When Umbrella Chronicles was first unveiled last summer, most critics - Empire included - feared it was little more than a House Of The Dead rip-off with prettier zombies. And while that description is still a handy way to sum up the experience, deep gunplay and a sprawling backstory help the game to rise above Segas arcade blaster.
Shoving players down a series of claustrophobic corridors where the undead lurch from every corner, UC cleverly uses the Wii remote as a pistol, allowing players pinpoint precision when it comes to blasting a monsters miniscule weak spot and making kills more gratifying than in HOTDs shallow, trigger happy maelstrom. Moreover, while wielding the remote lacks the visceral charm of using a plastic lightgun, you can hurl grenades, swop weapons and reload with one hand and the simplest of gestures, in turn making the action more immediate and immersive.
Oddly shoddy graphics and repetitive action undermine an otherwise compelling shooter, but Resident Evil aficionados will forgive UCs faults as it fleshes out familiar episodes and unseen set-pieces from the series 11-year legacy.