Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - (Wii)
Developer: in-house
Format: Wii
Genre: Action

Evil just got more so

Gun shooter titles are rarely done well so it's with trepidation that you may approach this. The lure of the storyline though and the insatiable need in some quarters for the next fix of Res Evil, will be rewarded. This is a hardcore fans game with enough story, shocks and frights to tempt those unfamiliar with the series. It's also a great use of the Wii remote as gun.

The game is an overview, a trip back along the Res Evil franchise combining all the elements (apart from RE2 and RE4 - which to sum will be heresy) in the Umbrella zombie-infected world of STARS operatives. There are all the favourites here, from Nemesis boss levels to infected dogs, crows and lickers. The trademark nerve-twitching musical score is back, there are dimly lit city and mansion-scapes and there's a truly unsettling flashlight-only section that will suck you in.

Of course it's all down to the trigger finger here, of finding the zombie sweet spot (on their hairline) to unleash a one-shot kill with the Wii remote serving as your 'weapon'. Destructible scenery, hidden extras and cutscenes and elements of the plot unfolding new twists and turns should satisfy diehard Evil fans.

Aiming can sometimes be a pain, shooting slow-moving zombies on occasions can be tedious but the level of atmosphere and shock scores highly as you'd expect from this trailblazer of a series.

The sweet spot is a tricky one to find and sometimes the repetitive nature of the undead slaughter can get to you but this is a sound addition to the world that umbrella has unleashed. Bloody and loud, it'll transform your living room into an arcade shooter frenzy. STARS - in your eyes definitely.

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