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This thread has been linked to the game 'Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles'.
If you look back in Freeola's review forum archive, you’ll discover my critical analysis of Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition. Within that review I quoted Jack Symon, director, product marketing at Capcom, who said:
"With RE4, we’re challenging the Wii hardware to meet Resident Evil, while in The Umbrella Chronicles, we’re adapting Resident Evil to the innovations of the Wii."
It was safe to say that the Wii hardware met Capcom’s challenge with both style and ease. The Umbrella Chronicles, however, has a lot to answer for.
VISUALS
The first thing you’ll notice about The Umbrella Chronicles is how underwhelming it all looks. There are some pretty full motion videos, some lovely pre-rendered backdrops and the occasionally eerie environment, but it doesn’t come near to matching the artistic brilliance of its Wii cousin. Resident Evil 4 felt like a living, breathing world of horror; Umbrella Chronicles, on the other hand, has no such cohesion. Each level looks different: the street, the mansion, the train, the underground laboratory... and this isn’t the nice variety you may assume it to be, but rather it’s a clumsy and awkward juxtaposition of styles.
The enemy character models are also an uninspiring sight. Players of Resident Evil 0 will recall the creation of the leech monster, as an army of leeches banded together to create a human form. This does happen in Umbrella Chronicles, yet not nearly to the same grotesque effect. And the majority of the bosses look about as fearsome as a penguin, and not nearly as detailed.
Graphics aren’t everything, particularly to Wii gamers, however Resident Evil had set a high standard for itself and The Umbrella Chronicles fails to match it.
AUDIO
Fortunately, the audio fare is not so disappointing. The usual amount of unsettling music, zombie groans and silence, which has worked so well for Resident Evil in the past, is back. The cheesy dialogue is also in full swing, which is enough to over excite any Resi-nut.
The only let down is with the gun fire, with the shotgun sounding particularly rubbish. But throw in some Wii remote speaker usage, and you’ll soon forget that minor indiscretion.
GAMPLAY
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles takes gamers through rushed narratives of Resident Evil 0, 1 and 3, in a first person, on rails shooter, similar to House of the Dead. The game is designed as a service to fans, with gamers taking control of Albert Wesker in certain parts, as well as obtaining files on the enemies and characters from the Resident Evil universe.
Capcom has made significant attempts in bringing their own brand of House of the Dead to the next generation. As well as the ability to change weapons, use knives, collect herbs, hunt files and destroy scenery, gamers can also gain points depending on how well they played each level. Points mean prizes, and players are able to spend their points on upgrading their favourite weapons. These are all nice new additions to a near dead genre, and a pat on the back to Capcom for trying, but Umbrella Chronicles does not quite live up to its innovative billing, and fails to entertain time and time again.
Repeatedly hitting the B trigger to shoot is particular tiresome and unsatisfying, even with the Zapper. Enemies don’t react as well as they should to a shot in the leg or chest, which is deeply disheartening, and head shots are especially difficult to pull off. There are moments of enjoyment: smashing scenery is quite nice, some of the bosses are quite challenging, and shooting an army of zombies to the ground with a machine gun can be quite entertaining. Yet these moments are few and far between, with most of the game offering nothing but brainless, button bashing.
There is an argument that Umbrella Chronicles is a game for the fans and should be reviewed in that context. But if that’s the case then the title falls down again. Rushed revisits to past glories are only slightly nostalgic, and most of the information found in the files is already known. As a fan I am also disappointed to see a lack of Resident Evil 2 or Code Veronica. Although the latter didn’t have a number after its name, it was still a part of the series and deeply integral to the Umbrella storyline. It’s absence is disappointing.
MULTIPLAYER
For all the criticism Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is not a totally bad game, it’s still perfectly playable and can even be fun with the inclusion of a second player.
Two player co-operative is almost a saving grace for the title. Although the repetitive nature of the game never goes away, the competitive/co-operative nature of playing with a friend adds spice to the gameplay. It was fun shooting through levels with a friend, and then watching the individual statistics come through to decide which one was the better marksman.
