Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles (Wii)

I've not really found anything to really suck me in gaming-wise since finishing Resident Evil 5. My immediate reaction to finishing it, was to play Umbrella Chronicles on the Wii, which reminded me of how good, both the game (and perhaps more importantly,) the console are. The idea of an 'on-rails' light-gun game having as much content and game-play as a standard Resi game was a novel one. It is a format I have found compelling to play on a regular basis since I bought it, although total completion of the title is something that still eludes me!




You can imagine my joy at finding out there is to be a sequel, the hotly anticipated RE: Darkside Chronicles, which re-works the events of RE2 in a 'current gen' format for the first time. Having enjoyed RE Code Veronica, RE Dead Aim, RE: Outbreak File #.2 and Umbrella Chronicles, I'm very excited to see another RE 'offshoot' so soon after RE5.
Oh, and as well as Leon S. Kennedy in his S.T.A.R.S incarnation, you'll also be able to play as Claire Redfield and Ada Wong! Woot!


Actually, Capcom might be single-handedly ensuring the Wii becomes the most used console in my house, with the announcement that RE: Zero and the simply stunning remake of the original Resident Evil for Gamecube getting a repackaging for the Wii - with motion controls as they did for Resident Evil 4! That could see me locked into the RE experience on the Wii in one way or another for the next year! The games are being packaged together (as House Of The Dead II and III were for their Wii-welease) as Resident Evil: Archives.

RE 5 Completed!

Well, I bought RE5 on Friday and I've played it a few hours each day (except Sunday.) I played it in the easiest mode and struggled with some of the bosses, but in the end, I finished it! I breezed through the game without any tears (unlike RE: Code Veronica or RE: Umbrella Chronicles...)



So, after all the hype and waiting was it worth it? I'd say a slightly hesitant "yes".... Great looking, very playable, forgiving save system and weapon/ammo supply, excellent use of cut-scenes, great musical score etc, it was an excellent experience all the way.

I knew it was going to rely heavily on the gameplay mechanic of Resident Evil 4, but didn't realise how much... At times it felt like the same game... but as RE4 is one of the bst video games ever, that's no bad thing! The new weapon selection/resource management, having to be accessed in-game 'real time', as opposed to the luxury of the last game's system, can be hard to manage- (although the enemies, right up to the final boss, seem to give you plenty of time to prepare your weapon.) The save system is better and checkpoints frequent.



I did begin to panic at the amount of time it was taking me to beat the final boss, and resorted to restarting Chapter 6. I wondered if the arsenal I had, packed enough punch to finish the boss.
That old nagging doubt, seeded by my lack of success in RE:CV and RE:UC...
The surprises weren't very surprising, but like Umbrella Chronicles before it, the game tied up some story strands nicely. I wouldn't say it was a massive upgrade in technical terms from RE4 or Umbrella Chronicles, which IMHO looked almost as good and play equally well. But on the whole, I've loved RE5 as much as I knew I would.

I liked having Sheva as my AI companion. Her importance as a partner becomes fully apparent in the final boss battle. The fun will now come from Mercenaries Mode, playing online co-op (something I've yet to experience properly, my online escapades being restricted to SCIV, VF5, and Sega Rally) and waiting to see what the DLC is like!




Having seen Dead Rising tailored to the technical capabilities of the Wii as "Chop Till You Drop", I wouldn't be surprised if Capcom don't bring out a 'Wii edition' of the game at some time in the future. Certain levels and scenarios would have played well with a Wii-type control system. RE5 delivers what was expected, I just don't know if all the hype and long waiting were that necessary!

So what next? I think that might just be RE:Code Veronica again, or maybe the Umbrella Chronicles...

Umbrella Chronicles Review

Resident Evil Remake (GameCube)

Having just about run out of steam on Half Life (I'm about 4/7 of the way through), I needed a break. I do intend to come back to it at some point and will keep a Dreamcast VMU dedicated to it, but sheesh! it's become a grind!

