
	Platform Playstation 3 Genre Action Publisher Atari Developer Starbreeze / Tigon Studios ESRB M (Mature) Released April 7, 2009

- Two games in one - Gritty sci-fi setting - Hollywood caliber voicework - Vin Diesel

- Frustrating respawn time - Randomly scripted AI battles - Clunky interface and combat - Vin Diesel

Review: X-Men Origins: Wolverine (360) Review: Resident Evil 5 (360) Review: F.E.A.R.: Project Origin (360)
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The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Score: 7.0 / 10

It is a well established fact among gamers that videogames based on movies tend to be mediocre, if not outright terrible. Once in a blue moon, however, there will be an exception to the rule; While not directly based on a movie, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, has remained a popular title among fans, quite possibly eclipsing the film series that served as its precursor. While many moviegoers have begged Vin Diesel to give up his lackluster film career, fans have been clamoring for a sequel. And now, five years later, developer Starbreeze Studios have decided to deliver with Assault on Dark Athena. Sort of.

The truth is that Dark Athena is more like an expanded remake than a sequel. This is evidenced with the inclusion of Butcher Bay in its entirety, featuring an enhanced visual makeover while still retaining the original gameplay. Played back to back with

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the newest entry in the series, Dark Athena’s campaign feels more like tacked-on levels rather than a full blown sequel. For most gamers, the appeal of two games in one seems like a sure deal. But with no alterations made to the gameplay, how does Riddick hold up in today’s generation of games?

Butcher Bay and Dark Athena star the titular protagonist Riddick, as

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both games showcase the bald bad boy in two separate occasions of captivity. As a wanted criminal with a high bounty and lots of enemies, Riddick must endure and escape the universe’s deadliest jail, and later a spaceship filled with trigger happy drones and slave trading pirates. Vin Diesel lends his likeness and voice to the role, and despite what people may feel about his competencies as an actor, he feels right at home with Riddick; with a booming voice few can replicate, Diesel’s prized character comes across well as someone lacking a clear set of morals, more concerned with helping himself than anyone else, but not quite reaching God of War’s Kratos levels of killing everything that moves. Riddick is someone who is firmly etched in grey, despite his high affinity for the dark.

As a hard-edged sci-fi series, the Riddick games make solid use of its gritty aesthetics. From grime-filled corridors to grimier people, the world of Riddick is a harsh and unforgiving one. The residents of Butcher Bay and Dark Athena wear a variety of tattoos, piercings, and engage in several conversations, which usually end with killing someone or avoid being killed yourself. Each character comes to life with strong voice work and rage-filled expressions, drawing inspiration from prison-life series such as HBO’s Oz. Lightning effects play a large role in the environments as well, as Riddick will spend much time climbing inside air ducts or lurking around monster-filled sewers in order to elude his pursuers. Despite these bells and whistles, however, both Butcher Bay and Dark Athena still look rather dated compared to current generation titles, with small graphical glitches present through both campaigns.

The gameplay remains untouched, and works for the most part; using a first person view with an emphasis on hand-to-hand combat over guns, Riddick also relies on stealth elements, hiding in the darkness while using his special eyes that work like night vision goggles. Getting the drop on an enemy usually results in a violent takedown, but there are scripted situations where the guards will automatically spot stealthy players, resulting in forced combat. This is where Riddick feels truly outdated, as the combat tends to be clunky as well as having uneven difficulty; it becomes quite frustrating to lose in a fist fight while waiting for the loading screen to restart the battle over and over again. Even more infuriating is that Riddick’s health doesn’t regenerate fully after each death, resulting in numerous deaths until the game “curves” the difficulty by slowly bring your health back up. Trial and error is ultimately the key to dealing with the enemies, which may prove disappointing for players hoping to develop their own playing style.

Multiplayer is a similar letdown, keeping things respectively simple, but also delivers a clunky experience that most online denizens will quickly forget (few people, if any, were available online during the course of this review).

Despite these flaws, Riddick’s story and setting work well enough that the outdated mechanics can be forgiven for experiencing a mature and intriguing experience that easily eclipses Vin Diesel’s biggest “blockbusters”. For players who missed out on the original Butcher Bay, now is the perfect opportunity to take part in the interstellar jailbreak and the following pirate raid making up its second half. Just don’t drop the soap…you never know who may be lurking in the shadows.

- Jorge Fernandez

(June, 29, 2009)