TripleChat Review: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Published by: Atari
Developed by: Starbreeze Studios
Genre: First Person Shooter
Number of Players: 1-12
ESRB: Mature
Trophy Support: Yes

It’s no lie that the original Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay took us all by surprise on how well a game adaption based of a movie franchise came to be.  Normally when we see a video game based in some shape or form to a movie franchise we expect mediocrity, if not a complete failure.  Maybe it’s something to do with Vin Diesel’s love of video games, or perhaps for once a publisher found a developer that knows how to make a quality game based off a movie.  Nonetheless Escape from Butcher Bay was a hit for both the Xbox and PC, and gave us a smidgen of hope that perhaps movies can make for good video games.

The problem that faced Butcher Bay however was that it released in a time where all people were thinking of was Halo 2.  Think of it – the game came out just around the same time Microsoft debuted the multiplayer of Halo 2 at that years E3 (2004) expo.  The only preview coverage I saw of this game during that time came from a column hidden deep in an issue of Official Xbox Magazine.  It was receiving little press coverage (less than you would expect for a first person shooter, as well as an Xbox exclusive), and basically it came out under the radar.  When it hit streets critics raved about it, claiming it to be the best Hollywood to video game collaboration ever; it received high scores all across the board.  From it’s high quality visuals, to an impeccable replication of Vin Diesel’s character (as well as the actor’s voice), and a single player campaign that was worth a few playthroughs.  This was during a time when online multiplayer was becoming a game phenomenon but was still acceptable for a FPS to not have a MP component and still be considered worthy of our dollars.

The game went on to sell quite well, becoming a Platinum Hit for the Xbox, as well as becoming one of the more demanded games to receive backwards compatibility support on the Xbox 360.  The PC edition included more content as well as commentary during gameplay.  And not stir a little controversy, but this reviewer believes it was a far better experience than that of the Xbox’s biggest selling FPS, Halo 2.

A few months later there was speculation that a possible PS2 version was in the works, but the developers shot down the rumors every time.  The rumors then led to the belief that a sequel was now in development, which later emerged to be The Chronicles of Riddick: The Assault on Dark Athena.  The problem I have with Dark Athena is that it delivers a nice amount of content for $60, but those seeking a full fledged sequel are out of luck.

Before going on, I want to give the developers credit where credit is due.  The Assault on Dark Athena is not considered a sequel, but rather an expanion pack to the original game.  The developers also then realized that $60 for an expansion pack is just a plain ripoff (see: Halo 3: ODST).  So to help make the $60 more appeailing, the developers went back and completely revamped the original Escape from Butcher Bay and added it to the package.  Essentially the game is marketed as two games for the price of one.  I thank Starbreeze for their attempt to give back to their audience.  Afterall, PS2 users were given the snub for the original so those who wanted to play it then can play it now as well as continue the story further with Dark Athena.

So what’s the problem here?  You get the original and its expansion pack, as well as a brand new multiplayer component for the price of any new release.  Well, Dark Athena just doesn’t measure up to that of the quality of Butcher Bay.  While the elements from the original are all there in the expansion; there is not much new to the game to make it feel like you are playing a new experience, but rather more of the same in different levels.

All is not bad in the universe here.  Dark Athena has a few tricks up its sleeve, mainly in the ways of adding to the carnage on screen.  If you are a fan of melee weapons, then you will fall in love with Riddick’s Ulaks.  These uniquely shaped knives can lead to a whole heap of fun.  I found myself going through levels attempting (keyword is here attempt) to use nothing but the Ulaks but I’ll be the first to admit my over anxious fingers would cause me to flap my arms around in game and completely miss 90% of the time.  But for those who like to time their kills, love stealthy aspects, and just flat out want to stab some bad guys – the Ulaks are a lot of fun.  There is also your basic knife as well as the ability to use your fists (which was the melee weapon of choice in the first Riddick), but nothing beats the Ulaks in terms of melee weapons.  The other big addition to the weaponry is the ability to use drone weapons in the game in two different ways.  The first being the ability to take hold of a dead drone and using its weapon against other enemies in the room, however it’s limited on what you can do.  The shots are few and far between and you can’t move forward with it.  The other drone ability is actually taking over drones themselves and using them to kill your foes without injurying you.  For those who played the demo you are familiar with this ability, as you were able to find this machine that allowed you to control drones that were locked up in holding cells.  Once the drone is destroyed, you are able to take control of another drone as long as you have drones left in these “holding cells.”  Once you finish killing everyone in sight, you can then use Riddick to go about unharmed through the areas the drone was able to cover.  Aside from the Ulaks, the weapons of Riddick for the most part are pretty simple and nothing you haven’t seen before in other first person shooters.  They don’t lack in the fun factor however; they make for a good shooting game.

