Resident Evil Outbreak never got the respect it deserved. The underrated PlayStation 2 exclusive took the franchise in an innovative new direction and became the first Resident Evil title to feature both co-op and online multiplayer.
Despite becoming a hit with Resident Evil fans, the game failed to resonate with critics, receiving mediocre reviews upon release. With the industry making massive improvements to online multiplayer over the years, many fans would love to see Capcom resurrect Resident Evil: Outbreak and bring it to next-gen systems.
The PlayStation 2's online capabilities kept Resident Evil Outbreak from becoming a mainstream success. Its rudimentary technology struggled to keep up with what the game set out to do. Lag issues, lack of voice chat and other technical problems brought on by online multiplayer overshadowed many of Outbreak's best features. However, many of these issues could be fixed with modern technology. High-speed internet and next-gen hardware could take Resident Evil Outbreak farther than Capcom ever thought possible.
Many online horror games have enjoyed relative success during the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One's lifespans. Resident Evil Outbreak could find similar fame if it could expand upon its original gameplay. Instead of limiting players to just five apocalyptic scenarios, Capcom could include several storylines while adding even more through post-release DLC. It could even expand on the current scenarios, giving an extra layer of depth to each level.
Resident Evil Outbreak's lack of online voice chat made it difficult for players to communicate and work together. Now that online voice chat is built into nearly every home console, fans can work as a team to get through the more strenuous scenarios. This would make the game far less frustrating for both veterans and newcomers.
Online multiplayer survival-horror is still a relatively new concept, despite Resident Evil Outbreak's attempts to make it mainstream in the early 2000s. Having an online multiplayer horror game that actually captures the classic survival-horror experience could be extremely successful, especially on next-gen systems. With so many multiplayer horror titles resembling action games instead of traditional survival-horror, Resident Evil Outbreak could provide a much-needed change of pace.
In many ways, Resident Evil Outbreak was ahead of its time. Its focus on online multiplayer and couch co-op took the franchise in an exciting new direction, but technical limitations prevented the game from reaching its full potential. With online multiplayer games and survival-horror titles thriving on both home consoles and PCs, there isn't a better time for Capcom to reintroduce gamers to the underrated classic.