Published by:
Atari
Developed by:
Starbreeze Studios.
Release Date:
April 7, 2009
Available on:
XBOX 360,
Playstation 3, PC.
INTRO:
It seems that in the last week or two, Vin Diesel has launched a full-scale
comeback of sorts. He’s back in another terrible Fast and Furious movie,
he’s got that Wheelman game coming out, and a new entry into the Riddick
series has dropped on consoles as well. This one’s called Assault on Dark
Athena and is the sequel to the older XBOX game, which was a true gem and
undoubtedly the best movie tie-in game I’ve ever played. Can Starbreeze
capture lightning in a bottle again, or is Riddick’s video game sequel going
to be like the sequel to Pitch Black?
GAMEPLAY:
First things first, can I give some huge props to Starbreeze and Atari for
agreeing to remaster and re-release Escape from Butcher Bay on THE SAME DISC,
playable right out of the box? I could do a full review on that game alone. It
still rocks and although it shows a bit of age, you absolutely must play it,
especially since the sequel tends to build off of it and improves on the
original’s shortcomings. The inclusion of the first game makes this disc a
worthy purchase right off the bat.
And so, let’s talk sequel. This one relies a little less on the darkness, a tool
Riddick uses to haunt and hunt his enemies. Instead, you’ll find yourself in the
midst of a lot more action. Some people will really like this idea, while others
will think it takes away from the game’s originality. In the first game, you
often made the choice to kill enemies or sneak away and in this one it feels a
bit more like you have no choice but to take guys out. In a cool addition,
Riddick can pick up corpses and shoot guns from their hands- something anyone
who played the original Escape from Butcher Bay will appreciate.
out of you from time to time. Sometimes they spot you despite never seeing you
(because you step out of the shadows), which is a lame cop-out, but not too
distracting. The game gets hard too kids, when you get to some of the
later-level drones you’ll absorb some serious punishment, guaranteed.
last game. You still use eyeshine to take advantage of enemies, and there is
still a fair amount of bouncing back and forth between checkpoints to figure out
what the hell you’re supposed to do (and then you find a keycard or something to
keep you going).
multiplayer modes which are not terrible but won’t have you organizing XBOX
Live-fests over- here they are: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag,
and the two decent and original modes, Riot at Butcher Bay and Pitch Black.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
GRAPHICS:
Riddick’s game is dripping with atmosphere and this is done through
incredible and dynamic lighting. The character models don’t look as amazing
as they once did (the XBOX original was a true system-pusher) but they’re
definitely very nice looking. Sometimes the people look like they’re made of
bizarre clay but that’s picking nits. I thought this game looked great.
Graphics: 8.5/10
AUDIO:
Sound is also great because of the voice acting. Vin Diesel must really love
Riddick because he really pushes his voice to the limit. He’s perfect for
the character and I can’t think of too many times when I thought his lines
were stupid or inappropriate. There’s a few other stars adding their voice
talents to this one too and they sound great too. The orchestral score is
quite epic too, and the sound effects are pretty spot on as well.
Audio: 9/10
FINAL VERDICT:
This game on its own isn’t one that will blow away fans of the original. It
doesn’t suck by any stretch of the imagination, but it doesn’t innovate as
much as its predecessor did. With that said, the inclusion of the
revamped original, the addition of some multiplayer and the overall
presentation of this package make it a very worthy package. This is quality
stuff here folks, with some great gaming moments to be had within.
8.5/10
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