Parents' Guide to

Resident Evil: Outbreak

By Jeremy Gieske, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Violent, gory, scary -- for mature players only.

Game PlayStation 2 2004
Resident Evil: Outbreak Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

ubcroel
ubcroel Adult
May 11, 2018
age 13+

Best RE game to date

Teaches kids how to work as a team, help strangers who can't defend themselves and how to be courageous against monsters and demons. Lots of swearing and violence though, but it's a M rated game about a zombie apocalypse.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much swearing
YBNormal
YBNormal Parent of 6 and 8-year-old
January 7, 2009
age 13+
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

What do you get when you cross an out-of-control pharmaceutical company, some suspicious biochemical experiments and a small city of innocent civilians? Naturally, some sort of hideous mutating agent (in the case of RESIDENT EVIL: OUTBREAK, the T-Virus) that turns the average peaceful little town (Raccoon City) into a raging horde of bloodthirsty creatures (zombies, giant moths, etc.).

Zombies attack by biting the neck of their victims, causing blood to spurt out, and other creatures have a variety of other attacks. All lead to an increase of the T-Virus in the player's body, and if it reaches 100 percent the player turns into a zombie. Before long a \"You're Dead\" message appears with dripping blood. Players defend themselves from this cruel finish with a variety of weapons including pipes, handguns, Molotov cocktails, rocket launchers, etc.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (3 ):

If your kid is asking to play or purchase this game, you need to know that this is not for them: It is rated "M" by the ESRB for good reason. Fortunately, the game is candid about the violence -- even before the game begins there's a disclaimer that the game contains "explicit violence and gore." Overall, the game environment is designed to create a sense of fear and foreboding and contains a lot of elements found typically in horror movies. In addition to the violence, there's a fairly consistent stream of profanity.

There are a few minor positive elements, including the need for problem-solving skills to figure out puzzles, most of which are simple scenarios. Although the game is violent and bloody, it doesn't always emphasize confrontation. Players get a significant point bonus for not using a weapon, and another bonus for not getting hurt at all. Finally, the game utilizes teamwork: Allied characters can be controlled by the computer or played by other human friends over a network.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the appeal of a game like this. Are the gross details disgusting, amusing, or both? Do you think this game would be as enjoyable -- or even more enjoyable -- if they toned it down a little?

Game Details

  • Platform: PlayStation 2
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release date: May 1, 2004
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: M
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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