Since launch, Capcom has supported Resident Evil 7 with a variety of DLC to extend the gameplay experience. Some of this DLC, like the Daughters tape, offers players a deeper look at the game's world and story, but other DLC looks to increase the challenge for players wanting to push their skills to the limit.

Out of all the DLC Capcom has released for Resident Evil 7 so far, the most challenging piece of content is the Ethan Must Die mode. Ethan Must Die may be the most difficult challenge in the Resident Evil 7 experience, but with enough practice and some of the following tips in mind, players should be able to survive the ordeal.

Before tackling Ethan Must Die, we recommend that players beat Resident Evil 7 on Madhouse difficulty, and memorize where the rooms are in the house.

What is Ethan Must Die Mode?

Added as part of the Banned Footage Vol. 1 DLC, Ethan Must Die mode is an extremely challenging game mode that adds a dose of Dark Souls to the Resident Evil 7 experience. In Ethan Must Die, protagonist Ethan Winters doesn't have the durability he does in the main game, dying after just a couple of hits from enemies. He also doesn't have as much firepower as players may be used to, and the equipment Ethan collects is entirely random.

Players begin Ethan Must Die with nothing but a knife at their disposal. It's possible to collect new weapons from crates that spawn in random locations throughout the Baker family plantation. These crates are color-coded by value, with green and purple crates containing the best items. However, some crates are rigged to explode, so players will want to listen to the ticking of a bomb and examine the tape on any crate they encounter for evidence of tampering before smashing it.

If players are lucky, they will be able to amass a solid arsenal of weapons and healing items to take into the fight with Marguerite Baker, who stands as the final boss of Ethan Must Die. Of course, before they get into the fight with Marguerite, players will have to survive against the seemingly endless onslaught of Molded monsters that are roaming around the Baker house, which is easier said than done.

Since Ethan is so weak in Ethan Must Die mode, it's very likely that players will die numerous times when trying to complete it. Upon death, a statue will appear in the place Ethan died, and if players are able to return to this statue in their next playthrough, they will be rewarded with one item Ethan had in his inventory.

Each death is a major blow to Ethan's progress in Ethan Must Die mode, so players should know that there's a lot more than the Molded monsters to deal with. To make it even more difficult to explore the Baker family plantation in this game mode, Capcom decided to add a variety of traps, like turrets and exploding pressure pads on the floor. The former can be a serious threat to Ethan, but the latter can be used strategically to defeat some of the Molded without wasting ammo. However, be warned that if Ethan is injured, he won't be able to run fast enough to activate the pressure pads without being damaged by the explosion himself.

With these things in mind, players should be going into Ethan Must Die at least somewhat more prepared than they would be otherwise. Even so, it's the biggest challenge in Resident Evil 7 so far, and it's no joke. Be prepared to die. A lot.

How to Get Into the Greenhouse

The ultimate goal of Ethan Must Die is to defeat Marguerite Baker in the greenhouse. But before Ethan can dream of taking her on, he will need to acquire useful weapons, ammo, and healing items. Above all else, though, Ethan will have to find the key that unlocks the greenhouse door to start the fight with Marguerite.

The greenhouse key is located in the living room, where the Baker family has their disgusting cannibalistic meals. However, getting there is not as simple as opening the double doors in the main hall, as that door is booby-trapped with explosives. Unfortunately, players will have to take the scenic route to the living room.

First players will want to make their way to the room where the grenade launcher is located in the main game. This room usually contains a high level crate that can be smashed for a powerful item early on in the Ethan Must Die experience. However, there will be numerous Molded that spawn on the way there, so be ready to dodge them and lead them into tripwires in order to avoid an early death.

The next stop is the basement, which has explosive pressure pads all over the floor, some tripwires, and plenty of Molded to deal with. Players can access the basement the typical way, but there is a bug nest blocking the door at the bottom of the stairs. No bugs will spawn from this nest, but it still needs to be destroyed with the knife.

Staying alive in the basement will be one of the hardest parts of Ethan Must Die mode, as there's not a lot of room to run, and at this point, players may not necessarily have any quality weapons or items. In the basement, players will want to make their way to the boiler room, but they will want to make sure they have at least one decent weapon, so take the time to smash crates and collect some items before heading there.

Upon entering the boiler room, players will be forced to fight the Molded that spawn before they can exit. Most of these Molded will be the four-legged ones that jump around the room, so players will have to react quickly if they hope to survive. The best weapon to use in this situation is a shotgun, as its spread makes it easier to shoot these things out of the air. Don't bother aiming down the sights during this fight; shooting from the hip will allow Ethan to react quicker, and it's more important that these things are knocked out of the air, not necessarily shot directly in the head.

With the boiler room ordeal over, it's a straight shot to the workshop room. There's a part of the wall missing in here that acts as a passage to the bedroom from the Stephen King-inspired bedroom puzzle that was also added to the game in the Banned Footage Vol. 1 DLC. From this bedroom, players can access the rest of the second floor of the main hall. Of interest here is the rec room, which players have to move through to get to the other side of the hall.

Keep an eye out for any traps and then drop down the broken stairwell on the other side of the hallway. Avoid any turret traps that may be waiting on the other side of the door to the living room, and then grab the greenhouse key from the cupboard. With the key in tow, it's time to take on Marguerite Baker in the greenhouse.

Marguerite Boss Fight

The Marguerite boss fight is one of the longest and most difficult battles in the main game, so as one can imagine, it's no walk in the park in Ethan Must Die. However, if players are smart about conserving ammo in the sections leading up to this battle, then it should be far from impossible.

The section of the greenhouse right before the Marguerite encounter usually has high-level crates players can smash to find helpful items. At this point, it's paramount that players smash as many safe crates as possible to have as much firepower and healing items they can carry. Weapons that will be the most helpful in the Marguerite boss fight are ones that deal fire damage, so a grenade launcher with flame rounds or the flamethrower will do wonders here.

Otherwise, the strategy for this boss fight is the same as it is in the main game. Players will want to stay on guard, and let Marguerite come to them. When she's visible, aim for the bug nest on her crotch to deal the most damage, preferably with the flamethrower or the grenade launcher. Once Ethan's supply of flame rounds and burner fuel has been exhausted, throw the rest of Ethan's firepower at Marguerite.

Players that have The Secrets of Defense in their inventory and are skilled at blocking may consider using a knife against Marguerite, even if they have ammo for other weapons after going through all their flame rounds and burner fuel. The knife does a surprising amount of damage in Resident Evil 7 and is a viable weapon for those skilled enough to use it properly.

With enough persistence and practice, Ethan will finally be able to defeat Marguerite, and players will unlock the elusive Ethan Never Dies achievement/trophy.

With Ethan Must Die mode completed, players will have conquered Resident Evil 7's greatest challenge to date. However, Capcom still has more in store for fans of the game, including another volume of the Banned Footage DLC, along with a free story expansion that stars franchise hero Chris Redfield. It's hard to say at this point if any of the future DLC for Resident Evil 7 will be as challenging as Ethan Must Die mode, but time will tell.

Resident Evil 7 is available now for PC, PS4, PlayStation VR, and Xbox One.