Night has fallen, and your little group of survivors has managed to fight through to the uncertain sanctity of a small suburban house, an oasis in the midst of the hordes of living dead that surround it. There's a problem though: Dave's been shot, or worse yet, bitten. It's hard to tell. Kelly thinks she can save him, but Seth already has his gun out and doesn't want to take any chances, even if it means putting a bullet in the head of someone not even infected. You're the deciding vote. And so starts The Outbreak, SilkTricky's foray into the world of interactive live-action horror.
Attempts to add interactivity to scary movies range back to 1961's Mr. Sardonicus and its (likely rigged) "Punishment Poll." It's not hard to see why: of all genres of film, horror is the one where the viewer could probably give the characters the most helpful advice. Even if members of the audience aren't actually yelling out "Don't open that door!" or "The monster's not dead yet!", they're probably thinking it pretty hard. That said, while the techniques of horror games have advanced by leaps and bound, ones involving full-motion video with live actors pretty well stalled after the release of the infamous Night Trap and the slightly better Phantasmagoria, as the genre got a reputation for cheesy production values and limited gameplay.
It is true that many of the usual criticisms of the full-motion-video genre apply to The Outbreak. You basically watch the film until prompted to make a choice, the acting is questionable (or at least very loud and sweary), and it sometimes feels that your successful choices are frustratingly based on dumb luck rather than logic (as is, admittedly, the case with many "Choose Your Own Adventure" type stories). On the other hand, the fast-paced direction and well-done special effects are quite effective in creating a constant sense of menace, and the chapter select options allow you to easily return to an earlier decision, limiting frustration. There are 21 scenes in total, with 10 decision points. There are 6 options that lead to death, and 2 that lead to your survival, though the "death" endings are often just as entertaining as the "survival" ones. There's something to be said for the visceral emotion of live-action scares that's hard to capture in drawn form.
The Outbreak is a fast, dumb, violent, profane, zombie movie in interactive form. Some will find that sentence to be a compelling reason to check it out, and others a compelling reason to stay far away. But if you are a fan of George Romero or games like the Dead Frontier: Outbreak series, and are willing to overlook a few plot holes in pursuit of a good bloody time, this is a game worth watching and a movie worth playing.
Walkthrough Guide
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I just finished TADAHHH!! FULL Walkthrough
SPOILERS. CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
The Outbreak Walkthrough
Watch the Intro. An argument ensues and those basterds are coming! Save the man. For the love of God, save him.
Time to choose what to do. But if I were you, I wouldn't go with Seth, because his plan is unsafe. So stay here! We'll be fine :)
You hear a loud roar coming from outside. Which means the fun is coming :D ZOMBIES. Time to rush for some wood! Furniture means wasting time, so get to it!
Hehe, that fat guy reminds me of the Left 4 Dead Boomer (Except he didn't puke) And now you value the fact that you saved the man, eh? Now we gotta run. Let's go downstairs! The scarier, the better.
Oh god. Now there's trouble. You and the girl are on the stairs. But there's an army of zombies nearby! Sorry gal, gotta leave you behind.
Man, your character sure gets lotsa luck :D RUN FOR THE WOODS. To get an ok ending. Unfortunately, when you get in the car on the woods ending, you notice that the woman driver has a bite mark on her neck... SO! you can run for the streets. You'll pair up with other survivors, and lets get outta here! The Streets are the best ending, but I have played all the videos.
Simpler Walkthrough (For the rushers)
Save Him.
Stay Here.
Gather Wood.
Go Downstairs.
Leave Her.
Run for the woods or the streets (Any), but I prefer the streets for the best ending.
This is pretty gory, so I guess viewer discretion is advised? And my walkthrough ensures a good ending, for I have found out which choices kill you and which ones help you progress through this lovely game.
I loved this short game. Have fun! Can't wait for Halloween.
-Josh01
Posted by: Josh01 | October 19, 2010 7:05 PM
I counted 10 deaths and two "You Survived"s. But one of them was "...for now."
Not all the deaths were unique. Was that how you got 6?
Scenes (warning, outline format with MAJOR spoilers):
Save Him
Go With Seth
You crash into a tree and die.
Stay Here
Gather Wood
Go Downstairs
Save Her
She slows you down and a zombie gets you. You die.
Leave Her
The table leg you broke off is still there. You fight the two zombies off and make it outside.
Run For The Woods
A car! The lady offers you a ride. Her radio is sputtering static and what does come through is not promising. She has a small bite on her neck. You survive. For now.
Go For The Dirt Bike
Stupid, the zombies are attracted by the noise. You fail to get the bike started and die.
Run For The Street
Refugees! You live.
Go Out Back
You can't see and blunder into a pack of the undead. You die.
Push Furniture
Go Downstairs
Save Her
She slows you down and a zombie gets you. You die.
Leave Her
The zombies broke into the side room. You have no weapon and die.
Go Out Back
You can't see and blunder into a pack of undead. You die.
Leave It Alone
Go With Seth
You crash into a tree and die.
Stay Here
Gather Wood
The guy at the window runs outside with a baseball bat and leaves the door open. He is eaten and zombies come in. You die.
Push Furniture
The guy at the window runs outside with a baseball bat and leaves the door open. He is eaten and zombies come in. You die.
Posted by: SkylerF | October 19, 2010 7:21 PM