"The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is actually two games in one; the very successful Escape from Butcher Bay classic that was on the original Xbox, and Assault on Dark Athena; the new expansion. Both take place in the Riddick timeline before the movie Pitch Black takes place and is a great way to see the back story of the character and plot.
The Butcher Bay game is the true star of this title, and even though either game can be played and chosen from the start, it’s seriously recommended to start with Butcher Bay before hand and go from there."
Overall: Hot on the heels of 2004's "Escape from Butcher Bay" comes the sequel to the series @!%#*!ault on Dark Athena, which drops us in to yet another adventure with our good friend Rid@!%#*!. The game takes place after Escape from Butcher Bay, where Rid@!%#*! has escaped in a ship and has been captured by a giant merc ship known as the Dark Athena. All Rid@!%#*! wants is to get off the ship, all the ship's leader wants is Rid@!%#*!'s head for a healthy payday. It's a cl@!%#*!ic story of "leave me alone or I'll kill everything you've worked for" and doesn't disappoint. For those new to the franchise, the game plays as a stealth action first person shooter. The dark and Rid@!%#*!s ability to see in it will be the bread and butter of most of the game. The familiar play style has not changed too much, however, more emphasis has been put on shooting as opposed to stealth-play.
Along with Dark Athena, a visually remastered copy of Escape from Butcher Bay comes with the game. The game has been graphically enhanced with much better looking light and shadow effects, along with environment details. The game has a lot of the levels looking pretty bland and similar, so the boost makes it a bit more engaging in an otherwise lacking experience with today's standards.
Apart from the 2 campaigns (which will run you about 13 hours) comes the multiplayer mode. You have capture the flag and standard deathmatch, which bring nothing to the table in terms of originality or fun factor. You won't want to play too much of the multiplayer. The only original facet that works with the game is Pitch Black mode which pits players as mercs (mercenaries) in a completely dark room. One player plays as Rid@!%#*! (who we know can see in the dark), and the others try and hunt him down. It is interesting in its own right, but will not bring much excitement to the average gamer. Gameplay: The game is played from first person, and utilizes mostly melee combat. The melee is well done, and on multiple occasions (especially in Butcher Bay) you will be using just your fists. It can be challenging at times, but once perfected proves to be a very brawltastically fun aspect of the game. To the timid gamer, a variety of melee weapons are at Rid@!%#*!s disposable, with the most memorable and effective being Rid@!%#*!'s Ulak's (see game cover). The run and gun aspect is also available to the game, but on many occasions will leave Rid@!%#*! close to dead. The life system is a combination of regeneration and life packs, where if you take enough damage one of your life ticks will be fully depleted and never regenerate. Because of this system, in many cases the game is a stealth shooter, where enemies are neutralized from the safety of the shadows. Right when you're sick and tired of sneaking around all the time, the game throws in a heavy run and gun part of a level where Rid@!%#*! will remotely control a Drone of significant power. This is effective in keeping the game fresh, everybody needs a little m@!%#*! carnage once in awhile.
Graphics: The light and shadow effects in this game have been very well done, and in a great way add to an otherwise ho-hum experience. The levels look mostly the same throughout the game, with absolutely no bright colors. Even the outdoor levels look brown or grey with nothing vividly capturing my attention. The character models didn't impress me as much as they did in 2004 with Butcher Bay. These aren't the kind of graphics we should expect from today's great games. There isn't a tremendous amount of detail put into the ship or environment, and really makes for a dragging experience. I found myself really hoping to get out of different areas because I was bored with the textures, only to be dropped into a similar one later. I was impressed with the scratch marks left on walls after Rid@!%#*! used his Ulak's, and this proved on a few occasions to be useful as markers in some confusing areas. Sound: It isn't often that a Hollywood actor can transition into a successful video game franchise and be praised by fans alike. Vin Diesel's voice acting is powerful in dropping the gamer into the role as Rid@!%#*!. He doesn't talk too much, but you always listen to what he has to say as it proves valuable to listen. The one liners are both funny and cold-hearted, which really makes for engaging cut scenes once Rid@!%#*! gets his revenge. After all, "In the end, everybody bleeds the same..." The voices of the mercs also prove valuable in making them villainous, and propel us into this harsh world. The voice-acting is top notch, and the sounds of cutting down an enemy don't disappoint. My only complaint is the sound of the shotgun and @!%#*!ault rifle, which leaves no satisfaction. Suggestions: I realize it's a dark and harsh world in the story, but the visuals and level design really brought down the game. I still enjoyed it thoroughly, but probably won't play through it again because of the boring level design.
The multiplayer was something fans asked for, and it really doesn't connect too well.
Made in Canada