Resident Evil Umbrella Chronicles - Negative Preview

[Samon]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=169886

[Dog--]

Maybe they'll stop making those stupid, horrible on-rails shooters for the Wii. The Wii has tons upon tons of potential, and they are pissing it away with stupid games like this and mini-game games.. Why?

[i am HOLLYWOOD]

I know. . .it's not really living up to the name of Revolution. . .

maybe Wii was a better name after all. . .

[Bad^Hat]

pissing it away
maybe Wii was a better name after all. . .
:x

[sea]

As soon as Capcom decided to make the game "more accessible" and "true to the Wii" by changing it from a full-fledged Resident Evil 4-style game into an on-rails shooter, I concluded this game would be shovelware. It's very clear that they're targeting an entirely American audience with Resident Evil 5, because we all know that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are both disasters in Japan. It seems like Umbrella Chronicles is going almost completely the opposite direction, with Campcom trying to cash in on the whole casual gaming movement that's become so big in Japan by trying to hook in new players through simplified gameplay.

It's not even so bad that it's an on-rails shooter; what makes it so insulting is that after the incredible Resident Evil 4 on the GameCube, and the Wii Edition with its vastly improved controls, Capcom has decided to throw what is very obviously an incompetent, second-rate game on the Wii, while its primary development studio works on what is by all qualifiers the next "real" game in the series. It's obviously not because of technological limitations, because if they could do Resident Evil 4 on the GameCube over two years ago, they could create something that looks twice as good on the Wii today. I can't even think of any other explanation: it's just a gross error in judgement.

[Warbie]

There's nothing wrong with on-rails shooters, they're great fun. Anyone who has played Duck Hunt will also know that the Wii is perfectly suited to this type of game. This is a good match. The only issue here is whether UC turns out to be a poor on-rails shooter. Unfortunately, this isn't the only negative preview i've read - this months Edge gives a similar report. Apparently, Sega's Ghost Squad plays noticeably better, though, which is some consolation.

The Wii and on-rails shooters is a great idea, we just need some decent ones.

[sea]

That's more or less what I just said. I don't mind the fact that it's an on-rails shooter so much as that it's a poor effort that comes as a "best of" side-story and at the expense of the next "true" Resident Evil game, when more than any other console the Wii would be suited to it.

[Dog--]

I agree on-rail shooters aren't bad, if you live 10 years ago, but as much as I hate to say it, the standards are too high for companies to keep making games like this. There is no reason they couldn't have just made it linear, so you can still move, but through a linear environment, it gives more of an illusion that your in control. That's my main gripe for ANY game, I'd rather like to feel that I'm in control, rather then the game telling me where to go.. To THAT degree, anyways.

[Warbie]

That's more or less what I just said. I don't mind the fact that it's an on-rails shooter so much as that it's a poor effort that comes as a "best of" side-story and at the expense of the next "true" Resident Evil game, when more than any other console the Wii would be suited to it.

I'm not sure it would be more suited to it. I enjoyed RE4 on the GC and Wii a great deal, but wouldn't give either the advantage control wise, they're just different.

Being Capcom's flagship title, RE is always going to appear on the system/s that give the most scope to really show off. Unfortnately, this rules out the Wii.

I agree on-rail shooters aren't bad, if you live 10 years ago, but as much as I hate to say it, the standards are too high for companies to keep making games like this.

On-rails shooters are every bit as fun as they ever were. Infact, Time Crisis 4 is one of the games i'm most looking forward to on the PS3. They may have been around for a while, but this doesn't make them dated.

No other genre quite matches the hectic rush of blasting your way through 100's of enemies quite like a decent shooter.

[-Psy-]

Meh.

[Solaris]

I'd never buy an on the rails shooter.

[Samon]

There's nothing wrong with on-rails shooters, they're great fun.

Truth.

[Barnz]

LucasArt announced a Star Wars title for Wii few weeks ago. I hope we get a chance to play as a Jedi Knight.

[sea]

LucasArt announced a Star Wars title for Wii few weeks ago. I hope we get a chance to play as a Jedi Knight.It's LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, which is just the first two games with some minor bonus content and Wii Remote waggle. Sorry, no original game with 1:1 lightsaber control. It's bound to be good, because the first two games were good, but it's still just shovelware.

[Noobulon]

There's nothing wrong with on-rails shooters, they're great fun. Anyone who has played Duck Hunt will also know that the Wii is perfectly suited to this type of game. This is a good match. The only issue here is whether UC turns out to be a poor on-rails shooter.


