Resident Evil Outbreak File #2

"Vast improvement over the original"

Resident Evil File 2 improves upon many of the things that weakened the original. I shall explain in full detail in my review.

Graphics

The graphics in this game are very well done for a Playstation 2 game. Everything looks smoother and the clarity is better than the original. One of the problems with File 1 was that some of the environments looked stale and dry. However, this time the environments are rich with detail.

Gameplay

Here is where File 2 shines over the original. The gameplay is far better this time around. Capcom has now added the ability to walk and shoot. This is a welcome addition to the Resident Evil series, but it should have been introduced earlier in the series. This makes it much easier when you are in a tight corridor and zombies are closing in. The next thing that was improved was the single player scenarios. This time around you can select each partner you want and you also have the ability to give the AI a new command to use an item. These small changes make the gameplay offline more bearable. Other than the improvements with the characters, the scenarios themselves have changed a lot. The loading times are now shorter than in the original. Also, the scenarios now offer more freedom and decision making. In File 1 there was usually only one ending for each level and each scenario was pretty straightforward. In File 2, you now have the ability to choose the way you want the scenario to play out. There are multiple endings for most of the scenarios and many different paths you can take throughout the scenario. A nice bonus feature is the ability to bring costumes over from File 1 to File 2. This seemed like a good idea, but most people will tend to use File 2 costumes over the ones in File 1.

Now its time to talk about the online mode. This is the best feature of the Outbreak series. Now more than one person can be the same character type so nobody will fight and argue over who is going to be Kevin. There is still no headset or keyboard support so sometimes things can get confusing, but it usually doesn't affect the game too badly. Its extremely annoying when you are yelling at one of your partners to do something but only your parents can hear you. Other than the communication problem, the game is still very enjoyable to play if you have experienced players who know what to do.

Sound

This is the Achilles heel of File 2. The voice acting is absolutely terrible and the characters no longer speak when you ad-lib. I really didn't mind the ad-lib voice being taken out, but some characters sound very annoying. Jim and Kevin sound like they never hit puberty and David sounds like a salesman instead of a mysterious drifter. The NPCs now have their own voices too. This is not a good thing, considering the NPCs are even more annoying than Jim and Kevin. Regardless of the sound in this game, its still very fun to play. I consider sound to be one of the less important elements when judging a game.

Overall, File 2 offers tons of new features that enhance the gameplay experience. The addition of new abilities, shorter loading times, challenging scenarios, and tons of unlockables will surely keep most people occupied for a long time. The voice acting issue is a minor problem that can easily be overlooked. If your a RE fan or like online games for PS2, I would definitely recommend this game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/02/05