The best on-rails shooter to date!
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a worthwhile sequel to the successful The Umbrella Chronicles. You play three separate missions with about seven chapters in each respectively. The locations in the game are from previous Resident Evil games, Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil Code Veronica, and an entire new location in South America.
The gameplay is simple, just pick up the controller and shoot. However, there is more to it. You have up to four guns in your inventory that you can switch instantly and keep the action going.Unlike its predecessor, The Darkside Chronicles doesn't use the scrolling feature to change weapons.Weapons are now set to the D-Pad of the wii-mote and also to the analog stick of the nunchuck. All of the weapons use up ammunition except for the handgun as it has an infinite amount of bullets. You can also upgrade weapons by using gold you find in the levels.The developers also put in a new risky gameplay feature which is called the "Shaky Camera". The Shaky Camera effect happens throughout the entire game. It causes the camera to shake as if you were seeing through your characters eyes. This type of feature has mixed reactions for many players. It can be nauseating for some, or it can make you feel like you're actually in the game. It also makes it sometimes hard to get headshots. I think it is a great feature nonetheless.
The graphics are phenomenal and probably one of the best for the Wii! Shooting at zombies and seeing their blood splatter everywhere is very satisfying. You can also shoot their legs to slow them down making it easier to fend off an onslaught of zombies. The enemies of The Darkside Chronicles are not only zombies however. If you played any of the Resident Evil games, then you know the many different monsters there are. In addition to zombies there are lickers, dogs, giant spiders, giant frogs, and more! The boss fights are also great. You fight the bosses from the Resident Evil games and they are very fun and challenging.
You can play either solo with an AI partner, or with a friend in two-player co-op. The Co-op mode is tons of fun and easier to complete. There are downsides for both modes however. In single player, your AI partner only uses the handgun and uses it rarely making you do all the work. If the AI partner dies, then it is game over. In co-op, you have to share ammo with your friend if you are using the same weapons. For instance, if I'm using a shotgun and use up all the ammo, then my friend can't use his/her shotgun until we pick up more ammo. There are plenty of other weapons that you can use however.
The control scheme is fairly easy to use. Shoot with B, heal with C, pick up items with Z, etc. Also, while holding Z, you can swipe with the nunchuck to attack with a knife. This is good to use when trying to fend of attacking bugs, bats, or fish. You can also use the Wii Zapper to further immerse you in the game. It makes it easier to aim too. Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a fantastic game and stays true to the Resident Evil Franchise.