It’s pretty clear that Japanese developer Capcom loves to try out their biggest franchises from time to time, and Resident Evil should be one of the best examples of that. The series was actually in first person before Resident Evil 7: Biohazard with PlayStation 1 Resident Evil Survivor, and questionable multiplayer offers have never gone away. The forgettable Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil Resistance are proof of that. It’s not the best spin-off line, then, but to suggest that they’re all bad would be to make a selected sub-series a terrible service. When you look back, Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak: Archive 2 really were ahead of their time. A reboot makes a lot of sense on the PlayStation 5.
For those who don’t know, these PlayStation 2 titles were cooperative experiences with an online focus that contained a number of different scenarios in different locations, containing classic puzzles and enemies from Resident Evil. The entire package was essentially a bunch of several miniature Resident Evil games, each taking about three to four hours to complete. You could play with many different characters with unique weapons and attributes attached, and there was even a mechanic where you could be bitten by a zombie and then you would only have a limited time to finish the scenario before the T-Virus took over. Pretty cool, right?
Now, an assistant is not needed to identify the problem here. Two heavy online games released on the PS2? Yes, they will never take off. Although they could be played in single player mode, the Resident Evil Outbreak titles were designed around the cooperative game and therefore they only deserved their due on the PC. After all, I don’t know anyone who has the PS2 network adapter. There was not even a voice chat.
Times have changed and with an internet connection being the default in 2021, I think Resident Evil Outbreak is ready for a reboot. If Capcom used the same model it used in 2003, we could have a real winner on our hands. Imagine a collection of those Resident Evil scenarios offered at launch, which are supplemented by DLC every few months. The basic game would have to be quite robust, with at least five or six locations to complete, but the world is your oyster when it comes to post-launch support. Add a new character here, another weapon or item there. So, a few times a year, there would be an entirely new scenario to work on. Keeping the concept the same, I would be on top of that – hell, bring back some of the areas from the original two games. I would love to visit the prison map and the zoo once again.
So, while Capcom is preparing a Resident Evil showcase for next week, which will contain details for a 4-6 player online mode seemingly separate from Resident Evil Village, I am dreaming big. The Outbreak concept makes a lot of sense for the multiplayer world we live in today – I really can’t think of a better fit. And that is why it will never happen. The closed beta in question will be something completely and totally different from that, destroying my dreams in the process. Capcom did not cause or suggest a restart of any kind, but I can wait and pray, can’t I?
Do you also want to see the return of Resident Evil Outbreak? How do you think it would be on PS5? Post your theories in the comments below.