It’s Like...

…a Resident Evil shooter that isn’t very scary but a fun game nonetheless. A title that fills in the missing plotlines from its predecessor, Umbrella Chronicles, in addition to shedding light on the characters of Resident Evil 2 fame: Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy. The story switches between the scenarios, Operation Javier, Memories of a Lost City, and Game of Oblivion. You can choose the opposite characters to give you a different perspective and narrative dialogue while shooting your way through hordes of zombies and other deadly creatures.


What Works

Compared to its predecessor, Umbrella Chronicles, it is much easier to switch weapons by assigning them to the directional control pad. Also, the ability to customize your weapons gives you incentive to complete scenarios carefully for the extra coin and score ranking. Though available only in the easy mode, the auto-lock feature is a great addition to shoot distant enemies when accuracy is needed to keep the zombies at bay. The option to include the nunchuk in the control scheme is a welcome one for those needing an alternative to changing weapons.


What Doesn’t Work

The camera in Darkside Chronicles is shaky and mediocre at best. At the higher difficulty settings, you must pull off a headshot on close enemies or take serious damage before you have a chance to breathe or blink. Those new to the series may find it difficult to follow the story as it moves at a relatively fast pace with long cutscenes. The “Normal” and “Hard” difficulty settings should have been tweaked better as you find yourself dying often in scenarios due to poor camera angles and a barrage of enemies before you can fire a single round of ammunition.


The Bottom Line

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles is a fun game despite its short length. It doesn’t come anywhere near the scare or gameplay calibre of Resident Evil 5, but the visuals and replay value of this title are decent. This game compliments Resident Evil 2 well with the Memories of a Lost City and Game of Oblivion scenarios, as fans will be treated to moments of pure nostalgia. Not a triple A title but an arcade-type shooter for the Wii that is worth considering for the holidays.