How To Survive Mr. X In Resident Evil 2

So you've finally encountered Mr. X, the hulking figure who barely seems to fit through the hallways and doors of Resident Evil 2. You've heard his heavy footsteps on the floorboards above you. You've seen his shadow cast on the wall as he stalks toward a corner, relentlessly hunting you and only you. You're just looking for that one item that will help you solve a puzzle. You just want to make it out alive.

But Mr. X is always there. He's always on the move, listening for a gunshot to ring out so he can pinpoint your location. And then he'll be just around the bend, or just on the other side of the door. In a game that is full of scares, Mr. X somehow manages to make bloodthirsty zombies seem harmless by comparison. You can at least run around them and rest easy knowing they won't follow you into a safe zone.

Mr. X, however, doesn't play by those rules. So you're probably wondering — how do you shake this guy? Can you kill him? Is there a way to get this monstrosity off of your tail so your heartbeat can slow down for just one second?

The simplest answer is this: Mr. X is unkillable for most of Resident Evil 2's campaign. But you can slow him down.

The trick is to aim for the head. You're just cashing out precious ammunition if you shoot at his body. But Mr. X will eventually drop to the ground for a short duration if you land some solid headshots. There is one exception to the no-body rule, and that's if you're using something powerful, like a grenade launcher. Pump some of those into Mr. X and he'll take a breather, giving you plenty of time to make a fast exit and put some space in between the both of you.

Just know that he'll keep on coming, though. And he'll find you a whole lot faster if you cause a commotion. So if you decide to dispatch some zombies with a gun and then you hear those unmistakable footsteps and that ominous music swell, it's time to start planning for another escape. And don't even thinking about running to the nearest typewriter, a trick that gets the zombies in Resident Evil 2 off your back. Mr. X goes where he pleases, which means he'll follow you right into the Raccoon City Police Department's main lobby.

There really are few places you can hide, but few is better than none. You can find refuge in the S.T.A.R.S office, for instance, as well as the dark room, the clock tower, the police chief's office, the break room, and the secret room under the Main Hall.

If you're new to the series, here's a bit of a primer: Mr. X was originally part of Resident Evil 2's Scenario B, which meant you'd only run into him after playing through the game's Scenario A once as either Leon or Claire. So the appearance of Mr. X likely took veteran players by surprise, since they wouldn't be expecting him until after they'd completed a playthrough. He didn't look quite as dapper in the 1998 release — there was no fedora in that version — but he was still an imposing figure. As it turns out, Mr. X is what's called a Tyrant: a genetically mutated human clone, engineered to serve as a bio-organic weapon. And in Mr. X's specific case, he is of the T-103 variety of Tyrants, more intelligent and powerful than those in Resident Evil Zero and the first Resident Evil.

All of that lore from the original Resident Evil 2 appears to hold up. The main difference between the Mr. X of yore and the Mr. X of today is where he shows up. The Resident Evil 2 remake is certainly inspired by the original, but it's not a shot-for-shot remake. As such, Capcom took some liberties with some of the bigger story beats. And that includes tossing Mr. X right into Scenario A, ensuring he's a constant terrifying presence that you have to keep in your mind at all times.

So there you have it. Mr. X is not an entity you can kill — at least, not right away — and he's not one you can hide from very effectively. Your best bet is to stay moving, stay quiet, and hope you can avoid this absolute nightmare of a creature.

Godspeed.