Highlights
- Resident Evil Outbreak offers a unique perspective on the Raccoon City incident with episodic character-focused storylines.
- The game's core feature of network play for up to four players was ahead of its time, but struggled due to lack of interest in online play.
- A remake of the Outbreak series could provide a compelling experience for both veteran fans and newcomers, offering new perspectives on the series' early events.
Resident Evil’s Raccoon City Saga is among the most influential narratives in gaming history. Though the series’ mainline entries have moved away from the events of Raccoon City, Resident Evil’s remake series has reintroduced the series’ classic titles to modern audiences. Recent leaks suggest that Resident Evil 0 and Resident Evil CODE: Veronica remakes are in the works, completing the remake series’ reintroduction of classic Raccoon City events. However, Resident Evil shouldn't leave the Raccoon City Saga behind, as another set of Raccoon City titles also deserves the remake treatment.
The Resident Evil franchise boasts over 30 unique titles, though only 10 are considered mainline entries. Following massive success in the late 90s and early 00s, the franchise has gone through a resurgence in recent years, with both mainline entries and classic remakes earning critical and commercial praise. At present, CODE: Veronica and Resident Evil 0 are the only classic mainline titles without a modern remake. However, some of the franchise’s long-forgotten spin-offs offer unique perspectives on the series’ early events, which modern fans could find quite valuable. The Resident Evil Outbreak titles are one such pair of games.
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Resident Evil Outbreak Offers a Fresh Perspective on the Raccoon City Incident
Resident Evil Outbreak was released for the PlayStation 2 worldwide between 2003 and 2004, depicting a series of episodic character-focused storylines in Raccoon City. Set concurrently with Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, Outbreak follows a group of eight survivors as they attempt to escape Raccoon City before the U.S. government missile strike. Players could choose which survivor to play as, and each came with a certain loadout, advantages, and disadvantages. However, no character could survive alone, and it was up to the group to work together to make it through each of the title’s five scenarios. The game shares many locals with Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3, offering a new perspective on the Raccoon City incident.
What made Resident Evil Outbreak's scenarios even more unique was the urgency and teamwork with which players had to complete them. At the beginning of each scenario, all players are infected with the T-Virus, which appears as a virus gauge in their menu. Both time and damage increased the virus gauge, and a player's character would die if their gauge reached 100%. The success of Outbreak led to the release of a sequel, Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2, between 2004 and 2005, introducing five additional scenarios to the Raccoon City saga. However, the series struggled to gain a footing worldwide, due to another unique, and ahead-of-its-time feature, which wouldn't gain popularity until years later.
Resident Evil Outbreak's Most Ambitious Feature Would Flourish in a Remake
While the Resident Evil Outbreak series' narrative was focused on the past, its core gameplay feature was well ahead of its time. Both titles were built around the PlayStation 2’s rarely utilized network play feature, allowing up to four players to escape Raccoon City together. This early attempt at online co-op was incredibly ambitious, with many players unaware, or uninterested in online play. What’s more, players had to purchase an additional accessory, the Network Adapter, to even do so. Because of this, many players missed out on the full Resident Evil Outbreak experience. The series had a lot of potential but suffered due to the times in which its core feature was released. However, that same feature makes it an excellent candidate for a remake today.
The Resident Evil Outbreak series could flourish if remade for a modern audience. While the rumored Resident Evil 0 and CODE: Veronica remakes complete the classic mainline series, the franchise doesn't need to leave Raccoon City behind. Remakes of both Outbreak and File# 2 offer a compelling experience to veteran fans and newcomers alike, offering unique perspectives on the events and locals that started it all. Following the release of the Resident Evil 0 and CODE: Veronica remakes, the Resident Evil franchise still has plenty of titles deserving of a modern take. However, few, if any, deserve it more than Resident Evil Outbreak.
Resident Evil
Resident Evil is a long-running survival horror franchise developed by Capcom. Spread across numerous mainline and spin-off entries, the series is known for it’s third and first-person action horror, zombie-related monsters and references, and challenging puzzles.
Summary
Capcom's survival horror franchise.