Looking through my "bought but not played" pile of games (not an unsubstantial horde, you understand...) I found the RE remake for the Gamecube. On popping it into the Wii, I was stunned by it's gorgeous graphical representation of environments I'd only ever experienced on the DS - a direct port of the Saturn/PSX version.

Now this could have been partly due to the fact, that for all it's innovation and originality, Half Life on the Dreamcast is no looker! Resident Evil GC on the other and is sumptuous. Now I've played through the DS version this year (my best ever handheld experience) so I know the plot inside out. But there are a lot of twists, variations and expansions to keep those who played the original, more than satisfied. The main variation is that zombies you have dispatched will come back later in the game, twice as fast and fucking scary, unless you blow their heads off or set them on fire! (nice!)

Now, I'm not garanteeing I'll finish this, Resident Evil games have a habit of making me cry, and I'm still stuck on the last boss in UmbrellaChronicles. But for now I'm loving it!

BTW it's really interesting to see how much of RE:GC has been recycled (very sucessfully) in Umbrella Chronicles - character models, environments etc.

I'll let you know how I get on!

Blacksite Area 51

Well, it seems I've made something of a 'faux pas' in terms of my gaming choices, as I'm currently the above title. My good friend Funnyman, literally slapped himself in the face, he was so horrified!

As the title suggests, this is an alien based FPS, with a fairly flimsy backstory...

OK, what are my impressions? Well, I haven't found it too bad so far, and I have to say I like the mixture of driving and shooting... Alright, I'll admit that there are a lot of flaws. The graphics are sub-standard for a start... Umbrella Chronicles for the Wii and even games like God Of WarII and RE4 on the PS2 are far superior. There are some really jarring glitches, like guns floating in mid air once they've been discarded and an inconsistency in objects that break when shot.

But as it goes, I've played far worse. I'm wavering as to whether I should complete it now. I want to totally reorganise my games collection and trade a few titles in so I can buy No More Heroes for the Wii and Call Of Duty 4 for the DS...

So, we'll just see, I'm not abandoning it yet. What do you think dear friends, should I take dear Funnyman's advice and trade it in? It'll take me a while to sort out my games, which I might do over the weekend. So I'll hold fire for now and play through for another few days. I've got a bit of a reputation for enjoying games other's have panned... (Red Steel and Blue Stinger spring to mind...) As usual, here's some links!

Blacksite Area 51 Official Site

Blacksite@IGN

Blacksite@Wikipedia

Me and the Wii are friends again...

Well this is supposed to be the Wii-kly Sermons isn't it? I've shared my thoughts on the 360 (Bioshock and Gears Of War), the PS2 (God Of War) music and films this year, but have I mentioned the Wii? No...

You see me and the Wii fell out, around the time I got the Wii Zapper whilst it was great for playing Link's Crossbow Training (which even got Mrs. K hooked...) it was diabolical for playing Umbrella Chronicles... Using the Zapper made shooting and QTEs very unrewarding, and thus progress was difficult. I stalled on the game, started playing the PS2 and then forgot about the Wii when the 360 entered the house...

Then I got down right cranky about Umbrella Chronicles, gave it a couple of re-tries and then decided I might even trade it in, and I hadn't even finished the second level.

Then I tried it co-op with my best friend, but then made the mistake of BOTH using the Zapper!

it was fun until we had to shake them about for a QTE and then that was it! They didn't respond, I 'spat my dummy' (an old English phrase meaning I spat out my pacifier in a tantrum) and that was it! Both the Wii and Umbrella Chronicles were finished for me! Harumph!

However, flushed with the success of beating Gears, I decided to give UC another try using the Wiimote and Nunchuck. TADA!!!! Revelation!!!! I've completed two levels and two sub-levels in two nights! As well as playing through the original Resident Evil level, I've unlocked two secret wesker levels that I kicked ass on as well.

Those of you who are aware of my gaming tendencies will know a few facts... I love Resident Evil. It makes me cry tears of rage at really difficult points. I'm a fickle bastard.

