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Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

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8.4 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 55 critic reviews
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Based on 13 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Genre(s): Action, First-Person Shooter, Light Gun

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: November 17, 2009

Summary

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles's story is based on "Resident Evil 2" and includes the popular characters, Leon S Kenney and Claire Redfield. Its on-rails style gameplay and active camera creates a more immersive Chronicles survival experience. As in the last installment, this is a first-person game with extreme shooting gameplay and interactive pathways. Filling in many of the missing pieces of storyline that were not covered in the original Umbrella Chronicles, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles gives hardcore fans the chance to re-live some of the most classic moments of the Resident Evil franchise, while allowing new players to take advantage of the intense action-horror experience only possible on the Wii. Gamers can choose to take on their enemies with the help of an A.I.-controlled character or enlist the help of a friend to fight via two-player co-op. Adding new dimension and strategy to the arcade-style gameplay in the Chronicles experience, the new Evade system will utilize the Wii Remote for a more intense experience when fighting enemies. [Capcom]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

AtomicGamer

In essence, what the game may lack in exposition or narrative complexity it makes up for in nostalgic capital, a refined weapons system and a classic Resident Evil feel

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GamesNation

Resident Evil: the Darkside Chronicle is more than we’d expected: a strong improvement since Umbrella Chronicles. The camera is far from being perfect and the level of details is poor. Yet it offer an enjoyable gaming experience.

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Meristation

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is the best shooter on rails available on the Wii. Excellent graphical section, intense and spectacular action, filled with extras that increase their duration... It's impossible not to exhibit a smile when returning to Resident Evil 2 and RE: Code Veronica to play in a totally different way.

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Destructoid

Games like Darkside Chronicles and Dead Space Extraction are evolving the genre in a fantastic way, and that's something you might not want to miss out on.

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GamerNode

Altogether, Darkside Chronicles is a solid package with loads of content. The combat is satisfying, sprinkled with interesting boss fights and fun visual and gameplay tricks to keep the usually stale light gun formula fresh.

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AceGamez

Darkside Chronicles is definitely the best Resident Evil themed Arcade Shooter for a long, long time.

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3DJuegos

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is an amazing "on-rails" shooting experience.

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9Lives

Improved gameplay, dark atmosphere, unlockables and several surprises await purchasers of Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles. This is yet another solid railshooter – after Dead Space Extraction – with some horror elements. Graphically, this is one of the better titles on the Wii console. Not getting any room to move is only a minor setback. If you’ve enjoyed The Umbrella Chronicles, this title won’t disappoint. Must have for Resident Evil fans.

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Play.tm

Spread across a progressively challenging 10 to 12 hours of game time, Darkside Chronicles is a genuinely decent thrill ride that, if your arms and eyes can suffer the mounting strain, delivers a worthwhile experience that sits somewhere between retro distraction and gory tour de force.

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Multiplayer.it

The Darkside Chronicles is a nice improvement over the previous game, adding length and depth to a solid on-rails shooting experience. Story and characters are really outdated though, and aiming through the Remote is a real pain at times.

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1UP

About the only moments of real tension I had were when I spotted an herb or other valuable item, and frantically tried to grab it before the camera swung in the other direction. Not to say the game is boring, though, because even though it's a little more passive, this will probably be the closest thing to a complete RE2 remake in our lifetime. Darkside Chronicles looks great, has a good amount of content, and is mindlessly fun without the mindless gaffes of its predecessor.

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Gamervision

Even though there’s no online play, only leaderboards, this game is a great way to spend a night or weekend with a friend.

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Gaming Age

It's definitely worth checking out even if you were disappointed with Umbrella Chronicles, as I think the improvements made here actually work.

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Cheat Code Central

In the end it's just a rail shooter, but the campaign takes about eight hours and there are plenty of reasons to play it again.

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NGamer UK

Far tighter than the original, an indispensable bit of fan service takes a good shamble closer to being an indispensable lightgun gem.

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IGN

Even with my complaints about the bouncy camera, I believe this follow-up is a significantly better experience than the original Umbrella Chronicles and one fun ride from start to finish.

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Game Informer

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles acts as a fantastic primer for those who started with the more action-centric Resident Evil iterations, while simultaneously providing fan service and fun for dedicated followers. Novices and veterans alike would be doing themselves a disservice by passing up this game.

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Eurogamer

For fans of twitch-gaming this surely ranks up there with the best that this anachronistic sub-genre has to offer.

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Kombo

This is one of the finest examples of how on-rails shooters can put gamers into the action without having them always in the driver seat.

