biohazard outbreak
BIOHAZARD Outbreak was the first title in the series to feature online cooperative gameplay. It was also the first to show the events of Raccoon City’s destruction through the eyes of the citizens of Raccoon City.
PLOT
The game follows ordinary citizens Kevin Ryman, Mark Wilkins, George Hamilton, Cindy Lennox, David King, Alyssa Ashcroft, Jim Chapman and Yoko Suzuki.
They witness the outbreak first hand and attempt to survive the horrors of Umbrella as they are unleashed throughout Raccoon City.
Their fight for survival will depend on their ability to work together.
FEATURES
BIOHAZARD Outbreak was the first title in the series to feature online gameplay. It was enhanced by the use of the HDD for the Sony PlayStation 2. The HDD would shorten loading times thus making the online experience smoother. It also featured an in-game ad-lib system which would allow players to communicate without the need for a headset. The game would not pause as well, enhancing the sense of urgency and dread.
Outbreak was best experienced online, due to the fact that single player had abysmal Artificial Intelligence, making supporting characters a nuisance to deal with. Players could also transform into the undead, this too a first for the series.
DEVELOPMENT NOTES
The first concept for a multiplayer BIOHAZARD was developed internally at CAPCOM as a mini-game.
The mini-game proved unsuccessful as players would run away from the horde of zombies and not collaborate with each other. Prior to 2002, the concept was revived as “BIOHAZARD Online”, by this time CAPCOM revealed their in-game ad-lib communication system. This was chosen over conventional microphones in order to preserve the atmosphere present in BIOHAZARD titles.
The game was later re-branded as “ BIOHAZARD Network”, overall the title had around 18 scenarios in development with much more in the concept stage. The game was given 1 more re-brand as “BIOHAZARD Outbreak”, during this time CAPCOM started contemplating eliminating the online functionality for the European Union, as developing a multi-language game around many territories would prove problematic. Each region would require CAPCOM to secure specific service providers for each region.
ATTACHMENTS
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
DEVELOPER Capcom Production Studio 1
GAME ENGINE Unknown [Presumably in-house Capcom Toolset]
DIRECTOR Eiichiro Sasaki
WRITTEN BY Haruo Murata / Takeshi Nose
ORIGINAL RELEASE PLATFORM Sony PlayStation 2
