With shotgun handy, Logan Booker clears out some evil residents.
The game departs somewhat from the standard RE format of having the player bumble around lost and unarmed, by allowing you to run around with up to three nonplayer characters lost and unarmed. The strength, accuracy and speed of each character vary, as do their abilities. For instance, while Kevin Ryman, the cop, is a great shot and starts with a formidable gun, he's not much good for anything else.
In addition to your standard health bar, Outbreak also incorporates a virus gauge that slowly increases over the course of a scenario. It speeds up when you're attacked, and when it hits 100 percent, you die. And live again - only with an insatiable appetite.
Unlike previous RE titles that employ a linear story, Outbreak is composed of five scenarios, loosely linked together to form what some might call a 'plot'. As you complete each scenario, the next one is unlocked. The focus of Outbreak however is not on progression, but rather speed and efficiency, and players are rewarded with points that can be used to unlock special items and features by conserving ammo, keeping companions alive and staying upright themselves.
Unfortunately, the only real reason to choose a different character is to satisfy your own desire. Your choice has no impact on the story. Ironically, the game's main gripe stems from its team component - survival horror just works better when the player is alone. Although many players complain when they're never able to interact with in-game characters, now that you can, it weakens the experience. It doesn't help that the AI is poor and you'll spend more time bailing out your team than actually making progress. Add to this the lack of the vaunted multiplayer component in the PAL/European version, and Outbreak overall is disappointing.
Issue: 107 | December, 2009