In the same way the original Resident Evil was a classic redefined by its remake, Capcom breathed new life into Resident Evil 2 in 2019. While the original was always one of the more action oriented games in the series (with more than enough ammo to spare on any given playthrough,) Resident Evil 2’s remake sought to play up the horror: featuring more durable zombies and a greater emphasis on puzzle solving.
More importantly, Resident Evil 2 (2019) is considerably scarier than its source material – showing off a side to the RPD fans had never seen before. Along with remakes the Police Station, Resident Evil 2 expands everything around it. Leon & Claire escape the RPD only to find themselves trapped underground, with no recourse but to track down the Diamond Key and loop back into the Police Department they just broke out of.
Underground Facility
After placing all three Medallions into the Main Hall statue, Leon and Claire will be able to descend into the Underground Facility where they’ll fight G for the first time. Upon defeating William, Leon and Claire will meet up with their respective partners (Ada and Sherry), before making their way to the basement floor of the Police Station.
Using the Operations Room down the ladder as a starting point, go to the East Central Passage and cut through the Kennel to get to the other side of the passage. Players will need to enter the Morgue in order to find the Diamond Key. It’s important to keep in mind that Leon and Claire will interact with different enemies down here. When playing as Leon, he’ll face a gauntlet of infected Cerberus. As Claire, she’ll need to fight a few Lickers.
Into The Morgue
Getting the Diamond Key is relatively simple, but players will be ambushed by two zombies as soon as they pick up the key. The Diamond Key can be found inside of a body locker inside of the morgue. A Red Herb and a Flash Grenade can be found in the southern batch of body lockers, while the Diamond Key is hidden on the north wall.
Before unlocking the northern body lockers, kill the zombie perched by the door’s entrance first as he’ll come alive once you grab the Diamond Key. Now open the second body locker from the left to find a zombie laying down next to the Diamond Key. They’ll jump off their bed as soon as the Diamond Key is picked up, so be prepared to kill them fast.
Firing Range Office
With the Diamond Key in hand, players can now start unlocking the rest of the RPD’s doors (Leon has two doors he can open with the Diamond Key while Claire has three). From the Morgue, cut back through the Kennel and head north into the Firing Range. There will be two zombies stumbling around in the range itself if the Diamond Key has already been picked up.
Either kill them or unlock the Office door with the Diamond Key fast. Inside the Firing Range Office, players can find a Red Herb and a Roll Film that reveals the third floor locker’s code: DCM. If you take two long, the two zombies will break down the Firing Range door, but there’s little reason to return here after unlocking the door so there’s little reason to engage.
Elevator Controls Room
Leon will only be able to unlock the Firing Range Office when he first gets his hands on the Diamond Key, but Claire actually needs the key to unlock the Elevator Controls Room – necessary for reaching the next step of her story. Conversely, Leon goes to the Jail Cell in lieu of stepping foot in the Elevator Room.
Claire can find a Blue Herb, White High-Grade Gunpowder, and a Shoulder Stock for her GM 79 Grenade Launcher. When combined with the GM 79, Claire’s recoil decreases with the Grenade Launcher and she’s able to aim her shots more reliably. Of all the keys, the Diamond Key is arguably the least useful in terms of actual progression, but it does lead to some worthwhile bonuses.
Linen Room
Once Leon and Claire have returned to the RPD proper, they can use the Diamond Key to unlock the Linen Room on the second floor. In all playthroughs, unlocking the Linen Room allows players to pick up Gunpowder and a Portable Safe with an 8 button combination.
Once the Portable Safe has been unlocked, players will gain access to a Spare Key which can be used down in the Safety Deposit Room. While Claire needs the key to proceed through the story, it’s worth pointing out that Leon doesn’t actually need the Diamond Key to complete his game – instead relying on the Club Key in its place while Claire goes on to use the Heart Key.