Resident Evil Outbreak: File 2 (PlayStation 2)

RESIDENT EVIL OUTBREAK: FILE 2 takes place in Raccoon City, where a few surviving denizens have banded together to attempt to leave the virus-infected city before the government blows it to smithereens. As in previous versions, Raccoon City is invested by zombies, as well as a host of other creatures including giant insects, blood-crazed animals, and mutant monsters.

Puzzles abound, and players must think carefully about the strategy they use, for it can change what happens next. In single-player mode, you can choose to play as one of eight characters, then pick two other characters who will accompany you. An abundance of supplies may be found, though you may only hold four or five supplies at a time. Ignore your companions, and they might ignore your requests for help or vital items, such as ammunition.

The extensive detail in the gameplay and environments means long load times and plenty of glitches. It is sometimes difficult to tell what is happening during the action (the character's POV is skewed). Fighting is clumsy and redundant, and players may grow frustrated by the inability to manually save the game at a given point. You may only save when you come across typewriters, which aren't as numerous as they should be.

This is a thinking game, meaning players must learn a great deal and then figure out how to use what they learn. A car battery may be used to construct a bomb; a lighter and can of pesticide can be turned into a flame thrower. Because the action seems to be taking place far away, the violence doesn't seem as immediate as in some of the mature war time games, but there is plenty of creepy stuff. This creepiness, combined with the clunkiness and the time-suck factor, make it for fans only -- and mature fans at that.