Of course, Japanese developer Capcom loves to experiment with its franchises more from time to time, and Resident Evil must be one of the best examples of this. The series was first-person before Resident Evil 7: Biohazard with the PlayStation 1 Resident Evil Survivorand questionable multiplayer offers have never been far behind. The very forgettable Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil Resistance are proof of that. Therefore, it is not the largest formation of derivations, but to suggest that they are wrong would be to do serious service to a select sub-series. When you look back, Resident Evil Outbreak i Resident Evil Outbreak: file no. 2 they were really ahead of their time. A reboot makes too much sense on PlayStation 5.
For those who don’t know, these PlayStation 2 titles were online-centric cooperative experiences that contained several different scenarios in different locations, featuring puzzles and classic Resident Evil enemies. The entire package consisted essentially of a large number of miniature Resident Evil games, packaged in a single one, which took approximately three to four hours to complete. You could play a bunch of different characters with unique weapons and attributes, and there was even a mechanic where a zombie could be bitten and you would only have a limited time to finish the stage before the T virus took over. Pretty cool, right?
Now, you don’t need an assistant to identify the problem here. Two heavy online games released on PS2? Yes, they will never take off. Although they could be played in a single player, Resident Evil Outbreak titles were designed around cooperative play and therefore only got their win on the PC. After all, I don’t know anyone who owns the PS2 network adapter. There wasn’t even any voice chat.
While times have changed and with an internet connection as standard in 2021, I think Resident Evil Outbreak is ready for a reboot. If Capcom used the same model as in 2003, we could have a real winner on our hands. Imagine a collection of these Resident Evil scenarios that are offered at release, which is then supplemented with DLC every few months. The base game should be pretty strong, with at least five or six locations to complete, but then your oyster in the world in terms of post-release support. Add a new character here, another weapon or object there. Then, a couple of times each year, there would be a whole new scenario to work on. Keep the concept the same and it would do it all: damn, reclaim some of the areas from the two original games. I would love to visit that map of the prison and the zoo once again.
So while Capcom prepares a Resident Evil showcase for next week, which will contain details for a seemingly separate 4-player online mode from Resident Evil Village, I’m dreaming big. The concept of Outbreak makes too much sense for the multiplayer world we live in today; I don’t really think of a better fit. And that is why it will never happen. The closed beta in question will be totally different from that, crushing my dreams in the process. Capcom hasn’t mocked or hinted at any reboot, but I can wait and pray, right?
Want to see Resident Evil Outbreak back? How do you think it would be on PS5? Post your theories in the comments below.