- Race against the clock in this deadly survival-horror game as you search for traces of uninfected life.
- Collect weapons and equipment for use against the zombies, and fight your way through them to stay alive.
- Witness the chain of events that span from Resident Evil 1 to 3 -- your character choices will enable scenarios from each.
- Cooperative and 4-player multiplayer gameplay for terrifying gaming -- you'll never know what's waiting for you in the darkness.
- Advanced game mechanics and 3D graphics to emphasize the horror aspects and improve gameplay.
Product Description
-------------------
The horrifically deadly T-Virus plagues Raccoon City. Uncover
the source and stop it before the entire population is
eradicated! Resident Evil Outbreak takes players on a thrilling
new ride with online play! Choose from up to 8 playable
characters and watch your decisions sculpt the story before your
very eyes. Join up to 4 others for chilling multiplayer horror,
or crank up the sound and play solo for a guaranteed less
night!
Review
------
The virus has spread online, and Resident Evil's gameplay has
never been so infectious. Fighting for life with three
human-controlled characters at your side definitely adds an
element of unfamiliarity to the survival horror mix, but make no
mistake, this is still Resident Evil. Whether you find yourself
jumping out of your seat as a zombie ces through a window,
marveling at the action in the cutscenes, or complaining about
the stiffness of control and awkwardly placed camera angles, this
is just another trip to Raccoon City. Only this time, you're with
friends.
I really have to hand it to Capcom for making teamwork the
cornerstone of gameplay. In every room that you reach, this game
hammers home the message that you have to stick together and work
as a group. When jumping from one rooftop to another, you may
misjudge the distance and fall short. Thankfully, a teammate can
pull you up.
Even before the game commences, you'll find yourself coordinating
tactics with your soon-to-be companions at the character
selection screen. In a similar vein to an RPG, each of the eight
playable characters that you can select brings completely
different abilities to the table that you must factor in. Do you
bring a lock-picker? Someone with extra inventory spots? Or rely
on firepower with a weapons expert?
Unlike the other games in the series, zombies can pass from room
to room and are often found in packs. Taking this newfound
hunting prowess into account, Capcom has implemented a handful of
new techniques that players can use to survive. You can slide
under beds, hide in lockers, and even repel a zombie attack by
forcing their head away from your neck with enough breathing room
to raise your pistol and shoot them directly between the eyes.
You'll even find strategy in the reloading of weapons. For
instance, a box of shells takes more time to load than a clip. As
annoying as it is to watch your character get munched because he
couldn't load the rounds quick enough, I really like this aspect.
It makes you keep an eye on every little detail.
Where Outbreak excels in engrossing multiplayer and creative
gameplay, the overall design of the game is very odd. Rather than
creating one lengthy quest that players can really sink their
teeth into, Capcom opted to break up the game into five separate
scenarios that are roughly 45 minutes each. If you die, you'll
turn into a zombie for a brief extent (and yes, you can attack
your teammates if you like), then will be dropped out of the
game. Sadly, you can't re-spawn. You either have to wait for your
friends to finish up, or find another game to enter. While
scripted controller commands are offered, it doesn't support
voice chat at all or keyboard functionality in-game. Someone's
head should roll for this!
All told, this is a surprisingly enjoyable online venture that
showcases some amazing gameplay concepts, yet a lack of fore
in the delivery of multiplayer.
Concept:
A highly creative, yet slightly flawed approach to multiplayer
survival horror
Graphics:
Not as lavish as the recent GameCube releases, yet impressive
nonetheless
Sound:
Great ambiance, but it sure would be nice to communicate with
other players. Where's the voice chat?!
Playability:
Familiar RE controls with innovative teammate techniques and
newfound environment interaction
Entertainment:
Entertaining, yet lacking all the elements that would keep you
hooked
Replay:
Moderately Low
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Andrew Reiner
Issue: May 2004
2nd Opinion:
Why isn't there voice chat in Resident Evil: Outbreak? For the
love of all that is holy, I want to give this game a good score
for its thoughtful level design, nice graphics, intense gameplay,
and smart mission structure – but that missing headset support
throws the whole experience out of whack. These levels are
fast-paced and frantic, almost like an FPS, and what you want is
to make some sort of strategy. This just isn't possible with the
canned commands available, as "You two check out the locker room
and we're going to search the owner's office. Meet back here and
we'll go up to the 3rd floor," weirdly isn't ped to the right
analog stick. So, this game gets the backhanded compliment of
being "high concept" like Crystal Chronicles and Steel Battalion,
for example. My ideal setup is playing this game with four
friends, four TVs, and four PS2s all in the same room. Get this
setup, and the game is a real gem.
Rated: 8 out of 10
Editor: Lisa Mason
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