Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

While Umbrella Chronicles doesn't accomplish much of note besides solidifying the Resident Evil story thus far, it provides plenty of point-and-pull-the-trigger satisfaction for your buck (especially with a friend in tow). It offers the welcome accessibility of the Wii amidst a more thematically mature setting, providing an enjoyably casual trip through a slice of gaming history. Series fans will devour it as an excuse to flesh out the Resident Evil canon, but there's enough casual slaughter of the undead for anyone to enjoy.

Good atmosphere and some unique mechanics make this a solid on-rails shooter.

"It's just that the game is exceedingly simple. Zombies and guns are usually a winning formula, and the Resident Evil touch just makes it all the better. It makes good use of the Wii's controls, too. Light-gun games seem perfect for the system, and Umbrella Chronicles is a good example of how to do it right."

"Umbrella Chronicles looks pretty impressive on Wii. The game is running in 480p and 16:9 widescreen at a fluidity of 30 frames per second. Some of the world and character textures blur up close, which is disappointing, but nevertheless Capcom has really used light and darkness to great effect. Shadowy environments become illuminated in quick flashes of lightning and the silhouettes of characters and objects project and distort onto walls and walkways. Animations are smooth and particle effects over-the-top -- blood splatters in every direction as you decapitate zombies with well-placed bullets. We'd wager this is one of the prettier Wii titles and we'd expect nothing less from Capcom."

"Overall we're enjoying the game far more now that some key changes have been made - even despite some still-annoying issues - and are eager to see how polished the experience can get before its final release. Die-hard Resident Evil fans may want to start paying more attention to this one as we near its release; there's some definite entertainment to be had."