Resident Evil 2 Director Explains How They Programmed Mr. X’s AI

Since launch back in January, the near-universal consensus is that Capcom hit a home run with its recreation of Resident Evil 2 and its famous cast, but there’s one particular star that’s stood – quite literally – head and shoulders above the rest. Mr. X, the T-Virus infused bioweapon deployed by Umbrella to seek out and destroy any survivors of the Raccoon City incident, has rocketed to stardom thanks, in no small part, to his stylish dress sense and a slew of hilarious mods. Not until now, though, have fans really known how Mr. X functions and responds to his environment.

In a recent sit-down with PC Gamer, Resident Evil 2 director Kazunori Kadoi lifted the lid on some of Mr. X’s inner workings, chief among the revelations being how the indestructible assailant goes about locating Leon or Claire during their attempts to escape Raccoon City. According to Kadoi, whenever the player manages to give Mr. X the slip, he’ll shift into a default sentry mode and begin methodically searching each individual room of the police station.

This state will progress to active pursual if he hears certain sounds, like gunfire, or if the player strays into his line-of-sight. Kadoi’s accounts certainly line up with my own experiences with evading Mr. X’s relentless search, but what about fan suspicions (yours truly included), that he can oftentimes ‘cheat’ in order to find the player if too much time has passed since a previous encounter?

“I don’t want to divulge details,” Kadoi begins, adding that if Tyrant does struggle to apprehend his target, his senses will “start to grow more sensitive making it easier to track you down.” Whether that truly counts as cheating will come down to your own personal interpretation, but I like to think of it more as Capcom giving the giant a gentle push in the right direction if he’s struggling to do his job.

Generally speaking, keeping gunfire to a minimum is the best way to evade Resident Evil 2‘s boogeyman, says Kadoi, though there are certain scripted encounters where he’ll make himself known no matter how good your attempts to stay quiet are.

Tell us, does Kadoi’s insight into Mr. X’s behaviour line up with your own experiences? Let us know in the comments section below!