Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles

By Kristan Reed Published 18 April, 2007

Some things never die.

I'm not convinced that shooting zombies in the face will ever be a dull thing to do. Maybe it's the satisfying way their brains explode all over the screen with a 'thunk', or the rasping guttural moan in that split second of realisation as their arm splits off from their torso. Even Capcom's really bad Gun Survivor games had a certain charm about them. It's about disconnecting your brain, adopting a spaced-out expression and focusing your entire being into your trigger finger.

But, to date, Resident Evil shooters have been a story of massive, inexplicable missed potential. The first two in the series were, frankly, awful, and even the relatively well-regarded Dead Aim on PS2 was ultimately a bit shallow, way too short and blighted by some pretty bland sections. Combining the explorational, puzzle-solving adventure side of Resident Evil with proper light-gun thrills was an ace idea, but not one Capcom seemed confident enough to fully flesh it out.

You might imagine that The Umbrella Chronicles would take the Dead Aim mechanics a step further. After all, the Wii's controls seems absolutely tailor-made to allow you to move with the Nunchuk, and aim/fire/reload with the Wiimote, but instead, Capcom has gone back to the old school 'on-rails' approach, presumably to ensure it's a game with wall-to-wall zombie-shooting action.

'Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles' Screenshot 1

It won't be a catwalk. Cakewalk. Well, either.

In many ways, The Umbrella Chronicles is a Resident Evil fan's dream. It takes you on a 20-hour journey through the main bulk of the series, encompassing Resident Evil Zero, the original Resident Evil, right through 2, and climaxing with 3. The idea, as the title suggests, is to deliver a back-to-back retelling of the "truth" behind the fall of the nefarious Umbrella Corporation, as well as giving an insight into 'never before seen' parts of the back story.

At Capcom's annual Gamers' Day in San Francisco, producer Masachika Kawata speaks of a "more direct style that you don't get in a third-person game", and dismisses any suggestion that The Umbrella Chronicles is "not a true Resident Evil game".

"I can assure you that once you experience the action you won't think that," he asserts.

One thing he's keen to stress is that "it feels really good to shoot" and that they're "going to balance the game so you can be quite gun-happy", with the focus not just on shooting lurching zombie scum, but practically everything in the environment too, from doors and windows to lights and chandeliers - often to your own detriment once you realise that you're left alone in the dark.

'Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles' Screenshot 3

He's everywhere!

Like every Resident Evil adventure, a large part of your adventures are spent helping out other characters, and co-operating with one another, exchanging information and seeing who can come out with the cheesiest lines. As you'd expect, all the familiar characters take the lead at some point, so we'll get to admire Billy's mullet and guns one more time, revisit the creepy mansion with Chris and Jill and "other surprises" that remain a filthy, dark secret for the time being. The rather wonderful clip montage was like a nostalgic run through some of the finest survival-horror moments of the past 11 years, except entirely reworked using a delightful new engine that instantly makes it look like the finest technical achievement on the Wii to date.

As soon as the lengthy Capcom presentation was over we got an all-too-brief hands-on with a ten-minute segment set in the familiar confines of the Resident Evil 1 mansion. As with any on-rails shooter, the controls are simplicity itself: simply point the targeting reticule where you want it and blast away. As you'd expect, pointing and shooting feels extremely responsive, intuitive and natural, and with no requirement to focus on movement or camera control, it's all about speed and accuracy. Having said that, the game does grant you the ability to shift your viewpoint within a few degrees with the Nunchuk, and often doing so gives you a chance to snag otherwise hidden ammo and health, not to mention the chance to shoot approaching zombies earlier than if you'd kept the viewpoint centred. On the other hand, there's a risk-reward element to shifting the viewpoint, and while you're busy looking the other way, you can just as easily find yourself blind-sided by your own greed. Take note, greedy ammo man.

'Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles' Screenshot 2

We just can't stay away.

Needless to say, all the familiar weapons make an appearance, with the more powerful ones appearing somewhat fleetingly - just as with a typical Resident Evil game. Flicking between weapons is just as simple as anything else, with the d-pad cycling between firearms that include old favourites such as sub-machine guns, knives, shotguns and pistols. We're told to expect rocket launchers, grenades and everything else in between, though none of them were in evidence in this early demo.

As we've touched on already, the game looks absolutely stunning, and easily the best-looking game we've seen so far on the Wii. If you're familiar with the old static rendered backdrops of old, then breezing through fully destructible 3D versions of these ornate locations is a curious thrill. It's the best form of retro tourism, hitching a ride through a forgotten part of your gaming brain, and discovering that it looks even better than your remember it. Normally, delving into such wanton nostalgia only leads to dumbstruck disappointment, but you'll only feel admiration for the way Capcom has reinvigorated some of its finest work.

'Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles' Screenshot 5

Don't be a donkey!

Blasting away at paintings, walls, doors and anything not nailed down is almost as much fun as the killfest going on elsewhere. There's almost a gleeful delight to be gained out of ruining the graceful old mansion, sending chandeliers swinging, busting up doors to get an early bead on approaching undead and then blowing their heads off with a few well-placed shots.

So far, so good. We meet a giant snake toward the end, die and resume where we left off, and wonder whether the whole thing has enough variety to entertain us for the claimed 20 hours of gameplay. It's undoubtedly a polished, well executed light-gun-style shooter, but it's one of those where you'll probably only be able to play in short bursts before the inevitable arm ache kicks in. There's no doubt The Umbrella Chronicles is a game that anyone with a passing interest in Resident Evil titles will want to take a look at, but concerns linger, despite the instant thrills. The main one is whether it has enough variety and long-term appeal, and whether you'll simply get bored of wading through the same old on-rails shooting after a few hours. But with a late summer release date mooted, we won't have to wait long to find out.

Picture of Kristan.

About Kristan Reed

Kristan is a former editor of Eurogamer, dad, Stone Roses bore and Norwich City supporter who sometimes mutters optimistically about Team Silent getting back together.

Read more articles from Kristan by visiting the Kristan Reed archive page.

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Comments (110) Latest comment 5 years ago

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  • speedofthepuma #1 5 years ago

    could be good - would prefer more control than on-rails

  • _grumpy #2 5 years ago

    did you get red on you? \o/

  • space_ace #3 5 years ago

    over-exposition is the new bloom?

  • Introspectre #4 5 years ago

    "it feels really good to shoot"

    (y)

  • ZuluHero #5 5 years ago

    a back-look through resi's history = good

    on-the-rails lightgun shoota' = bad

  • AcidSnake #6 5 years ago

    Hmmm...Wasn't there red carpet in the main mansion hall?

    I hope they put a heavy amount of story in, not just a retelling of the stuff we already know...

  • aldo_14 #7 5 years ago

    On rails is a real disappointment for me, but I guess I'll have to see if the controls are fun enough to overcome the usual problems of on-rails games. Screenshots look very over-exposed, though...

  • Daikon #8 5 years ago

    I hope this is not Chris' blood!

  • Machiavel #9 5 years ago

    20 hours? Suspicious, most gun games I've played, 10 minutes would be over a third of the entire story.

  • chrisjm #10 5 years ago

    can you flip the giant snake for maximum damage

  • Tomnd #11 5 years ago

    ahh well if its any good they'll wack it on the 360 &ps3 with a light gun.

  • rudedudejude #12 5 years ago

    I'll have to sellotape my Wii remote to my BB gun for this bad boy I think!

  • Katsumoto #13 5 years ago

    So when it says on-rails does that mean you have absolutely no control over movement, or can you control when you move forward, just over a set path?

  • ecureuil #14 5 years ago

    I'm not really sure about this. From the video's, it looks like House of the Dead in the RE mansion. The mansion wasn't even filled with that many zombies and ammo was supposed to be scarce, not in abundance, it really ruins the story in a game where they're supposed to be clarifying it.

  • Joe #15 5 years ago

    This game really is a clusterfuck waiting to happen imo.

  • varsas #16 5 years ago

    House of the Dead is STILL fun!

  • Rob #17 5 years ago

    http://i6 6.photobucket.com/albums/h274/o...

  • Katsumoto #18 5 years ago

    haha! So true.

  • CannonAnBall #19 5 years ago

    There are some whingin bitches about!

    I'll probably buy it to be honest. I loved Operation Wolf on the Spectrum 128k in 1986 (or whenever it was?)

  • TriggerHippie #20 5 years ago

    Less fun than a Jill sandwich

  • SBfistfun #21 5 years ago

    on rails = nExT gEn

    .......

  • Tonka #22 5 years ago

    It takes you on a 20-hour journey through the main bulk of the series

    o_O really? That sounds pretty fleshed out (flesh hahaha) for a lightgun game.
    Edited by 1 at 18/04/07 @ 15:02

  • MoGamer2006 #23 5 years ago

    Here's an idea: could we wait and see what this game's actually like before slagging it off...?

    Just an idea...

  • ZuluHero #24 5 years ago

    it would be an idea *IF* we didn't have previous experience to draw on. Lightgun and resident evil game cross-overs JUST DON'T WORK.

