Leon Kennedy’s first battle with the Los Iluminados cult in Resident Evil 4 Remake can actually be skipped by players with the right equipment, a steady hand and a bit of luck. The harrowing fight in the village square serves as a pulse-pounding intro sequence to Resident Evil 4 Remake, forcing players to shoot and dodge a horde of infected villagers. However, although it’s an important set piece, players can skip it to save ammo, resources, and time.During Chapter 1’s big battle, players aren’t expected to kill all of the villagers or find a way to escape the area. Instead, players only need to survive until the church bell rings, triggering a cutscene where the villagers stop hunting Leon and retreat. This effectively gives the game a way to teach players basic mechanics including shooting, knife parries, and evasion. As shown by @KuyaDenzel95 on Twitter, to skip the battle, players can shoot the church bell to trigger the cutscene early.

Related: Resident Evil 4 Remake Final Boss & Ending Explained (In Detail)

How To Skip Resident Evil 4 Remake’s First Battle

Resident Evil 4 Remake Leon Aiming At Church Bell From Two-Storey House To Skip Chapter 1 Fight

To find and shoot the church bell, players must head into the village, ing the burning corpse of Leon’s unfortunate police escort. There’s a two-story house on the left that Leon can enter. At the top of the staircase, players can pick up the W-870 shotgun, a great early addition to Leon’s arsenal in RE4 Remake, and jump out the window immediately to the right at the top of the stairs. This will put players on a small roof where they can spot the church tower far off in the distance.

The bell is below the tip of the tower roof. Unfortunately, there’s a tree that partially blocks players’ line of sight, and hitting the bell with the starting handgun is extraordinarily difficult. Players will need to be quick, to avoid the villagers chasing Leon, and be lucky enough to score a hit. The bell should ring if struck, triggering the cutscene and leaving the village mostly empty for players to loot and explore.

The two-story farmhouse is on the same side of town as the Village Gap In the Wall.

Skipping Resident Evil 4 Remake’s First Battle In New Game Plus

Resident Evil 4 Remake Leon Looking At Village Church Tower In Chapter 1

Shooting the church bell is technically possible, but extremely difficult with the starting handgun. In fact, it’s arguably easier for new players to fight the villagers and try to survive the horde. However, skipping the battle is a much more viable approach for veteran players returning for a New Game Plus playthrough.

In New Game Plus, players have access to all of the weapons they obtained during their first run. Some of these guns, including the powerful CQBR Assault Rifle, Stingray, and SR M1903, can be upgraded with scopes. The ability to zoom in on the church tower makes it easier to hit the bell.

As such, skipping Resident Evil 4 Remake’s first battle is more viable for expert players looking to by a tough fight, and less of an option for new players on their first runs.