The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay - Developer's Cut Image
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 38 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 118 Ratings

  • Summary: Set before the events of both Universal Pictures' "The Chronicles of Riddick," starring Vin Diesel, and the 2000 cult classic "Pitch Black," which first introduced Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick, the game tells the story of Riddick's dramatic escape from the previously inescapable triple max security slam Butcher Bay, home to the most violent prisoners in the galaxy. The Chronicles Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay will blend action and stealth elements, as players navigate Riddick through the harsh environments of the slam - dank tunnels, dimly lit corridors, and other hazardous areas filled with guards, savage inmates and deadly creatures that prowl the darkness. [Vivendi Universal] Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. The guards, prisoners and Riddick himself are some of the most realistic looking polygon characters you'll see this year. The level of detail in the facial contortions alone are benchmark raising.
  2. With all the lackluster console-to-PC ports in existence, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay absolutely towers over the competition. The fascinating commentary mode and bonus level improve what was already a stellar game.
  3. You can turn a guard's own gun on him, shank him with a homemade shiv, snap his neck with your bare hands, or drop down on his head. [March 2005, p.71]
  4. For the brief stretch you spend with Riddick in the galaxy's most notorious correction facility, Escape From Butcher Bay will keep you imprisoned in your house and chained to your PC from start to finish. [PC Zone]

See all 38 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 30
  2. Negative: 1 out of 30
  1. AnthonyS.
    10
    Heart-pounding, jawdropping, smack-you-in-your-face action along with a storyline fit for a five star feature film makes this game one of the greatest first person shooters i've ever played. Right up there with half-life 2, I was very pleasantly surprised with this one. Three years after its release, I'm only regretting I waited so long to pick it up! Expand
  2. HoKa
    8
    A solid game that offers much more than many other hyped adventure/action games. Instead of going for the flashy gimmicks route, the game delivers a solid experience in terms of not only environment interaction: you can hide yourself/bodies in the shadows, shoot lights to prepare an ambush in the dark, backstab your enemies, grapple during melee attacks, and actually watch your feet and hands as your character moves in first-person (you're not a floating hand with a camera following closely behind). The game features numerous interesting subquests that breathe some air to the linearity of the main plot, and the plot itself, while far-fetched, is entertaining in the least, and blends perfectly well with the game's mixture of close-combat and skullduggery. As for the technical aspect of the game, you won't be disappointed: the graphics are of Doom 3 quality, featuring shadow-smoothing not present in said benchmark game; the sound effects are crisp and clean, and the top-notch voice-acting makes the game a lot more vibrant: Vin Diesel gives Riddick a lot of personality through his voice, as does Ron Perlman to the Valance character. Rounding up, this game is 'a jewel lost in the mud of mediocrity'. Expand
  3. EstherN.
    7
    This game remains interesting throughout, and the textures are consitently lovely. Future programmers will look to Riddick as the game wherein vinyl really got together. Unlike many other adventure games, I didn't notice any glaring breaks in the action (NPC's referring to events that haven't happened, etc...). The action is exciting; the stealth is fun, the environments have a nice, gritty industrial edge. This game would be a cinch for a nine except _it crashes a lot_. I've got a pretty up-to-date, robust system. Seeing as the programmers have a patch together, _do not buy this game until the distributor releases it_. The further I got, the more frequently the game froze. Something is very, very wrong with Riddick. It's not Vampire: Blood Masquerade buggy, but it's pretty damn buggy nonetheless. The crashes suck the fun out of this game. Shame on the distributor, and don't reward them for sitting on top of the patch. Expand
  4. KevinP.
    3
    Looks good but atrocious languange and realistic violence made me hate this as a game.

See all 30 User Reviews