  • CannonAnBall #25 5 years ago

    Don't buy it then!

  • Carlo #26 5 years ago

    Halo 3 is shit!

    /also makes an opinion on a game he's not played

  • CannonAnBall #27 5 years ago

    GTA IV is wank!

  • Katsumoto #28 5 years ago

    I pretty much hate all things, ever.

  • dudefella #29 5 years ago

    I hate fun! And no more sunlight!

  • Chtulie #30 5 years ago

    I guess capcom knows that as a franchise gun survivor is dead, and left it off the title for this game.

    I hope it'll come with a gunshell for the wii-mote & nunchuck. Like the one seen at e3 a while ago. Except a RE customised.

  • PlugMonkey #31 5 years ago

    it would be an idea *IF* we didn't have previous experience to draw on. Lightgun and resident evil game cross-overs JUST DON'T WORK.

    Really? What about House of the Dead?

  • bdc #32 5 years ago

    Ew horrible jaggies on the RE1 hall screenshot :(

  • Chtulie #33 5 years ago

    "over-exposition is the new bloom?"

    Going by the 3 minute video going the rounds on the internet, that shot's made with a lighting flash going on in the background for extra drama.

  • Sid-Nice #34 5 years ago

    This sounds rubbish I can't wait for Resident Evil 5 on the Xbox 360. To exit the on rails part of the game you have to use the dance mat from Mario Dance Revolution; which emulates your walking actions. It all sounds too complicated for me.

  • ForbiddenForest #35 5 years ago

    nothing wrong with a bit of on-rails action, just as long as the weapons and visuals are phenomenal. Also looking forward to a wii game with resolution over 320x200. But not looking forward to having to buy a PS3/360 to play the next proper resi game. bugger.

  • krudster #36 5 years ago

    It is totally on-rails. All you can do is move your head slightly with tne nunchuk stick.

  • telly #37 5 years ago

    bah sounds boring, was hoping it would be something like killer 7 but a bit more coherrent.

  • Katsumoto #38 5 years ago

    ah, cheers

  • Tomnd #39 5 years ago

    this slagging it off is great, hopefully by the time it comes out, our expectations will be so low that it turns out to be the best game of the year.

  • thedaveeyres #40 5 years ago

    on rails? UGH

  • monkie_king #41 5 years ago

    krudster, was it proper lightgun-type where-you-point-is-where-you-shoot (WYPIWYS?) aiming, or did you need to rely on the reticule as with most other Wii shooty stuff?
    Any other controller innovation on show? Shaking off bitey zombies, knife swipes or anything like that?

  • Tonka #42 5 years ago

    monkie_king

    There is no way on earth that a WYPIWYS thing would work. Read up on how lightguns of yesteryer knew where you were aiming and you will see. So it will be much like bow and arrow shooting in TP or target shooting in Wii Play.

  • CannonAnBall #43 5 years ago

    First of all look at the amount of casual gamers who are buying the Wii. Then look at the RE game in question.

    Not all people want a complicated gaming experience. I know a few people that couldn't give dogs dick about next gen gaming on the 360 and PS3 but shove the Wii on and they'll play for hours on it. My girlfriend is a good example. She'll play for hours on Wii Play but as soon as I talk about any game on the 360 she loses interest and calls me a geek.

    Also most people couldn't give a toss about HD.

    Nintendo are releasing two RE games and both offer different experiences depending what you want out of a game.

  • ecureuil #44 5 years ago

    I guess we'll have to wait and see. I just can't wait for RE5 on the PS3, but it seems like it's going to be a while.

  • monkie_king #45 5 years ago

    tonka: yeah, that's what I'm afraid of. I reckon it would be possible to make it much more accurate though, through some sort of "shoot each corner of the screen" calibration system. And since this is a pure on-rails gun game, and therefore lives and dies by its aiming system, I had hoped we'd see something like that here ...

    /mourns the premature death of the lightgun. curse you, advances in display technology!!!

  • Tonka #46 5 years ago

    monkie_king: Yes, some sort of calibration will help. I think the one in TP worked a treat. I'm really looking forward to RE:UC. If they would only confirm co-op I would add another layer to my Capcom shrine.

  • AcidSnake #47 5 years ago

    @monkie king:
    Hmmm, I don't think a calibration would be able to do that...
    See to keep those points absolutely referenced the wiimote would have to know the distance to the screen as well...And I don't think it can read distance just from the distance between the lights on the sensor bar...

    It would need absolute 3D markers, instead it just has 2D markers...

    Did I explain myself here? Errr....

    Even if it uses the reticule system it should still be fun...
    And relatively easy to add players for co-op!