The problem isn't that RE:UC is a lightgun game - it's that it's another example of developers simplifying their games for the Wii.

Resident Evil, Dragon Quest, Sonic - these are all huge franchises which have been turned into simple on-rails games for Wii. This is bad for two reasons:
1) These games appear to be coming at the expense of more sophisticated titles.
2) The Wii really needs some more sophisticated games right now, to prove to that it's not just a party console, and is capable of providing in-depth experiences.

Oh and before anyone jumps on that; I'm all in favour of simplicity in game design. But there's elegant simplicity (SM64) and shallow simplicity (Boogie, Cooking Mama), and it looks like RE:UC will be yet another Wii game which falls into the second category.

[Warbie]

I always thought of UC as another RE Gun Survivor on a system that could do the idea some justice. Being bascially the latest in a series, it's a little unfair to label it as as being simplified for the Wii - if anything this looks more involved than the previous games.

[Kyorisu]

I always thought of UC as another RE Gun Survivor on a system that could do the idea some justice. Being bascially the latest in a series, it's a little unfair to label it as as being simplified for the Wii - if anything this looks more involved than the previous games.

Aye as you have to actually aim at things rather than waggle the controller around. I got me a Wii and I've been enjoying some of the non party games available.

[Narcolepsy]

Argh! The Wii has such amazing potential, and one developer after another just throws it away!

[AHA-Lambda]

Shame. ;( Although not unexpected, after all resembling RE Survivor can't be a good thing can it? Also the boys at Screwattack.com said they got to play it at E3 and said it got boring fast.

[ríomhaire]

I'd never buy an on the rails shooter.
HL2 is so linear that it's one step away from being on rails.

[Sliver]

Shame. ;( Although not unexpected, after all resembling RE Survivor can't be a good thing can it? Also the boys at Screwattack.com said they got to play it at E3 and said it got boring fast.

Yeah, I saw that video also. He was pretty pessimistic about all the games though.



I still think it looks pretty great.

[Samon]

HL2 is so linear that it's one step away from being on rails.

Bit of an over exaggeration, but sure, almost. I see no problem with on the rails at all, and I still want to play UC. It's the amount of fun you have in the game that counts, not how much room you have to wander around. It's so retarded when someone says "but our game is non-linear!" Yeah, and? It's such a superficial thing.

[DeusExMachina]

The game looked and sounded boring from the beginning.

On rails are almost always boring. Unless they have Time Crisis in their title. In which they are the exact opposite of boring.

Non-linear > linear. It's proven science and mathematics. Stephen Hawkins could prove it to you.

[Samon]

Non-linear > linear.

This is wrong.

[-Psy-]

The game looked and sounded boring from the beginning.

On rails are almost always boring. Unless they have Time Crisis in their title. In which they are the exact opposite of boring.

Non-linear > linear. It's proven science and mathematics. Stephen Hawkins could prove it to you.

Get out.

[Noobulon]

On rails are almost always boring. Unless they have Starfox 64 in their title.

The only true exception.

[ríomhaire]

This is wrong.
Seconded. Every single one of my favourite games is linear.

[Laivasse]

I say gimme linear shooters and non-linear RPG's.

[Warbie]

The only true exception.

You forget Rez, the ultimate proof that on-rails can be both amzingly awesome and cool as **** at the same time. I've a big soft spot for the HOTD series too.

[Bad^Hat]

Linear with key choices that effect the game's outcome in a smart and satisfying way > linear > non-linear (unless someone actually does it well)

I reckon.

[Laivasse]

I tend not to like the 'key choices' thing. It always feels to me like 'oh, this is the bit where the devs let me pick what ending I want'.

[AHA-Lambda]

Yeah, I saw that video also. He was pretty pessimistic about all the games though.



I still think it looks pretty great.

They said they loved contra 4 and they also said they would consider getting a PSP just for castlvania.

[Samon]

I tend not to like the 'key choices' thing. It always feels to me like 'oh, this is the bit where the devs let me pick what ending I want'.

Yeah, I'm not keen on choice in that regard. I think sometimes it works, but I feel the developer is able to build a far tighter experience without it. It's just so much better with the 'cinematic experience'. Umbrella Chronicles - being on the rails - really has a chance to churn that out and tune it to a great quality. That's what I'd hope for, anyway.

[Kyorisu]

Non Linear games are overrated, simple! You can still have plenty of choices in a game that don't have to effect the overall storyline.