![]() Single player is nearly as frustrating, thanks to A.I.-controlled teammates who have a talent for doing exactly the wrong thing. So instead of fostering the teamwork and camaraderie that makes online gaming special, Outbreak has everyone quietly going about their own business, only occasionally working together in the most obvious ways. Even after you master this convoluted system, deciding simple things like which floor everyone will take an elevator to, much less implementing real strategy like "Let's split up, you do this, we'll do that," is impossible. Once the game starts, the only way to communicate is with 10 preset phrases ("Go!" "Help!" etc.). The stiff difficulty, branching levels, and especially your severely limited inventory (most characters have only four slots for items) make cooperation among players essential, but the inexplicable lack of voice (or even keyboard) chat completely destroys all hope of real teamwork. Branching paths, tons of unlockables, and secrets galore encourage replay-so what's the problem? Communication. In terms of gameplay, this is classic RE-grab keys, mix chemicals, conserve ammo, solve puzzles-with the story line removed and multiplayer added. Its fully 3D environments allow for dramatic camera pans and zooms, yet still somehow pack in all the detail of RE's traditional flat, prerendered backgrounds. One thing I'll say for Outbreak- it is absolutely gorgeous. LOL!!!" while a giant carniverous moth or toothy hunter is chewing your face off.) (You really don't want your friends standing around typing "OMG u suxOrz. While not being able to chat kind of sucks, the upside is that it'll keep your party "in character" and prevent everyone from spoiling each scenario's scares. Instead of using a keyboard or headset to converse with your group, the game requires you to talk to them through limited, situation-specific text selections like, "I have the key!" or "We're all going to die!" Communication isn't only important, it's the key to staying alive in Raccoon City. Using your chosen character's unique skills (such as lock-picking, playing dead, or creating MacGyver-style improvised weapons), you'll work with the other survivors-up to four of the eight selectable bodies will be live players-to find a way out of the city. Here's the setup: A waitress, a cop, a surgeon, a plumber, a security guard, a reporter, a subway conductor, and a computer expert walk into a bar, but before a lame joke can ensue, a horde of unruly zombies breaks in, starts wrecking the joint, and begins gnawing on the closest warm bodies. Supposedly, it's better with the hard drive that shipped with Final Fantasy XI, but it's something to be wary of from the outset. Combine that with the fact that areas are small and filled with a lot of doors, and then you'll see the problem. Without a HDD, every door you walk through will require a pretty substantial loading time. Granted, it was likely done to keep the sense of tension high, but in the end it seems to discourage teamwork, and isn't that what cooperative online games are all about?Īnother major gripe is that there's a lot of loading. With such a loss in communication, the result is that you and the other players often wander off alone, circumventing that whole interaction thing that makes online games so fun. You can only communicate with teammates through 'ad-lib'? movements that only encompass a few short phrases that are really no help at all. That's right, no voice chat and no chatting with a USB keyboard. However, here's the hefty downside: there's little to no communication with your teammates. If you loved it before, you'll probably love it here. Yet despite these differences, Resident Evil: Outbreak is essentially the same as previous incarnations: your ultimate goal is still survival, which is achieved by shooting zombies and solving puzzles while overcoming the often-awful camera angles. Another staggering difference is that Resident Evil: Outbreak is divided into five different scenarios that are pretty independent of each other ' meaning, there's no longer a cohesive story. Your adventure is completely independent from one another, and there's really no pressure to work together. ![]() However, just because you're stuck in the same boat doesn't mean you have to work together. There are still plenty of zombies that are achin' to gnaw at your neck, but now instead of going at it alone, you're working with several other characters - controlled by either the computer or other players if you take it online - to complete the scenarios. Fret not Resident Evil fans, Resident Evil: Outbreak is essentially the same game you know and love minus a few changes.
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