  • daz_john_smith #48 5 years ago

    Has there been any mention of 2 player co-op. I've always found lightgun shooters to be far more fun with 2 people and it would work in terms of the stories since there's generally 2 playable characters in most Resi games.

    Little worried about the 20hrs claim... I'm all for longer games but in the right context. Lightgun shooters should really be short and sweet, it goes well with their shallow, but fun nature. 20hrs of non stop shooting seems a bit much. With nothin else to break up the game it could become very repetive all to quickly. Surely there's nothin to stop them from reinventing some of the puzzles with the Wii controls in mind. They could make some amazing puzzles using Wii controls, the possibilities are endless.
    Edited by 2 at 18/04/07 @ 16:45

  • ZuluHero #49 5 years ago

    "Really? What about House of the Dead?"

    funny, was HoTD made by capcom then? Or do you think that they've learned their lesson with the dead aim series?

    Resi 4 was a positive evolution for the series and as a huge resi fan was very acceptable. Linear lightgun action is not, on both counts...

  • monkie_king #50 5 years ago

    AcidSnake: i can figure out its distance from the sensor, as it knows how far apart the LEDs in the sensor bar are. IIRC TLoZ:TP tries to make you sit a certain distance from the screen in one of its calibration screens, but it's still not great. The Y-Axis in particular is usually way off (since the Wii doesn't know how far above/below the centre of your screen the sensor bar is).

    The Wii Play shooting does OK, but it just doesn't have the instantaneous snappy feel of a Point Blank or a Virtua Cop etc. I'm just disappointed because when the Wii was first announced, I thought it might offer a proper alternative to scanline-reliant lightguns.

    Guess I'll be hanging on to the old Trintron, GunCon and Project Titan for a while longer.

    (Thinking about it, TP also makes you tell it how wide your sensor bar is relative to the screen, so from that it can figure out the actual physical width of your telly. And then it can get the physical height from the aspect ratio. So all you'd need to add is a Namco-style "shoot the centre of the screen" to work out all the extents).

    /has flashbacks to writing a lightgun-based falling-blocks puzzle game under PS2Linux.
    Edited by 2 at 18/04/07 @ 17:00

  • gamingdave #51 5 years ago

    Looking forward to it. Love a bit of shooting and this is looking good so far. I could never stick with the original RE games due to the inventory system and the controls/camera so looking forward to all the back story I've missed. I can see why some may want more of the old RE, but theres nothing wrong with trying to broaden the franchise even if past attempts have been sub-par. Looks like theyve learned from those and made a better experience all round.

  • AcidSnake #52 5 years ago

    @Monkie_king:
    I don't want to contradict you, because I'm not at all sure if I'm right :)

    However I realise how seeing the distance between the two lights can tell you the distance and I really don't think the wiimote can do that...
    Hear me out, if you measure the distance between well defined two dots then that's fine, but they're not exactly well defined...I mean they're lights...Not very precise...Or at least not precise enough...

    Also this means that if you're aiming at the sensor bar at an angle (left or right) it would emasure the distance between them as being less even though in reality it just means one light is closer and one farther away...

    Again I have no idea for sure...

    Dunno if you have WarioWare...It has a microgame where moving the wiimote closer and farther from the screen focusses the picture on screen, point is that you're pointing away from the sensor bar with this game, meaning that it's actually the accelerometers reading forward and backward movement...

    I really need a pen and a piece of paper to make sense I guess... :)

  • PlugMonkey #53 5 years ago

    funny, was HoTD made by capcom then? Or do you think that they've learned their lesson with the dead aim series?

    I was more commenting on the assumption that because previous capcom lightgun games have been poor, the next one will be by default. Because Sega can make a good Zombie lightgun game but Capcom are somehow genetically incapable? Is this even being made by the same team as previous Capcom attempts?

  • monkie_king #54 5 years ago

    AcidSnake: good point about not sitting square to the TV, but for a shooter I'd say all bets are off unless you're sitting pretty much straight on anyway. You'd need to be at a fair angle before the foreshortening became much of a factor.

    I still reckon that a shoot-each-corner calibration ought to be enough -- the Wii just needs to compensate its aim relative to the sensor with respect to the positions at which you told it were the corners. That's kind of how the GunCon libs did it anyway, I imagine there's a fair bit more complexity with the Wii.

    And it would probably all fall apart if you got up and sat somewhere else. I think what we really need is four sensor bars, one stuck to each side of the telly ...

    oh, btw, if you want to see something like that WarioWare game that definitely does use the sensor-bar for depth, go into the Photo Channel, pull up a picture, and go into Fun->Doodle. The shapes you can stick on can be made bigger or smaller by moving the Wiimote back/forward relative to the sensor. Wii Play billiards uses the same for playing the shot. Both of those only need relative Z-depth change, though, not absolute position, so I'm not sure if that helps.

