Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles - Wii

Paralyzed with fear? Don't worry - you don't have to move.

A Resident Evil light-gun shooter? Hey, it sounds great on paper. And "Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles" has plenty to like about it. If you're a Resident Evil fan, you'll love this game, I guarantee. If you're not...you might have a bit of a harder time. The game's plot consists of a retelling of the previous RE stories. You start off on the infamous train as Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen and work your way through that, through the even more infamous mansion and finally to Raccoon City itself. Not to mention the other chapters that you've never played through before. I won't give anything away for you RE fans, but I think you'll like where they go. Like "Ghost Squad" and "Medal of Honor: Heroes," this game uses the Wii Zapper, the new light-gun peripheral, which makes you feel more like you're playing in an arcade. But this game is less of a "Ghost Squad" - a jerky, trigger-finger experience - than "House of the Dead," which is to be expected on some level. Still, if you came into this game, as I did, expecting a fast-paced, adrenaline-rush experience, you may be a little disappointed. The game is often slow and plodding, with long breaks between enemies, and if you've played through the original games, the shocks aren't always, well, shocking. And once you start shooting at things, you'll find that this game is far harder than your average light-gun game. I found myself dying fairly early, fairly often, before I started to get the hang of things. And even then, I found the difficulty in the game just a major drain on my enjoyment. It's not that I don't like challenges in video games - I do - it's just that I wasn't expecting a huge one here. I was expecting something more fun. And as far as that goes, this game falls far short. But as far as the limited light-gun shooter market goes, this game, along with "Ghost Squad," should be on your pickup list if you're an RE fan. If you're not, rent it first. Try it out. And if you like where it takes you, pick it up.