Lickers are tough opponents in Resident Evil 2 and may players have problems to deal with them. Below you will find some easy ways to kill Lickers with little effort.
The Mighty Knife
Don't underestimate the knife, my friend.
That which shatters against mere zombie flesh is in fact the #1 Anti-Licker weapon in your arsenal.
Equip your knife.
Be Brave, Stay Wild
You're in Licker territory. Draw its attention with a brief jog and watch it come screaming towards you, unaware that the Licker is about to become... the Licked.
Ready your knife. Carve the tip across your chest and allow the crimson river to flow. Emit your warcry.
Licker 2: Lobotomise Me
With the Licker at your feet, preferrably baited around a corner or some obstacle as to not allow it to close the gap with a leaping attack (which will hurt and potentially put you in a bad situation), aim as far down as possible and slash the thing repeatedly in the face.
Every time your knife connects with exposed brain matter, the Licker will flinch and move slightly. Your task now is to control your assault and keep it stunned during the lobotomisation process.
(If you manage to find yourself behind the Licker, good! Every knife attack from behind - no matter where it connects - will cause it to flinch.)
A good 6-12 slashes, dependent on difficulty, should do the trick. Don't be put off even if the Licker rears up in an attack animation, you can still score "brainshots" as if the hitbox hadn't moved.
(
This is likely unintended; the developers probably didn't think we'd have the balls to engage in knife fights with Lickers. They were wrong. I laugh at them.)
Lap of Victory
As the Licker lurches to one side and enters the death animation, take the time to whisper sweet nothings into where you think your knife's ear should be. Sheath it with the absolute care and respect it deserves.
Rejoice at your unspent ammunition!
(Victory lap not required or actually recommended.)
The next time you think about halving a knife's durability stabbing a zombie in the chest without killing it, remember;
that could've been a dead Licker.
Miscellaneous Bonus Tips: Saving Ammunition Early Game & (Probably) Beyond
Shooting a zombies' leg off is always more efficient than trying to kill it, just be aware it can still crawl and bite you if you're planning to return to the area. Check your map; if a room is red, there are items still to be found. If you know you'll be returning later, a sea of crawling zombies will slow you down.
Floored zombies can be knived to death, preferrably from behind, if you have the blades to spare.
You can shoot a zombie in the face or leg and run past while it's flinching.
Birkin's human head takes as much damage as the large, exposed eye.
There's no need to waste all of your ammunition, like me, during the first encounter. Playing on Hardcore I ended up using two grenades, two first aid sprays and all of my pistol and shotgun ammunition to take him out; a rematch focused on headshots with the pistol left me with 8 shotgun shells, 42 pistol rounds, 1 grenade and zero healing items used.
Ignore the eye and go for the head. Kite him around the area and take advantage of his downtime after the large, overhead swing. Headshots will also cause him to flinch; be careful not to waste shots on his hand if he holds his face with it.