    That's enough thread derailment, anyway. Shooting zombies in the face ftmfw!
    Edited by 1 at 18/04/07 @ 17:21

  • smelly #55 5 years ago

    So yet another thread about a wii game, overtaken by ps3/360 fanboy trolls.

    But yet if you do it to them.. they get all upset...

  • elMental #56 5 years ago

    Looks great. If it plays out nicely, based on actual reviews and not peoples thoughts on message boards, I'll definitely buy it.

  • jachap #57 5 years ago

    Frankly, the majority of single player First Person Shooters I've played feel like they're on rails anyway.

  • Nikanoru #58 5 years ago

    Wii - a console for kiddies, designed by morons


    You know, I go around message boards and keep reading comments similar to this, and each time I have to tell myself, "yes, this person is actually that retarded". Because it just won't stick with me, I keep thinking it's somehow a lame attempt at sarcasm. I suppose I still have too much faith in people's intelligence, even after having seen so much of the internet.

    Or maybe you're twelve.

    Ah, no use worrying about it I guess. Carry on.

  • Nikanoru #59 5 years ago

    To Capcom: you've done it before. Three times if I'm not mistaken. And you can do it again.

    Scrap this game concept, and make it into something completely different than it was.

  • Sid-Nice #60 5 years ago

    Resident Evil 5 for the Xbox 360 has been canned and moved to the Nintendo Wii.

    Edit: The Japanese text all went mumbo-jumbo. :(
    Edited by 1 at 18/04/07 @ 18:45

  • smelly #61 5 years ago

    "how much better Resident Evil 4 looks on the Playstation 2. "


    Very rarely does a post make me splutter coffee over my keyboard...

  • smelly #62 5 years ago

    "it's no about the graphics"

    Funny no-one seemed to ever mention this when they had a ps2...

  • Sid-Nice #63 5 years ago

    Wii - a console for kiddies, designed by morons

    Correct, that is why Nintendo fans are a bunch of moronic kids. innit.

  • Hendo #64 5 years ago

    "Very rarely does a post make me splutter coffee over my keyboard... "

    Same here.
    God bless teh internets - windowlickers of the world unite!

  • Nithron #65 5 years ago

    I think Capcom have actually discovered the magic shit to decent game ratio that keeps people buying their titles while at the same time allowing them to release complete crap that cost £2.50 to produce.

    ..Also WTF? Resident Evil 4 on PS2 looked AWFUL. I actually can't bring myself to play my copy long enough to unlock the extras, it's just *that* bad.
    Edited by 1 at 18/04/07 @ 19:14

  • smelly #66 5 years ago

    >designed by moron

    Funny how said morons are making a bucket load of money, and are outselling the other 2 innit?

  • smelly #67 5 years ago

    GAH!!! Why am i even replying to the trolls? You say the same in their threads and you're a nasty troll, reply to them in a nintendo thread and you're an "apologist fanboy".

    No arguing with 12 year old kids pretending they're not kiddy i guess.

  • Azazel #68 5 years ago

    = Master of Unlocking
    Edited by 1 at 18/04/07 @ 19:27

  • Harrihotpants #69 5 years ago

    One minute wii doubters moan about lack of games, then when 2 Resi titles come along it's not enough....

  • Skeletor #70 5 years ago

    "Wii - a console for kiddies, designed by morons"

    Just another brainfart, I guess. You know Xiphos, it's really funny to see dumb geekish posts like yours while realizing how far away they are from reality. It's not just that you're so obviously wrong but the stupidity, technological ignorance and lack of common sense are just amazing.

    Capcom knows exactly what they're doing. Instead of just listening to a couple of fanboys screaming for Resident Evil 4.5 or something they created a game which not only looks just beautiful and cinematic, it looks also like a game that can be fun to the nonhardcore gamer by simplifying the controls through on-rails while it gives the hardcore crowd a superprecise aiming system - easy to learn, hard to master. Judging by the released footage the cinematic camera-effects and the lighting of what looks like really well done textures will turn this one into a freaking interactive Zombiemovie, without the need of an HDTV or a €600 games console!
    I'm definitely looking forward to it.

  • Darth_Flibble #71 5 years ago

    "then I remembered just how much better Resident Evil 4 looks on the Playstation 2. "

    what bullshit, another piece of crap by Sony's little suicide bomber

  • Sid-Nice #72 5 years ago

    One minute wii doubters moan about lack of games, then when 2 Resi titles come along it's not enough....