However, not even this is quite right. All bonus missions (which take up a large part of the game) are single player only, the cursors can also get confusing at times, and it’ll soon transpire that one player will get all the weapons whereas the other is left with his/her solitary pistol. Fun at times, frustrating at others, and never quite as good as it could be.
CONCLUSION
It may be a strange thing to concede, but the Gamecube port of RE4, with tacked on Wii remote functionality, trumps this Wii-developed title in almost every department. A lot of effort has gone into the experience, that is evident from the mass of files and the length of gameplay (for an on rails shooter this game is huge), and the chance to play as Wesker is exactly what the fans have been calling out for.
But these games are dated in the 21st century. They lack the depth horror fans of today crave, and if the rumoured Resident Evil 2 remake turns out to be crafted in the style of Umbrella Chronicles, then we’ll all have grievances to air.
Next year will see the release of Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game looks incredible and intense, and way above Wii’s capabilities, but if there’s one thing that Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition proved, then it is that traditional Resident Evil gameplay can work, and work well on Nintendo’s gyroscopic machine. So why don’t we go back to that then? Mr. Capcom, sir.
"With RE4, we’re challenging the Wii hardware to meet Resident Evil, while in The Umbrella Chronicles, we’re adapting Resident Evil to the innovations of the Wii."
It was safe to say that the Wii hardware met Capcom’s challenge with both style and ease. The Umbrella Chronicles, however, has a lot to answer for.
VISUALS
The first thing you’ll notice about The Umbrella Chronicles is how underwhelming it all looks. There are some pretty full motion videos, some lovely pre-rendered backdrops and the occasionally eerie environment, but it doesn’t come near to matching the artistic brilliance of its Wii cousin. Resident Evil 4 felt like a living, breathing world of horror; Umbrella Chronicles, on the other hand, has no such cohesion. Each level looks different: the street, the mansion, the train, the underground laboratory... and this isn’t the nice variety you may assume it to be, but rather it’s a clumsy and awkward juxtaposition of styles.
The enemy character models are also an uninspiring sight. Players of Resident Evil 0 will recall the creation of the leech monster, as an army of leeches banded together to create a human form. This does happen in Umbrella Chronicles, yet not nearly to the same grotesque effect. And the majority of the bosses look about as fearsome as a penguin, and not nearly as detailed.
Graphics aren’t everything, particularly to Wii gamers, however Resident Evil had set a high standard for itself and The Umbrella Chronicles fails to match it.
AUDIO
Fortunately, the audio fare is not so disappointing. The usual amount of unsettling music, zombie groans and silence, which has worked so well for Resident Evil in the past, is back. The cheesy dialogue is also in full swing, which is enough to over excite any Resi-nut.
The only let down is with the gun fire, with the shotgun sounding particularly rubbish. But throw in some Wii remote speaker usage, and you’ll soon forget that minor indiscretion.
GAMPLAY
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles takes gamers through rushed narratives of Resident Evil 0, 1 and 3, in a first person, on rails shooter, similar to House of the Dead. The game is designed as a service to fans, with gamers taking control of Albert Wesker in certain parts, as well as obtaining files on the enemies and characters from the Resident Evil universe.
Capcom has made significant attempts in bringing their own brand of House of the Dead to the next generation. As well as the ability to change weapons, use knives, collect herbs, hunt files and destroy scenery, gamers can also gain points depending on how well they played each level. Points mean prizes, and players are able to spend their points on upgrading their favourite weapons. These are all nice new additions to a near dead genre, and a pat on the back to Capcom for trying, but Umbrella Chronicles does not quite live up to its innovative billing, and fails to entertain time and time again.
Repeatedly hitting the B trigger to shoot is particular tiresome and unsatisfying, even with the Zapper. Enemies don’t react as well as they should to a shot in the leg or chest, which is deeply disheartening, and head shots are especially difficult to pull off. There are moments of enjoyment: smashing scenery is quite nice, some of the bosses are quite challenging, and shooting an army of zombies to the ground with a machine gun can be quite entertaining. Yet these moments are few and far between, with most of the game offering nothing but brainless, button bashing.
