When Capcom released the Resident Evil 2 remake in 2019, players were greeted with the awe-inspiring terror of the new and improved Mr. X. As players explored the RPD, his footsteps constantly thundered above or shuffled around in an adjacent room. Searching a random room could suddenly turn into a fight for dear life as the fedora clad behemoth made his way through the door. With quick enough decision making, players could lose him and escape to fight another day, but Mr. X would continue his search. It seemed like the Tyrant was everywhere, but behind-the-scenes digging has revealed just how Resident Evil 2's Mr. X works.
In the world of Resident Evil, evil Umbrella Corporation. Despite his hulking, monstrous form, Mr. X was a highly intelligent agent for Umbrella. His mission in RE2 was to kill any survivors of the Raccoon City T-Virus outbreak and to retrieve the G-Virus for Umbrella. Naturally, protagonists Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield stand in his way and become his primary targets.
For the Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom decided to lean into that motivation and create entirely new AI for Mr. X that would make him a more omnipresent foe. After the game's release, Mr. X was an instant hit with fans, but many were convinced the sounds of his footstep were just sound effects and that he was "cheating," teleporting around the map to catch players off guard. However, game director Kazunori Kadoi quickly dispelled these rumors in an interview with PC Gamer. So, to fans curious about the inner workings of this stalking Tyrant, here's how Mr. X works in RE2's remake.
How Resident Evil 2 Remake's Mr. X Moves Around RPD
Unlike what many players initially thought, Mr. X doesn't teleport around the Raccoon City Police Department - at least not to take players by surprise. Instead, he actually roams through the halls, meticulously searching every room. When he does teleport, it's usually due to wandering into unloaded parts of the map or when a scripted event is about to happen. One such instance is the infamous Press Room Sequence. As YouTuber SlippySlides revealed in a video following Mr. X with a floating camera, he will stop searching wherever he is, teleport to his scripted position behind the wall, and wait indefinitely for the player to trigger the beginning of that sequence.
One arguable edge Mr. X has is that he moves very quickly when searching far away from the player, as Reddit Chabb revealed in a thread studying Mr. X's Resident Evil 2 AI, but he slows down once he gets close. This mechanic keeps Mr. X from getting caught up in distant rooms for too long, while also giving players a fair chance to detect or avoid Mr. X when he's nearby. The best method of detecting him is listening for his footsteps. As Kadoi put it, "If you hear Tyrant’s footsteps in the vicinity, you can definitely bet that he is actually in close proximity."
How Resident Evil 2's Mr. X Searches For Players
As Mr. X navigates the halls of the RPD, he will stick his head into each room and look around. His AI is programmed to meticulously search whatever room or hall he finds himself in. Should he not detect the player, he will continue following his randomly generated path. That is important to note, as many players thought RE2's Mr. X was able to surprise them so easily because he was always aware of their location. In truth, he is never fully aware of the player until he sees them, but he is always listening for them.
In videos shared by Chabb and SlippySlides, Mr. X can be seen perking up if the player runs or fires a gun within normal searching distance. The longer the noise goes on, the easier it is for him to find where it's coming from. This is made worse if the player has been able to avoid Mr. X for long enough though; Kadoi revealed that, if enough time goes by without detection, Mr. X's senses and awareness grow more sensitive.
When he does find the player, he will immediately go for the kill. It is possible to stun Mr. X with bullets or grenades, but neither will kill him, and both will actually make him more aggressive. In this scenario, the only thing the player can do is stun him, run away, and hide. Once the player is able to escape his line of sight, Mr. X will resume his randomly generated search path, listening for noise and looking for a glimpse of the player.
How Mr. X's AI Could Impact Resident Evil Village
As the story of Resident Evil has continued, both in the remake and the Resident Evil Village, this AI has had the chance to grow and evolve into something far more terrifying. In the Resident Evil 3 remake, this AI appeared to be worked into Nemesis, the game's main antagonist. His stalking behavior was scaled down a bit, however, and fans wished it was utilized even more, feeling that Nemesis was much less intimidating than his predecessor. There's a decent chance this AI will be implemented in Resident Evil Village, whether it's with werewolves that hunt players down in the streets or with Lady Dimitrescu in her enormous castle.
Should this be the case, it's even more crucial to understand how Resident Evil 2's Mr. X works in order to better combat the threats to come - especially with heightened werewolf and vampiric senses. Though this isn't a confirmed feature of Resident Evil Village, the potential for its inclusion certainly gives cause for excitement. As of right now, the future of this AI is uncertain; what is certain is that its creation and implementation in Mr. X gave fans something they will as a highlight of the series for years to come.
Source: PC Gamer, SlippySlides/YouTube, Chabb/Reddit
