Playstation 2 - Resident Evil: Outbreak

Format
Playstation 2
Publisher
Capcom
Developer
Capcom
Country of origin
Japan
Genre
Survival horror

Resident Evil : Outbreak

By David Rasmussen
20th Mar 05

Recently I've been discovering the joys of GameCube ownership all over again... though not exactly for all the games Nintendo would want me to fall in love with.
When it comes right down to it there is very little new releases from the GameCube worth raving about, and forget about said game being a GameCube exclusive game which is all but impossible to find these days!
With the notable exception of Resident Evil 4 (which USED to be an exclusive until it was announced that it would be ported over to the PS2), that new card battle RPG game (forgot it's name), Metroid Prime 2 : Echoes (though I should play the original Metroid Prime before I become hyped over Echoes), the original Animal Crossing (it‘s sequel, Animal Crossing DS (originally Animal Crossing 2 which is NOT the same beast as the Japanese Animal Crossing 2... But I‘ll explain that when I review ACDS) a Nintendo DS exclusive release coming soon), Legend of Zelda : Windwaker (not the recently released "Four Swords" multiplayer) and Viewtiful Joe 2 (most likely to make the journey to PS2 like it's predecessor Viewtiful Joe) there doesn't seem to be much in the way of games to hype over.
Yeah. That may seem like a lot but in comparison to the amount of games I buy each year for the PS2 this list is downright small when you compare numbers.

So what is it that's gotten me hyped about the GameCube all over again? That'd be the whole series of Resident Evil games for the GCN... otherwise I'd still be ignoring the system and doing nothing but PS2 reviews. True, all true. So far I managed to get ahold of Resident Evil Zero and the original Resident Evil, with four more games to garner for the collection... and so far I've had lots of good things to say about these games (of which you'll hear more of in the weeks to come)!

But what about the last two Resident Evil games to release prior to the coming of Resident Evil 4 for the PS2? One being the rather awkward shooter Dead Aim, the other being the first online RE game Outbreak? How do I feel about those? Let's find out!

This review focuses on the strange online Resident Evil game, Outbreak.
When this game began to sell like crazy in Japan, it inspired it's creators.
So embolden by the success of this game they went and created "Monster Hunter" for the PS2... Not to be confused, by the way, with the less than sterling "Ghost Hunter" which just plain blows.
This game isn't the best, but it's not the worse either.

One thing I want to know is... WHY AM I NOT PLAYING THE "MONEY" CHARACTERS?
The whole point of me playing Resident Evil : Outbreak is to get some quality one-on-one with the characters that make this game series so proud... and found myself disappointed with them.
Instead, in a move that should remind you of "Lord of the Rings : The Third Age", you are given command of a bunch of so-called "little people" as theys struggle to escape the nightmare of Raccoon City.
I suppose the game might "unlock" classic Resident Evil characters later... maybe.

This game suppose to take place between Resident Evil 1-3, yet it seems to me that the game seems (instead) to take place starting with the events chronicled in Reisdent Evil 2, and moving forward from there. You'll understand better when you start playing yourself.

You (whoever you chose to play, form a list of over a half dozen different characters) are at this local bar waiting for something to happen... did you hear this joke? All these people were waiting it out in this bar and in stumbles a zombie... wait, you heard that one before. Sorry.
Anyway since zombies are like potato chips, and you can stop at just one, soon more and more zombies are coming at you and you'll have to flee from sight to sight in order to survive... flee as in run through previously seen levels from Resident Evil 2 and 3 in order to escape kind of flee.
That's when the game becomes boring.

Moving from "location" to "location" is bad enough, by the way, in a regular Resident Evil game, but this is way way way worse! Worse by far! Each level starts with a few survivors that you have to escort out, and in and by itself that's just fine by me... but that's not my problem!

My problem is the fact that these "survivors" seem to have the inability to do something... mainly shut up.
Pushing the square button allows you to "ab-lib" everything while going through the levels , but it's as if this "button" on the AI characters "controller" are permamently stuck on "mock"! Sheesh! Not good!

Gameplay is also so unlike any good Resident Evil game! The first of two available gaming modes, Missions based play allows you to enter mission after mission, competing for points to buy extra gear you still need to pack up. The point of the missions being the need to gather up points to "buy" new extras for yourselves from the extras section.

Second problem I have with the game, this time in general, is the "backpack" which is the worse ever! With only four slots per character (except for one) it makes it just that much harder to complete!
That's about it. I'm sure there's more and all but... well, that's that.
Let's break it down now, shall we?

Resident Evil Outbreak Breakdown
What's Hot? - The cut scenes are beautiful.Not to mention the whole purchasing system to lock them down,. So to speak! The whole system of buying cut scenes you completed is another funny, as you'll witness in this game.

What's Not? - Most of the game is downright dull. With only a few exceptions I don't see anything turning the game's "fortune" around anytime soon. And I can't stand the endless chatter from the "survivors".
If the game didn't forbid it I'd whack the "survivors" just to silence them.

Moments to Remember? - Uh... sure, something memorable happened sometime during the Star Wars trilogy! I'm sure of it!

What to Ignore? - Can I have the option to mute people who ignore me? Please?

Overall? - It's not the best Resident Evil out there, but it's all they have left to defend themselves with!

And, just so you know I'm not down on WWII games, I'll be making a foray into the WWII gaming experience next month with two reviews (Call of Duty : Finest Hour and Medal of Honor : Pacific Assault) so stay tuned.

-- David Rasmussen 20th Mar 05

Playstation 2 Resident Evil: Outbreak Images