Customer Reviews

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This package is incredible. The remastered version of 'Butcher Bay' from 2004 is amazing--it still graphically holds up even today and the voice acting and most important, gameplay, are top notch. The game really feels like you are in a Riddick movie, in the epic world with so many interesting details crammed in everywhere you look. Though some people didn't like the gun-fighting, I thought it was really fun, but the melee (hand to hand) combat is exhilarating and looks realistic and brutal. The sequel, Dark Athena, which I've only played a little bit of, just to try it out, seems to be just as fun, not quite as creative in terms of gameplay elements, but definitely a great first person experience with yet again good graphics (for some reason some disagree) and excellent voice work. The most important element of a game is its fun factor--this package is packed with fun, it's got the amazing single player campaigns, and then it has the super multiplayer modes (Pitch Black mode is addicting...). If you love scifi games and movies, I strongly recommend this game to you. Trust me it does not disappoint. This is coming from someone who never played 'Butcher Bay' when it first released in '04, so I'm really experiencing Riddick games for the first time, but as a gamer, this gaming package is top notch, by all standards. I say it is worth the money you pay.

(Multiplayer mode by this point has a lot more people online, so you can probably jump right in to play)

Hope this game gets the attention it deserves.

I just finished beating Butcher Bay for the first time in years, and I have to say that it is still just as awesome as it was back in 2004.

Butcher Bay was one of the most visually striking games on the original Xbox, and this new version is still very impressive. I popped my old Xbox version in just for comparison, and the difference was staggering. Starbreeze did an amazing job of bringing this campaign into the next generation.

The thing I love most about the Riddick games is the diversity of gameplay. One minute you'll be doing quests in a prison yard, and the next you'll be sneaking down hallways and snapping guard's necks in the darkness. This game is the ultimate action movie, and you get to play the starring role.

And, before anyone says that they don't like Vin Diesel, give the game a shot. I felt exactly the same way before I tried it out, and to be honest, I think Vin's gravelly voice and deadpan humor is absolutely perfect for the role.

I've only just started the Dark Athena campaign, but the first hour and half has been a blast. Even if it doesn't turn out to be quite as awesome as Butcher Bay, I fail to see how it won't be fun.

I'll be the first to tell you that the multiplayer is pretty uninspired -- hardly anyone is playing online, but if you're at all interested in this game, do not hesitate to pick it up. I think it's my favorite game I've played so far this year. I don't normally like to advocate for one particular game, but I feel this game offers a very unique experience that a lot of people would enjoy.

I remember seeing Pitch Black back in 2000 and I considered it a decent sci-fi horror film. Its sequel: The Chronicles of Riddick was an 'okay' film for me at best. Now when it came to this game, I had never previously played or even heard of 'Escape from Butcher Bay.' So you maybe asking, if I only found the films 'okay' and never played the first Xbox debut; why would I pre-order this sequel? The answer is simple; boredom. Ive been playing Gears of War 2 and Halo 3 for so long I decided it was time for something new and after hearing all the buzz for the first Riddick game I decided to take a chance.

I pre-ordered the game at GameStop a few months ago and for some odd unexplainable reason they sold it to me a week early. So I have had the game now for a week. Let me say this, when I saw the package to the game I was very surprised because I was essentially getting two games for the price of one! It turns out Atari decided to package the original 'Escape from Butcher Bay' with 'Assault on Dark Athena.' Even better is that 'Escape from Butcher Bay' is remastered in high definition. These two games are very unique in my opinion. Atari has done something that not many other game companies have done; they have combined elements from different games into one single game. Playing 'Escape' and 'Dark Athena' I have discovered game mechanics from different games such as 'Splinter Cell', 'Shenmue I & II', 'Oblivion', 'Halo', and to an extent 'Resident Evil' all packed into these games. I don't want to describe the storyline or anything like that, but I feel there are some points that need to be address before you jump on these games. First, this is no ordinary FPS (First Person Shooter). If you are expecting 'Halo' and just running around shooting then you will be disappointed. These games require a combination of cunning and stealth. Most of the time you will be killing enemies by breaking their neck. And here is where these Riddick games seperate themselves from other FPSs; you can shoot out the lights in this game. YES, you read that right, you can shoot out the lights in this game making it completely pitch black for your computer AI (allowing you to stab them in the back or break their neck; be creative...). For those who care about storyline and character development; let me reassure you that those are very good in these games. Character development is good and the storyline keeps you interested throughout the game. The only flaw I seem to notice is that online multiplayer is lacking people (maybe its because I have had it for a week and not many people own this game yet). I just hope that these Riddick games multiplayer do not turn out like 2k Games 'Prey' multiplayer. In closing 'The Chronicles of Riddick' is well worth the $60 mainly because you get two games for the price of one and I will reiterate that both are mastered in high definition. Hopefully the multiplayer grows as more and more people get this game. If you still have your doubts; there is a demo available for Xbox LIVE (and PSN for all you PS3 owners). In closing all I have to say is thank you Atari for picking this game up from Activision; I hope to see more from you guys. Thank you for reading.