So now you'll be unsurprised to know I've come full circle and Umbrella Chronicles is now my new favourite game! the controls are just right, the unlockables and cut scenes fill in a lot of the blanks in the Umbrella Chronicles. The graphics are fabulous and one in the eye for anyone who says the Wii's capabilities are sub-par. I see them as good as Gears or Bioshock... (but then again aren't God Of War's???)

I won't offer any proper sort of review... many people have already done a better job (including J's excellent review.)

I'll just offer the usual screenshots and video, plus the following lovely links! I love you Nintendo Wii! I love you Umbrella Chronicles! I love you world!!!

Umbrella Chronicles Official Site

Umbrella Chronicles Wikipedia

Umbrella Chronicles IGN

Full Of Eastern Promise... Okami

Having finished the amazing God Of war II, I was left with a gaping whole in my gaming life...


What would fill it? Umbrella Chronicles? Erm... nope! Gears Of War? Well... If I'm honest, I found the tutorial on casual mode a tad overpowering... (*FK blushes at his own gaming ineptitude...*)





Still, I had managed to secure Okami for a mere £10 ($20) the other day, and my good friend Nebacha had assured me of it's merits so I thought "what the heck?" and decided to give it a go...



An epic Japanese tale of a land laid destitute by evil monsters, your mission is to restore ancient Nippon to it's verdant spleandour by heroic and beatific acts, using your ...erm magic paint brush... You play as a mystic white wolf, guided by a little bug type creature... In a land populated by drunken warriors, evil spirits, myopic washer women and stumbling postmen...





Now if all this sounds a litle bizarre, that's because it is... Surreal if you will. What I knew of Okami was that it was a visually stunning game, with cell shaded graphics, drawn in the style of traditional Japanese paintings. Paintings that have come to life...


What I wasn't expecting was the cheesey humour, the cartoon like characters or the Zelda style tasks of treasure hunting, weapon collecting, potion gathering, container breaking or spell casting... And it's none the worse for any of that!

The babbling none-language of the protagonists (sounding like a Japanese "Morph") was a little off putting at first, as was the seemingly never ending opening sequence, but the more I play it, the more charmed I am, and increasingly drawn in to boot!

Now I'll throw in a couple of pics, a handful of links and a bit of video so you can make sense of this rambling nonsense, but it's clear to see why this game has earned a place in the prestigious Games TM magazine's prestigious top ten PS2 games of all time...

Now, like many great games of the past, despite being critically acclaimed, was a commercial failure. Perhaps too off beat and unusual for Western gamers, the franchise is being resurrected for another chance to wow the gaming public, this time on the Wii.



It's clear to see how the Wiimote could make an excellent controller for the magic paint brush and by waving it around, one could either hack and slash enemies or with a majestic sweep of the wrist, bring life back to a scorched an arrid, demonic wasteland...


Who knows? If done well (like RE4 Wii Edition) this could be within the top ten Wii games by next year... I hope so, as the game needs to be shared with a wider audience! Here's the links, check 'em out and enjoy!!



Okami Official Website


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ÅŒkami


Okami IGN

The Second Best Game, Ever...

High praise indeed? Well yeah, definitely! It's just that God Of War II has got me so stoked at the moment. I'm playing it on easy mode (of course) but it just ticks all the boxes. The gameplay just flows, there's a very forgiving save system and the cutscenes are simply glorious. It's wiped out all of my Resident Evil obsession that I carried throughout most of 2007...

Voice acting and characterisation are fabulous, the whole mythos of the title sublime... It doesn't get any better than this! My gaming set up at the moment helps... Dreamcast, 360 and Wii in the back (most inhabited) living room, Dreamcast, Saturn and PS2 in the front (less inhabited) living room. That means the potential to game on some console or other, whatever Mrs. K is doing... But I have to say, she's remarkably chilled about gaming these days...

Now I know I said it was going to be Gears Of War and Umbrella Chronicles next, but it just might just be God Of War I...

I played about 10 minutes of UC at the weekend and it really wasn't fun!!! In fact I'm hating on that game right now, I really, REALLY, can't be arsed with it...