There is an argument that Umbrella Chronicles is a game for the fans and should be reviewed in that context. But if that’s the case then the title falls down again. Rushed revisits to past glories are only slightly nostalgic, and most of the information found in the files is already known. As a fan I am also disappointed to see a lack of Resident Evil 2 or Code Veronica. Although the latter didn’t have a number after its name, it was still a part of the series and deeply integral to the Umbrella storyline. It’s absence is disappointing.
MULTIPLAYER
For all the criticism Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is not a totally bad game, it’s still perfectly playable and can even be fun with the inclusion of a second player.
Two player co-operative is almost a saving grace for the title. Although the repetitive nature of the game never goes away, the competitive/co-operative nature of playing with a friend adds spice to the gameplay. It was fun shooting through levels with a friend, and then watching the individual statistics come through to decide which one was the better marksman.
However, not even this is quite right. All bonus missions (which take up a large part of the game) are single player only, the cursors can also get confusing at times, and it’ll soon transpire that one player will get all the weapons whereas the other is left with his/her solitary pistol. Fun at times, frustrating at others, and never quite as good as it could be.
CONCLUSION
It may be a strange thing to concede, but the Gamecube port of RE4, with tacked on Wii remote functionality, trumps this Wii-developed title in almost every department. A lot of effort has gone into the experience, that is evident from the mass of files and the length of gameplay (for an on rails shooter this game is huge), and the chance to play as Wesker is exactly what the fans have been calling out for.
But these games are dated in the 21st century. They lack the depth horror fans of today crave, and if the rumoured Resident Evil 2 remake turns out to be crafted in the style of Umbrella Chronicles, then we’ll all have grievances to air.
Next year will see the release of Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game looks incredible and intense, and way above Wii’s capabilities, but if there’s one thing that Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition proved, then it is that traditional Resident Evil gameplay can work, and work well on Nintendo’s gyroscopic machine. So why don’t we go back to that then? Mr. Capcom, sir.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
If you look back in Freeola's review forum archive, you’ll discover my critical analysis of Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition. Within that review I quoted Jack Symon, director, product marketing at Capcom, who said:
"With RE4, we’re challenging the Wii hardware to meet Resident Evil, while in The Umbrella Chronicles, we’re adapting Resident Evil to the innovations of the Wii."
It was safe to say that the Wii hardware met Capcom’s challenge with both style and ease. The Umbrella Chronicles, however, has a lot to answer for.
VISUALS
The first thing you’ll notice about The Umbrella Chronicles is how underwhelming it all looks. There are some pretty full motion videos, some lovely pre-rendered backdrops and the occasionally eerie environment, but it doesn’t come near to matching the artistic brilliance of its Wii cousin. Resident Evil 4 felt like a living, breathing world of horror; Umbrella Chronicles, on the other hand, has no such cohesion. Each level looks different: the street, the mansion, the train, the underground laboratory... and this isn’t the nice variety you may assume it to be, but rather it’s a clumsy and awkward juxtaposition of styles.
The enemy character models are also an uninspiring sight. Players of Resident Evil 0 will recall the creation of the leech monster, as an army of leeches banded together to create a human form. This does happen in Umbrella Chronicles, yet not nearly to the same grotesque effect. And the majority of the bosses look about as fearsome as a penguin, and not nearly as detailed.
Graphics aren’t everything, particularly to Wii gamers, however Resident Evil had set a high standard for itself and The Umbrella Chronicles fails to match it.
AUDIO
Fortunately, the audio fare is not so disappointing. The usual amount of unsettling music, zombie groans and silence, which has worked so well for Resident Evil in the past, is back. The cheesy dialogue is also in full swing, which is enough to over excite any Resi-nut.
The only let down is with the gun fire, with the shotgun sounding particularly rubbish. But throw in some Wii remote speaker usage, and you’ll soon forget that minor indiscretion.
