Resident Evil:
The Umbrella Chronicles
Story:
July 23rd, 1998. Reports of grisly murders on the outskirts of the American Midwest Town of Raccoon City prompt the Raccoon Police Department to send in the elite S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team to investigate. Rookie recruit Rebecca Chambers soon finds herself trapped on a moving train filled with hideous monsters and the walking dead. She is forced to join forces with convicted murderer and ex-marine Billy Coen in order to survive…
July 24th, 1998. All contact with the S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team has been lost. The S.T.A.R.S. Alpha Team is sent in to ascertain the whereabouts of Bravo Team and continue the murder investigation. After discovering Bravo Team’s crashed chopper, Alpha Team members Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Barry Burton and Albert Wesker are chased by a pack of monsters into a nearby mansion. The team splits up in order to investigate the horrors of the mansion…
September 28th, 1998. The residents of Raccoon City have become infected with a virus that turns normal people into flesh eating zombies. Jill Valentine decides it is time to escape the ravaged city. She meets U.B.C.S. soldier Carlos Oliveira on the way, and the two desperately try to survive long enough to escape the nightmare…
Events of previous Resident Evil games are revisited while the fate of the sinister Umbrella Corporation and how these events tie into the machinations of series antagonist Albert Wesker are finally revealed.
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is an on-rails shooting game that consists of twelve main levels and a number of side levels split among four scenarios. Three of these scenarios revisit past Resident Evil games while the final scenario is entirely new. Players are moved in a mostly linear fashion through the levels, though there are sometimes choices on which direction to go. A number of weapons are available to combat the hordes of undead, including series staples like the Knife, Magnum and Rocket Launcher. Motion control is used to aim, reload and activate emergency melee attacks when grabbed and buttons are used to fire and switch weapons. Buttons combine with motion to activate the knife for close combat and grenades for clearing out large groups of enemies. Healing power-ups, ammunition and documents are left out in the open and hidden in destructible objects. Once in awhile an ambush or trap will require a quick button press or remote waggle in order to avoid damage and even instant death. Some levels also include giant boss monsters that the franchise has become known for. After a level is completed, the game will rank the performance of the player and award Stars that can be used to upgrade weaponry. The Wii Zapper peripheral is also compatible with this game.
Cons:
- MIA Content: Fans of Resident Evil 2 and Code: Veronica will be disappointed to find that the former receives only minor representation in side missions while the latter is only mentioned. Fan favourite Leon S. Kennedy only appears on one pre-level introduction screen and Claire Redfield is completely missing in action. A strange decision particularly for Resident Evil 2, as it is arguably the most popular game of the Umbrella Era.
- Documents: This is only a con for those who are interested enough in the story to find every document. Replaying a level over and over looking for a destructible object that has been missed and may only appear on-screen for a few seconds is an exercise in monotony.
- Critical Hits: Scoring a critical shot, especially on regular Zombies, is too difficult. Oftentimes there is only a split second to shoot when the targeting reticule indicates a critical spot and by then the target has usually moved. A bit more leeway would have helped.
Pros:
- Fan Service: Omissions aside, the Resident Evils of the past are well represented. Familiar locales like the Mansion and the Raccoon Police Department, familiar monsters like the Licker and Hunter, familiar bosses like the Tyrant and Nemesis and much, much more are included. Things that go bump in the night still burst out of windows and doors. Fans of the series will enjoy the nostalgia.
- Storyline: Though continuity is still slightly flawed, The Umbrella Chronicles works to fill in gaps of the storyline between games and finally provides details of the fall of Umbrella in a new scenario. This effectively closes the book on the original series of games.
- Albert Wesker: Speaking of filling in some gaps, not only do you get to witness some of Wesker’s behind-the-scenes movements, but he is playable in a storyline capacity for the first time.
Summary:
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is jam packed with fan friendly content, but based on gameplay it is an average experience. There is only so much that can be done with an on-rails shooter based on an already existing franchise, but The Umbrella Chronicles makes sure that you are well aware of what franchise is being played, strange omissions notwithstanding.
Grade:
C+
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