Capcom’s remake of Resident Evil 4 now includes the option to play The Mercenaries game mode, part of a promised free update to the game. The replayable, high score-focused mode returns from the original RE4, throwing Leon S. Kennedy (and other playable characters) against waves of enemies.
But that’s not the only addition to Resident Evil 4. Capcom has added a handful of new microtransactions to digital stores, letting players spend cold hard cash on upgrade tickets for in-game weapons. In Resident Evil 4, these tickets can be purchased with Spinels, the collectible currency that players earn largely by completing missions called requests. (Normally, earning a weapon’s exclusive upgrade requires fully levelling up all of its stats, but an exclusive upgrade ticket will let you bypass that restriction.) But if completing The Merchant’s various fetch quests and assassinations is too laborious for you, Capcom will also gladly accept $2.99 for a weapon exclusive upgrade ticket.
Capcom is now selling a variety of weapon exclusive upgrade tickets — somewhat confusingly named things like Resident Evil 4 Weapon Exclusive Upgrade Ticket x1 (A), Resident Evil 4 Weapon Exclusive Upgrade Ticket x1 (B), etc. — in various bundle sizes. An individual ticket costs $2.99, while a three-pack costs $6.99 and a five-pack costs $9.99.
These types of microtransactions have been par for the course in Capcom’s most recent Resident Evil games. Resident Evil Village’s microtransactions include a 99 cent Survival Resources Pack that grants the player ammo, healing items, and lockpicks; and a paid unlock that grants access to extra content in the game’s shop. The Resident Evil 2 remake similarly features a purchasable unlock that lets players exchange real-world money for weapons, costumes, and modes that are otherwise earned through gameplay.
