By now, I certainly hope you’ve had the chance to play the recently released Resident Evil 2 remake. Though it didn’t top the 1998 original in my view, it’s one fantastic entry into the long-running survival horror franchise that I simply can’t get enough of.
Whether or not you’ve been able to partake in the fun, odds are you’ve seen the dreadful Mr. X popping up in videos on your social media feed. To date, the sharply dressed Tyrant has confounded players and likely forced them to poop their pants on various occasions.
To my surprise – and, apparently, Capcom’s – Mr. X has caught on like none could’ve imagined. Perhaps it’s the social media element I mentioned moments ago that played a big part, because that sure wasn’t around when I was blasting zombies in Raccoon City more than twenty years ago.
Still, the bulk of the credit goes to the talented people who actually worked on the game, as they made this guy much more terrifying and formidable than in the original. In fact, here’s what director Kazunori Kadoi told PC Gamer about how the monster’s AI differed from what came before:
“From an AI perspective, they’re fairly different. In the original game, Tyrant wouldn’t break through rooms aside from very specific events. He mainly acted as a threat that stayed with you until you were able to successfully run and load into another section of the game. In this game, Tyrant will track you down regardless of being rooms apart from each other, so the fundamental components of his AI are vastly different.”
Those who’ve played the original no doubt remember how Mr. X would pop up at inopportune points during the “B” scenario, and how you could put him down with enough firepower until killing him for good in a boss battle down the road. Granted, you’ll still blow him to bits with a rocket launcher near the end of Leon’s adventure in the remake, but he can be stunned for only a minute or so this time around. After that, he’ll stand back up and sniff out your location.
And yes, he is actively “searching” for you, as Kadoi spilled the following beans:
“If Tyrant loses track of the player, he is technically still searching for the player, but will walk in random routes. He basically acts the same as if a real person is tracking you down, checking each section of the area and meticulously moving from one area to another. However, if he hears something nearby or potentially catches a glimpse of the player in the distance, he will definitely start aggressively tracking towards the direction of the player.”
That said, my recommendation is that Resident Evil 2 players haul ass to the nearest save room or an area Mr. X can’t enter whenever he finds you. Unless you’re attempting a speedrun of some sort, there’s nothing wrong with waiting a few minutes before it’s (relatively) safe to proceed.