Outbreak

About

Outbreak is a single player and multiplayer survival role playing shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by Dead Drop Studios LLC and was released on January 17, 2017. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Outbreak is a horror shooter game that offers both single-player and multiplayer modes, with a focus on local co-op play for up to 2 players in split screen. The game features a chilling atmosphere and a desperate struggle to escape a city overrun by the undead while managing a limited inventory. A single-player demo is available, allowing players to try the Tutorial and the first part of the Captive Nightmares scenario.

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60%

Audience ScoreBased on 96 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

atmosphere3 negative mentions

Outbreak captures the feel of old school survival horror perfectly, reminiscent of Resident Evil 1 and 2.
The game features engaging gameplay with a variety of modes, including campaign, Onslaught, and Nightmare, providing a good mix of challenges.
The developer is very active in the community, responding to feedback and implementing changes, which shows a commitment to improving the game.

The controls are clunky and can be frustrating, especially for players used to more modern control schemes.
Inventory management is a significant issue, with limited space making it difficult to carry essential items.
The game can feel repetitive and lacks depth in character development and story, making it less engaging for some players.

gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
76%
12%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it engaging and challenging due to its puzzles, while others criticize it for poor controls, repetitive environments, and a lack of originality, often comparing it unfavorably to classic Resident Evil titles. Many users noted that the game suffers from frustrating mechanics and a lack of tension, which detracts from the overall experience. Despite some new features and character options, the gameplay is often described as flawed and lacking depth, leading to a generally underwhelming impression.
- “The gameplay is engaging, and the graphics are impressive.”
- “Lots of puzzles and challenging gameplay.”
- “Outbreak is a decent attempt at recreating the gameplay and feel of a classic Resident Evil style game.”
- “The control scheme is poorly made; even though you can choose from a few options, the sounds and a lot of elements are straight copies from Resident Evil, but the gameplay itself is quite horrible.”
- “I bought the game for $3.99 during the Steam summer sale in 2017, and that still feels like too much for the amount of frustrating gameplay I experienced while playing solo.”
- “Gameplay elements are recycled, the storyline is weak, the characters are anonymous and lack personality, and the setting is a generic post-apocalyptic city with little to no background or explanation. The content is very limited, and the gameplay is flawed, repetitive, and lackluster.”
story
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
72%
14%
The game's story is criticized for being underwhelming and fragmented, with key narrative elements locked behind higher difficulty levels that require cooperative play to fully experience. Players can uncover the backstory through scattered articles and memos, but many feel that the lack of engaging characters and a cohesive narrative detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as a barebones homage to classic survival horror, lacking depth and immersion.
- “After finishing the regular chapters, you can jump into a series of story-driven scenarios which are great.”
- “This game's story mode is an homage to the old-school Resident Evil games, where ammo counts, characters handle a bit sluggishly, inventory space is limited, supplies are dwindling, and the map is sprawling.”
- “Nightmares mode focuses on specific character-oriented scenarios, presenting the player with a more story-driven narrative than the semi-random generated style of the main campaign.”
- “The game's story is found by reading articles and memos found across the game, but the only way to hear the full story is to play through at the hardest difficulty the game has to offer, which would likely require a dedicated group of friends to play through it cooperatively.”
- “Pair that with the awful mechanic of 'play on nightmare difficulty for the full story!', means that unless you cheat or have very skilled and loyal friends to play these levels over and over with until you finally perfect it, you'll probably never know the 'full' story through your own gameplay.”
- “This game isn't very fun outside of goofy antics, the gameplay is pretty terrible and leaves a lot to be desired, the story is barebones and underwhelming, and the game looks awful.”
graphics
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the impressive atmosphere and retro pixel art style, while others criticize the simplistic and inconsistent character designs that clash with the environment. Many reviewers noted that the visuals lack modern features such as dynamic lighting and animations, leading to a perception of the graphics as insufficient or placeholder-like. Overall, while the game may not boast AAA-level graphics, it offers a unique charm that some players appreciate, especially given its low price point.
- “The gameplay is engaging, and the graphics are impressive.”
- “But what it lacks in stunning visuals it certainly makes up for in an atmosphere oozing with character.”
- “The graphics are simple but gory in an old school top-down game way.”
- “It is not without its faults, however - the top-down perspective is intuitive but removes a lot of potential tension from the game. While I am not a stickler for graphics, the sprites in this game feel very much like placeholders and need some serious work. The 2D in this game is shoddy at best, which ends up making the game far less interesting visually than it could be.”
- “Graphically, the game is barely sufficient. The pixel-style retro environments are decent enough, but the characters players impersonate do not match this style. They look like they've been made with MS Paint and stand out in a way that makes them feel alien to the game's world.”
- “For the rest of the graphics, there are no dynamic shadows, no modern light effects, and no shading of anything. The flashlight is literally a sprite with high brightness that does not react to the environment at all. Enemies do not have animations besides walking; they look like animated mannequins that rotate around the axis of their square hitbox.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
50%
30%
The game's atmosphere is consistently praised for its dark, foreboding quality that enhances the sense of challenge and survival. Players appreciate the convincing and immersive environment, filled with remnants of past failures, which adds depth to the experience despite its lack of stunning visuals. Overall, the atmosphere is described as engaging and character-rich, contributing significantly to the game's entertainment value.
- “The atmosphere is dark and foreboding, and there are bits and pieces of people who couldn't escape or survive all over the place, reminding you just how close you are to ending up the same way.”
- “But what it lacks in stunning visuals, it certainly makes up for in an atmosphere oozing with character.”
- “If you want to challenge yourself with a dire atmosphere and grim chances of survival, Outbreak delivers that experience perfectly.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game incorporates many elements reminiscent of Resident Evil Outbreak, enhancing its appeal; however, persistent bugs and glitches significantly detract from the overall experience, rendering it unenjoyable in its current state.
- “The game has most of the elements of Resident Evil Outbreak, which makes it great, but the current bugs, glitches, and other issues make it unenjoyable in its current state.”
- “Frequent crashes and performance issues ruin the overall experience, making it hard to stay immersed in the game.”
- “I encountered numerous glitches that not only disrupted gameplay but also made it frustrating to progress through the story.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in Resident Evil Outbreak is notable for its exploration of interpersonal relationships and personal motivations among characters, revealing deeper emotional connections by the game's conclusion. In contrast, another game features minimal character growth, with the most significant aspect being a character's hairstyle, while offering customization options that allow players to express individuality through visual elements.
- “In Resident Evil Outbreak, you discover deep insights about the characters, and by the end of the game, you realize that some of them have feelings for one another and personal goals they want to achieve.”
- “The ability to personalize your character with flashlight, laser, and color options is a great way to stand out, and the character designs are refreshing after becoming so familiar with the characters from Resident Evil: Outbreak.”
- “In Resident Evil Outbreak, you found out things about the characters, and even by the end of the game realized some of them had feelings for one another, some of them had things they wanted to prove, etc. In this game, the most character development we found was that 'Alexia' has a hairstyle that looks extremely close to a facehugger from the movie Aliens.”
- “The ability to personalize yourself with flashlight/laser/character colors is a nice way to differentiate yourself more, and the character designs themselves are refreshing after getting to know RE:O's characters so well.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The music in the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its quality and overall contribution to the gaming experience.