When Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles came out in 2007, reactions to the on-rails shooter were mixed. Some die-hard Resident Evil fans were thrilled, while others were less impressed. The game ended up with above-average reviews, and Capcom is now getting ready to release another on-rails Resident Evil game, subtitled The Darkside Chronicles. It’s not a sequel to The Umbrella Chronicles, but instead takes place during the events of Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil: Code Veronica. It may not be enough to draw in haters of shooters on rails, but for Resident Evil junkies, The Darkside Chronicles could help you get your fix.

In the beginning of the game, which was the section I got my hands on, you have the option to play as Leon Kennedy or Claire Redfield. I chose Claire, and found myself back in Raccoon City for the first time in many years. Darkside Chronicles only uses the Wii remote, no nunchuk necessary. Since the game does the moving for you, the only things you need to worry about are aiming, shooting, and reloading. You can also pick up items like new weapons and healing herbs you come across if you can grab them quickly enough. I didn’t play Umbrella Chronicles, so I don’t know if the controls have changed at all, but they seemed to be pretty intuitive. For the most part, it’s just pointing and shooting.



In addition to shooting, your character also comes equipped with a knife, which definitely comes in handy when zombies get a little too close. There were times when I was swarmed in the midst of reloading or changing weapons, and I grabbed my trusty knife and started swiping away. In addition to keeping yourself alive, you will also have to keep an eye on the health of your partner. However, when playing as Claire, Leon had no problem taking care of himself; I needed to be healed more than he did.

Putting the Resident Evil series on rails actually seems kind of natural for the franchise. I’m not usually a huge fan of the genre, but it can be fun from time to time. Those who enjoyed Umbrella Chronicles will likely get just as much entertainment out of The Darkside Chronicles when it comes out for the Wii this winter.