How close can a light-gun shooter, set in the Resident Evil universe, retain the "horror" of its survival-horror predecessors? We went hands-on with two missions from Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles to find out.
The levels we played took us through what we originally saw in RE1 and RE0, fighting notable bosses like the giant snake and scorpion, and seeing events such as the scene where the dogs come through the windows in RE1.
You get to choose your gun and character before entering a level. For instance, if the you�re going through the mansion from RE1, you have the choice of playing as Jill or Chris. The character you choose doesn�t appear to make a difference in how you play, but the weapon you pick makes a considerable difference -- choosing a shotgun over a submachine gun, for instance, might come back and bite you in the ass.
Beyond the fact that you are trying to survive, Umbrella Chronicles adds some incentive to play well and replay levels. The game rates you on accuracy and critical shots, which earn you stars. You use the stars to upgrade weapons, increasing the ammo capacity and power.
Progressing through the levels on-rails, you have limited control of your direction by using the analog stick. This allows you to look around, helping you see hidden items, or getting off that last shot on an enemy.
The game uses motion controls extensively, but the action triggers mostly come down to waggling. To reload, use your knife or sometimes to counterattack and dodge, players just shake the controller back and forth. These motions, with the exception of knife swiping, don�t seem to add any depth or immersion to the game, and feel forced since they could have easily been switched out for button presses. For the times you have to press buttons to execute in-game actions like dodging or counterattacking, the quick-time events are tedious rather than fun. And alternating between the two doesn�t seem to help the situation.
Ultimately though, what will make or break Umbrella Chronicles is the shooting. If you are looking for all the action of an FPS, you�re in the wrong place. Actually, even if you want to play a game that feels like a Resident Evil-themed House of the Dead, we�re not fully convinced Umbrella Chronicles lives up to expectations.
by Anthony Gallegos
