The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena Review

The original Xbox was a revolutionary console. It had the best online console multiplayer of it's time and had some fantastic games released throughout it's lifespan. However, 'The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay' wasn't one of the those hailed titles. For the people that played the game, they experienced a brand new style of combat, mixing first person action shooting with slow strategically paced stealth. The game was seen as the hidden gem in the Xbox's life and now, five years later, Atari have brought the title back for the new generation of consoles sparing nothing in terms of brilliance. Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is the name of this new masterpiece but with the way things are at the moment, it could be brushed aside into the dark.

Before I get started, here's what you get for your money: The brand new campaign 'Assault on Dark Athena' and the totally remade 'Escape from Butcher bay' all on one disc. Getting the Dark Athena game itself is something special, but a remake of the classic too? That just shows what a commitment Atari have put in. The original game hasn't just been directly imported onto the next-gen console, it has been given a complete overhaul. New graphics, new music and sounds as well as fantastic new set of voice actors.

The original game is a tie in to the film 'The Chronicles of Riddick'. After playing the game for the first time, I could see that this is probably the only movie game that has been made right. The story focuses on Richard B. Riddick, who has been captured and sent off to a high security prison, Butcher Bay. Nobody has ever escaped from the prison, but this is of course your main goal and as you progress you find that side missions and hidden objectives are the things that fill out the game's lifespan.

As many of you know, Riddick is played by Vin Diesel. Not a single other person on the planet could play out such a part like him. He brings a real feeling to the character and just like in many good games, you feel a close connection to him and want him to do well. The simple one liners that he produces can be at times unnecessary, but are quirky and interesting. As well as this massive name in the game, Butcher Bay has another well known celebrity. Xzibit, former rap artist and host of Pimp my Ride stars as the main cell guard. He plays the part brilliantly, bringing not just a social diversity to the game, but an interesting and amusing character too.

The re-vamped version of the game is stunning to look out. When putting screenshots side-by-side comparing it to the original Xbox version, you can really see the detail that has been applied. The lighting makes the game feel more atmospheric, as does the rest of the graphics to some extent. The character models are highly detailed and look fairly realistic especially the main character models. The modern robots and AI controlled characters give off the same great visuals to make a fantastic looking game overall. The game itself is good enough to be released separately, but Atari have been kind enough to give that bonus bundled with the new game at no extra cost.

You are introduced to the basic controls right at the beginning of the game. They are simple, but can cause some issues if you are more of an FPS player. Some combat issues are present when fighting close range and can be a tad frustrating at times but aren't too big a thing to be worrying about.

Something that made the game stand out on the original Xbox was the fact that there are numerous styles of combat. You can't simply run around blasting people's heads off whenever you feel like it or you will get easily ambushed. Instead, you have to mix up your styles of play, making the game interesting and gripping all the time when you are playing. Hiding in the dark, and sneaking around is the most effective form of combat when faced with numerous enemies. Guns are involved in the game but with limited ammo, therefore forcing other combat options upon you.

The gameplay can be a bit samey at times but the variety of different styles of play keeps you hooked to the game for hours. Although, tedium is the least of you troubles. Yes, in every game there are some bad points but this one has some that are simply unforgivable. The AI in the game is terrible. Sometimes you see computer controlled units walking into walls, walking off cliffs or staring straight at you without doing a thing. It's so bad that the game takes a lot longer to complete than it should. This isn't just an issue that plagues the re-make, it something that is just as prevalent in the newer title but more on that shall come later.

In the second game, Dark Athena, you start off on a ship as you cruise through space. Riddick spots a massive ship heading straight towards yours, and you are reeled in by a huge anchor. As your ship is searched, your team-mate Johns is gassed, captured and taken to the prisoner quarters as you hide in the shadows. This time, your goal is to seek out the captain and take control of the ship. Although a similar storyline, the game features numerous twists that keep you enticed for hours on end.