    "It's the best of 2 Evils."

  • richardiox #73 5 years ago

    GC RE4 graphics > PS2 version. I thought that was a pretty widely accepted fact. Full screen adds alot to the PS2 one and the extra missions but I thought the GC had the better graphics.

    In the "wii = moronic kids" debate, it seems post peddlers of that perspective are the classic teen male demographic who thinks guns, sex and violence = adult.

    Wheras my gamer friends my age think OTT guns and violence = immature pubescant teens. Not that it stops us playing those games because many great games are all about the guns and violence. But we dont play thinking that in itself is a good thing.

    It's funny this old "teh kiddies" myth pervails despite the DS and Wii being marketed at, and purchased by an increasingly mature market with games such as manhunt 2, call of duty, no more heroes filling that supposed "adult" market.

    And when LitttleBigPlanet got shown for PS3 yellowtruck and the other equally predictable fanboys were all praising it's style. PS3 killer app = teh kiddies etc
    Edited by 1 at 18/04/07 @ 20:49

  • smelly #74 5 years ago

    >Have you ever played Resident Evil 4?

    Yes.. On both ps2 and cube.. which is why i spluttered my coffee when i read your comment.

  • Tonka #75 5 years ago

    Whats with the anger guys? Look at the movie. It looks brilliant. Fast paced light weight popcorn munching fun with a grin. Yes please. Then look at the utterly brilliant Treasure Island Z gameplay vid.

    I don't think the human race is ready for Capcoms greatness. They are too god for us mere mortals. Their employees form a pantheon of their own.

    Adds another annex to my Capcom temple

  • Brianstorm #76 5 years ago

    good old capcom, not bothered with producing decent wii software, they're actually working undercover with EG sony/ms fanboy posters to make a crap software to alienate wii owners, the idea of developing a top game to make them cash and enhance their brand was rubbished completely....

  • The-Bodybuilder #77 5 years ago

    @ CannonAnBall

    Maybe what you say is true, but it bares to use to our comments, because the majority of us are judging it based on OUR tastes.
    It's not are job to buy the game based on what others feel, it's our job to buy games based on what we like.

    And the overwhelming majority of us are dissapointed that it's a on-rails lightgun game.

  • Santino #78 5 years ago

    i actually think this looks pretty fun and cant wait to blast the hell out of some zombies, but i guess that comes from not being a little bitch who is defensive about which system i bought (own all 3 and has a bit more money than sense). the people trolling every Wii thread with the same 'kiddy' arguments need to change the record cos it got boring long ago, and frankly i don't think the majority of people in the real world (who seem happy enough to buy the system is large quantities) give a shit about them.

  • Brianstorm #79 5 years ago

    ...how can anyone be disappointed with the prospect of a new Capcom developed Resi game... especially without having played it.

  • VMerken #80 5 years ago

    Hmm.

    Announced Playing Time = 20 hours
    Umbrella Chronicles = Rails Shooter
    Playing Time on Rails Shooters = Fixed

    The maths look good - content-wise, that's the longest RE ever created. Almost too good to be true, though it's possible considering that Capcom intends to remix everything from Zero to 3. Also, production values for this one should be pretty high as 2 and 3 have never undergone the "Gamecube" treatment - so Capcom will hopefully make sure that the game experience is up to snuff.

    Looking forward to this, even though time attacks are not an issue here.

  • mkreku #81 5 years ago

    How odd. The best graphics on the Playstation 2 that I've seen was in God of War 2 and Resident Evil 4. I even had both the Cube and the PS2 connected to the same TV and could compare the picture by just switching channels. Noone in the room saw a difference in the scenes we checked. Why the sudden hatred for the Playstation 2 version of Resident Evil 4?

    Playing it, on the other hand.. the analogue stick on the GC controller was a definite favourite in my playing group.

  • Skeletor #82 5 years ago

    @Kato
    A 'real' Resi game? How do you define 'real'? A game with a new story? A game approved by whining fanboys who are never satisfied anyway? If you think that an onrails concept makes a game 'not real' why don't you just wait for Resi5? What's the senseless bitching for? Resi 5 is designed for 360/PS3 (a PC version shouldn't be far behind I guess ...) - a dumbed down Wii version doesn't make any sense.
    Old tosh? You gotta be fucking kidding...UC is build from scratch, probably even using a new engine. So the fact that it's onrails (+looking around with the analogue stick, not really House of the Dead if you ask me...) makes it not only 'not real' but also 'old tosh'?! Sounds pretty stupid to me.

