Resident Evil 2 is a phenomenal game, and its overwhelmingly positive critical reception has so far been matched by the success it has been enjoying in terms of sales. And while there’s a lot the game does well, the one aspect of the experience that has caught the attention of the masses more than anything else is Mr. X, the hat-wearing Tyrant who stalks you throughout the RPD for a large portion of the game.
Mr. X has spawned countless praises, discussions, and even memes- but Capcom apparently never predicted that he would go on to become as popular as this. Speaking to PC Gamer, Resident Evil 2 creative director Kazunori Kadoi said that though Capcom introduced a few elements in the game (such as his hat) that they had hoped would catch attention, they never guessed he would go on to resonate with players as much as he has done.
“There are elements that we included (such as his hat) that we hoped would resonate and be a talking point with players, but we had no idea that people would enjoy Tyrant to this degree, so it honestly makes the development team as a whole really happy to see things like this,” said Kadoi. “It’s always unpredictable what will truly resonate with fans no matter how much you aim for something particular, but it’s always a pleasant surprise when fans walk away from a game with a positive experience and have something to share with their peers.”
My only hope is that Capcom looks at the perfect storm Resident Evil 2 has kicked up, and goes all in with a similar reimagining treatment of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis as well– after all, Nemsis is, to put it bluntly, Mr. X’s big daddy.
Resident Evil 2 is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.