Resident Evil and Online Play come together once again...
As in the first Outbreak, each character has strengths and weaknesses which you can determine before you choose one in the simple-to-navigate character menu. Some noticeable differences in File 2 are the introduction of new enemies such as infected toucans and lions in the city’s zoo, plant-people and an impossible-to-kill henchman in the city’s hospital. For Resident Evil fans, these new foes will be a pleasure and an annoyance at the same time as some are difficult to take down. Puzzles in File 2 seem a bit harder than they were in the first installment, causing players to overlap and return to areas several times in the same game, which can become sticky as you run out of ammo and have to face enemies over and over.
Capcom’s release of Resident Evil 4 earlier this year seems to have created a frenzy for better controls, graphical detail and an overall different and new feel for the survival horror genre. File 2 is not Resident Evil 4 that’s for sure. The game is more along the lines of Code Veronica in style and control, which, for fans of CV is only a good thing. If you are considering getting this game do not think of it as the next installment to the four-plus game series, merely a branch of Capcom’s success with the genre.
As with the first Outbreak, online play greatly surpasses single player mode in File 2. Some bonus actions, while not vital to the linear storyline, cannot be done in single player mode because they are dependant on several players working together. AI is not the greatest, but when is it ever? This title will undoubtedly receive mixed reviews from RE fans as did the first one. The sanctity of being alone in the dark with blood thirsty creatures lurking around every corner is shattered by the fact that you are not alone in these scenarios. But the game holds true to survival horror regardless. I'd love to see Capcom make this multiplayer offline as well.
The lack of communication in the first game is still present in this new installment, however, there are ways, with the limited canned dialogue, to communicate effectively with other players. If they are paying enough attention and working with the idea that you are a team trying to survive together the lack of communication becomes null. An introduction of headset or keyboard communication would lower the level of difficulty to a point where it would not fit its series title anymore. Let me put it this way, if you cannot figure out where a code is to unlock a door without talking it through with other players, this is not the right game for you. If you’re really a plan-ahead junky you can do so before the game starts in a designated chat area. Here you can split off tasks among the four players to ensure items will be found and actions will be taken at a quicker pace.
Overall the game is entertaining, the puzzles are thought-provoking and there are loads of different endings to each scenario depending on character and how you worked your way through that level. In other words, there is not just one way through and you’re done. File 2 has excellent replay value as did the first installment. If you played Outbreak and enjoyed it, you will also enjoy File 2. It would be nice if the scenarios fit together into some sort of storyline as opposed to just trying to get out and survive, but, this way they seem almost like mini-games in and of themselves so perhaps that’s what Capcom was going for when they were designed.