First Impressions: Get ready to hide behind the sofa! Resident Evil is coming to the Wii... again.
The Resident Evil series has had the benefit not only of selling like hotcakes but also possessing almost universal appeal. This success has allowed Capcom to branch out and take the series in new directions. Case in point, Capcom decided to take the series' first new game of this generation, the upcoming Wii exclusive spin-off Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, in a new (first person) direction.
Unlike the action-exploration gameplay of the main series, Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is an on-the-rails shooter in the vein of House of the Dead. The game takes players through levels of the past games in the series. Fans will recognize several different locations, such as the monster shark fight from the first Resident Evil. There are of course also copious amounts of zombies. Players use the Nunchuk and Wii Remote to aim and reload. However, they also have the option of using the new light gun peripheral (the Wii Zapper) that holds the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in one tidy package.
Some players may be upset that the game does not follow the traditional Resident Evil format. This belief is somewhat justified considering how the Resident Evil: Dead Aim series sent chills up all our spines for all the wrong reasons. Thankfully, what the game could potentially lack in depth it will more than make up for it with the sheer size of the thing – covering parts of Resident Evil 1, 2, 3 and the GameCube Resident Evil Zero, gamers will be treated to new angles on previous games in the series while learning the story behind the collapse of the Umbrella Corporation. Although the game’s nature restricts thorough exploration, the player can nevertheless choose multiple routes through levels.
Umbrella Chronicles' gameplay features the simplicity of most light-gun games. You aim your weapon by moving the Wii Remote in the appropriate direction. The D pad cycles through weapons, while the C button selects (and is also used to collect items). Reloading is accomplished through a simple flick of the Wii Remote. As you might have guessed the B trigger is used to fire. The Nunchuk comes in handy for looking around and allows you to target previously off-screen enemies and while moving. It can also be used to make your character lean in any direction, be it to dodge bullets or accomplish a headshot.
Speaking of targeting enemies, Capcom has added some cool ways to make sure they turn into blood splattered visions. Capcom included an innovative targeting system that lets the player know how much damage each shot will do to an enemy. This mechanics could potentially be beneficial to kill many enemies with the short supply of ammo. For example the player can shoot the a zombie’s kneecaps to send them falling to the ground or simply give them a third eye socket and move on to the next. Luckily Umbrella Chronicles has sticky aiming so even if you are rubbish you can still get a good chance at succeeding.
