Soapbox: A Resident Evil Outbreak reboot makes way too much sense

It’s clear that Japanese developer Capcom likes to experiment with its biggest franchises every now and then, and Resident Evil has to be one of the best examples. The series went into first person long before Resident Evil 7: Biohazard with the PlayStation 1 Resident Evil Survivor, and dubious multiplayer deals have never been far away. The highly forgettable Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and Resident Evil Resistance are proof of that. So it’s not the biggest lineup of spin-offs, but to suggest they’re all bad would be doing a selected sub-series a disservice. When you look back at them Resident Evil Outbreak and Resident Evil Outbreak: File # 2 were really ahead of their time. A reboot makes way too much sense on PlayStation 5.

For those who don’t know, these PlayStation 2 titles were cooperative online experiences that contained a number of different storylines in different locations, containing classic Resident Evil puzzles and enemies. The whole package was basically made up of various Resident Evil miniature games, each taking around three to four hours. You could play a lot of different characters with unique weapons and attributes, and there was even a mechanic where you could get bitten by a zombie and then only had a limited amount of time to complete the storyline before the T- Virus. resumed. Pretty cool, right?

Now, it doesn’t take a wizard to pinpoint the problem here. Two heavy online games released on PS2? Yeah, they’re never gonna take off. While they can be played solo, the Resident Evil Outbreak titles were designed around cooperative play, so they really only got their due on PC. I don’t know a single person who owned the PS2 network adapter, after all. There wasn’t even a voice chat either.

Times have changed though and with an internet connection being the norm in 2021, I think Resident Evil Outbreak is ready for a reboot. If Capcom used the same model as in 2003, we might have a real winner in our hands. Just imagine a collection of these Resident Evil scenarios offered at launch, which are then supplemented with DLCs every few months. The base game should be pretty beefy, with at least five or six slots to complete, but then the world is your oyster when it comes to post-launch support. Add a new character here, another weapon or an item there. Then a few times a year there would be an entirely new scenario to work on. Keep the concept the same and I’d be everywhere – hell, bring back some of the realms from the original two games. I would love to visit this map of the prison and the zoo once again.

So as Capcom prepares 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’m dreaming big. The Outbreak concept makes way too much sense for the multiplayer world we live in today – I really can’t think of a better fit. And that’s why it will never happen. The closed beta in question will be something completely and completely different from that, crushing my dreams in the process. Capcom hasn’t teased or hinted at a reboot, but I can hope and pray, can I?

Do you want to see Resident Evil Outbreak make a comeback, too? What do you think it would look like on PS5? Post your theories in the comments below.