While I had a pretty good idea where Marguerite’s boss fight was going, mutated Jack caught me completely off guard. I thought he was done in the first boss battle, but the dude is resilient. There’s no warning whatsoever, just a massive, clearly distressed Tentacle-Jack in a boat house with a few too many eyeballs and a hankering for human flesh. The good news is that the eyes are clearly weak spots, glowing bright and begging to pop like videogames of yore. The bad news is Jack hits hard, so without smart movement and timing, it’s easy to get cornered and murdered with a few swipes. Keep these things in mind for a simpler time getting this pompous jerk to quiet down.
Don’t forget to block
If you’re like me, you run from enemies before they can even get close enough to hit you, and if they do get in a swipe, it’s a surprise. Resi 7 on Normal doesn’t incentivize use of the block mechanic often enough for it to stay fresh in the player’s memory, but it can save your life in the Jack fight. Right when the fight begins, Jack gets in a free swipe, so have your arms up at the ready. If he ever backs you into a corner or stuns you, block. It’s obvious advice, but so easy to forget.
Bring the grenade launcher
If you found the grenade launcher, now is the time to use it. Right before the boss fight begins, you’ll find a few free rounds. Consider it a strong nudge. They fire off rounds that burst into flames and do damage over time. With so many tiny eyes hidden all over his body, they make quick work of Jack's tougher weak spots. Save them for later in the fight, when reaching the eyes on his top or bottom proves troublesome.
Spend your resources on ammunition
Or at least prioritize creating ammo before first aid vials. Jack is going to absorb a ton of ammo before going down, and getting caught with an empty supply will nearly guarantee your death—thought I’d love to see a knife-only run. His movement and behaviors are easy to predict within a few minutes, so no more than one or two health vials should be necessary.
Use the ladder to ‘move’ Jack
It’s much easier for Jack to hit you if you’re on the same floor as him, and the only way between those floors is a ladder. If he’s not too close to the ladder, and you need to shoot eyes on a specific side of his body, use the ladder to push or pull him up or down. There’s a fulcrum somewhere in the middle that triggers Jack to recognize the player as moving up or down. Find the sweet spot and move just beyond it, then wait for his movement animation to trigger. Quickly drop down or climb up and get some shots in on those beautiful, wet orbs.
Reload when he’s stunned
Don’t get too greedy when you pop an eyeball. See if you can get off another shot or two, but use the time Jack is stunned and busy making his way to you to reload every weapon in your arsenal. There’s nothing worse than being inches from the final eye only to trigger the shotgun reload animation when you fire. It’s especially important during the final part of the fight, where he slams a black tendril and plops the final glowing weak point right in front of you.
