Separated from Ashley after an unsettling encounter with the powers of the Las Plagas parasite, in Chapter 8 of Resident Evil 4, Leon must navigate the treacherous Castle Battlements, facing off against increasingly terrifying creatures to reunite with his charge. This guide will help players overcome the puzzles, boss battles, and creature encounters found throughout Chapter 8 of the Resident Evil 4 remake.
Wine Cellar
This chapter begins with Leon before a blocked gate. From here, take a left past the fountain and through an archway. Head left and through the door to find a typewriter and a Merchant stall. Exiting out, take the stairs up and into some tunnels. Walk out towards the shrine and take the stairs up to the left, vaulting through a broken grate up there.
Dropping down, players cannot progress further without unlocking the gate ahead. To do so, head through the tattered curtains to the left towards the chanting. Entering this room will trigger a scene where multiple Plaga Guadaña are summoned. With waist-high barrels circling the arena, using stealth here is optional but ideal.
Sneak around the barrels to the right, waiting behind the wooden divider until the castellan up ahead has passed by. Go forwards and up the stairs once the coast is clear. At the top is a congregation of Ganados that are guaranteed to spot you, at which point players should make directly for the Crimson Zealot, who, if left unattended, will constantly create more Plaga Guadaña for the player to deal with.
Once he is down, take out the rest of the Ganados, making use of the explosive barrels in the area and keeping an eye on the archers above. With the room cleared, grab the Crimson Lantern from the corpse of the Zealot and head back to the grate where Leon entered the cellar.
Use the Crimson Lantern on the Zealot statue to the left of the gate for it to open. Passing through, take a right along the corridor and go through the leftmost door. Following the corridor through another door will start a cutscene.
Bindery
Following the reintroduction of a familiar face, players may notice the elaborate relief on the wall of the bindery. Explore the room to find three Lithographic Stones; one atop a dresser by the door, one in a glass cabinet beside a printing press, and a final on the bookshelf by the relief. Reapproach the relief to solve the Bindery Lithographic Stones Puzzle.
With the hidden door open, proceed down the hallway around to the left, taking the stairs up past the room with the fireplace. Squeeze through the broken wall to the right and hold the interact button to move the fallen cabinet ahead where a terrifying new enemy type will appear. This fast-moving fiend can chain multiple attacks and close distances quickly so be ready to parry multiple times when he attacks. Once the host is down, be sure to kill the arachnid-like parasite as well.
With both creatures dead, proceed down the hallway and take the stairs down where another savepoint can be found. Here, destroy the gate counterweight and press forward onto the battlement where Ramon Salazar will return to taunting Leon. Bewaring the archers on the top of the tower, shoot the counterweight on the left to release the drawbridge where more enemies will be waiting.
Castle Battlements
Continuing forward, pull the lever in the room ahead to open the gate. Head inside and climb the ladder, pulling another lever once Leon reaches the top. This will lead to a room with more Plaga Araña. Once they’re killed, or ignored, take the ladder back down and go through the gate with the full sun above it. Inside, drop down a level and make a U-turn, following the corridor along and dealing with any enemies in the way.
Eventually, the player can come across another lever; pull it, and follow the hallway behind them around to the left. This will lead to a ramp that Leon can use to climb up to the next level.
Up here, pull yet another lever to the left and climb to another level where two Ganados await. Clear them out and pass through the sun door behind them. In the next room, take the stairs up and take on the four Ganados up there. Now, pull a lever and go through the crescent moon gate to reach the roof where a Giant will attack.
Run for cover behind the barricade to the left and drop down the ladder once the giant has finished his attack. Using the parapets as protection, quickly move between cover as the Giant continues to throw rubble at Leon. At the next tower, two Ganados will be waiting to attack Leon. Use cover and take them out quickly before progressing.
Next, Leon will come to a collapsed battlement with two archers firing from the far end. Using the parapet as cover, take them out in between Giant attacks and then drop down below. Once on the ground, turn around and quickly dispatch the attacking Ganado before heading through the crescent moon gate behind him. Inside, pull the lever to open the sun door behind Leon and keep pushing forward, dropping down yet another level.
After taking cover, deal with the Ganado down here and wait for the giant to attack. Once he does, make a sprint for the nearby ladder and climb, taking cover upon reaching the top. Back on this level, run for the open sun gate to access the room with the cannon. In here, smash the counterweight to raise the cannon and take the ladder to the left up. Smash another counterweight upon reaching the top and take the stairs at the back of the tower.
Taking cover behind the barricades again, wait for the Giant to attack then grab the cannon, turning it to face the beast and firing. With the Giant down, turn the cannon to the left to shoot open nearby gate. Dropping down from the cannon tower, cross the bridge and enter the broken gate to head deeper into the castle. After a short scene, pass through some linear halls and out onto the Courtyard balcony. Unlock the door ahead to start a heart-warming cutscene between Leon and Ashley and bring the chapter to a close.
Resident Evil 4 is currently available for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.