Resident Evil Outbreak File #2

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Apr 26, 2005
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 35 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 35
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 35
  3. Negative: 6 out of 35
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  1. GameCritics
    90
    A wonderful survival horror game. The new control scheme is so good that if Capcom were to redo all the previous RE games in the style of Outbreak they could probably convince me to go ahead and buy all four titles for a third time.
  2. Weekly Famitsu
    80
    8 / 8 / 8 / 8 - 32 gold [Vol 822]
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  3. Play Magazine
    80
    A fun cooperative experience in the very provocative world of Resident Evil. [Apr 2005, p.60]
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  5. My Gamer
    80
    The new levels are all simply great and have some genuinely scary moments (thankfully, since the original was never scary). However, nothing much else has been improved.
  6. Siliconera
    78
    More challenging puzzles, larger levels and new zombies to battle. All of this will please people who liked the first game and none of this will change the minds of people who hate the first game. Some of the key problems with the game like the lack of communication between players still hasn't been solved. [JPN Import]
  7. Game Informer
    75
    This is a concept that I love, and an execution that is lacking. [Apr 2005, p.126]
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  8. IC-Games
    73
    It’s not something I got a whole world of benefit out of, more a feeling of been here and done that, but for anyone eager to keep their enthusiasm for Outbreak going it’ll do the job.
  9. GameZone
    72
    The implementation of a few new features just might be enough for fans of the original Outbreak to warrant a purchase, but if you like your gameplay to be slightly more evolved than your brain-dead enemies, you’ll find little satisfaction from playing this game.
  10. Games Radar
    71
    The best missions are better than the first Outbreak's but the others are too similar. Wait for the UK release to get the best of all words - online and fresh levels. [JPN Import; PSM2]
  11. GameSpot
    66
    Outbreak was an interesting experiment a year ago, but since we've now seen the Resident Evil series finally move on with its incredible fourth installment, dealing with the archaic gameplay conventions of File #2 today feels a little like taking a step backward.
  12. IGN
    65
    It's hard to forgive Outbreak 2's repetitive nature, sluggish pacing, and lack of an effective online communicator.
  13. eToychest
    65
    A title that shows so much potential in its unique gameplay, but it is also a title that shows how technological shortcomings can ruin an otherwise interesting game and render it a frustrating mess.
  14. Gaming Target
    65
    The new missions are nice but the lack of major gameplay changes or new PCs is a drag.
  15. GameSpy
    60
    File #2 doesn't break a lot of new ground like Resident Evil 4 did. For better or for worse, it's simply more of the same with a few cosmetic tweaks.
  16. G4 TV
    60
    Not an ambitious sequel, but it’s a frightfully intense experience for horror enthusiasts who like to share their scares.
  17. PALGN
    60
    Broken in both single and multi player, Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 is a barrel full of missed opportunity.
  18. PSM Magazine
    55
    Abhorrent AI, limited saves, and sluggish pacing generate frustration. [Apr 2005, p.77]
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  19. GamePro
    50
    It's having to help brain-eatingly bad A.I. (alone) or trying to cooperate when you can't communicate (online) that makes survival horrible.
  20. Cheat Code Central
    50
    This game will only be done correctly on the next gen machines. No load times. Communication via headset. Expanded gameplay not limited by 5 year old technology. That's the way it should be.
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  21. Yahoo!
    50
    After the bloodcurdlingly imaginative Resident Evil 4, this add-on to Outbreak barely qualifies as a legitimate expansion of the story's classic mode of play. We screamed for voice chat and better AI after the initial release, but those cries have gone unheard.
  22. Game Revolution
    50
    It’s a great concept and could have been a ton of fun if only it were set in a more open-ended, no-load time world, like "GTA" with zombies.
  23. Gaming Age
    50
    It's just not executed as well as we've grown to expect. If you're familiar with the first Outbreak, you'll find File #2 to be very much an expansion of that game.
  24. Detroit Free Press
    50
    Hard-core Resident Evil fans might consider renting "File #2." But for online thrills, I'd rather do "Halo," and for a real thrill, "Resident Evil 4" is much more worthwhile.
  25. GameShark
    50
    Still hamstrung by the lack of voice communication among human players online and workman-like AI for non-human-controlled allied characters in the single-player mode, the game just fails to differentiate itself enough to avoid a comparison with the new "Resident Evil 4" kid on the block.
  26. Computer and Video Games
    50
    Suffice to say, even Resident Evil-loving broadband-obsessives will struggle to wrestle any fun from what is, essentially, a second detour down a dead end street. [PSW]
  27. GameBiz
    50
    Only the true RE addicts should pick this one up.
  28. games(TM)
    50
    File #2 just about survives its many flaws to warrant curio status for series veterans and online play addicts. [Nov 2005, p.117]
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  29. Boomtown
    50
    So playing through File 2 with its linear, claustrophobic levels, constant backtracking, awkward controls (despite the full use of analogue movement this time) and limited menu space does more harm than good.
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  30. Gamestyle
    50
    The game can only be seen as a disappointment for those expecting an online extravaganza (or for series veterans looking for something new).
  31. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    48
    Perhaps I wasn't clear enough the first time: THIS GAME NEEDS VOICE CHAT. [May 2005, p.135]
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  32. 1UP
    45
    If the idea of playing an absolutely average (and not particularly lengthy) Resident Evil adventure with incompetent A.I. allies is exciting, then hop to it.
  33. GamerFeed
    40
    It has its moments of well-timed chaos scattered across a tale of monotony and deja vu, and that does not a classic make.
  34. Maxim Online
    40
    REOF2 inspires as much boredom as fear, and possibly boasts the most tedious tutorial in game history.
  35. The Sydney Morning Herald
    40
    More frustrating than fun.
  36. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    30
    It's like trying to fly an airplane with no wings, and you can't even tell the passengers to kiss their asses good-bye. [May 2005, p.92]
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Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2005
25
#25 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2005

