The Umbrella Chronicles is the 7th installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series and the first natively developed for the Wii console. Unlike the other games focused on free exploration, this title is an on-rails shooting game with fixed movement and perspectives. The story follows the downfall of the bioengineering pharmaceutical company Umbrella Corporation by revisiting scenarios of earlier games in the series, such as Resident Evil Zero, Resident Evil, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, divided over four main chapters with ten scenarios in total. The game ends one year before the events of Resident Evil 4. Players can choose from different familiar characters, such as Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers, Billy Coen, Carlos Oliveira, Ada Wong, HUNK and Albert Wesker.

While playing, the camera floats to different areas and players shoot enemies on the screen, picking up ammo, weapons and health kits in the progress. In some situations, the controller can also be used as a melee weapon or in timed sequences. Some levels feature multiple paths and there are regular checkpoints. At the end of a level, the player's performance is awarded by stars, which can be exchanged for weapon upgrades. The game supports the Wii Zapper and features cooperative gameplay for up to two players.