Resident Evil: Outbreak

The Good
Resident Evil is my favourite franchise. You are placed in claustrophobic locations and are dogged by Zombies, Cerberi and various other hideous mutant aberrations looking for a feast. Outbreak is no exception. You can play as one of 8 characters through 5 horrific scenarios beating back Umbrella corporations twisted creations while working in a 3 man team to overcome your T-Virus infection which you slowly succumb to in real time. This is the first Resident Evil that incorporates melee combat as well as fire arms as well as the ability to hide from enemies in closets and under beds and benches. Players can also kick down doors or nail them shut in some instances to halt advancing zombie hordes.

The Bad
Outbreak however isn't always a walk in the zombie infested park. Load times are hideous and sitting with the "Now Loading" icon on the screen becomes a maligned ritual. Characters "Ad-libs" which are used to communicate with each other are also badly translated, sometimes not corresponding with the onscreen display at all. The North American and European versions were actually intended to have online play like the Japanese version but this was cancelled for some unknown reason. My last gripe is the fact that the new inventory and map are in real time so while you are examining either you can be attacked, annoying.

The Bottom Line
Outbreak is how Resident Evil should be. Full 3D with gorgeous graphics and the same atmospheric, cinematic camera angles synonymous with the earlier titles. The new team work system, T-Virus infection and heightened environmental interaction are all welcome and refreshing features however the load times, crappy translation and stupid real time inventory and map stop the game from being one of the best in the series. I would recommend Outbreak, its a necessity to own it. But don't expect this game to be as good as 1,2,3 or even to a lesser extent 4.

The Good
In Resident Evil Outbreak you take control of 8 different characters;Each with their own perks. The cut scene graphics are pretty decent! The story expands from RE 1 to 3. The environment was nicely done and easy to tell there was hard work put into them.

The Bad
The game sucked! The characters you chose from were never brought up in the previous Resident Evil's. You lose health easily and your timed on every mission. You have this bar on the bottom of the screen and it starts off at 0.0 . But only 5 minutes start and its already up to 20.5. That is pretty stupid if you ask me. The game's difficulty is kinda sorts hard. I could never get past the hospital level....mainly because it was hard and the game gets boring after the 1st level...It's terrible.

The Bottom Line
Do not buy this game! The online network is shut off for this game. This game was a fail. CAPCOM failed trying to make this game. Even Resident Evil Survivor was better than this. That should tell you A LOT.

I'd give it a C.

The Good
I was a big fan of the original Resident Evil, but not so much of the subsequent sequels. The idea of a survival horror game is a novel one, and Outbreak adds a new dimension to that by being online.

The game has 5 different scenarios, each with a different objective and feel. The flavor of the original Resident Evil is here, and as always, there are plenty of zombies and mutant creatures to keep you on your toes.

The Bad
The number 1 complaint that most everyone has with the Resident Evil series is bad camera angles. Outbreak isn't an exception here, you'll find yourself running in circles in some places simply because you can't figure out what perspective you're navigating from.

The AI is horrible. It will pick up ammunition for a weapon it dosen't have. It will take rare ammunition and use it unsparingly on weak opponents. It will drop much-coveted weapons in favor of healing items.

Also, it's unfortunate, but the Scenarios are disjointed. You'll complete scenario 1, and then scenario 2 you're in a completely different place for an undisclosed reason.

The Bottom Line
The good outweighs the bad here. This one isn't destined to have the same legendary status of the originator, but it makes a good companion, and is a worthy purchase. Well worth the money.