Like Resident Evil 4, Umbrella Chronicles takes a step away from the survival horror formula of the earlier R.E. games and attempts to use the Nintendo’s unique hardware to offer something new. Unfortunately, whilst the experience is new for the Wii, the gameplay is very similar to a plethora of arcade shooters that were popular on other consoles 5 years ago (think House of the Dead).

Capcom have obviously spent  plenty of time on the excellent zombie animations and lighting effects, the result being one of the most atmospheric games on the Wii to date, ironically second perhaps only to Resident Evil 4. Gameplay is simple, shooting anything that moves with the Wiimote is the order of the day, with the action moving on once everything on screen has been taken out.

Co-op play and shortcuts accessed by shooting out windows and doors add some variation and revisiting the locations of the original series with improved graphics may extend the enjoyment for diehard fans but not even nostalgia can prevent this ‘on rails’ game becoming repetitive and ultimately, boring. The runt of the Resident Evil litter.