+ Pros:
+ Combines storylines from Resident Evil Ø, 1, 3, and a new chapter
+ Answers questions about the events between/during each game
+ Easy controls
+ 3 difficulty levels
+ 15 Upgradeable weapons
- Cons:
- No stage for Resident Evil 2
- On-rail movement makes it easy to miss collectables
- Similar frustrations like those in House of the Dead
- Takes a long time to unlock co-op mode
- "Zombie Group Gang-up" and "PTRBOYD!"
I've been a fan of the Resident Evil series ever since it appeared in 1996, so once I purchased a Wii, I knew I had to add this game to my library.
The Storyline:
Each of the Resident Evil games (Ø, 1, 3) are divided into 3 stages to play through as either a female or male character. Each stage covers various plot elements while going through the train car (Resident Evil Ø), the Arkalay mansion (Resident Evil) or the streets of Raccoon City (Resident Evil 3).
With superior gameplay, stages become available that answer questions previously unknown to Resident Evil enthusiasts (like how Albert Wesker escaped the Arkalay mansion).
The Controls:
As with most Wii games; the controls are very easy to use. The Wiimote is used to aim your shots, and the B button serves as the trigger. If the A button is held down, the Wiimote can now be used as a knife, or grenades can be thrown using the B Button. The C button allows you to choose different weapons. The control stick is for the camera.
This game is compatible with the Wii Zapper, though I personally haven't found the need to use it.
The Weaponry:
One faithful staple of the Resident Evil franchise (since Resident Evil 3) is the ability to upgrade weapons - and Umbrella Chronicles is no exception. Each of the 15 weapons you find can be maximized for firepower, firing speed, capacity and reload speed, using the Point Stars you earn from completing stages.
The Gameplay:
Each level is in a first-person perspective. Since this is an on-rail shooter, the camera moves automatically from start to finish - using the control stick provides a very slight freedom of movement. Zombies, dogs, bats, Crimson Heads, and other monsters come towards you. If a zombie grabs you, moving the Wiimote quickly enough grants the player a chance to escape unharmed. There are weapons, herbs, and even secret Umbrella files hidden throughout every stage. When a stage is completed, you are graded on the following items:
Clear Time (how quick you finished the stage)
Enemy Hits (how many monsters you killed)
Critical Hits (how many zombies/Crimson Heads killed with perfect headshots)
Objects Destroyed (items such as lights, chandeliers, boxes, etc)
Files Obtained (how many hidden files you collected)
Getting an "S" ranking not only gives you the highest amount of Point Stars, but it also opens up other stages where you can play as other characters like Ada Wong, Albert Wesker, and others.
The Cons:
I was very surprised to see that Resident Evil 2 was not a playable stage, since it's not only the best-selling game in the Resident Evil franchise, but it's the #2 bestselling game for Capcom (source: geek.com). However, I learned that the success of this game has spawned a sequel called "Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles", which will be based on the events of Resident Evil 2.
The same issue from House of the Dead which irritated me is also in the Umbrella Chronicles: we only have a limited window of opportunity to find secret files or powerups on the screen. If we miss that window, there is usually no second chance, and we typically have to start the stage over. Since the camera movements in Umbrella Chronicles are nowhere near as jarring or as fast as those in House of the Dead, this makes it a little easier to find powerups and hidden items.
Co-op mode can only be unlocked by beating the 4th survivor mission of a hidden character. This is a very time-consuming task which should have been available from the get-go, in my opinion.
Now, let's say your character has two or more zombies or Crimson Heads directly in front of you. If one of them tries to bite you, shaking the Wiimote allows you to escape. However, after the cutscene ends, the second zombie will gang up on you with a punch that's almost always unblockable - hence my term, "Zombie Group Gang-up". Normally this can be avoided by shooting earlier, but it's harder to get critical hits from far away.
The last con stems from a gameplay element introduced in Resident Evil 4. There are moments in each stage when the screen goes inverse for a moment, and the character(s) face an obstacle that requires the player to push the A button or the B button or the A + B buttons or to shake the Wiimote. This is a very frustrating segment I used to call "PRESS THE RIGHT BUTTON OR YOU'RE DEAD!" but it was shortened to "PTRBOYD".
If you like on-rail shooters for the Wii like House of the Dead 2 & 3, this is the game for you. However, if you're more of a Resident Evil purist and like the older gameplay styles, pick up the Gamecube versions and have a blast.
Buy Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles!