  • VMerken #83 5 years ago

    mkreku: RE4 PS2 graphics are good, but the Cube's are better. I've been very intimate with both versions, and I noticed more than enough differences:

    * some scenes in the PS2 version feature less polygons - most notably the graveyard, where the trees suddenly are out of leaves.
    * less polygonal detail on the Ganados get up and close with them, and you'll see more definition/beveling on the Cube
    * less enemies during certain scenes in order to compensate for insufficient processing power. For example, in the cabin, you will face up to 5 Ganados in the PS2 version. In the Cube version, there are up to 10 of them.
    * fog effects are done better in the Cube version
    * less colour depth on the textures
    * the Cube has some subtle reflection effects on water, and more polygons for the fires
    * the music's more compressed in the PS2 version (ok, that's not a gfx thing, but still notewothy)

    I'm not denying the fact that the PS2 conversion is a job well done - I'm pretty sure everyone and their mother expected less. But - the Cube version is prettier, more detailed and has the better sound. Anyway, this ought to be discussed in a more suitable thread - let's wait for RE4 Wii and hunt for new graphical comparisons there. Will RE4 Wii have better gfx than Cube, and just how much better will Seperate Ways look compared to PS2?
    Edited by 1 at 18/04/07 @ 23:17

  • Sid-Nice #84 5 years ago

    Because we'd rather have a 'real' Resi game, not a past it spin-off reminiscent of an early 90's game.

    What Resident Evil Gun Survivor game came out in the early 90's? The first light gun Resident Evil Survivor game was launched in 2000 on the PS2 and the original Resident Evil came out in 1996.

    How do you know that Resident Evil 5 will be any good? In all honesty the series has never had the best control system and peaked with Resident Evil 4 on the Cube. If resident Evil 5 is a follow on from 4; then you'll be happy playing a sequel to a Gamecube game? 5 will have better graphics than 4 but I doubt it will be a better game; 2008 is long time to wait for your first taste of a Resident Evil game.

  • Katsumoto #85 5 years ago

    Sigh. This fighting over who's console has the biggest dick is really getting to me. I bet someone people even *gasp* own more than one console! they must be really screwed when it comes to these flame wars. Personally I stick to my PC for "lol graphics", FPS and RTS action, and my Wii/DS for everything else. This and Resident Evil 4 will do very nicely for me!

  • smelly #86 5 years ago

    >This fighting over who's console has the biggest dick is really getting to me.

    The way i see it.. it's like cars.. Those with the big powerful machines are trying to make up for their own inadequencies.

    :-D

  • Obsequious #87 5 years ago

    ^You are a moron.

    A catty, passive-aggressive, thin-skinned little moron who performs acts of fellatio on his Wiimote in order to fill the void of human contact the repression of his own (quite obvious) homosexuality has left.

    Not that there's anything wrong with that (TM).

  • Tonka #88 5 years ago

    Hey! Some of my best friends are morons.

  • _grumpy #89 5 years ago

    Wow. This thread is Amazing.

  • smelly #90 5 years ago

    @Obsequious

    So you admit to having a very very small penis then?

    Case closed.

  • Nova5lag #91 5 years ago

    Seriously I cant wait! :D:D:D

  • Darth_Flibble #92 5 years ago

    although I would rather have a "proper" RE game (new story) I'm not going to write off the game as it could be good (unless you one of the usual supsects typing crap in ever MS and nintendo thread)

  • Dirtie #93 5 years ago

    http://i6 6.photobucket.com/albums/h274/o...

  • Nikanoru #94 5 years ago

    The hi contrast graphics caught my for a second or two, and then I remembered just how much better Resident Evil 4 looks on the Playstation 2.


    lulz, Yellowtruck is at it again. I'm sorry dude, but have a look at this.
    As you can clearly see if you've looked at the comparisons (-especially- the video clips), they had to remove half the graphics to even be able to cram it in the PS2's sad little processor.

  • Hendo #95 5 years ago

    Looks great to me, I want it.

  • sanctusmortis #96 5 years ago

    Eurogamer in "didn't know snake is called Yawn" shocker!

    The video looks ace, and rather an on-rails flashback through glory days than nothing. Sorry, but you are all just being stupid. REmake was ace, RE0 was ace. RE2 and 3 DESERVE to be on rails. Stick em all together and give me a gun, I'm happy.

  • ForbiddenForest #97 5 years ago

    CannonAnBall: "Not all people want a complicated gaming experience. I know a few people that couldn't give dogs dick about next gen gaming on the 360 and PS3 but shove the Wii on and they'll play for hours on it"

    but most of us on this forum want a resi game with depth, to play via the wii's wiggle-sticks. And that's why we're whinging. Sod the missus. And grandma. Resi 4 is the best game ever made and I want more of it, on the wii, with even more claret and more depth. More. More. More...