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Nintendo Life

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a worthy sequel to Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles. It nicely fills in the story gaps of the first collection and presents a very good-looking and deep light-gun experience.

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ZTGameDomain

A solid experience that fans of Resident Evil's twisted tale will love because it fills in so many gaps.

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SpazioGames

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is one of the best rail shooter to play on Wii. The replay value is very high because the game offers more than just the typical on-rails shooter style of gameplay and there are many extra like online leaderboards, higher difficulty modes, and collectibles. The co-op is very fun to play for hours and the graphic is great.

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games(TM)

A testament to what the Wii is truly capable of in the hands of a skilled developer that understands the strengths and limitations of the hardware. [Christmas 2009, p.112]

Vandal Online

This game improves many of the aspect of the previous one, although it takes a step back in other areas. The most serious problem is the seldom sensation of lack of challenge; quite often we won't feel any pressure to keep advancing.

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Nintendo Power

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, on the other hand, is just level after level of old-school point-and-shoot. [Holiday 2009, p.86]

Gamestyle

It has a great level of fan-service for RE fans, and on its own is a solid, thoroughly entertaining game that deserves to be played.

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Eurogamer Italy

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is an entertaining on rails-shooter that will wind Biohazard fans in a vortex of fun and nostalgia. If you live for Resident Evil just go for it, but if you're searching for the best exponent of the genre, Dead Space: Extraction is always the best in its genre.

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Eurogamer Spain

A great game for Resident Evil fans, as it provides the best bits from Resident Evil 2 and Code Veronica with a more direct and frantic approach.

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Eurogamer Portugal

Here you can find a consistent and long challenge to fans of arcade-type action.

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Official Nintendo Magazine UK

It's got a lot of style and the substance shows up eventually but it's well short of classic status.

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GameTrailers

The latest Resident Evil spinoff is full of nostalgia and insight for dedicated fans, and it will provide anyone who isn't a zombie sympathizer plenty of 10 to 20 minute chunks of simple-but-satisfying light gun shooting.

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Everyeye.it

An old style On-Rail Shooter, with a nice direction a good replay value.

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GameZone

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a good on-rails shooter, but it’s only a decent sequel.

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Games Master UK

A very nearly excellent on-rails shooter that revisits some of our favourite horror games. [Christmas 2009, p.74]

Game Over Online

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles is a fun game despite its short length. It doesn’t come anywhere near the scare or gameplay calibre of Resident Evil 5, but the visuals and replay value of this title are decent.

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InsideGamer.nl

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles has some nice moments, especially when you are playing the game in co-op mode. We like the idea that you are going back to Racoon City, but the game is far from perfect. The camera is annoying and some bosses are just plain stupid.

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Wii Brasil

The Darkside Chronicles, after all, is a product competent in its execution and an ode to the fans, but their mechanical clearly are nothing more than a refinement of its predecessor.

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Nintendojo

As expected, the originals are better and more authentic Resident Evil experiences, and you'll get more enjoyment-- though not multiplayer-- out of them. Darkside Chronicles, on the other hand, is best for someone who absolutely loves light-gun games and has a buddy along for the ride.

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Thunderbolt

Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles isn’t the best light-gun shooter on Wii, and generally speaking, it feels like Capcom skimped a bit with respect to extras. Still, folks are getting quite a hefty story, and the pacing of most chapters makes for a fun, casual ride down memory lane.

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Gamer.nl

Unfortunately this is not a new chapter in the main series, but it’s still a good effort for a on-rails shooter. It looks good, has lots of hidden items and the main story will last you close to nine hours. The Darkside Chronicles also has a fantastic multiplayer. Still, you can’t escape the feeling that it could’ve been so much more if it wasn’t on-rails.

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Worth Playing

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles is a solid sequel to The Umbrella Chronicles, but it's not really much of an improvement

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Edge Magazine

Fun fan fodder, but hardly revelatory. [Christmas 2009, p.102]

Kikizo

Darkside Chronicles is a vast improvement on its predecessor and offers the dedicated RE follower an archive of unlockable memories, reading materials and fan service in an especially well-presented package.

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NintendoWorldReport

While the plot is condensed to the point where those unfamiliar with the series mythos can easily catch on, a lot of the details are lost—kind of like turning a 500-page Harry Potter book into a 2-hour movie.

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Games Radar (in-house)

Sure, it lacks the depth of something like Dead Space: Extraction, but if you're just looking to blast zombies with old friends, it's hard to do much better... on the Wii.

