Review:
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

Capcom’s last Wii Resident Evil effort was the workmanlike if unremarkable Umbrella Chronicles. While initially a loving trip down memory lane, it became apparent very quickly that the game was just a recap/ setup for the (at the time) upcoming Resident Evil 5. Capcom changed most of the events of the past to allow a bigger build-up to it, even going so far as to set Resident Evil 3 in levels from forgettable PS2 series Outbreak. As well as that, there were huge, glaring faults with the game that really only made it an essential purchase for the hardcore Resident Evil fanbase.

Happily, Darkside Chronicles corrects all the things that were wrong with the previous title, and does it with such flair and style that this becomes more than just a Resident Evil title – this is instantly a contender for Best Lightgun Game on Wii. Think House of the Dead: Overkill. Think Ghost Squad. This is that good.

The carnage unfolds around Leon, the hero of Resident Evil 2, 4 and the CG movie Degeneration, with missions spread over three distinct periods – September 1998, in the police station of Resident Evil 2, December 1998, in the island and Antarctic facility of Code: Veronica and an all-new chapter set in 2002 called Operation Javier, starring Resident Evil 4 villain Jack Krauser. While Operation Javier is undoubtedly the weakest of the three, the story jumps back and forth in time, lacing the new chapters effortlessly in with the classic stuff, providing players with a much more interesting game of, ‘let’s get through this bit and get the other old missions.’

This time around, the classic games are split up into far larger sections. Each mission is divided up into between five and eight chapters, with each chunk lasting between ten and twenty five minutes. While the first run through on easy mode clocked in at a mere four and a half hours, this game has replayability through the roof.