, or hostile greeting. Either of the extremes will cost 20 Influence and impact your relationship with them right off the bat.

Read more