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

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

How to unlock new briefcases in the Resident Evil 4 remake

To unlock part of Resident Evil 4‘s most useful perks, you must complete Blue Note Requests (the pieces of paper you can hang on the wall) for the merchant. Some will ask you to kill a certain number of rats, while others will instruct you to shoot a series of blue medallions scattered around certain areas. Once you’ve completed these tasks, go back to the merchant to exchange them for Spinel and go to the ‘Trade’ tab. Here you can spend Spinel on a variety of weapons, treasure maps, and yes, new attaché cases.

There are five briefcases in the Resident Evil 4 remake: three cases appear in the merchant’s inventory at different points in the game, one is a bonus in the deluxe and collector’s edition of the game, and one is unfortunately only available as a pre-order bonus.

Best Attaché Case in RE4R: Black Attaché Case

Trading Price: 8 Spinel
Effect: Increased resource drop rate (L)
Available: Chapter 4

The second briefcase available in Resident Evil 4 also happens to be the option we’d recommend for most parts 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 ammunition types. Resources (L) are a necessary ingredient for crafting Bolt Thrower Bolts (which can be retrieved from the environment after being fired, saving ammo for your more powerful weapons early in the game) and Submachine Gun Ammo (which useful for low-damage mob control). Resources (L) are also needed to craft rifle ammunition, flash grenades, and heavy grenades, all of which become crucial when battling more powerful enemies later in the game. By using the black attache case you can ensure a higher dropout rate for one of the game’s most versatile items.

Silver briefcase

Image: Capcom via Polygoon

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

You don’t have to work hard to unlock this cover because you have it from the start. Leon S. Kennedy’s Starter Case increases the drop rate of handgun ammunition. Aside from the Black Attache Case mentioned above, we found the Silver Attache Case to be the most consistently rewarding option in the entire game. It’s useful when collecting ammo for Leon’s starter gun in the early chapters, and it becomes even more useful once you’ve started upgrading the Red9 Handgun (which, as we outlined in our best weapons guide, is still Resident Evil 4best weapon, after 18 years).

Leather briefcase

Image: Capcom via Polygoon

Trading Price: 12 Spinel
Effect: Increased drop rate for red herbs
Available: Chapter 8

The advantage of the Leather Attache Case sounds attractive at first. It increases the fall 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 quite generous with red herbs that are placed on the map and thus available in the same locations even after dying, regardless of the drops from killed enemies or broken boxes. Compared to the silver and black cases, which give you ammunition for your most versatile weapons, and materials that allow you to craft a wide variety of items and ammunition, the benefit of the leather attaché case is frankly disappointing.

Gold briefcase

Image: Capcom via Polygoon

Trading Price: AFTER
Effect: Increased drop rate for pesetas
Available: Deluxe/Collectible Editions

Here we come to the “annoying” attache cases. That’s not a reference to their benefits (both would be extremely useful, if we had access to them!), but a note about the fact that two of the five options aren’t available to anyone using the standard edition of Resident Evil 4without pre-ordering.

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 can even save up enough pesetas to buy that weapon you’ve been looking for long before you’ve collected the necessary treasures and gems to sell to the merchant.

Classic briefcase

Image: Capcom via Polygoon

Trading Price: N/A
Effect: Increased drop rate for gunpowder
Available: Pre-order bonus

If you have not pre-ordered Resident Evil 4, bad news: Barring any future changes, you won’t have access to possibly the most useful perk of the five. The Classic Attache Case increases the fall rate of gunpowder, which is by far the most useful crafting ingredient in the game. It is required to craft any type of ammunition (including grenades), making it the most versatile item for killing villagers.