The streets of Raccoon City are fraught with danger, where every bullet counts and inventory space is a precious commodity. In the heart-pounding survival horror experience of the Resident Evil 3 remake, thorough exploration isn’t just rewarding—it’s often the key to survival. Scattered throughout the decaying urban landscape are locked safes and lockers, each guarding valuable upgrades, ammunition, and equipment crucial for facing the relentless Nemesis. This guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough to finding every combination and unlocking every secret stash, ensuring you are fully equipped to endure the nightmare.
Unlike straightforward key items, the combinations for these storage units are environmental puzzles in themselves. They are hidden within the world’s lore—scribbled on whiteboards, noted in journals, or embedded as clever callbacks to the series’ past. Successfully unlocking them grants access to powerful weapon attachments, vital inventory expansions, and rare ammunition that can dramatically alter the difficulty of your playthrough. Mastering these secrets is a hallmark of a seasoned survivor.
Downtown Area: The Pharmacy Safe
Your first major opportunity for looting comes early in the game within the Downtown section. Shortly after the initial chaos, you will come across a small pharmacy. While the interior may seem like a standard resource-gathering stop, it holds the clue to a significant weapon upgrade.
The combination for the safe, located in a building directly across the street from the pharmacy’s front door, is found inside the pharmacy itself. Examine the journal left on the counter by the infected pharmacist. His note cryptically mentions that his “Aqua Cure Queen” knows the combination. Look around the shop’s walls to find a promotional poster for “Aqua Cure” featuring a woman, the “Queen.” Closer inspection of this poster will reveal the safe code: 9 Left, 3 Right, 7 Left.
- Location: Building across from the Downtown Pharmacy.
- Combination: 9 Left, 3 Right, 7 Left.
- Reward: Red Dot Sight for your handgun. This attachment significantly improves aiming accuracy, making it indispensable for precision shots against standard enemies and critical for targeting the weak points of tougher foes.
Raccoon City Police Department (RPD) Secrets
Returning to the iconic Raccoon City Police Department is a highlight of the game, and it is filled with secrets for those familiar with Resident Evil 2. Two safes and two lockers are hidden within its labyrinthine halls, offering substantial rewards.
West Office Safe
On the first floor (1F), in the West Office, you will find a safe tucked in the bottom-left corner of the room. For players who explored the RPD in Resident Evil 2, this code will be instantly recognizable.
- Location: RPD 1F, West Office (bottom-left corner).
- Combination: 9 Left, 15 Right, 7 Left. This code is the same as the safe in the West Office of the Resident Evil 2 remake. If you’ve forgotten, a file in the Darkroom safe room on the ground floor also lists it.
- Reward: A Hip Pouch. This item permanently increases your inventory capacity by two slots, a game-changing upgrade for managing resources.
Nurse’s Station Safe (Hospital)
While not in the RPD, this safe is accessed during Carlos’s segment in the hospital. It is notable for having a shorter, two-number combination.
- Location: Hospital 2F, Nurse’s Station (bottom-right corner).
- Combination: 9 Left, 3 Right. The clue for this code is found on a document in the Hospital’s 1F Operation Room.
- Reward: The High-Capacity Magazine for the assault rifle. This upgrade doubles the weapon’s magazine size, allowing for sustained fire without reloading—a vital advantage during Carlos’s defensive segments.
Shower Room Locker
Located on the second floor (2F) of the RPD, in the top-left area, is the Shower Room. The locker here requires a three-letter code.
- Location: RPD 2F, Shower Room.
- Combination: C.A.P. The code is written on a whiteboard in the 1F Operation Room (the room with the one-way shutters).
- Reward: A Flash Grenade. This utility item can stun groups of enemies, including the formidable Pale Heads, and is also effective at blinding and stunning Nemesis, creating a brief window to escape or deal damage.
3F Hallway Locker
On the third floor (3F) of the RPD, in the main hallway on the left-hand side, you will find another letter-coded locker.
- Location: RPD 3F, main hallway (left end).
- Combination: D.C.M. The clue for this locker is on a whiteboard inside the 1F Safety Deposit Room, which requires the Diamond Key to access.
- Reward: Assault Rifle Ammo. This provides a valuable resupply of ammunition for Carlos’s primary weapon, crucial for the upcoming battles.
Pro Tips for Masterful Unlocking
Efficiently securing these resources requires more than just knowing the codes. Integrating these strategies into your playthrough will save time, reduce risk, and optimize your character’s power.
- Prioritize the Early Upgrades: The Red Dot Sight from the Downtown safe and the first Hip Pouch from the RPD safe are transformative early-game boosts. Make unlocking these a priority as soon as you have the codes.
- Map Marking is Key: Use the in-game map. Rooms and items appear in different colors; a red room indicates there are still items to collect. After finding a code clue but not the corresponding safe, the map can help you remember its location later.
- Sequence Breaking with Knowledge: On repeat playthroughs, you can unlock most safes and lockers the moment you encounter them, as the codes are always the same. This allows for extremely powerful early-game routing for speedruns or higher-difficulty runs.
- Don’t Ignore Environmental Storytelling: The codes are part of the world’s narrative. Reading the journals and notes doesn’t just give you combinations; it enriches the story of Raccoon City’s fall and the desperate actions of its final inhabitants.
- Manage Your Visits: Some areas, like the RPD, are visited under tense circumstances with limited resources. Plan your route to grab locker codes and then open the lockers in a single, efficient loop to avoid backtracking through dangerous areas.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Are the safe and locker combinations random on each playthrough?
No. All safe codes and locker combinations are fixed and will remain identical every time you play the game, regardless of difficulty setting. This consistency is what allows for memorization and speedrunning strategies.
I missed a safe early in the game. Can I go back for it later?
This depends on the specific safe. The Raccoon City streets and Downtown areas become inaccessible after certain story progress points due to collapse or lockdown. It is generally advised to open safes in an area before completing its main objective. The RPD and Hospital areas are generally self-contained and can be fully explored during your time there.
Do I need any special items to open these safes and lockers?
No special key items are required to dial the combinations themselves. However, you may need specific keys (like the Diamond Key) to access the rooms where some lockers or their code clues are located.
Is there a penalty for entering the wrong combination?
There is no in-game penalty for incorrect attempts. You can try dialing combinations as many times as you like without attracting enemies or triggering any negative effects.
What is the single most valuable item from these lockups?
While subjective, the Hip Pouches are arguably the most universally valuable. The Red Dot Sight is a close second for combat efficiency, but increased inventory space provides flexibility in every encounter, allowing you to carry more healing items, ammunition, and key tools.
Conclusion
Mastering the secrets of Raccoon City’s safes and lockers is an essential skill for any player looking to conquer the horrors of Resident Evil 3. The rewards locked within—from the precision-enhancing Red Dot Sight to the capacity-increasing Hip Pouches and rare ammunition—directly contribute to your survival odds against the infected hordes and the unstoppable Nemesis. By methodically searching for clues, understanding the fixed nature of the puzzles, and strategically planning your exploration routes, you transform from a desperate survivor into a prepared and formidable force. This knowledge not only empowers your current journey but also paves the way for more confident and efficient future playthroughs on higher difficulties.
