Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC)
Developer: Starbreeze Studios/Tigon Studios
Publisher: Atari
Released: April 7, 2009
MSRP: $59.99
We finally got the chance to play the new Riddick game (PS3 version) and can definitely say its worth picking up. This title has certainly been under-rated by many sites. For whatever reason, the Microsoft Gods didn’t include Escape From Butcher Bay on their backwards compatibility list, but Assault on Dark Athena gives you another chance to play the game. It’s basically the same great game with polished graphics and sound. If you somehow missed this title, you simply need to buy Assault on Dark Athena. Escape From Butcher Bay was one of my picks for “top 5 Xbox games”…
When you first load up the game, you are asked whether you want to play Escape from Butcher Bay or Dark Athena. If you somehow missed EFBB on the original Xbox, you definitely need to play this first. If you played EFBB, it has been long enough that you may want to play it again. It’s still the same great game, but n HD glory.
In many ways, