The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

1. hudnolt

   May 2, 2009

   10

   i never played the first one, i loved both movies and now the games. riddick is easily the coolest character in any movie or game. escape fromi never played the first one, i loved both movies and now the games. riddick is easily the coolest character in any movie or game. escape from butcher bay id give a 9.5/10 and athena 10/10 campain was easily the best campain ive ever played and butcher bay was a close second. Yes the multiplayer did suck but i didnt buy this game for that.… Expand

   • 3 of 3 users found this helpful
2. ColynB.

   Apr 8, 2009

   10

   A very well done remake, as well as an excellent addition. This game is very challenging, very original, and just overall very good.

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
4. xXRenTyrellXx

   Sep 11, 2011

   10

   Though the Riddick films are so under appreciated (it's a crime) I speak for real si-fi fans when I say that the Riddick series (video gamesThough the Riddick films are so under appreciated (it's a crime) I speak for real si-fi fans when I say that the Riddick series (video games included) is one of the greatest series of its genre.… Expand

   • 2 of 2 users found this helpful
5. Heisenberg93

   Jan 31, 2022

   8

   There's the myth, out there, that movie/video game conversions can't work. But truth it's that it's easier to remember the bad than the good.There's the myth, out there, that movie/video game conversions can't work. But truth it's that it's easier to remember the bad than the good. Many movie/video game conversions have turned out to be great video games. The Chronicles of Riddick video games are among them.
   
   Both The Chronicles of Riddick video games storylines are well written and great exercises of storytelling. Dialogues in particular exhibit great writing, especially Riddick's lines, always of great impact and rarely banal. The presentation, setting, atmosphere, Riddick's charm: everything is well crafted and fits perfectly in The Chronicles' fictional universe. EFBB particularly stands out, but Dark Athena is good too, albeit a less intense and gripping storyline. Dark Athena's plot ends in a questionable way; it's not really bad but I honestly struggle to understand closing a plot that way. On the contrary, EFBB ends in a resounding crackling way. It makes sense that most players enjoyed EFBB more and this gives the game a charm and nostalgia effect overshadowing Dark Athena, beyond the games' respective strengths and flaws.
   
   Both The Chronicles of Riddick video games are action-adventures with a combination of three gameplay types: first-person shooter, stealth and also fighting game; the latter more like a sub-type. I think the first-person shooter gameplay is better than the stealth one. Shooting weapons in both games is actually done pretty well and pretty fun. Despite this, EFBB is often considered a stealth video game and it is so, for the most part. In EFBB, however, stealth is ok, acceptable, but one could have expect more: I found triggering take downs too much difficult and imprecise, as a matter of fact playing stealth (mostly not a choice) can be frustrating before getting the tranquilliser gun; also, some stealth sections could have been shooter and vice versa, especially towards the end. Stealth gameplay in Dark Athena is better than in EFBB: triggering take downs is smooth; Riddick's movement is smoother in general. However, in Dark Athena, stealth gameplay is curtailed (mostly impossible to play) in the second half of the game in favour of shooting gameplay; this also explains a larger number of weapons in contrast to EFBB. While I consider the shooting gameplay the best component of the game, I did not necessarily appreciated this, especially considering Dark Athena's better stealth component. Last but not least gameplay component of the games, is melee combat. I wouldn't say it's poorly made, but it could have been done much better: enemy counterattacks, after a Riddick's attack, seem to ignore the parry; scoring a hit looks almost random sometimes. All things being equal, some melee fightings felt easy, others less so, and it didn't seem to depend on my skill. In Dark Athena melee combat is better than in EFBB but its core flaws are still there. Side quests and compact free roaming in EFBB are appreciable and add variety; in Dark Athena there are only two side quests unfortunately and free roaming is related only to a small empty part (enemies aside) on planet Aguerra, which is not the main setting. I have deepened both games enough, completed them at "Hard" skill level and in general I would say that level design is better in EFBB. Dark Athena has a higher autosaves rate, which is not that bad, especially in the second part of the game where tougher enemies appear and higher shooting skills are required. EFBB is a short game, which is a well-known point of criticism; Dark Athena is longer in duration.
   
   Graphically, EFBB was simply outstanding at the time of its release, able to rival Doom 3 or Half-Life 2. Also, incredible it originally ran on the original Xbox. Dark Athena's EFBB version improvements are evident, in characters and weapons models to begin with. Long distance landscapes rendering is still impressive and nice to look at. Within respect to the original, lip sync problems are solved but annoying graphic glitches on characters' skin remain. Dark Athena, the game, is graphically superior to both EFBB versions and its graphics are great and clean (no more skin glitches), in line with 2009 standards but not as outstanding as EFBB were in 2004. In both games there is a great facial animation work and voice acting performances (especially Vin Diesel), among the best of the time. Soundtrack and sound editing are also great.
   
   The Chronicles of Riddick video games are high-quality tie-in European productions based on an American film saga. And this would be enough to make them unique and challenge the myth that a movie/video game conversion will necessarily produce bad stuff. The solid multi-genre gameplay, intriguing plot faithful to Riddick's fictional universe and tech realisation make EFBB and Dark Athena, not without flaws, but recommended video games nonetheless. For fans of The Chronicles of Riddick, a must-play.… Expand

   • 0 of 0 users found this helpful
6. niconline

   Oct 29, 2012

   8

   You can't go wrong picking up Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. While you might feel a little shorted on the single-player storyYou can't go wrong picking up Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. While you might feel a little shorted on the single-player story for Dark Athena, your mood will soon improve when you realize that you can just boot up Butcher Bay and relive that experience. Getting two games for the price of one is something that you shouldn't pass up. Just steer clear of the multiplayer and it should be an enjoyable experience.… Expand

   • 1 of 1 users found this helpful
7. Higher_Standard

   Sep 21, 2010

   7

   Another great example of the great talent at Starbreeze, and how their lack of refinement dwarfed what could've been an amazing game. BiggestAnother great example of the great talent at Starbreeze, and how their lack of refinement dwarfed what could've been an amazing game. Biggest issue I had was overly insane difficulty curves and the fact that they didn't fix those PISS POORLY placed loading areas in butcher bay. But as always I give Starbreeze an extra point because I think they work on a small budget.… Expand

   • 2 of 5 users found this helpful
8. Winterspark

   Jan 31, 2015

   3

   Lets face it, Riddick was always a one trick pony who should have been retired at the end of Pitch Black. Continuing to trot out thisLets face it, Riddick was always a one trick pony who should have been retired at the end of Pitch Black. Continuing to trot out this character with his magic "eyeshine" (read night vision goggles) is introducing nothing new. The game play here is shonky at best and set in a wildly unconvincing universe with a premise as poor as the actor that plays him. Is this a stealth game or an action game, as it delivers neither? I would suggest confining this to the bargain bin but with the death knell being sounded on the 360 console it may be better as mug coaster or something to entertain your budgerigar.… Expand

   • 0 of 2 users found this helpful

See all 19 User Reviews