It was just last year that fans of the survival horror genre were first granted the ability to take the experience online. Even though the original Resident Evil Outbreak had its share of problems, just the thought of battling your way through the endless hordes of Raccoon City while playing online seemed to be enough to satisfy most hardcore fans of the series. However, Outbreak File # 2 takes place in what I like to call the “ post Resident Evil 4 era”. The era in which all survivor horror games will be unfairly compared to the gaming bliss that is RE4. While this comparison is not well merited because the two games having very little in common, it will in fact happen, and Outbreak File # 2 does little to help its cause. Don’t get me wrong, File #2 does indeed sport some new and exciting features, theirs just not enough of them to warrant a sequel to a game that was released a mere year ago.

Luckily, Resident Evil Outbreak file #2 has
some extremely nice environments going for it.”

If you happened to miss out on the first game in the series, let me fill you in on the situation. The timeline of the Outbreak series take place within the time span of the original Resident Evil games. Apparently, even though you didn’t see any of them, a few other people in Raccoon City survived and they were trying their best to stay alive as well. The usual suspects exist in this ragtag group of survivors; a doctor, police officer, waitress, handyman, and even the crafty subway operator make appearances here, all with their own unique powers and abilities. For instance, the subway worker Jim can play dead when surrounded by enemies, and the doctor George is extremely good at mixing medicines and other chemicals. Likewise goes for all of the eight characters at your disposal, and pretty much all of them have at least one redeeming feature that make him or her a wise choice. 

One of the biggest problems with the original Outbreak was the lack of communication while playing online, which is the biggest selling point of the game by the way. Instead of allowing players to communicate using the PS2’s headset feature, Capcom thought it was a good idea to use pre-set commands that could be triggered by pressing the D-pad in various directions. Needless to say, this didn’t go over so well, and this little decision almost rendered the game unplayable. Sadly, this time around, even after much scrutiny from the media and gamers abound, little has changed. Players are still stuck with helplessly yelling out overly vague one-liners in hopes of communicating with their teammates. New additional commands like shouting out what room you’re in, or telling someone you’re sorry is a good start, it’s just not enough to get this game over the hump. Somehow shouting “help,” “come here,” and “go” just doesn’t do much for the conversation piece, and ultimately ends up causing as much confusion as humanly possible. Try this little adventure offline with the CPU controlling your teammates and you’re left with an even more frustrating experience.

“The lack of communicating online usually results in this, everybody running.”

Though a single-player option does exist, only the most patient and bravest adventurers will want to attempt this horrific mode. All the usual gameplay elements are still in place, only this time, replace the frustrated online gamers with brain-dead computer-controlled teammates, and you get the whole picture. As tedious as communicating with other online gamers may be, once you try playing the game in single-player mode, you’ll think a little differently about online play. Shouting out the usual one-liners in single-player mode has even less of an affect than it does online. I will do my best to simulate an actual conversation between myself and one of my computer-controlled teammates, this way you can hopefully avoid what I went through at all costs.

Me: “Help, I’m getting my face gnawed off”

Computer: “No”

Me: “Come here, I need that vial you’re carrying” 

Computer: “No”

Me: “Hurry up, if you don’t give me that certain item you’re carrying, we are all going to die”

Computer: “No”

Anyway, I think you know where this conversation is headed. Other than actually handing you certain items sometimes, most of which are useless, your friends almost never help you solve any of the puzzles or hazards that stand in your way. To make matters worse, your little teammates will often times pick up important items and then run completely in the opposite direction for no apparent reason at all. It almost seems like they are playing keep away from you, which usually ends in your premature death. See, here is the even better part. Not only are you forced to negotiate things like zombies, puzzles, and more zombies disguised as your teammates, but you also have to finish the level before the infection in the air consumes your body, therefore turning you into a zombie as well. While this sounds cool indeed, it actually just ends up being another reason not to enjoy the game. With little or no help from your teammates, it’s almost impossible to survive the single-player experience.

“Just another day at the zoo.”

File #2 does however offer some very nicely detailed environments, and some of them such as the Raccoon City Police Department offer up a decent bit of nostalgia. Other locations such as the hospital and the well-populated zoo look amazing, and provide you with some of the nicest thrills in the series. Though most of the controls are just as they were in the original Outbreak, Capcom has given players a few new tricks to use while trying to escape the beautiful but deadly surroundings. Finally, players can now shoot and walk at the same time. I know, it must be rocket science, but nonetheless, it’s a welcomed addition indeed, because you will need to be on the move at all times to survive in this game. Also, as players from the first game well know, getting medicine to control your outbreaks is extremely crucial, especially when you're at the near-end of your lifeline. Thankfully, while teetering on the line between life and death, players can now crawl to safety, or slowly make your way to that crucial medicine vial that is only inches away. Even though this really adds to the tension and horror of dying, I can’t honestly say that this trick has aided me in staying alive, because never have I successfully crawled to safety before dying, but it’s definitely nice to have the option.

In the end, fans of the original Resident Evil Outbreak will probably feel right at home here. Anyone that is expecting the quality of RE4 will be sadly disappointed, but if zombies and other ungodly creatures frighten you more than jumbled controls, brain-dead teammates, and the total lack of communication, then this is the game for you. If not, stay very far away.

Gameplay: 6.1
Decent controls can’t overshadow the extremely tedious job of communicating with other players online, and the brain-dead A.I. almost completely ruins the single-player experience. However, File #2 does have a few new tricks up its sleeve gameplay-wise, which should keep fans of the original happy, but those new to the series will be mildly entertained.

Graphics: 8.4
Beautiful environments and fairly nice character models round out a decent package, but sadly, even some of the best-looking levels and backgrounds in the series can’t make up for the extremely lacking gameplay.

Sound: 7.6
Most of the sound effects from the past titles in the franchise can be found in Outbreak somewhere, but unfortunately, they will probably be overshadowed by the screaming of your teammates while trying to communicate. Expect to hear “help,” ‘come on,” “go,” and “thanks” more times than you ever have before.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
What little progress your team makes in multiplayer will more than likely be reversed due to the lack of communication. The single-player campaign is more of the same, only with zombie-like A.I. controlled teammates. What should be a fairly easy and enjoyable experience, turns out to be really frightening, only in the wrong way.

Concept: 7.9
The whole premise of this game is one that should be groundbreaking. In fact, a few hardcore fans of the series (including myself) once had a conversation about how awesome it would be to have some sort of multiplayer experience in the RE franchise. Well be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.

Multiplayer: 6.9
If only the developers would have implemented the use of voice chat, you would probably be reading an endless amount of praise from me right now. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and as it stands, Outbreak File # 2 suffers greatly from it. Though multiplayer works and is at times enjoyable, the overall experience just can’t elevate itself as planned due to the lack of voice chat. Oh, and did I mention the lack of voice chat?

Overall: 7.2
Like I stated earlier, the implementation of a few new features just might be enough for fans of the original Outbreak to warrant a purchase, but if you like your gameplay to be slightly more evolved than your brain-dead enemies, you’ll find little satisfaction from playing this game.