It's just too bloody hard, and doesn't have the appeal to keep me going... I know!!! I went on and on about it! It promised to be my defining game... And you know what? Now I want to trade it in with Sonic (the 360 version) and Viva Pinata which was bought for Ted, (but totally eclipsed for him by World Of Warcraft. I reckon that little trade in could get me Ghost Squad, (which I really want -notice I didn't say NiGHTS?)

So there you go... Not much of an update really, nothing to report... I'l let you know how my trade in goes... But right now it's all about God Of War II!

(and yes Funnyman I know you can have sex in it, but that hasn't been it's main selling point!!!)

God Of War II Official Website

Father K's January "Wii Related Round Up..."

First of all, an apology to those of you who occasionally stop by the place... There's been very little to read of late... There are a number of reasons for this, however. Firstly, the old Wii has been somewhat eclipsed by the arrival of the 360 here in Krishna Towers, with Bioshock totally consuming all my gaming time of late... I've completed it now, and I have to say it has been one of the bestgaming experiences I have ever had... For a nice video review of this lovely game, look here...

The Wii has made a triumphant return of late however, with my first taste of playing Umbrella Chronicles co-op with a friend and two Wii zappers, and I have to say it's great fun! The only irksome thing about the experience would have to be that playing with the Zapper actually makes the game harder! How so? Two reasons really! Firstly is having to curl your finger around the Zapper to get to the 'A' button, vital for picking up herbs, first aid sprays, Umbrella memos and weapon upgrades... It feels awkward and uncomfortable while your other finger is on the trigger.

Secondly, shaking the Wiimote to fend off zombies that have you in their clutches, and also as a means of avoiding boss attacks and getting through QTE's is vital to progression in the game. But plug that Wiimote into the Zapper and it becomes impossible. The whole thing becomes very frustrating and led yesterday to me and my friend abandoning the game before we even reached the Spencer Mansion. Disappointing really...

Still, Link's Crossbow Training has shown how perfectly the Zapper can work as a Light Gun, and as this genre is one of my favourite in gaming, I'm not giving up on it just yet... With that thought in mind, it is wih some excitement that I look forward to the Wii's next two Light Gun offerings, Ghost Squad and House Of The Dead 2&3 Return (Please click on the titles to go to Sega's Official Sites for each game...)

Ghost Squad is a Confidential Mission style anti-terrorist shoot 'em up. Your mission is to save the world by blasting as many of the pesky so and so's as possible. And they rather obligingly throw themselves into your path, so you can blast away to your heart's content. The arcade perfect port looks very promising indeed!

House Of The Dead 2 & 3 Return is something of a lazy port, combining as it does HOTD2 (first seen on The Dreamcast) and HOTD3 (first appearing on the original Xbox.) No extra features, no graphically polished original HOTD (one of the Saturn's finest games, and the title which kicked off the franchise...) Is it worth your money then? Well yes and no... I won't be parting with any money for a full price purchase, I'll wait till the price comes down... And I won't allow myself to buy it until Umbrella Chronicles is well and truly completed. But as it's perhaps the greatest Light Gun game ever, I'll definitely be buying it at some point...

In fact it looks like 2008 is going to be a bit of a stellar year for the Wii with Street Fighter 4, No More Heroes, NiGHTs and even a sequel to the marvellous, (though much maligned) Red Steel. Watch this space!

The Eagle Has Landed!

This post could have been entitled "Bastard bloody bollocking Blockbuster", for it was at that wretched establishment, that I had placed my pre-order. So, on my way out for a romantic meal with Mrs. K, I suggested that we nip out and pick up my game. (Romantic meal out of the way, my weekend was mapped out with UC until I went to bed on Sunday night.) So we pull up at Blockbuster and I ask Mrs. K if she wants to come in and enjoy the moment when I receive the most coveted game I had ever bought. She sensibly (and predictably) said she would wait in the car. I strolled confidently up to the counter to collect my prize AND... and... and... NOTHING!!!

Those stupid fuckers must have fucked up their distribution or something, because they weren't getting the game till 3 o'Clock the next day! And this just wouldn't do... 'Cos I'd planned my entire weekend around this sucker, including Friday night! I had the (rare) permission to just indulge my gaming passion, to dominate the main TV of the house and to be excused for household chores for the weekend. BAH!

