IGN gave The Darkside Chronicles 8.1 out of 10. Compliments were given to the graphics, music, playability, and longevity of the title, but the camera was said to be mildly distracting and the story can be confusing for those unfamiliar with the Resident Evil franchise.[4]
GameSpot gave the game a 6.0 out of 10. They stated "The only thing scary about this light-gun game is the dreadful shaky camera."[5]
AceGamez scored the game 85%, praising its simplicity but criticizing the erratic difficulty at higher levels, saying this made "the game insanely difficult on any setting above Easy. An awful lot of enemies appear so close to you that you have to land headshots just to avoid a nasty bite".[6]
In November 2009 Capcom was forced to defend the game from the allegations from the Christian Church of England, which said that it glamorizes violence and promotes the occult, with spokesperson Leo Tan stating: "This is scaremongering and typical religious hysteria. You cannot blame society's ills on video games. It's just absurd."[7]
The Darkside Chronicles placed at number 151 on NPD Group's year-end 2009 sales ranking.[8] In Japan, the game began as the third best-selling game in the region at 73,000 units sold.[9] In France, the game sold a poor 16,000 units during its debut.[10]
Metacritic's overall rating of The Darkside Chronicles is a '75' [Generally favorable reviews]. It's highest rating of '92' which came from "AtomicGamer" said: "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."[11]
