3) What happens in the Lab?

Discover how your choices with Barry impact the lab sequence in Resident Evil (1996), affecting Wesker, the Tyrant, and the Master Key.

Alright, let's talk about what goes down in the Lab section of Resident Evil. This part's pretty cool because your earlier decisions, especially those involving Barry, actually change how things play out here.

Basically, your interactions with Barry earlier in the game determine whether he intervenes with Wesker in the lab. If you played it right – meaning you waited for Barry to drop the rope in the mansion and then made sure he survived the Underground section (by picking Yes/No, or Yes/Yes, or No/No and following his gunshots) – Barry will step in. He'll actually knock Wesker out with his gun before Wesker can drag you into the Tyrant Lab. Pretty neat, huh?

On the flip side, if you messed up with Barry earlier – either by not waiting for him to drop the rope in the mansion, or by choosing No/Yes in the Underground section – then Barry won't be there to save the day. Wesker will proceed to take you into the Tyrant lab without any interference.

Now, if Wesker *does* take you into the Tyrant lab (which usually means Barry's fate is sealed), things get a bit more intense. The Tyrant will actually go after Wesker first before turning its attention to you. When the Tyrant takes Wesker down, he'll drop a Master Key. This key is super important because it unlocks the door leading to the hallway with the escape elevator, which is how you'll get out of the lab. Plus, if you're feeling heroic and want to save Chris, this same Master Key can also unlock the prison door where he's being held.

One important note: if Barry dies, the mansion's self-destruct sequence won't get triggered, so you won't have to deal with that explosion. Also, if Barry's gone, you get to skip the Tyrant fight on the helipad, and the game will just end once you launch the helicopter.