Network play is a brilliant idea in theory, but the implementation leaves a lot to be desired, primarily due to the rudimentary means of communication that players are forced to use. Outbreak does not support voice chat or even keyboard chat during the game, so you'll be reduced to uttering basic commands (like "wait" and "help") with the right analog stick. While this works reasonably well for the AI characters, it is wholly inadequate for communication between human players. The official word from Capcom says that they wanted to heighten the tension by reducing chatter, but in my opinion this actually makes the game less realistic in the long run. Even under duress, a group of people in the same room would be able to hash out a plan and divide up tasks very quickly, something which simply cannot be done in Resident Evil Outbreak.

Nearly all online-enabled games support voice chat, even on PlayStation2, so there is no excuse for not including it. Players can chat before a scenario begins using a keyboard, but this presumes that everyone is familiar with the level layout and that they will execute tasks without needing assistance. The game becomes ridiculously difficult at times, because it is not always obvious what your allies are trying to accomplish. Will your partners go for the P-Base, or are they going to get the V-Poison? Both items must be obtained in the Decisions, Decisions scenario, but there is no way to issue instructions or advice for either task once the game starts. Obtaining both items yourself increases the odds that you'll be killed before the scenario ends.

This is a shame really, because the Network mode has the potential to be a one-of-a-kind horror experience, but instead it's just a glaring example of a great idea that hasn't received enough forethought. Maybe the recently-announced Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 will implement some form of voice chat and provide the type of online experience that game players expect. Capcom could allow players to communicate via headset only when they are in the same room with each other. Going further, perhaps players can find walkie-talkie items that allow for constant radio contact. The convenience of their use could be offset by the fact that they take up a precious item slot. There are any number of ways that Capcom can explore voice chat within the Resident Evil universe that would be infinitely better than the neanderthal system they've implemented in this game.

Outbreak absolutely does not disappoint with its striking photo-realistic visuals. Capcom has done an amazing job in crafting a fully 3D world that very nearly matches the polish of their pre-rendered GameCube offerings. The games' stunning real-time environments are characterized by a plethora of exquisitely-rendered objects, excellent texture artwork and phenomenal lighting. Each of the games visually diverse rooms is filled with a host of great-looking decorations, many of which (particularly lockers) are interactive. Outbreak features sharp real-time shadows that are a marked improvement over the fuzzy blobs seen in Resident Evil and Resident Evil Zero. The games' art direction ties the disparate regions of Racoon City together with a cluttered, claustrophobic vibe that effectively sells the impression of total chaos. The game runs at a steady 30 frames per second, save for some hiccups during heavy network traffic (which has given birth to the term "lag zombies").

Each of the eight characters look fantastic, sporting smooth models, great texture detail and slick motion-captured animations. Facial animation is almost non-existent though, which is a real shame. Aside from a few fantastically gruesome boss monsters, the monsters noticeably lag behind the player characters in overall detail, especially the garden-variety zombies. Transitions between animations still look awkward, and the game is plagued by rampant clipping problems that allow characters to walk right through each other at times. Outbreak also shares many of the same drawbacks as its PlayStation2 brethren, namely aliasing, shimmer and blurry textures when the camera gets too close. But these are minor annoyances at best considering how impressive the game is otherwise. The real-time environments, coupled with terrific lighting effects and high-detail player models, all come together to make this a visual high point for the series and a vast improvement over Code Veronica.

All this detail comes at a price however, as the game has some of the longest load times of any PlayStation2 title. It is not uncommon to wait 15 or more seconds to load a tiny room with no characters in it, while load times of 8 or more seconds crop up after every pre-rendered movie. This really disrupts the pace of the game, discourages exploration, and generally makes the experience more frustrating than it should be. Luckily the game can be installed on the PlayStation2 HDD, which significantly improves load times down to between 4 and 8 seconds. These technical shortcomings are baffling, especially when you consider that similar titles do not possess such glaring drawbacks. By comparison, Capcom's own Onimusha 3: Demon Siege features larger environments with more characters, runs at twice the frame rate and has much shorter load times.

While the graphics are almost universally excellent, the overall presentation could use a little fine tuning. Outbreak employs pre-rendered movies to tell much of its story, but these use game engine footage and generally are not that impressive to watch. They also do not reflect your current situation, so even if you're wearing a different costume you'll still see the default version of your character. On the positive side though, the opening CG movie is absolutely stunning and represents the company's most accomplished cinematic work this side of Onimusha 3. The fateful tale of Umbrella soldiers cut down by the William Birkin Tyrant is intercut by a number of striking dissolve and fade effects with various biological cells. A haunting piano and violin arrangement plays in the background and helps make this one of best game intros I've seen in a long time.

Audio is once again a sore spot for Resident Evil, evidenced by wretched voice acting and forgettable sound effects. Zombie moans are comical instead of frightful, while the actors deliver their (admittedly lousy) lines with no sense of conviction or timing, turning potential poignant moments into eye-rolling drivel. It's a shame too, because the game had the potential to really capture the human drama of a zombie outbreak in much the same vein as the original Dawn of the Dead film. To make matters worse, the game curiously does not support the Dolby Pro Logic II format like other Capcom titles (such as Onimusha 3: Demon Siege). On the plus side, the musical score is very enjoyable and features some fantastic piano melodies that perfectly compliment the art direction.

An extensive amount of unlockable features are available in Outbreak. Completing a scenario will net you Result Points that can be spent on all manner of goodies, from concept art and background music to extra outfits and characters. New costumes can be unlocked by collecting SP Items during scenario play; any game that lets me collect fetish items like stiletto heels and fishnet stockings is fine by me! But there is so much to collect that it can become overwhelming, and it should be abundantly clear that Capcom was content to load the game up with shiny trinkets rather than invest time and effort into developing more scenarios. I would rather have the latter, since the game ends up being rather short, and playing the same scenarios gets old after a while.

To be fair though, the game does offer a bit of fun and presents a unique challenge for fans of the genre. Instead of providing a cohesive whole like previous titles, the game offers bite-sized chunks of Resident Evil gameplay that can amount to a quick and engaging experience at times. This is quite bothersome at first (especially considering that the scenarios seem to play out of order), and even when viewed as discreet elements, the disconnect between scenarios is far too jarring. And while the games' "ad-libbing" system is a great idea in theory, it could use some work as well; it makes no sense that what the characters say does not match the on-screen subtitle for it. I'm hoping for bigger and better things out of Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 when it is released early next year.

In the end I think it's obvious that the game does not live up to its full potential, as the flawed online play and relatively few scenarios severely limit its overall appeal. The lack of usable communication during online play is inexcusable and nearly destroys what could have been a fantastic experience. The technical issues, namely the unacceptable load times, further tarnish the strides that Capcom has taken in bringing this new type of Resident Evil to life. Fans of the series should check it out with full prior knowledge of its drawbacks (I enjoyed the offline mode once I installed the game onto the HDD), but even then there will surely be some disappointment. With some more thought and development time, this could have been one for the ages; instead, Resident Evil Outbreak stands as an interesting footnote in the evolution of the horror adventure genre.

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