GAMPLAY
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles takes gamers through rushed narratives of Resident Evil 0, 1 and 3, in a first person, on rails shooter, similar to House of the Dead. The game is designed as a service to fans, with gamers taking control of Albert Wesker in certain parts, as well as obtaining files on the enemies and characters from the Resident Evil universe.
Capcom has made significant attempts in bringing their own brand of House of the Dead to the next generation. As well as the ability to change weapons, use knives, collect herbs, hunt files and destroy scenery, gamers can also gain points depending on how well they played each level. Points mean prizes, and players are able to spend their points on upgrading their favourite weapons. These are all nice new additions to a near dead genre, and a pat on the back to Capcom for trying, but Umbrella Chronicles does not quite live up to its innovative billing, and fails to entertain time and time again.
Repeatedly hitting the B trigger to shoot is particular tiresome and unsatisfying, even with the Zapper. Enemies don’t react as well as they should to a shot in the leg or chest, which is deeply disheartening, and head shots are especially difficult to pull off. There are moments of enjoyment: smashing scenery is quite nice, some of the bosses are quite challenging, and shooting an army of zombies to the ground with a machine gun can be quite entertaining. Yet these moments are few and far between, with most of the game offering nothing but brainless, button bashing.
There is an argument that Umbrella Chronicles is a game for the fans and should be reviewed in that context. But if that’s the case then the title falls down again. Rushed revisits to past glories are only slightly nostalgic, and most of the information found in the files is already known. As a fan I am also disappointed to see a lack of Resident Evil 2 or Code Veronica. Although the latter didn’t have a number after its name, it was still a part of the series and deeply integral to the Umbrella storyline. It’s absence is disappointing.
MULTIPLAYER
For all the criticism Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is not a totally bad game, it’s still perfectly playable and can even be fun with the inclusion of a second player.
Two player co-operative is almost a saving grace for the title. Although the repetitive nature of the game never goes away, the competitive/co-operative nature of playing with a friend adds spice to the gameplay. It was fun shooting through levels with a friend, and then watching the individual statistics come through to decide which one was the better marksman.
However, not even this is quite right. All bonus missions (which take up a large part of the game) are single player only, the cursors can also get confusing at times, and it’ll soon transpire that one player will get all the weapons whereas the other is left with his/her solitary pistol. Fun at times, frustrating at others, and never quite as good as it could be.
CONCLUSION
It may be a strange thing to concede, but the Gamecube port of RE4, with tacked on Wii remote functionality, trumps this Wii-developed title in almost every department. A lot of effort has gone into the experience, that is evident from the mass of files and the length of gameplay (for an on rails shooter this game is huge), and the chance to play as Wesker is exactly what the fans have been calling out for.
But these games are dated in the 21st century. They lack the depth horror fans of today crave, and if the rumoured Resident Evil 2 remake turns out to be crafted in the style of Umbrella Chronicles, then we’ll all have grievances to air.
Next year will see the release of Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game looks incredible and intense, and way above Wii’s capabilities, but if there’s one thing that Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition proved, then it is that traditional Resident Evil gameplay can work, and work well on Nintendo’s gyroscopic machine. So why don’t we go back to that then? Mr. Capcom, sir.
"With RE4, we’re challenging the Wii hardware to meet Resident Evil, while in The Umbrella Chronicles, we’re adapting Resident Evil to the innovations of the Wii."
It was safe to say that the Wii hardware met Capcom’s challenge with both style and ease. The Umbrella Chronicles, however, has a lot to answer for.
VISUALS
The first thing you’ll notice about The Umbrella Chronicles is how underwhelming it all looks. There are some pretty full motion videos, some lovely pre-rendered backdrops and the occasionally eerie environment, but it doesn’t come near to matching the artistic brilliance of its Wii cousin. Resident Evil 4 felt like a living, breathing world of horror; Umbrella Chronicles, on the other hand, has no such cohesion. Each level looks different: the street, the mansion, the train, the underground laboratory... and this isn’t the nice variety you may assume it to be, but rather it’s a clumsy and awkward juxtaposition of styles.
