Resident Evil 4 (opens in new tab)'s Mercenaries update isn't the only piece of DLC Capcom's remake received today (opens in new tab). Alongside the free new mode, Capcom has added 11 pieces of paid DLC to the Steam store in the form of Weapon Upgrade Tickets.
Every weapon in Resident Evil 4 has an exclusive upgrade that substantially boosts its functionality, and each one works differently. The Red9's exclusive upgrade, for example, increases its power by 1.5x, while the Punisher's exclusive upgrade enables bullets to penetrate through five targets in a row.
In regular play, you need to max out a weapon's upgrades before you can purchase the exclusive upgrade. By bringing one of these weapon tickets to the Merchant, however, players can get instant access to a weapon's exclusive upgrade at any point during the game. The ticket also lets you have the upgrade free-of-charge, where in-game costs typically range from 60,000 to 100,000 pesetas.
"To gun enthusiasts, knife collectors, and lovers of weapons of any and all kinds: here's your ticket to the gun show! Specifically a ticket to be redeemed at the Merchant's shop," reads the blurb on the Weapon Upgrade ticket's Steam store page (opens in new tab). "With this, you'll have access to a weapon's exclusive upgrade at any time, regardless of the weapon's level. Not only that, but once unlocked, the upgrade itself is free of charge!"
On the Steam store, weapon upgrade tickets come in different bundles. A single ticket will set you back £2.49. But tickets can also be bought in groups of three and five, which cost £5.78 and £7.99 respectively.
The appearance of paid microtransaction DLC for Resident Evil 4 is something of a surprise, and not necessarily a pleasant one. All the usual caveats apply, obviously. You don't need to buy it to finish the game, and these tickets are optional extras that are paid for outside the base game, rather than being actively incorporated into it.
That said, aside from being a great action game, one of the most refreshing things about the Resi 4 remake is how free it was from all the cynical extra monetisation so many big-budget games are lumbered with these days. The fact this DLC has appeared unexpectedly after the game has been reviewed is also questionable, as such a feature likely would have been picked up on by reviews had these tickets been available at the time.
None of this changes the fact that the Resi 4 remake is still fundamentally a fantastic game. But speaking personally, the way Capcom has rolled this out takes a bit of the shine off.
