TGS 09: Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles Hands-on

Sep 24, 2009

It's no secret that after E3 2009 I wasn't too impressed with Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles. The game's visuals didn't seem up to snuff, the shaky cam was pretty unbearable at times, and while the game's light gun roots (Umbrella Chronicles) was a blast, it seemed as though its sequel just wasn't coming together. After a brief additional hands-on with the game a month or so later I was feeling slightly more optimistic on the game, but there still wasn't that single level or defining moment that me totally engaged in the game.

Well, the South America level in Darkside Chronicles is that turning point. The shaky cam is reduced, headshots are now implemented at a higher rate, and weapons are more powerful, allowing for some seriously entertaining gunplay. The difference between E3's demo and what is being shown here at TGS is – pardon the pun – night and day.

First off, the level itself: South America is a flashback to Leon and Krauser's first mission together. During the intro Leon's voiceover tells the story about how he had already been in a situation with B.O.W.'s before, and how Krauser didn't seem to care in the slightest. The once-friendly duo make their way into a small village at high noon in search of a crime boss named Javier, and quickly realize the entire area has gone to hell. What was once a search for missing children blows up into a race to track down Javier and discover the source of the zombie invasion, and it only gets crazier from there. After a brief showdown in an area that looks oddly familiar to RE5 (shanty towns, blowing dust, and hanging meat is scattered all throughout the first area) the team of two makes their way down into a flooded side-street with the infected hot on their tail. A quick jump over a fence brings them into the new area, and they reluctantly make their way into the flooded camp.

Some new enemies are introduced here, including helmeted infected that were once part of a group called the Sacred Snakes. These zombies are best taken out by shooting center mass or attacking the limbs, and while there's still no dismemberment the game's new damage system is still in effect, having zombies fall in very fluid motions, or drop to one knee after being shot in the leg. After either dumping ammo into them or popping off their helmets with a nice handgun shot the team moves on across a flimsy bamboo bridge.

The next section includes a swarm of piranha, as well as hunter-inspired giant toads and tarantulas. The fish act as token jumping enemies, the toads surface in the water and then board the land and attack directly, and spiders shoot out venom at mid-range. The animation sets for the toad and piranha specifically are very impressive, and the fact that the entire level takes place in the daytime means you get a better look at the blowing dust, the blood splatter on the lens, and the enemies you're attempting to take out.

In addition, two main aspects make for a much stronger experience in Darkside Chronicles this time around. Shaky cam is used primarily during semi-scripted movement, and once the action starts the screen freezes or jitters only a very small amount, and it makes a world of difference. In addition, nearly everything in the stage reacts to gunfire – a huge improvement over the other two levels, even in their updated forms – as melons split, boxes shatter, doors are gunned down into particles, and even hanging meat and curtains move from gunshots. The use of the Havok engine was apparent before, but it's truly being realized in this latest level, and it rocks. Everything comes together in RE's South America level, and it's a huge step in the right direction in nearly every way.

The level concludes with a boss battle against a gigantic amphibian monster (half a squid, half a lizard of some sort) and fades out to Leon and Krauser running to the aid of a mysterious woman. Even the boss battle shows great signs of things to come though, as the CG is simply amazing, the environment moves and shatters around the heroes as they put fire on the boss, and the entire battle ends with an interactive sequence including a small water-logged church.

In addition to my main playthrough – where I used Leon, by the way – I went back and played the level again with Krauser on hard, and also tired a few minutes of the first level in the demo, which is based on RE2. Krauser's mode within the South America level was pretty much identical (though it's cool to see the same event from the other player's perspective), but the game's hard mode had me dead just before I got to the swarms of piranha, so it's much less forgiving and a tougher battle all around. Fun, but tougher. As for the first level, things still look less-than-impressive on the visual side (there's less destruction in the environment, and the lighting is a bit off still, giving the stage a dark but overexposed look) but the shaky cam has been reduced a bit from what I can tell.

My time with the level was very short, so without a side-by-side it's tough to really have a verdict on that yet, but I was hitting targets easier, and specific areas that were trouble back at E3 weren't a problem, so it seems as though changes were made. Either way, if the South America level is a sign of things to come, Darkside Chronicles is getting some serious improvements in the later part of its development cycle. I was skeptical after E3, but TGS made me a believer. Hopefully ever level in the game has a chance to get as polished as South America.

We'll have more on the game – including an interview with the developers – as TGS continues. Until then, check out our first off-screen footage of the game by clicking the video gallery below.