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GameDaily

Darkside Chronicles has plenty of teeth-gnashing moments, both out of fear and frustration from missing your shots. However, it's well constructed and fun to play with a friend. If you're tired of Extraction and House of the Dead: Overkill and need fresh meat to blast through, put this at the top of your list. Otherwise, stick with Resident Evil 4.

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VideoGamer

The Darkside Chronicles is a mindless blast-a-thon. It lacks the sophistication of the recent Dead Space: Extraction, but it more than makes up for it by bewitching you with nostalgia. It's just great fun.

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Digital Chumps

Darkside Chronicles isn't a bad game; it's just a lazy one.

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GamePro

If you absolutely loved Umbrella Chronicles and know the Resident Evil series by heart, you might extract enough fun out of Darkside to make it worth your while. but otherwise, you can safely pass this one by.

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GameSpot

The only thing scary about this light-gun game is the dreadful shaky camera.

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GameSpy

For all its graphical weaknesses, RE:DC successfully accomplishes the most important thing: the gameplay itself.

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Giant Bomb

If you don't come into Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles with an innate appreciation for the fiction of Resident Evil, all it really has to offer is a pretty by-the-numbers guided shooter experience. This doesn't make it a bad game, just an unambitious one, and one that has a hard limit on the audience for whom it will hold any significant appeal.

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Teletext GameCentral

A fun nostalgia ride for fans but not a patch on the similarly pitched Dead Space: Extraction.

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N-Europe

What it could have been is great, what it actually is, is pretty average.

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Zentendo

"Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles" enters a crowded genre on the Wii, a genre that has been done much better then what is presented here. Nice visuals and a stunning soundtrack can't save the huge design flaws present throughout the title, flaws that only serve to impair the gameplay and frustrate the player.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.4 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

James D gave it a7:
Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles is the first Wii game that I gave up the courage to rent. I haven't used my wii very much, what with only have 4-5 games with the wii being bought on christmas 08. Then with the release of Dead Space Extraction and this I wanted to give my wii a new lease on life. I haven't played Dead Space Extraction yet, so I hope to rent that soon. Anyways Resident Evil Umbrella chronicles is a great experience for someone who has dusted off their wii like I have. I am a resi fan as well, so I was really disappointed with some of the things I found like the boss battles being little more than lead eaters and the fact that they spring up a lot really annoyed me and my patience with having to figure out how to kill these boss's. Also this game makes the resi story canon uncertain, for example when we trawled through the second chapter, based on resi 2's story we come to the shop to find that the shopkeeper is savaged by zombies. In the PS1 game there is interaction between leon and this shopkeeper briefly before he gets slaughtered. The voice acting is fine although it can turn a little campy RE 1 style in some places but it sticks to the formula very well. I guess for other people it would be too similar but for me I really liked the experience on wii despite all those negatives.

Muerte JR gave it a10:
We are talking about the Wii, so its look amazing, beatifully and creepy. The sound and music make a good and excelent work to improve the experience. One of the only shooters coming to any platform, so its the best brand new shooter right now. Great storyline guide by the characters (for those who never have played RE series) explaining everything and more. Most buy for Wii lovers.

Agustin R gave it a9:
An excellent game, more intense, better look and many mistakes solveds compared with RE:UC

SH AUN gave it a7:
Finished this game on normal today. I enjoyed the parts where we re-visited old resident evil area's when it wasn't constantly stopping on dialogue. They should chop it down, you can't put hours of talking into a point and click zombie shooter. I found the bosses irate and tiresome. Shoot their limbs and vital points... Aside from those faithful to past strategy. The game has replay value. With achievements and secret levels and guns to unlock but is not worth the price retail ask for.

[Anonymous] gave it an8:
Darkside Chronicles will definitely appeal to followers of the R.E. series with a new albiet edited visit to R.E.2 and Code:Veronica, while newbies may find it all a little slow. I admit I'm a fan of the PS1 games and love the nostalgia D.C. brings but I wish the intensity of the originals had been realized here.The action is a bit too slow, grinding to a halt at times, and headshots are way too hard to pull off. The mindless shooting at random items takes away some of the suspense but I love the more interactive environment(shooting out lights, spinning umbrellas). It takes forever to upgrade the weapons but I had little problem clearing the levels with what's available. So overall, everyone should like it but older R.E. fans especially. Oh, and the complaints about the shaky camera are made by people who think running and shooting a gun should have no effect on each other. If you can't aim while running, be a sniper.

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Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles

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