So I rang around the main game stores in Manchester (UK) and they said they had loads of copies. I then suggested to Mrs. K that we would go and have our meal, then I would casually saunter out, and grab my game. But what did my saintly wife suggest? That I would enjoy my meal more if I had the game in my posession. God love her! And thus, I trudged through the wind and rain, battling against hostile Christmas shoppers, to secure the game. Eventually, after a beautiful curry, I stepped through the door and unwrapped the game.


AAAARRRGGGGHHH! the electrical spaghetti underneath my telly was so confusing, that my Wii remained unplugged and powerless. Not that much of a problem you might think? Imagine a TV, connected to a VCR, a DVD, a Dreamcast, a PS2, a Sky Box and a Wii, all with their power sources plugged into one of those six pronged multi plugs, eventually leading to one 'health and safety' risk. Their cords were entwined like a mass of warring cobras, but eventually I managed to get the Wii plugged in. PHEW! OK, ready to play right? AAAARRRGGGGHHH!(2)The fucking Wiimote's batteries had died! Damn! I then had to send my biggest ugly son over to the shops to grab some AA's...

OK! On to the game! Well I was always going to love it wasn't I? As a lover of Light Gun games both in arcades and on home consoles (House Of the Dead, Virtua Cop, Confidential Mission, Death Crimson OX, RE:Code Veronica Gun Survivor ) and as a relatively recent devotee of the Resident Evil franchise, it was a no brainer that this would deliver on every level! And it does! In spades!



My Wii sleeps most of the time, whilst the Dreamcast, DS, PS2 and even Saturn get regular attention. The only games that have brought it to life are Red Steel (uncompleted) and RE4 (lovingly completed and oft replayed.) But as I knew it would, Umbrella Chronicles means that it will be the only console that gets played until the game is completed. I had hoped to play it with the Wii Zapper. After all, Light Gun games are partly fun because you hold a big gun! But the Wiimote on it's own is a fine substitute. The B button makes a perfect trigger and the fact that it is just a cuboid shape doesn't detract from it feeling more like a gun than a regular controller.


Graphics? Gorgeous! I may revise my opinion when I get "the kids" ;) a 360 for Christmas, but being a largely Retro Gamer, I'm massively impressed by some of the graphics on the Saturn. Therefore, when hit with the graphic spleandour of 'last gen' games like RE4, Shenmue, Code Veronica, the RE remake for the Gamecube, or God Of War, I'm blown away!!! Needless to say, although Capcom have recycled a lot elements from it's 'last gen' RE releases, the end result is nothing less than sumptuous to look at.


Gameplay? Fabulous! It's 'pick up and play' potential is excellent. There is something of a tutorial on the first level, but it doesn't take long, and soon the use of Wiimote (and to a lesser degree the nunchuck) comes as second nature. And as I've often stated before, the joy of brainlessly blasting at zombies encapsulates for me the joy of escapism that video games should supply. It's fun! Pure unadulterated fun!


But the real joy of the game, comes from the fact that it was created by Capcom, as a nod to all the diehard Resi fanboys. All the geeks (like me) who have swallowed the Umbrella saga wholesale, who have played the games, watched the films and want to tie up every inch of the storyline.


Narrated by Wesker and connecting every unsolved mystery from the story, it's a Resident Evil gameplayers dream. I'm actually sad enough to have spent hours trawling the Internet, to read every Umbrella file or memo, in order to map out the whole Resident Evil saga correctly. And it's actually a powerful way of wrapping the story up of the last and last but one gen excursions.


The Wii isn't powerful enough to house Resident Evil 5. Hopefully I'll be travelling that particular journey on the 360. But Wii owners couldn't say they've been neglected by Capcom. Both this, and RE 4 Wii edition, are essential purchases.



