How to Unlock Insanity Difficulty in Resident Evil Requiem

Insanity is Resident Evil Requiem's hardest difficulty mode — and it's locked until you complete the game once. This guide explains exactly how to unlock it, what changes on Insanity, and how to clear it efficiently using Infinite Ammo without voiding any trophies.

How to unlock Insanity difficulty

What changes on Insanity

Insanity is not just "Standard with more damage." It restructures how you approach the game. Major changes:

// COMBAT CHANGES

• Enemy damage 3x — most basic zombie attacks deal 50-70% HP damage
• Enemy HP scaled up — even standard zombies take 2-3 extra shots
• Boss HP scales 2-2.5x — Victor Gideon takes nearly twice as long to kill
• Reduced parry windows — about 15% tighter; default Hatchet is barely usable
• Boss attack patterns add variants — some bosses (Mr. X, Victor) have new combos

// RESOURCE CHANGES

• Healing items rarer — First Aid Spray pickups reduced ~40%
• Ammo drops reduced — most enemy drops are halved
• Crafting materials scarcer — Scrap and Infected Blood drops less frequent
• Save points unchanged — typewriters still in same locations

// CONTENT CHANGES

• Safe codes are different — see our Safe Codes guide for the Insanity set
• Some optional encounters spawn additional enemies
• Insanity-exclusive item placements — a few new pickups in late-game areas

Difficulty comparison chart

Insanity strategy guide

// PRE-RUN PREP

1. Buy Infinite Ammo unlocks at the Special Content Store before starting Insanity
2. Have Mortal Edge Hatchet from previous run — carries over via NG+ option
3. Memorize Insanity safe codes — they're different from Standard
4. Plan a route — Insanity rewards efficiency, not exploration

// CORE INSANITY RULES

• Avoid combat when possible — running past enemies saves resources
• Mortal Edge parry → shoot, never melee twice — stamina runs out fast
• Save before EVERY boss — multi-attempt fights are normal on Insanity
• Conserve Requiem rounds religiously — only use them on bosses
• Eye Spy Charm is non-negotiable — kill Chunk early as Grace

Infinite Ammo trick (no trophy void)

Here's the most important thing to know about Insanity:

// HOW TO UNLOCK INFINITE AMMO

1. Complete the main story once (any difficulty including Casual)
2. Earn Challenge Points (CP) from killing enemies, finding collectibles, and completing achievements
3. Visit the Special Content Store from the main menu
4. Purchase Infinite Ammo for desired weapons:
   • Infinite Requiem — ~6,000 CP
   • Infinite RPG-7 — ~8,000 CP
   • Infinite Clatter Carbine — ~5,000 CP
5. Equip from inventory at the start of your Insanity run

// RECOMMENDED INSANITY LOADOUT

• Primary: Infinite Requiem (one-shots most enemies)
• Secondary: Infinite RPG-7 (emergency boss damage)
• Melee: Mortal Edge Hatchet (parries)
• Charm: Eye Spy Charm (random fatal damage save)

With this loadout, an experienced player can clear Insanity in roughly 3 hours 40 minutes, easily qualifying for the "Speedrunner" trophy as a bonus.

Insanity-related trophies

• Remarkable Agent (Gold) — Complete the main story on Insanity
• Speedrunner (Silver) — Complete the main story in under 5 hours (stacks with Insanity run)
• Fully Loaded (Silver) — Max upgrade any weapon (Insanity gives more CP)

Common questions

// CAN I SKIP TO INSANITY WITHOUT FINISHING THE STORY?

No. Insanity is locked behind a single completion of the main story. There are no console commands or save edits that can bypass this on console; on PC, modding voids your save data integrity.

// DO I HAVE TO PLAY THROUGH STORY EVENTS AGAIN?

Yes — Insanity is a full new game. Cutscenes can be skipped (button prompt) but the entire main path must be completed.

// IS INSANITY HARDER THAN OTHER RE GAMES?

Roughly comparable to Resident Evil 4 Remake's "Professional" difficulty. Slightly harder than RE Village's "Village of Shadows" due to the parry-focused combat and Victor Gideon's two-phase fight. Use of Infinite Ammo brings it back to manageable.

// WILL DLC ADD A HARDER DIFFICULTY?

Capcom has not announced anything beyond Insanity. Historically, RE titles have added new difficulty modes via free patches (Resident Evil 4 Remake's "Mercenaries Mode" added new challenges). Watch for community news.