There isn't really a stealth or espionage aspect to Resident Evil Village, but so long as people are locking up their valuables, there is still a place for lockpicking. Like many other games, lockpicks are of a single-use, so finding one is not even close to good enough. The situation can spiral out of control as there appear to be several locks in the village and little to no lockpicks.
Take a deep breath, completionists out there. It's possible for Ethan to unlock all of these drawers and cabinets, even if not right away. Though most of the drawers contain an insultingly bad reward (i.e. three shotgun shells), it's still required for a 100% finish. Take it slow and the picks no treasure will be able to stay hidden for long.
Where To Find Lockpicks
- Village - Outhouse in West Old Town
- Village - Well in West Old Town
- Dimitrescu's Castle - In the hall between the Kitchen and Dining Room
- Dimitrescu's Castle - In the Atelier with the bell puzzle, up the stairs
- Dimitrescu's Castle - In the Armory
- Garden - In the shack by the marked treasure near Donna Beneviento's dollhouse
- Village - In the building with the grenade launcher, on a window sill
- Well - Just south of Donna Beneviento's dollhouse, climb down the ladder
- Factory - In a dead-end at the very south of Heisenberg's Foundry, on basement level three
- Factory - On top of a table in the middle of the Operating Room
Some videos still show players buying lockpicks from the Duke, which was apparently a feature in the demo and earlier iterations of the game. The ability to buy lockpicks has been removed from the game, so the only way to acquire them is to find them.
There are a few known locations for having picks, but the easiest rule of thumb is to make sure each area has changed from red to blue before leaving. Lockpicks and the containers they open will both leave a room red on the map, meaning it is still holding a secret to uncover.
How To Unlock A Drawer
Drawers that need keys and not lockpicks will automatically open the Key Items menu. Drawers that need a lockpick won't state it explicitly when first examining the drawer.
After clicking to examine the locked object, an inventory menu will come up. Select the lockpick at this moment. Don't worry about minigames or perfect timing, if Ethan has a pick, the drawer will unlock without further hurdles.
Time Limit
There is a moment after confronting Heisenberg that will trigger a series of events that erases the possibility of going back, including for locked objects. Any cabinets or treasure chests will no longer be accessible, so any extra lockpicks will go to waste.
Also, make sure every room is blue before confronting a boss in their area. While the village can be revisited, the four manors will collapse behind Ethan and render them effectively blocked.