Where am I up to in the game? Well I've played through the RE Zero chapter of the game. I've never played the Gamecube's RE Zero (but I will) which means that the Rebecca Chambers/Billy Cohen storyline was unfamiliar to me. I loved it though, and I've now completed the RE Zero chapter of Umbrella Chronicles. But now I'm almost wetting myself, because I'm now playing as Jill Valentine, back in the Spencer Mansion where it all started. I know what's behind every door, what is about to happen in every room, enjoying seeing it all in tear inducing graphic glory and it's one of the most sublime gaming experiences that I've ever had.


Gripes? Well OK, there's one or two! No criticism of the game as such. other than the fact that it doesn't feature any revelations or gameplay from RE4 or RE:Code Veronica, but hopefully that means Capcom are saving it for Umbrella Chronicles 2.


To sum up, I must say that although I've enjoyed video games since the mid seventies 'Pong' era, on a variety of consoles and computers, it's only in the last couple of years that I would consider myself a 'gamer'. I now live and breathe videogames, research them, read about them, play them and comment on them. I even have two websites about them and contribute to two more. I subscribe to Games TM magazine and spend hours on the Internet looking up games I've never even played on consoles I've never owned. And I've researched enough (and played enough on about 15 different formats) to know that Capcom's Resident Evil franchise is a must for my fellow gamers.



And if there is one game that encapsulates the back catalogue of this wonderful series it is Umbrella Chronicles. If you own a Wii, go out tomorrow and buy it. If you're disappointed I'll personally reimburse you. But you won't be. One of the pinnacles of the Wii's releases so far, I couldn't give a flying fuck about Super Mario Galaxy or Metroid Prime 3 Corruption. It's all about the Umbrella Chronicles. This is Father K, for Wiikly Sermons, signing out. Now over to you Ted for the sport and weather...

NGamer Review Of Umbrella Chronicles

I was e-mailed this today and I thought I'd share it with you all. I stress the words aren't mine of course, (I've yet to play it!) But it seemed like an honest and balanced review, and contains some great information about the game. for example, I didn't realise how much of the game was recycled... But any way, I'll let them tell you all about it...

Import review: "There's no doubt in our minds that at some point in the recent past, Umbrella Chronicles was a very different game to the one that has finally emerged. Far from being some elaborate mystery for us to unravel, the evidence has been there from the start - early interviews with Capcom's team suggested Chronicles would be a game more like Resident Evil 4, while later interviews changed the script. After the brilliant Resi 4, it's a shame we never got that original concept, but it's hard to fault Umbrella Chronicles for what it's not, when what it is is so ridiculously fully-featured and complete.

You are dead. Continue?You want levels? How about 12 hours' worth, all set in the midst of the zombie holocausts from Resident Evil Zero, 1, 2 and 3, and featuring a final, all-new level to wrap up Umbrella's Story? You like guns? Capcom have provided every famous weapon from the series, every one upgradable using the points you'll earn on your missions and each handling in its own unique way.And how about the characters? Every chapter of Umbrella Chronicles stars characters from the original games, with each given different introductory cutscenes depending on who you choose to play as. Even better, further unlockable missions are based around untold side-stories from the series and help patch over Resident Evil's big mysteries - like how Rebecca Chambers made it from the Umbrella management training facility to the Mansion, or what Wesker was up to while the STARS team was preparing to move on the Mansion.

Chronicles is the most blatant example of fan service Capcom could have conjured, filling in every gap in the story with new cutscenes, lengthy dossiers, files, and those new chapters that patch up the continuity holes and rewrite the questionable parts of the series' chequered past. Umbrella Chronicles is like a 1970's exploit-o-movie version of Resident Evil's story - not smart or especially stylish, with everything about it designed to appeal almost exclusively to the most niche of audiences. But, what it does offer fans of the series, it offers perfectly. Chronicle triggerAces, then. We'll have some of that. Except, as successful as Chronicles is as a fan-pleasing piece of Resident Evil cake, it's a very ordinary shooter. Sega's Ghost Squad may be pushing around fewer polygons than Super Mario 64, but it's the most exciting all-out shooter on the Wii; like two sides of the same coin, Ghost Squad succeeds where Umbrella Chronicles fails, and conversely, fails everywhere Resi succeeds. Where Chronicles is long, Ghost Squad is short; where the zombie blaster is beautiful, Ghost Squad looks like an especially unattractive Dreamcast game.


