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Raccoon City has its fair share of monsters for players to deal with, and given their updates since the original, even series veterans might be thrown for a loop. Today we’re here to show you some Resident Evil 2 tips and tricks to dealing with the different foes you’ll encounter.
Zombies
Easily the most common of foes you’ll be encountering throughout the course of the game, zombies are capable of proving very dangerous in large numbers. A single zombie can take upward of six body shots to kill on normal difficulty, which can prove even more troublesome when dealing with more than one.
Most zombies are found standing upright, and when they’re about to attack, they’ll lunge at the player for several steps. When bitten, you can prevent the damage with a self-defense item such as a grenade, flashbang, or knife.
- If you use the grenade or flashbang in self-defense, they will eventually explode and damage any zombies nearby.
- If you want to set off the explosion faster, aim toward their mouth and shoot for a massive fireworks display.
The crawling variant of zombies is much easier to kill, given their slower speed. If you’re aiming to kill the zombies swiftly, you’ll need to focus on headshots. If you want to slip by them, we highly recommend shooting their legs as it staggers them for a substantial amount of time. This can be used to conserve ammo and is best used in rooms you won’t need to backtrack to.
One significant change made to zombies in the remake is that they can now open doors, so make sure you have a clear escape route.
- Leon: In a crowd, Leon’s best weapon is his shotgun, as it has much more stagger potential compared to his handguns. You can easily knock out a single zombie with a headshot from this, but when faced with multiple, aim for the upper torso so as not to miss the spread.
- Claire: Your best bet for multiple zombies is to use fire rounds with the grenade launcher. The fire can easily wear them down, along with getting them low enough to be finished with a few machine gun rounds.
Cerberus
The infamous zombie dogs of the franchise return with enhanced agility. While not requiring many hits to take down, these dogs can easily drain ammo if reflexes aren’t up to par. If you see them barking, that’s your chance to aim for a headshot as they’re preparing to attack. It’s possible to run from them, but they can easily catch up if you’re not mindful of their positioning. Moving in a serpentine pattern can help if you choose to flee.
- Leon: Best dealt with one of the handguns, given their low health. If you’re feeling confident, you can try to line up the shotgun when they lunge, but that carries its own risk.
- Claire: The machine gun makes quick work of the dogs as it can help keep up with their quick movements. Claire’s pistol also works wonders with proper aim.
Lickers
An extremely dangerous enemy with the potential to do massive damage in a short amount of time. The licker is blind and can’t detect quiet noises, but the second you run or so much as nudge the monster, it’ll come crawling toward you. Lickers can be either on the ceiling, walls, or ground level. Capable of taking many bullets to stagger, these creatures are best dealt with heavier weapons. Unlike zombies, they cannot open doors, so you’ll be able to find solace, assuming you have the room to escape. If you can avoid these enemies, it’s highly advised to do so, as they can cause a large strain on resources.
- Leon: The shotgun or magnum are your weapons of choice against the lickers, as both of them have a high chance of stunning them. If using the magnum, it’s best to use it before they are alerted so as not to waste precious ammo.
- Claire: A single fire round from the grenade launcher can kill a grounded licker with the lingering flames. If it’s on the ceiling, you’ll want to bait it to a more advantageous position to finish it off. We don’t recommend the machine gun for these as it has very little potential to stagger.
G-Adult
The biggest thing that makes the G-adult scary is the fact that it can poison you. Along with being very durable, the G-adult is usually out of sight until the player approaches it in the water. This hulking behemoth can take many shots and even has a ranged option as well. You’ll want a self-defense item on hand to prevent its grab attack, as it can prevent being poisoned. Make sure to have a blue herb on hand when dealing with these.
- Leon: The magnum works wonders on this monster and is one of the few enemies to reasonably justify using it on. Make sure to aim for the eye on its shoulder for maximum damage.
- Claire: Prior to getting the spark shot, you’ll want to shoot an acid round toward the G-adults eye. With the spark shot make sure to keep aiming at the monster after firing the initial round as the spark can stun it long enough to run past.
G-Young
Only seen when the G-adult does its ranged attack, these small creatures move quickly in the water and can easily poison you. Your best bet is to run away or shoot the spawn if you have spare shots.
- Leon: The pistol is your most reliable way of taking them down, along with the flamethrower. Zone them before they reach you.
- Claire: Claire’s machine gun can melt these creatures in an instant while also being able to push forward to reach the G adult.
Plant 43 Zombies
Arguably the most punishing monster in the game. If this monster grabs you and you don’t have a self-defense item, it will kill you immediately, regardless of your health. You can shoot the different mushrooms on its body to slip past it, but you’ll need a fire weapon to permanently kill it. More than any other monster in the game, you want to stay far away from this one.
- Leon: The flamethrower can make short work of these creatures and is designed to be used on them specifically. When using it make sure that their bodies are charred before leaving the room to ensure that they are dead for good.
- Claire: If you managed to save some fire rounds for the grenade launcher, then this is the time to use them. Similar to Leon, make sure that they are charred before leaving. If you’re out of fire rounds, the machine gun can destroy the fungus quickly to give you some breathing room to run away.
Mr. X
For the sake of this guide, we’re considering Mr X an enemy for now, given that we don’t fight him as a boss until later. The fedora-wearing tyrant is capable of extreme strength and can punch or grab Leon and Claire. He’s completely invincible, and the only strategy is to run away. That said, you do get an achievement for knocking off his hat for those daring enough to do so.
- Leon: Leon has Mr. X being much more prominent in his story, which is where self-defense items can come into play. If needed, throw a flashbang or grenade to stun him while solving certain puzzles.
- Claire: Claire deals with Mr. X much less in her campaign, which is a blessing. Try to solve puzzles early in RPD to avoid having to do them while he’s stalking you.
In The Darkness Lies Your Fears
Resident Evil 2 has more in store for players aside from its enemies. Be sure to check out some of our boss guides to help you tackle some of the other monsters in the store!