As one of the few survival-themed titles on the market, Resident Evil has continued to thrive despite constant complaints about its cumbersome controls and lack of innovation. Not content to let its flagship saga flounder, Capcom seems dedicated to meeting these issues head-on with next year's Resident Evil 4 for the GameCube and the recently-released Resident Evil Outbreak, the latter of which embodies the series' first foray into online play on the PlayStation2. Unlike any other Resident Evil title before it, Outbreak represents many striking departures for the series, including improved controls, new gameplay enhancements, cooperative AI and online play. The game is compelling when it all comes together, but a host of technical issues and design flaws spoil what could have otherwise been a ground-breaking title.

Set in the timeline of Resident Evil 2 and 3, Outbreak takes us back to those chaotic opening moments of the infamous zombie epidemic in Racoon City. The game is spread across five separate scenarios, each of which offers a glimpse into the widescale madness and personal tragedy that befell the city during that fateful September in 1998. Those hoping for a story-driven adventure or a heavy dose of insight will be sorely disappointed, I'm sad to report, as Outbreak features only enough story sequences to fill a small percentage of your play time. The game was designed to let you gain a greater appreciation of an already-familiar universe rather than telling a completely new tale. This is a game for long-time Resident Evil fans, plain and simple.

Accordingly, there is a heavy dose of nostalgia to be found here, as many scenarios force you to revisit old haunts like the Underground Research Laboratory from Resident Evil 2 and the Racoon City Hospital from Resident Evil 3. Other scenarios involve an escape from a pursuing zombie horde through a bar, a frightful jaunt through a burning hotel, and a lengthy excursion through Raccoon University and its adjacent treatment plant. Each scenario will involve the standard tasks of finding items, solving puzzles and battling horribly mutated creatures, but the going will be more difficult due to a number of factors that I'll discuss later. Thankfully the game offers a choice of four difficulty settings so that players of all experience levels can enjoy the adventure.

Rather than assuming the role of a S.T.A.R.S special agent like Chris Redfield, players will instead choose from among eight every-day personalities in their fight for survival. These characters all offer a unique perspective on the incident and include a security guard (Mark), a waitress (Cindy), a subway worker (Jim) and a police officer (Kevin). Controlling each is essentially the same, though they all possess unique characteristics and combat abilities. For instance: David, a plumber, can create weapons out of ordinary items like poles and batteries (in a nod to MacGuyver); George, a doctor, can fabricate medicines; Alyssa, a reporter, can pick locks (she is the new "master of unlocking"); and Yoko, a student, can carry twice the normal amount of items in her knapsack.

I must admit that I'm rather fond of this multi-character setup, as the diverse set of personalities keeps things lively on repeated playthroughs. Scenarios will play out differently depending on which character you select, and some will prove to be more of challenge than others. Controlling your character is now measurably easier thanks to true analog control that lets you move freely in any direction. Camera changes still have the potential to confound your navigation, and control can still feel a bit stiff at times, so you'll need to practice a bit. The old-school digital play mechanics are still available via the d-pad should you wish to quickly compare the two methods. Some game players will still find the controls to be less than ideal, but Capcom has made some welcome modifications that long-time fans will undoubtedly appreciate.

Combat is handled in much the same vein as traditional Resident Evil titles, though there are more options available than ever before. No longer will you be helpless just because you don't have a firearm, since each character can perform a shoulder charge to momentarily stun a foe, giving you time to dash by them. Prone enemies can also be stomped into oblivion. Certain characters possess additional combat moves; Kevin can deliver a roundhouse kick, while David can use items from his toolkit to attack. Other characters have evasive maneuvers, such as Cindy's duck or Alyssa's backpedal. Jim can even flop on the ground and play dead! All of these techniques will come in handy at some point, and you're encouraged to make full use of each characters' special abilities to see you through the increasingly difficult scenarios.

Resident Evil Outbreak also introduces melee combat to the series. In keeping with the games' theme of average joes against the zombie horde, players can find a variety of everyday objects to use as weapons. Everything from scrub brushes to iron pipes and even crutches can be used to bash your enemies into submission. After being nearly defenseless for so many years in these games, it is a breath of fresh air to be able to take out a measure of revenge by breaking a chunk of cinderblock over a zombie's head. But just like in real life, these objects will deform and break after repeated use, so you can't rely on them indefinitely. Bummer. Regardless, this is a great addition to the series that adds a much-needed amount of catharsis to what is often a bleak experience.

Other thoughtful additions that expand the core gameplay include the ability to knock down certain doors. A series of shoulder charges or weapon blasts will knock down many doors, though locks requiring more elaborate items (like a gold key or red jewel) will still need to be opened the old fashioned way. Along the same lines, zombies can now bust down these same doors to pursue you through multiple rooms. This adds a welcome amount of tension to the game by removing the "safe zones" of previous games, and if you play on Very Hard, zombies will even pursue you through elevators! You can temporarily stem this zombie tide by bracing your character against a door. It is especially useful to hold a door while a human-controlled character is trying to solve a puzzle.

Outbreak adds a new twist to the survival experience by handicapping you with a T-Virus infection that continues to fester during each scenario. Once it reaches 100% your character turns into a zombie and the game is over. The infection can be momentarily halted (though not eradicated) through the use of anti-viral pills and herbs. Receiving damage from enemies hastens the spread of the virus, and lying on the ground in Danger condition causes it to spread even faster. This rising infection adds a new element of pressure to the game, as you must hurry through each scenario and hesitate as little as possible. The one drawback to this setup is that you will not have much time to stop and admire the scenery or experiment with different techniques.

Adding to the pressure is the new real-time menu system that lets the action continue while you're examining your inventory. No longer can you pause the game while you decide the best course of action. Snap decisions must be made about which things to take, as you'll often be required to manipulate objects and use items while enemies are closing in on you. While this is no doubt a more "realistic" interpretation of the standard video game item management convention, it does result in a fair bit of frustration much of the time. Getting nailed by a zombie just as you're about to use a puzzle item is very annoying, even more so when your allies aren't around to bail you out. The map works the same way, meaning that you'll need to find a safe spot before checking your routes.

Cooperation is the aspect that most differentiates Outbreak from its siblings, as you'll be accompanied by two or three AI-controlled characters throughout the adventure. The CPU characters do a reasonable job of keeping themselves alive, but you will still need to shoulder the brunt of puzzle solving and resource management. The AI players will use healing items when needed, but they will also shoot at non-vital targets and waste ammunition. They also don't seem too terribly interested in helping you should you find yourself being munched by zombies or dangling from a ledge. You can transfer items between players provided they are in the same room; this effectively triples the amount of items that you can carry. When using a weaker character like Yoko, it is wise to transfer weaponry and ammunition over to stronger players. Managing your team becomes a top priority in Outbreak and adds a nice strategic element to the game.

Nowhere is this sense of teamwork more important than in the games' Network mode. With a Network Adaptor, you'll be able to play the game over a broadband Internet connection with human players controlling the other characters. This has the potential to make the game much more fulfilling, since tasks can be divided among players who are familiar with the requirements. No matter how good the computer AI is, nothing quite beats the skill and ingenuity of human-controlled characters. The ability to experience the horrific zombie outbreak with other Resident Evil fans is a wonderful concept that brings a wealth of replayability to the game. The game allows you to set up public or private games, choose difficulty level and scenario, and even enable friendly fire to further add to the realism.

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