Quick EDIT: Yes, for those of you wondering. Achievements have been enabled for both games on this disc. (However I think its 1000 points for both games combined). Another EDIT: While reading my review; I use the term 'these games.' 'These games' signifies 'Escape from Butcher Bay' and 'Assault on Dark Athena' which are both on the disc.

Escape From Butcher Bay looks fantastic now in it's HD remake form. The only real difference is they didn't bother redoing the bookend scenes of Riddick on the ice planet that originally tied this in with the Chronicles of Riddick movie. This will make the few flashes of the mysterious Furyan woman all the more confusing to new audience members since they also cut her from the theatrical version of the film. For all you completists, the scenes are included as extras in all their pixelly, last gen wonder.

Assault on Dark Athena on the other hand, has some problems. First, the AI is a little too smart for its own good. You'll find yourself detected when they should have no conceivable means of detecting you. Also, the level design isn't quite as clever as EFBB. Apparently they couldn't get a hold of Cole Hauser to reprise Johns either, so his character remains unconscious throughout the whole thing. I for one missed him. I really enjoyed the interplay between him and Riddick in the last game. The story is kind of so-so, going to great lengths to get Riddick into another prison-type environment, and there are more than a few Aliens lifts to be found.

Much like the original EFBB, Dark Athena is short. Probably only clocking in at about 4 hours for an experienced player on normal mode. But the both of them together make just about a full sized game, so you can't complain too much. Lots of fun. Watch out for the spider drones.

I thoroughly enjoyed these games. "Escape from Butcher Bay" was just as fun as "The Chronicles of Riddick." To have both of these games for one price was very cool. The games were neither too easy or hard. The graphics were great as well as the voice casting. Highly recommended~

Dark Athena is a good continuation of all the things that made Butcher Bay so good. Great mood. Interesting story. And it is challenging enough but not so challenging all the fun is sucked out the airlock.

One last nice touch that game companies should take a note from ... this game includes an Xbox 360 version of Escape from Butcher Bay. Good stuff Atari.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena like Half Life: Orange Box is a great deal that's worth your hard earned cash. Why? Well you get not one but two of the best movie licensed games ever made that are fun from start to finish. Next, there's multiplayer that has a new mode called pitch black which is mercs verse riddick which can be fun. If it's still not enough then there are plenty of extras and achievements to get that are challenging. The games have everything you need, story, gameplay, graphics, good voice work(Vin Diesel), and fun. The only reason I don't give this a five star rating is that the multiplayer can lag therefore being jumpy but hopefully a patch is released to solve the problem. Besides that, this is a treat for any casual or hardcore gamer, that I highly recommended!

I remember playing escape from butchers bay for the xbox. Now Chronicles of riddick assault on dark athena is a remake of escape of butchers bay plus a new game assault of dark athena. I think is a great deal. The voice acting is really entertaining. The action and shooting is really violent. It is pretty much a very dark storyline. If you were a fan of the original game for the xbox please get this game you will really love this.

Just finished both games and I liked them. I could have used more shooting and less fighting. Couple of the puzzles were prety tough, and it can be hard to figure out where to go and what to do next, but overall it was a very entertaining game.

What you get here is two games in one. You get a remastered version of 2004 Butcher Bay and the new Assault on Dark Athena. There isn't anything revolutionary here. What we have is a shooter/stealth action game with some RPG elements thrown in here and there, but it's done fairly well. It's kind of like a Halo Splinter Cell hybrid starring Vin Diesel. There is quite a bit of hand to hand combat, and that is what makes this game different from others in the genra of first person shooters. Sadly, there are a few game mechanics that keep this from being a 10.
Sometimes the game can be incredibly frustrating because you don't know quite what to do or where to go. The map isn't helpful because it doesn't show you where Riddick's current location is. The enemy AI is lacking. There is a lot of trial and error, and there is way too much going back and forth between areas. The map is too small. Enemies manage to attack you even if you are hidden. Take one shot and 3 or 4 guys swarm you at once. I can tell you it really gets you PO'd at the game, but that sums up my major gripes.
The voice acting is terrific. There are some heavy hitters here. In addition to Vin Diesel, Xibit, Lance Hendrickson, Keith David, and Ron Pearlman all have voice work here.
In closing, out of the two games here I enjoyed Butchers Bay more. There was something more compelling about the storyline. Dark Athena loses some of the edge that Butchers Bay has because it is too similar in game design. Ultimatly it ends up being Butcher Bay 2.0. Graphic wise Athena looks prettier, but not by much.
If you already have Butcher Bay for xbox this probably isn't going to blow you away, but having never played the original, I really enjoyed it. The two games will take approximatly 18 to 20 hrs to complete so you need to decide if its worth it to buy at the price of $60. I liked the game and will probably play it again in the future, but the replay value isn't usually high on these types of games.
There is a multiplayer option, but you need to be on xbox live to utilize it. However, it is pretty much standard stuff. You'd have more fun playing Halo 3 online.