  • The-Bodybuilder #98 5 years ago

    >"...how can anyone be disappointed with the prospect of a new Capcom developed Resi game... especially without having played it. "

    Becuase some of us have played the survivor lightgun resi games. Can't blame us for being a bit cautious can you? Fool me twice n all that...

  • The-Bodybuilder #99 5 years ago

    I dare someone to call smelly a nintyfanboy.

    Go on then, I DARE YOU. :-D

  • The-Bodybuilder #100 5 years ago

    I don't think THAT many people are actually hating the game, they are just somewhat dissapointed that UC is a lightgun game.

    Most people were expecting a code veronica-esque type game, not a lightgun game.

    No one knows if it's gonna be crap or not, but surely you cannot expect people NOT to be somewhat dissapointed?

  • Brianstorm #101 5 years ago

    well there we go after 117 posts unsurprisingly not everyone agrees about Capcoms announcement, i'll stay looking forward to the release and jumping around the front room with my wiimote killing zombies and others will stay disappointed....

    would've been interesting to find out how many people fancied the idea of multi-player wii bowling before it's release....

  • monkie_king #102 5 years ago

    ZOMBIE BOWLING? Hell yes. Undead sports ftmfw!

    Quick, someone buy the rights to make Resident Evil: Zombie Olympics 2008!

  • manic_mouse #103 5 years ago

    smelly: "The way i see it.. it's like cars.. Those with the big powerful machines are trying to make up for their own inadequencies. "

    What inadequencies? The 360, at least, has some games to play on it.

  • rhinoxious #104 5 years ago

    I'd like to go home and dig out my copy of House of the dead 2 with twin lightguns.

    But it doesn't work on my new TV, coz it's CRT only.

    \goes off for a good cry.

  • ZuluHero #105 5 years ago

    "well there we go after 117 posts unsurprisingly not everyone agrees about Capcoms announcement, i'll stay looking forward to the release and jumping around the front room with my wiimote killing zombies and others will stay disappointed.... "

    When you play it, im sure you'll be just as disappointed, only we'll be slightly richer :)

    For true fans of the series, it isn't about killing the zombies.

  • smelly #106 5 years ago

    @manic_mouse ... erm.. um..

    (nah cant be arsed - does someone want to explain it to him?)

    Maybe you'll get it when yer a grown up..

  • smelly #107 5 years ago

    >For true fans of the series, it isn't about killing the zombies.


    No.. it's about pretty pixels.. that you can masturbate over.. and congratulate yourself that you did make a good purchase after all... And that you can show to your friends (if you had any) how great the pixels look on your new toy.

    Everyone knows that!

    It's not about having FUN or anything.. Gawd no.. If people were having FUN playing games, then they wouldnt be in a forum posting about how a game they've never played is going to suck as it's not on their system with the prettiest pixels.

    To forumites.. it's never about actually having fun with a game.. That's something that the "casual" gamer does..

  • ZuluHero #108 5 years ago

    where did THAT come from? :)

    I have a Wii too u'know. RE for "fans" is about uncovering a story, fast-action peices blended with slow paced and scary as hell tense sections. Its about surviving and fighting against over-whelming odds and maybe protecting another character along the way. And yes, even bloody messing about in your inventory :)

    Not light-gun action!

  • Skeletor #109 5 years ago

    @ZuluHero
    "Uncovering a story"? I highly doubt it that this one will be just a sequence of shooting without any story. They already said that there will be a story shedding light at the downfall of Umbrella.
    "fast-action peices blended with slow paced and scary as hell tense sections"? Well who said that this can't be the case in this game. Most of it will probably be dramatic shooting but the rest...who knows?
    "surviving and fighting against over-whelming odds and maybe protecting another character along the way"? Don't see any reason why this wouldn't be possible in a FPS-style onrails game. You follow a character and protect her/him from whatever tries to attack...
    "even bloody messing about in your inventory"? I guess we can live without the annoying inventory.
    Still dissapointed? Well, fair enough.
    Just remember not to buy it, mate:-)


    Edited by 1 at 19/04/07 @ 21:23

  • Harrihotpants #110 5 years ago

    Even streetfighter II had a story to uncover can't see that Capcom will struggle with that aspect in the 20 hours gameplay in UC.

  • numptyboymatt #111 5 years ago

    Im quite sure I will end up getting this, no matter how rubbish it might be - cant get enough RE!