The enemy character models are also an uninspiring sight. Players of Resident Evil 0 will recall the creation of the leech monster, as an army of leeches banded together to create a human form. This does happen in Umbrella Chronicles, yet not nearly to the same grotesque effect. And the majority of the bosses look about as fearsome as a penguin, and not nearly as detailed.
Graphics aren’t everything, particularly to Wii gamers, however Resident Evil had set a high standard for itself and The Umbrella Chronicles fails to match it.
AUDIO
Fortunately, the audio fare is not so disappointing. The usual amount of unsettling music, zombie groans and silence, which has worked so well for Resident Evil in the past, is back. The cheesy dialogue is also in full swing, which is enough to over excite any Resi-nut.
The only let down is with the gun fire, with the shotgun sounding particularly rubbish. But throw in some Wii remote speaker usage, and you’ll soon forget that minor indiscretion.
GAMPLAY
Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles takes gamers through rushed narratives of Resident Evil 0, 1 and 3, in a first person, on rails shooter, similar to House of the Dead. The game is designed as a service to fans, with gamers taking control of Albert Wesker in certain parts, as well as obtaining files on the enemies and characters from the Resident Evil universe.
Capcom has made significant attempts in bringing their own brand of House of the Dead to the next generation. As well as the ability to change weapons, use knives, collect herbs, hunt files and destroy scenery, gamers can also gain points depending on how well they played each level. Points mean prizes, and players are able to spend their points on upgrading their favourite weapons. These are all nice new additions to a near dead genre, and a pat on the back to Capcom for trying, but Umbrella Chronicles does not quite live up to its innovative billing, and fails to entertain time and time again.
Repeatedly hitting the B trigger to shoot is particular tiresome and unsatisfying, even with the Zapper. Enemies don’t react as well as they should to a shot in the leg or chest, which is deeply disheartening, and head shots are especially difficult to pull off. There are moments of enjoyment: smashing scenery is quite nice, some of the bosses are quite challenging, and shooting an army of zombies to the ground with a machine gun can be quite entertaining. Yet these moments are few and far between, with most of the game offering nothing but brainless, button bashing.
There is an argument that Umbrella Chronicles is a game for the fans and should be reviewed in that context. But if that’s the case then the title falls down again. Rushed revisits to past glories are only slightly nostalgic, and most of the information found in the files is already known. As a fan I am also disappointed to see a lack of Resident Evil 2 or Code Veronica. Although the latter didn’t have a number after its name, it was still a part of the series and deeply integral to the Umbrella storyline. It’s absence is disappointing.
MULTIPLAYER
For all the criticism Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles is not a totally bad game, it’s still perfectly playable and can even be fun with the inclusion of a second player.
Two player co-operative is almost a saving grace for the title. Although the repetitive nature of the game never goes away, the competitive/co-operative nature of playing with a friend adds spice to the gameplay. It was fun shooting through levels with a friend, and then watching the individual statistics come through to decide which one was the better marksman.
However, not even this is quite right. All bonus missions (which take up a large part of the game) are single player only, the cursors can also get confusing at times, and it’ll soon transpire that one player will get all the weapons whereas the other is left with his/her solitary pistol. Fun at times, frustrating at others, and never quite as good as it could be.
CONCLUSION
It may be a strange thing to concede, but the Gamecube port of RE4, with tacked on Wii remote functionality, trumps this Wii-developed title in almost every department. A lot of effort has gone into the experience, that is evident from the mass of files and the length of gameplay (for an on rails shooter this game is huge), and the chance to play as Wesker is exactly what the fans have been calling out for.
But these games are dated in the 21st century. They lack the depth horror fans of today crave, and if the rumoured Resident Evil 2 remake turns out to be crafted in the style of Umbrella Chronicles, then we’ll all have grievances to air.
Next year will see the release of Resident Evil 5 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game looks incredible and intense, and way above Wii’s capabilities, but if there’s one thing that Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition proved, then it is that traditional Resident Evil gameplay can work, and work well on Nintendo’s gyroscopic machine. So why don’t we go back to that then? Mr. Capcom, sir.