Navigating the treacherous corridors of the Raccoon City Police Department requires survival horror veterans to hunt down firepower upgrades as quickly as possible. One of the most critical landmarks in this terrifying journey is the S.T.A.R.S. office armory, which locks away high-tier specialized weaponry behind an electronic security gate. Gaining access to this valuable stash demands a precise series of exploration steps across multiple floors of the police station rather than a straightforward keycard unlock.
Tracking the Red Book and the Art Room Statue
Your quest for elite armory access begins on the second floor of the police department inside the historic library room. Players must locate a distinct red book resting on a table near the spade-marked door, which serves as a crucial puzzle piece. Once you secure this item, navigate carefully across the main hall to enter the heavily detailed art room located on the eastern side of the building.
Inside this exhibit room stands a stone statue missing its right hand, prompting you to combine the arm lying nearby with the red book from your inventory. Placing this newly assembled piece back onto the statue triggers a mechanical release that drops a valuable red scepter. Inspecting this scepter directly within your inventory allows you to extract a pristine red gem hidden within its ornate container.
Cracking the Bejeweled Box in the Interrogation Suite
With the glowing red gemstone secured, players must progress further into the campaign until they gain entry to the lower corridor rooms. You will eventually unlock the interrogation room, where an ornate and mysteriously locked bejeweled box sits waiting on one of the storage shelves. Snatching up this containment unit gives you the foundation needed to forge the final security device required by the main office computer.
Open your inventory and manually combine the red gem with the slots on the lid of the newly acquired bejeweled box. This action unlocks the container to reveal a heavy metallic S.T.A.R.S. badge that seems useless at first glance. Examining the reverse side of this badge allows you to flip open a hidden switch, instantly converting the physical collectible into a functional USB dongle key.
Unlocking the Security Computer for Elite Weapons
Carry this technological key back upstairs to the second floor and cautiously enter the main S.T.A.R.S. office workspace. Walk up to the glowing computer terminal situated right next to the locked security armory gate. Insert the USB dongle key directly into the terminal tower and execute the terminal prompt to open the cage door.
Stepping inside allows Leon to claim the devastating Lightning Hawk magnum pistol, while Claire can retrieve the rapid-firing MQ 11 submachine gun. Do not forget to retrieve your badge from the computer after the gate opens, as it remains necessary for unlocking weapon modifications later in the campaign.
