I have mixed feelings when it comes to Resident Evil : The Umbrella Chronicles. The game isn’t bad yet I can’t actually say it’s great as well. It depends on where the player stands; if you are expecting this to be a carbon copy of House of The Dead, you will be disappointed. If you are hoping to learn more about ‘behind the scenes stuff’ and the fall of Umbrella Corp, you are probably in for a treat. I was kinda hoping it to be a balance of both but the weight is shifted more to the later.

As most of you would know by now, this game will basically bring you through the events of Resident Evil 0, Resident Evil 1 and Resident Evil 3, the side events involving Wesker, Rebecca, Ada, Hunk and lastly the fall of Umbrella Corp. Lets get one thing straight here; blasting through RE0, RE1 and RE3 in Umbrella Chronicles wouldn’t actually make you understand the full story behind each events. It’s like reading a novel from first chapter, jumping to the middle chapters and finally to the end. Do yourself a favor and play the previous games before going through this one (or at least know the stories and the characters involved)

In terms of gameplay, it feels like a watered down version of House of the Dead. Sure you unload hell lots of bullets on zombies and you also get to pick up (upgradeable) weapons as you go along which is great. However, the feedback (from the guns) made on the enemies just doesn’t feel like there’s any impact at all. Half the time I wasn’t even sure if I was actually hitting those zombies standing far behind in the background.

The graphics in Umbrella Chronicles looked pretty good but the music could use some serious … serious work. I think Capcom tried to recreate the eerie atmosphere (nostalgia?) by recycling some of the old tunes but it just turns out to be a huge put-off. I do believe I almost fell asleep during some of the stages. Inconsistent framerates (which dips below 30) adds more fuel to the fire, especially on the final mission.

Aside for a few bad points, Umbrella Chronicles does feature some good parts. There are tons and tons of hidden documents to be found throughout the game, which helps to cover some of the cliffhangers in the main storyline. There are also tons of weapons, ranging from your average shotguns and sub-machine guns to a more buffed up magnum revolver and grenade launchers. All weapons are fully upgradeable, increasing their ammo capacity and firepower. To have a full complete set of the items/documents is no easy feat and it is impossible to get all them with just one run-through.

From a personal point of view, I think Capcom should have added more extras to the game such as ‘never seen before’ dialogues or video clips. That will make the replay value much higher as compared to just getting documents. To be honest after 4 to 5 rounds, it’s beginning to feel like a drag. Same monsters popping out of the same location spitting the same …. spit.

Overall it’s a pretty decent game that will satisfy Resident Evil fans. I wouldn’t recommend this to hardcore rail shooters but if you are hoping to get into the series, play the previous games before going through this one.

Rating :

Pictures from Gamespot

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