Outbreak Demo

Survival games are not easy to pull off, especially if the developers want to create a mix of horror and adventure at the same time. The difficulty level is a very delicate matter, because frustration can turn people away, but a game that’s too easy is no fun either. It’s important for the players to feel like they have the freedom to approach each situation as they desire, so the whole thing is quite complex from a gameplay point of view.

Outbreak is a top-down survival game with shooter mechanics and basic RPG elements, in which your goal is to explore the environments, collect useful items and somehow stay alive when everything out there wants a piece of you. The game is far from original, given the fact that it draws inspiration from the Resident Evil series and it doesn’t bring too many new ideas to the table, but the experience is actually very enjoyable.

You can play on your own or let the AI help you along, and there’s also a co-op mode in case you want to play with a friend. The missions are fairly straightforward, since all you have to do is get to the end of every stage without dying. However, the journey is far from easy, given the fact that there are hordes of infected monsters trying to put a halt to your progress. Thankfully, there are many ways to deal with them.

Each room usually holds some kind of useful item that makes your life easier, such as weapons, ammunition, or various other helpful things. The shooting mechanics are straightforward and simple to understand, but you always have to make sure you do not waste ammo, given the fact that it’s hard to find. It’s also worth mentioning that you can easily be overwhelmed by enemy numbers if you do not take the time to take them out one by one.

Speaking of which, the controls can be an issue every now and again, especially if you happen to use a mouse and keyboard combo. Granted, there are multiple control schemes to choose from in case you find it difficult to move or aim, but a gamepad is strongly recommended to get the best out of the game. Lastly, the graphics sport the usual retro vibe, and they are nothing to write home about, but at least they don’t get in the way.

In the end, Outbreak is a polished and enjoyable top-down survival game, even if it has some issues in regards to controls and the pace of the action, since sometimes it feels like your character is a bit too slow. Even so, there’s plenty of fun to be had if you give the game a chance.