Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2

Resident Evil Outbreak: File #2 is a direct sequel to the first Outbreak and, like it, was released exclusively for PlayStation 2. The game continues the concept of cooperative survival horror for up to four players, who together make their way through a Raccoon City ravaged by the T-virus in the skin of ordinary civilians – not trained agents – who have to rely on fleeing, improvised weapons, and teamwork rather than the combat skills the main series' heroes tend to have. File #2 adds five new scenarios set in various parts of the city and closes out the fates of characters players already met in the first game.

Compared to the first Outbreak, the game expands the roster of playable characters and scenarios, but the core mechanics remain the same: players have to watch their limited ammo, healing items, and time, since scenarios run in real time, there's a risk of gradual infection with the virus during play, and some key actions can only be performed once per playthrough, forcing quick decisions. Co-op play ran online via the PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor of the time, which was a fairly ambitious move in 2004 for a console game of that generation, though server support disappeared over the years and today the game can only be played offline with AI-controlled companions standing in for missing human partners.

File #2 thus expands rather than fundamentally changes the formula of the first game – it's another set of scenarios for the same engine and the same co-op experience, giving fans more content in the same guise, but players looking for a major shift in mechanics won't find it in this sequel.

Why play it: File #2 is for players who fell in love with the cooperative approach of the first Outbreak and want more scenarios in the same city – ideally with four people, since playing solo with AI-controlled companions loses much of the concept's charm.