A 1-vs-4 online multiplayer Resident Evil game
Resident Evil Resistance Open Beta is an online action-strategy multiplayer role-playing video game that pits you against Umbrella Corp’s evil experiments. Developed by CAPCOM, this horror spin-off is an asymmetrical-multiplayer survival horror experience that’s similar in vein to Dead by Daylight and Last Year. It’s set in the classic sights of Raccoon City and features recurring appearances from staple characters in the Resident Evil franchise. Two to five players can join a match here.
The classic zombie series
Resident Evil is a Japanese horror media franchise owned by Capcom. First released in 1996, it focuses on a series of survival horror games following the outbreak of zombies and other monsters created mainly by the nefarious Umbrella Corporation. The series has since spawned dozens of materials like live-action films, animated films, comic books, novels, audio dramas, and merchandise. It has popularized the survival horror genre and zombies, and has since experimented with various different gameplay elements.
Resident Evil Resistance is another title under the franchise, included as an online game in the Resident Evil 3 remake package. The whole concept is centered around a 1-vs-4 match wherein four protagonist players try to escape a locked facility while one antagonist player tries to thwart them with the various system controls and zombies at their disposal. The two opposing sides are called Survivors and the Mastermind. Each has unique playable characters you can choose and they all have their own specialties, especially the Survivors.
The Survivors must escape the areas by looking for keys and solving puzzles while the Mastermind must prevent their escape until the timer runs out. The Survivors can be controlled similarly to past RE games, able to use weapons against the zombies, and each character has a specialized role such as a healer or a fighter. The Mastermind, on the other hand, doesn’t appear in person and must switch between cameras to locate Survivors, set up traps, disable systems, spawn zombies, and even personally control them.
Against all odds
The gameplay boils down to teamwork for the Survivors and strategy for the Mastermind. The maps are small and the locations for the items Survivors need to collect are randomized. The Mastermind is aware of their locations, however, so it’s a race to keep the Mastermind in the dark about what the Survivors are doing to avoid zombies spawning. Survivors can be revived if they take too much damage—however, they can die and respawn, but will lose time. They can only win by completing all areas in the level.
This multiplayer experience can be pretty fun when you’ve got the cooperation flow going between Survivors. However, the game needs more balancing. The scope of a Mastermind’s abilities can be all-powerful because they have nearly-full control of the map. There’s no in-game mini-map for Survivors so exploring can be difficult with just a fullscreen map you have to open. You can buy equipment before each match and unlock abilities with the points you earn. However, they’re locked to the character you used.
Needs more fixing
Overall, Resident Evil Resistance Open Beta is a nice little sideshow to RE3’s main campaign. It lets you take control of classic RE characters and even the popular bioweapon monsters in the franchise. However, it still lacks some polish, especially when compared to other asymmetrical multiplayer horror games.
