Summary
Resident Evil’s Raccoon City Saga is among the most influential narratives in gaming history. Though the series’ mainline entries have moved away from the events of Raccoon City,Resident Evil’s remake serieshas reintroduced the series’ classic titles to modern audiences. Recent leaks suggest thatResident Evil 0andResident Evil CODE: Veronicaremakes are in the works, completing the remake series’ reintroduction of classic Raccoon City events. However,Resident Evilshouldn’t leave the Raccoon City Saga behind, as another set of Raccoon City titles also deserves the remake treatment.
TheResident Evilfranchise boasts over 30 unique titles, though only 10 are considered mainline entries. Following massive success in the late 90s and early 00s, the franchise has gone through a resurgence in recent years, with both mainline entries and classic remakes earning critical and commercial praise. At present,CODE: VeronicaandResident Evil 0are the only classic mainline titles without a modern remake. However, some of the franchise’s long-forgotten spin-offs offer unique perspectives on the series’ early events, which modern fans could find quite valuable. TheResident Evil Outbreaktitles are one such pair of games.
Resident Evil Outbreak Offers a Fresh Perspective on the Raccoon City Incident
Resident Evil Outbreakwas released for the PlayStation 2 worldwide between 2003 and 2004, depicting a series of episodic character-focused storylines in Raccoon City. Set concurrently withResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3,Outbreakfollows a group of eight survivors as they attempt to escape Raccoon City before the U.S. government missile strike. Players could choose which survivor to play as, and each came with a certain loadout, advantages, and disadvantages. However, no character could survive alone, and it was up to the group to work together to make it through each of the title’s five scenarios. The game shares many locals withResident Evil 2andResident Evil 3, offering a new perspective on the Raccoon City incident.
What madeResident Evil Outbreak’sscenarios even more unique was the urgency and teamwork with which players had to complete them. At the beginning of each scenario, all players are infected withthe T-Virus, which appears as a virus gauge in their menu. Both time and damage increased the virus gauge, and a player’s character would die if their gauge reached 100%. The success ofOutbreakled to the release of a sequel,Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2, between 2004 and 2005, introducing five additional scenarios to the Raccoon City saga. However, the series struggled to gain a footing worldwide, due to another unique, and ahead-of-its-time feature, which wouldn’t gain popularity until years later.
Resident Evil Outbreak’s Most Ambitious Feature Would Flourish in a Remake
While theResident Evil Outbreakseries' narrative was focused on the past, its core gameplay feature was well ahead of its time. Both titles were built around thePlayStation 2’s rarely utilized network play feature, allowing up to four players to escape Raccoon City together. This early attempt at online co-op was incredibly ambitious, with many players unaware, or uninterested in online play. What’s more, players had to purchase an additional accessory, the Network Adapter, to even do so. Because of this, many players missed out on the fullResident Evil Outbreakexperience. The series had a lot of potential but suffered due to the times in which its core feature was released. However, that same feature makes it an excellent candidate for a remake today.
TheResident Evil Outbreakseriescould flourish if remade for a modern audience. While the rumoredResident Evil 0andCODE: Veronicaremakes complete the classic mainline series, the franchise doesn’t need to leave Raccoon City behind. Remakes of bothOutbreakandFile# 2offer a compelling experience to veteran fans and newcomers alike, offering unique perspectives on the events and locals that started it all. Following the release of theResident Evil 0andCODE: Veronicaremakes, theResident Evilfranchise still has plenty of titles deserving of a modern take. However, few, if any, deserve it more thanResident Evil Outbreak.