The voice acting is surprisingly well done in both games without focusing on just Vin Diesel’s voice.  While it’s good to see a Hollywood persona being this involved in a video game project, one actor can only bring a game so far.  And let’s face it, Diesel has a voice superb for video games but his acting on screen in movies is sub par at best, though I won’t be afraid to admit that I am a sucker for Vin Diesel movies.  The supporting cast does a great job making the experience out to be more of a movie than just a game.  It feels like this game is truly a part of the Riddick movie timeline.

The problem that faces this release the most is the inconsistency of Dark Athena.  Playing through Butcher Bay you feel as if this game was stringed together well.  You have a good mix of stealth elements mixed in with all out action sequences.  With Dark Athena, it feels like the levels were mixed together randomly.  The game is not classified as a stealth game, but the stealth sequences in Dark Athena do not compare to Butcher Bay.  I ran into numerous sequences where the game called for stealth, but it was rather impossible to complete it with stealth due to the unimpressive A.I. as well as level design.  The A.I. in Butcher Bay was for the most part fair, with little complaints.  In Dark Athena, I have found that the A.I. could either be incredibly stupid at times or insanely smart.  It lacked the in-between factor, where they seemed like they knew what they were doing.  For example, I’d walk into a room with a few enemies walking around in there.  The scene would show it be better off to go in guns blazing rather than try to be stealthy because the room was close quarters and the lighting was rather strong.  However, I was able to accomplish two stealth kills with the Ulaks (sweet, sweet Ulaks), with the enemies staring right at me in close quarters.  In a different sequence, I could walk into a room ready to shoot the place up, and within a tenth of a second all the enemies were shooting at me without me even firing a shot as well as entering the room quietly (crouching, slow movement).  It was as if the enemies had a radar system in their brains and even with their backs turned they knew exactly where I entered and where to fire.

Prepare to die a lot in both stories if you don’t play smart, which is not necessarily saying that the game is incredibly tough – it’s just one of those games that isn’t very forgiving when taking damage.  In Butcher Bay, ways to regaining health are spread apart well and makes for a less annoying game.  The same cannot be said about Dark Athena, but this is coming from someone who played the game after watching Rambo III on two occassions (where I would get the urge to watch Rambo and then play Riddick is beyond me).

I don’t want to make it sound like Dark Athena is terrible – underneath the negative Dark Athena is a passable expansion to a great game.  If you have never played Butcher Bay, you owe it to yourself to give it a try if you like action games.  It was one of the better FPS experiences of the last generation and its transition to next gen was a smooth one.  Together, the Riddick single player experience can take you about 10-12 hours to complete, depending on how fast you run through the game.  It packs in a decent story, as well as some memorable sequences.

New to the game is the multiplayer modes.  I’ve read other reviews and most have said the experience felt tacked on, a last minute afterthought.  While I can see where they are coming from, I found the multiplayer experience of Riddick to be quite good.  Perhaps it’s because I am not an avid online gamer as others, but Riddick’s multiplayer is just as strong as any other FPS these days.  It may not have the perk system from CoD4, the badge system of Killzone 2, or anything of that sorts – but it packs in a smooth experience.  I had no lag in any of the matches, and no weapon seemed more powerful than the other to make for a well balanced game.  The game’s flagship mode is the Pitch Black mode, where one player assumes the role of Riddick and the others need to hunt this person down.  Whomever is successful in taking down Riddick assumes his role the next round.  While this mode is no different than your typical Assassination mode in any other FPS, it is where you can find the most fun in this title.  If anything the multiplayer was well conceived, it just hits an already satured market full of online FPS titles.  It seems like every week we get a new FPS with a “robust, brand new multiplayer experience” when in reality it’s no different than this game or that game.

The bottomline here is that while the developers tried to give something back to its fanbase by revamping a modern day classic and re-releasing it with its expansion for the price of a normal new release – the game does fall short of being worth every penny at its MSRP.  No doubt fans of the series will find some fun in the Dark Athena missions as well as in the new multiplayer modes, but this game can only be highly recommended to those who have never played the original, where the most fun is to be had.  It’s a solid package and a solid attempt to make us want to go out and spend $60.  However I still urge developers to go out and learn from Valve’s Orange Box release a couple of years ago.  If there was ever a FPS worth the full $60, look no further than that title.  That game was heavy on content, as well as giving us an experience FPS fans all around would love.  Butcher Bay will always remain an example of how to make a movie game the right way, but we already experienced that in 2004.  We want a true Riddick sequel, one that would give the fans justice at full price.  Dark Athena is a step in the right direction, but if Riddick wants to stay around in the video game industry, we want a brand new experience.

Current MSRP: $59.99 || Worth-It Value: $25-30