The controls are more or less the same as in the first game, as is the health system. The system works on a part regenerating, part non-regenerating style. You have "blocks" of health with each one able to be depleted depending on the damage you take and what difficulty you are playing on. Once you lose enough health to deplete a full block, that does not regenerate, but if you have a small amount left, that can regenerate after some time in the shadows or avoiding combat. To replenish blocks, you have to find health stations. As well as these stations, there are resilience stations that increase the amount of blocks of health you have. This all may sound confusing, but is easily worked out after the short tutorial sessions at the beginning of each game.

A noticeable difference in the newer title is the complexity of the graphics. Although the classic game has been re-vamped, it hasn't been done so to the extreme nature of the new title. I was simply flabbergasted at how detailed the worlds and characters were. When watching the character involved cut scenes, I felt like I was watching something truly remarkable. The animations on the characters' faces are the most realistic I have ever seen. All cut scenes and intervals are done using the in-game graphics, so what you see, is really what you get. I haven't seen something this impressive in a long time and wouldn't shadow any thoughts on saying they are the best graphics on any console game, ever. The lighting adds another dimension to the effect, where metal glistens realistically and bricks are textured so impressively.

So, the bad parts. I said earlier about the terrible AI, but this is only the start. The game is horrendously buggy. I was playing both the games on the hardest difficulty and found that there were parts where I had to rely simply on lucky to get me through. First of all, the saving. When playing the game an auto-save feature is utilised. After each loading screen, the game always saves, but after using a med-station, the game only sometimes saves. This is in my eyes the most frustrating part of the game. When you complete a hard section of the game and you come across a med-station you think that there could be some hope, maybe some justice. So you kneel, praying to all the gods on the planet that the small floppy disc icon will appear at the top of your screen... but no, nothing. You feel that you may fall victim to another unexpected attack. That's another thing, the game is relentlessly hard. I can spend a good hour just trying to get past one part of the game. I would more than likely be able to complete it, but the game is so buggy that it's down to complete luck as to when you will do so. Other unforgivable bugs are having enemies shoot through houses and hit you, projectiles not exploding with the sound of them being shot on a continuous loop and being stuck on flat ground randomly. Many of these issues could be fixed with a simple update, so hopefully it will be something that is taken into consideration.

The final thing I want to bring up, on the bad side of things, is how unexpected the attacks are. Like I say, I played the game on hard mode where dying is relatively easy so as I went through the game, I found myself checking each and every corner just to make sure a bunch of enemies wouldn't jump out and kill me out of the blue. When playing for the first time, you would want some indication that five people are going to pop out, spray you with SMG's and kill you in a second. This was more common in Butcher Bay, but still an issue in the Dark Athena. Mini-bosses are frequent but have no indication on how to be defeated. I was left clueless when attempting to kill the last boss as she just was not dying. All things can be flipped though when you do take control of the mini-bosses. You feel very powerful storming though corridors destroying anything in your path.

Both games have collectables and achievements throughout. In Butcher Bay, cigarette packs can be found and purchased and in Dark Athena, bounty cards can be found. Each of these collectables unlocks hidden extra content that can be viewed on the main menu. The achievements are well spaced out during the game and are attainable through completing the main storyline, and all the other ones that branch off. The multiplayer mode that is featured during the game also has several achievements to collect. Having too many for multiplayer isn't something I like but does bring an essence of longevity when playing.

The multiplayer mode at this early stage has some serious potential. From what I have experienced there are several modes that can take place including the regular deathmatch and capture the flag games. The game contains a unique mode called "Pitch Black". One player plays as Riddick, while the others play as Mercenaries trying to eliminate him in the dark, with the player in charge of Riddick hunting them. There is a tremendous amount of lag during the games and some small glitches too but, again, if all is fixed it could become a very popular multiplayer community.

The game as a whole is very good. When Atari sit down and play through the games finding out where the bugs are, and how to solve them, then the game would be a lot more desirable. It has a massive potential to become an iconic game on all the platforms, but at this rate, it could yet again become one of the hidden gems just like the original. My view, buy it but with a warning that you may experience serious frustration that is bundled with the variety of brilliant graphics and unique gameplay. Hopefully, after all is fixed, the game that has huge potential will garner all the praise it is deserving of.