Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles Walkthrough: Stages and Boss Tips
Darkside Chronicles is a rail shooter with a handful of tough boss fights. This walkthrough covers the stages, the Hilda fight and what to watch for along the way.
In this article
You can use this Resident Evil Darkside Chronicles walkthrough to move through the stages and beat the main bosses. Darkside Chronicles is a shooter first released on Wii and PS3 on Nov 17, 2009 [1]. It is a sequel to the gun shooting game Umbrella Chronicles and takes place in Resident Evil 2's Racoon City [1]. Learn more in Resident Evil Chronicles HD Collection Walkthrough.
This article goes through the stages in order and lays out the main boss strategies. Each section starts with the approach that matters most, so you can jump straight to a fight you are stuck on.
Differences between the platforms for the HD collection are covered in a separate article, so this page stays focused on playing the game.
How long does it take to finish the game?
The main story takes about 8 hours, and about 12 hours if you include the side content. [1] For a rail shooter you can split that across a few sessions, so it works well if you only have an hour or two most nights.
Main story versus side content
The 8-hour figure covers the main campaign from the first stage to the end. The 12-hour figure adds the side content, so the extra content adds roughly four hours to a full playthrough. [1]
If you mostly want the story, plan for the shorter run. If you like finding everything in a stage, budget for the longer one and expect the extra time to go into the side content.
Plan for longer runs if you replay stages
Your first run through is usually the quickest, because you are learning where enemies appear and how each stage flows. If you want better results, replay the stages where you lost the most time or ammo. Each replay adds time on top of the base figures above.
A practical way to plan is to block off the 8-hour main story first, then add a few extra sessions for replays. For example, you could play the main story over a week of evenings, then spend one weekend replaying the two or three stages that gave you the most trouble. That keeps the first playthrough relaxed and gives you room to improve without feeling rushed.
If you are playing on your own, the replays are where most of the extra time goes. Expect your second and third runs of a stage to be noticeably faster than the first, as you learn the routes and timing.
How do you beat Hilda?
Hilda goes down to one repeated move: shoot her in the dark green portion of her head while she leans back to cancel her attack. [2] Everything else in this fight is about being ready for that moment.
Aim for the dark green spot
Keep your crosshair on Hilda's head rather than her body, so you are already in position when the moment comes. The shot that matters is the one that lands on the dark green portion. [2] Aim for that area first, and keep the rest of your focus on timing.
A loose grip helps here. If you are tense, it is easy to drag the crosshair away from the green spot right when you need it.
Watch for the lean back
The lean back is your cue. Hilda leans back to cancel her attack, and that is when the shot works. [2] Fire as she starts to lean, not after she has already moved on.
Practice by watching her head rather than the rest of the screen. Each time she starts the motion, ask yourself whether your crosshair is already on the green spot. If it is, take the shot. If not, wait for the next lean instead of firing early.
Keep the pattern through the stage
Once you spot the pattern, use it for the rest of the stage. Each time you see the lean back, the same shot is your answer. Keep your aim steady instead of rushing, because a hurried shot is easy to miss.
Don't let one missed opportunity shake you. Stay calm and keep watching for the same cue. Repetition is how the timing becomes second nature, so treat each lean as a fresh chance to land the shot you already know.
How does the partner mechanic work?
Either player can help the other in the partner challenge. You don't have to be the second player who does the supporting. [3] The challenge is listed under the name Partner You Can Count On, so it's worth understanding the setup before you start working toward it.
Keep your partner out of the line of fire
The main tip is positioning. Find a good spot where your partner is not in the line of fire, so their character isn't hit while you shoot. [3] In a rail shooter you can't move freely, so your choices are mostly about which target you deal with first and when you reload.
For example, if enemies are lining up on your partner's side of the screen, shoot those first. Then turn to the threats aimed at you. Avoid firing across your partner's position when you have a clear shot from your own side.
Why it matters early
The challenge matters for some achievements, so it's worth understanding early. Planning around your partner's position from the first stage is much easier than going back to replay sections later.
Once the positioning feels natural, the rest of the stage is mostly about aiming and reloading. If you get stuck on a boss while you work on the challenge, the boss strategy section is the next place to look.
Which stages should you prioritize?
Start with the stages that teach you the core mechanics, and save the toughest boss fights until you feel comfortable with aiming and reloading. Playing in that order lets you build the habits the later fights demand instead of learning them under pressure.
Begin with the early stages
The opening stages are where you learn how the rail shooter works. Pay attention to how quickly enemies approach, when they stagger, and how often you need to reload. These encounters are where you build the rhythm you will rely on later.
Try to clear each early stage without rushing. If you find yourself reloading in the middle of a crowd, slow down and reload when the screen is quieter. Treat the first few stages as practice rather than a score chase.
Move to the harder bosses later
Boss fights punish sloppy aiming, so they work better once your shots land reliably. A boss usually has a clear weak point and a repeating attack pattern. Once you can hit that spot on command, the fight becomes a test of timing instead of luck.
If a boss keeps beating you, do not assume the answer is more raw skill. Go back to a stage you can clear easily and practice reloading and switching targets there. Then return to the boss with those habits fresh in your hands.
Use checkpoints instead of replaying the whole stage
When a boss defeats you, a checkpoint lets you retry that fight without starting the whole stage over. On long stages, that saves a lot of time, especially when the earlier section is already behind you. Use the checkpoint to focus on the one fight that stopped you.
Keep your retries short and deliberate. Say you lose during a boss's second attack. On your next try, watch for that attack from the start and plan your shots and reloads around it. Repeating the same mistake over and over only wears down your ammo and your patience.
Once you have a boss down, move on to the next stage with the lesson in mind. Each fight you learn from makes the harder ones easier to tackle in order.
Where to go next
If you are stuck on a boss, start with the boss strategy guide before you replay the stage again. Most of the trouble comes from missing a weak point or firing at the wrong moment, and the strategy covers both.
Keep your next steps simple. Pick the stage where you got stuck, read the boss section for that fight, and try the attack pattern once before you change anything else. Save a few minutes of frustration by using checkpoints to retry the boss without starting the whole stage over. Related reading: Resident Evil.
After that, the separate articles on unlockables and beginner tips can help you with the rest. The unlockables article shows how to find extras without wasting replays, and the beginner tips cover aiming, ammo, and healing for new rail shooter players.