User Reviews

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User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 132 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 93 out of 132
  2. Mixed: 23 out of 132
  3. Negative: 16 out of 132
  1. ccrogers15
    Nov 15, 2011
    10
    great game! I love this game and i hope that the game gets a third. PLEASE fans, sign this petition:great game! I love this game and i hope that the game gets a third. PLEASE fans, sign this petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/042690/petition.html we need 10000 and have 9000… Full Review »
  2. WSSJESS
    Mar 19, 2013
    10
    I know 10/10 is questionable but I have so many memories with this installment. It kept the whole survival horror aspect, File 2 was of courseI know 10/10 is questionable but I have so many memories with this installment. It kept the whole survival horror aspect, File 2 was of course the best out of the two. I will always consider this the best & the most fun. The characters were not super cops nor soldiers or skilled fighters. Each character had their own stats and special abilities (excluding unlockable skins). Voice chat was a complain some had, voice chat was only allowed in the lobby but not in game, This could have ruined the game in some ways due to the fact that locating a partner who needs help would have been a cake walk, so no in game chat was a huge plus because it kept players on their toes. Having the ability to talk to players would have ruined most of the memorable moments that scared us and had our hearts pumping. Proximity chat would have been very welcomed, never the less it did not ruin the experience at all.
    When a game leaves you with unforgettable memories (funny, scary, suspensful or plain fun) then you know it is a great game. The outbreak series is by far one of those hidden gems, a cult classic perse'. I for one wish this game got a decent makeover like RE1 did on the NGC. Pros:
    -Survival Horror at it's finest.
    -Normal characters who did not posess super skills but rather required teamwork. -Teamwork was a must; if an allly was injured you could help them up but risk was involved.
    -Bio-monsters from past cannon entries make an appearance as well as new ones.
    -The exclusion of in game chat added to the experience. Players had preset voice commands that were muffled if you were indoors & sounded distant if you were far of course.

    Cons:
    -Community was considerably small.
    -The marketting for this title was so bad that most people know nothing about it.
    -Bad timing, this title would have done better on current gen console.

    Unfortanately this is an online only title (you won't survive alone), so the chances of going back to experience this cult classic are very slim as I am sure the servers are dead & the chances of a remake or sequel ar also slim due to how obscure this great title was.
    I for one hope to see a revival or a good remake of file 1 & 2.    … Full Review »
  3. dfcorrea
    Aug 25, 2010
    8
    The graphics are simple but the difficulty is absurd, a few bullets and many monsters, is the kind of Resident Evil that is characterized asThe graphics are simple but the difficulty is absurd, a few bullets and many monsters, is the kind of Resident Evil that is characterized as Survival Horror.… Full Review »
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