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The boss fight against Krauser was only a warmup before one of the toughest bosses inResident Evil 4 Remake.Reaching the top of the Clock Tower and defeating Ramon Salazar is a perilous gauntlet that will likely take most of your ammo and supplies - and there’s still plenty more danger to come in the game’s final act on the Island!
Related:Resident Evil 4 Remake: Chapter Eleven Walkthrough
Whether you seek to complete some Challenges by fighting with style or to simply survive the onslaught, this guide has the strategies you need to finally escape from Castle Salazar. There are several enemies and traps here that can cause instant death, so be sure you’re ready to avoid them!
This guide contains minor spoilers.
How To Deface Ramon Salazar’s Portrait (Optional)
Start bycollecting the Red and Green Herbsin the right-hand side of the area if you didn’t do so during the fight with Krauser. Follow the path to the left at the end of the platform andhead up toward the surface.The Merchant has a room to the left of the lift, and there aretwo Requestsposted on the wall.The gate to the right leadsback to the Ballroom, allowing you to tie up any loose ends in the Castle before riding the tram to the Clock Tower.
Return to the Throne Room, where Salazar first threw you into the dungeon. A few Novistadors will have respawned in the Ballroom, and the Antechamber where you fought the Garradors is now inhabited bythree Ganados and three free-roaming Plagas.Fight your way to the Throne Room and use the Cubic Device to open the chest on the right-hand side.
Inside you’ll find a Golden Egg. Equip it as a weapon andthrow it at the portrait of Salazarto the left of the throne, then return to the Merchant to collect your Spinels.
If you’ve been saving normal eggs since the Village, you’re able to throw one of those instead and sell the Golden Egg… or better yet,hang onto it for the boss fight.
Related:Resident Evil: Every Playable Character’s Age, Height, and Birthday
How To Climb The Clock Tower
When you’re ready, go to the Clock Tower and loot all the barrels in the entryway. Heal and reload, thenopen the main door.After a short cutscene,fight the Ganados at ground levelthen make your way around the edge fo the room clockwise.Destroy the Clockwork Castellanunder the stairs on the left, then start climbing the stairs themselves. The top of the stairs is blocked, but there’s acask containing an Alexandritehanging from the ceiling just before the barricade.
Look for a scaffold leading to thestatue of Salazar under construction.When the statue’s head turns toward you,pull backas it’s about to breathe fire. Wait for the statue to faceall the way to the rightthen run along the scaffold to the ladder on the left.
The statue will rise up as you climb, sokeep evading the fireand make your way to the stairs. When you reach the first landing, the cultists will start rollinggiant iron ballsdown them. Stay near the railing to avoid getting squashed, and only move after a ball has just passed.
The iron balls don’t affect enemies at all,unless Leon is the one to pull the lever.After reaching the top, you caneliminate your pursuersby turning their weapon against them!
At the top of the stairs,kill the Ganado operating the leverand walk out onto the narrow ledge beyond him to get a Treasure, then jump down to the center platform. Open the chest on the left, thenpull the lever to start the lift.
The lift will stop if a Ganado climbs onto it, so try to kill them before they jump on. Use the red barrels to quickly clear out groups, butwatch out for crossbowssince you don’t have any cover.
Start by watching the grate directly in front of the lever;a priest will appearshortly after the lift starts moving; killing him now will prevent him from stunning you during the first segment.
If you pull the lever to release a ball thenimmediately rush to the lift and activate it, the priest will arrive just as the ball reaches his area, eliminating him instantly! Your timing has to be perfect, but makes the first part of this section much easier.
Dodge the crossbow shots coming from the right andtime your shot on the red barrelto take out the crossbowman and the two Ganados running up the stairs. Another Ganado coming out from the door on the left usually survives the blast, so be ready to take him out.
Next, turn around andshoot the Ganado about to jump down from above.Immediately afterward, turn to the right to take out the next jumper - you may need to use the red barrel to finish her off in time.
Turn to the left again andshoot the red barrelto stop the pair running toward the crossbow. Ignore the shooter for now and lookup and to the leftto stop another enemy attempting to board the lift.
There’s a second priest that appears halfway up the lift, but you aren’t likely to have time to kill him; instead, you’ll have tosuffer through blurred visionand shoot the Ganados on the platforms above with quick-kill weapons like the Riot Gun. If you manage to reach the top without any Ganados boarding the elevator, you’ll receive theCapacity ComplianceAchievement / Trophy.
At the top,take a rightand leave through the door to reach the clock face. Follow the scaffolding until you see a vantage point where you canuse your binocularsto get eyes on Salazar and Ashley.
Note the two crossbowmen to the left; if you have ammo for your rifle,snipe thembefore climbing down the ladder. This makes the crossing much easier.
Running on the rotten boards of the scaffold will cause them to break, resulting in a game over.
Halfway across the scaffolding, there’s a cask hanging from above with aYellow Diamond.At the far end,turn leftto visit the Merchant. Take the Yellow Herb across from his desk, and check the ladder at the back of his shop to find a First Aid Spray. It’s imperative that yourepari your armorbefore proceeding - you’ll need it to survive the upcoming boss fight.
When you’re ready, follow the path down to the large doors. There’s one more Ganado blocking the way, and a pair of barrels with ammo by the door.
How To Defeat Ramon Salazar
The moment the fight begins,turn aroundto find a barrel that almost always contains Rifle Ammo. Salazar doesn’t start attacking for a while, so you have time to collect it and reload if need be.
Salazar’s monstrous form is a lot more mobile that it was in the original game; you’ll need to keep an eye on your surroundings in all three dimensions throughout the fight. The only way to damage Salazar is toshoot his humanoid forminside the maw of his Plaga; this can be done before or after he makes an acid attack, but trying to shoot him before an attack is begging to be hit.Only fire after Salazar has finished attacking.
Salazar can always hit you with his acid sprays if he has a clear shot; stick to the stairs at the sides of the room anduse the platforms as cover.
Salazar’s acid attacks won’t harm Leon until your armor is completely degraded, but physical attacks can still deal heavy damage. Whatever you do,never stay within melee range of Salazar.A single bite from his Plaga is an instant kill.
Acid bombs will appear throughout the fight asblack pustules. Shoot them when you see them; theyoccasionally drop ammo, but more importantly walking into one will leave you stunned and vulnerable.
After dealing considerable damage to Salazar, he’lldrop to the ground,allowing for a melee followup. These aren’t necessary to defeat the boss, but they’re the most efficient means of dealing damage. The first time you do this, Salazar will counter with a heavy acid spray, either from the ceiling or a nearby wall - take cover!
When Salazar is defeated,take his Lip Rougeand loot any last pickups remaining in the area. Finally, you can cross the drawbridge to leave the Castle behind for good! Head down the stairs and empty the barrels on the right before boarding the elevator.
There are a pair of Armaduras in the tunnels below,one near the beginning and one near the end. They shouldn’t pose much of a threat, but be sure that you’re healed and reloaded before approaching them! Read the note on the right in the second Armadura’s room, then continue to find a boat. Hop in to chase Krauser and end the chapter.