Like Ghost Squad, Umbrella Chronicles is an unmistakably cheap game, but again, in a very different way. The Zero stages use the 3D models that provided the backdrops to Resi Zero, the mansion levels are ripped straight from the Gamecube Resident Evil Remake, and since the 3D models used to recreate Raccoon City were of too low quality for a modern game, the Raccoon City stages are torn from the code for Resident Evil Outbreak on the PS2. Recycling like that might make Al Gore a happy man, but it's a cheap and easy turn-around for the boys at Capcom, and rather makes us question the price of the game.And where Ghost Squad is a thrilling rollercoaster ride of a shooter, Resident Evil is a particularly lethargic ghost train - riding along at a snail's pace, you encounter zombies and other beasties every now and again as if they were an afterthought.



It's as if Capcom were so intent upon making an atmospheric and frightening game, they forgot what it is that makes a lightgun shooter so entertaining - there's no relentless pace, no test of your reactions, and you'll even have to conserve ammo and save your biggest and most fun guns for the astonishingly resilient bosses. Chronicles, of course, is shaped like a Resident Evil game where extended periods of calm are punctuated by moments of extreme action and terror, but what works for survival horror doesn't work so well for a lightgun shoot-'em-up, and your ride on the ghost train is about as scary as a sit-down on Santa's knee.




Looking down a dark hallway on a stormy night and knowing you have to walk to the door at the end is a difficult, stomach-churning dilemma; being led down there on rails whether you like it or not is just another turn in the tracks on that ghost train, and when those dogs leap out at you, you won't even clench your bum cheeks. We like what they were aiming for with the atmosphere, but Capcom have missed their target on this one.
Although the design choices made along the way are often confusing, the game Umbrella Chronicles finally became isn't the disaster it was seemingly destined to be.



Lest we forget, Capcom has no strong record for quality Resident Evil side stories, and a particularly bad reputation for lousy lightgun games -the PlayStation Gun Survivor and Dead Aim games are notorious stinkers, Resident Evil Gaiden was a catastrophe, and those two PS2 Outbreaks were less Shaun Of The Dead and more Stig Of The Dump, so it's a miracle the clearly micro-budgeted Umbrella Chronicles worked out as well as it did. A slow start makes way for more intense action on later levels, and though it never feels like an all-out shooter or a true Resi experience, it occasionally touches on both, and when it does, it's at its best. For any fan of the series, it's a tour of a world you love with enough unlockables to keep you squeezing the trigger until the day you die, and a mountain of plot minutiae to read through once you've been reanimated again. Chronicles is no shoot-'em-up, but it's the best Resident Evil side-story in close to eight years. And since the last good one was Code Veronica, that's lofty praise indeed."

The Day After Tomorrow!

Yes folks it is just two days until I get my hands on it! I can barely bare the excitement! Umbrella Chronicles will be the first game I have ever bought on the day of release, the first game I've ever pre-ordered and will represent my 11th purchase from the franchise!

My collection so far is:

Resident Evil (Saturn)

Resident Evil 2 (Dreamcast)

Resident Evil 3 (Dreamcast)

Resident Evil Code Veronica (Dreamcast)

Resident Evil Code Veronica: Gun Survivor (PS2)

Resident Evil: Outbreak File (PS2)

Resident Evil: Dead Aim (PS2)

Resident Evil 4 (PS2)

Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition (Wii)

Resident Evil Deadly Silence (DS)

Resident Evil was a game I stated I hated earlier this year, when I played it on the Saturn (look here). And then a complete U-turn showing what a fickle and contrary bastard I am...

And when I get into something, I get RIGHT into it! Some might say obsessed. I've included links for this excellent game here. For some excellent videos look on the official Capcom site (don't be put off by the Japanese writing). For some fascinating background on the game have a look at the excellent Wikipedia page!

Umbrella Chronicles At Wikipedia

Official Capcom Umbrella Chronicles Site

Umbrella Chronicles At IGN