Forget Code: Veronica, we need a Resident Evil Outbreak remake

In 2002, Capcom released the remake that set the standard for all remakes, Resident Evil for the Nintendo GameCube. 17 years later, Capcom would set the standard once more with the Resident Evil 2 remake in 2019.

As a result of Capcom’s success, fans of the iconic survival horror series always want more Resident Evil remakes. Sure, we want new games in the series too, such as the upcoming Resident Evil 9, but nothing quite tingles our gaming senses like a well-put-together remake bringing all the nostalgic feels, something that Capcom knows how to do very well.

Check out the Resident Evil Outbreak trailer below!

Following the most recent remake at the time of writing, Resident Evil 4, fans are now wondering what remake Capcom will bring next. Some fans hoped that a Resident Evil Code: Veronica remake would arrive before Resident Evil 4 with it being chronologically set after Resident Evil 3, but there is still time. We could even get a remake of Resident Evil 5. However, as much as I would adore a Resident Evil Code: Veronica remake, it’s time that Resident Evil Outbreak received the remake it deserves.

Firstly, just listen to that amazing music from the Resident Evil Outbreak intro video above. Some could argue that it's the most mesmeric theme music in the entire series. Aside from its amazing soundtrack, there are many other reasons why Resident Evil Outbreak deserves a remake more than any other game in the Capcom series.

The first Resident Evil Outbreak was released in the west in 2004 and unlike previous single-player games, this instalment featured up to four-player online co-op. It could also be played offline with one player accompanied by two AI-controlled characters. The concept was simple: choose from one of five scenarios and one of the eight playable characters, each with their skills and personality traits, and make it from point A to point B alive to escape Raccoon City before it gets nuked by the evil folk at Umbrella Corp.

Capcom

Being a Resident Evil game, there was also an emphasis on inventory management but instead of having an Item Box to store items, much like Resident Evil Zero, you could leave items on the floor or share with other characters. Yet, unlike other games in the series, Resident Evil Outbreak had a gameplay mechanic twist that would play perfectly in the story it would tell during the early stages of the zombie outbreak in Raccoon City. You, as the player, are infected with the T-virus and if the virus gauge reaches 100%, you will die and it will be game over. But in another twist, if you were playing online with others and you died, you could come back as a zombie to reap havoc for the surviving members of your crew.

At this point, you might be thinking, “Resident Evil Outbreak sounds great, what’s the issue?” Well, there was no way for players to communicate in-game which is a major issue for an online title where teamwork is of the utmost importance. Then there’s the problem of this game only being playable online in the United States and Japan, meaning that the PAL region could only play it offline. Sure, it was still a fun game to play on your lonesome, but it very much felt like you were experiencing an incomplete game.

When Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 was released the following year (or two years in the PAL region), it was a perfect opportunity for Capcom to correct the previous wrongs, right? Well, mostly. Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 had five new scenarios (plus two bonus scenarios) with the eight cast of characters returning from the previous game, improved lobbies, and a communication system in which players would communicate with select in-game words and emotes. Oh, and it was finally playable online in the PAL region. So again, what’s the issue, I hear you ask?

Capcom

Don’t get me wrong, Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 is still a great game to play today and is even playable online thanks to talented PC modders running private servers. However, despite Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 being online for players in the mid-2000s, having the internet was still a new concept in many households and even if you did have the internet, you’d not only need a very stable connection (a rare commodity back then) but also either a PS2 network adaptor or a PS2 slim which came with a built-in network adapter.

This meant that even if Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 had sold well (it didn't), most fans never had the capability to play it online to begin with and thus, this multiplayer game was never played as intended by the masses. There were plans to release a third Outbreak game on the PSP but due to the poor sales of File #2, Capcom wisely opted for its other more popular multiplayer franchise, Monster Hunter to take the spotlight. In many ways, Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 fell victim to being a game released ahead of its time.

Rather than failing miserably with other multiplayer titles such as Resident Evil: Operation Racoon City, Umbrella Corps, Resident Evil: Resistance and Re:Verse, if Capcom gave fans the multiplayer game they wanted, I believe it would be a massive success today and whether it’s a remake or remaster with online multiplayer, I think it’s about time Resident Evil: Outbreak benefited from a modern revival it so truly deserves.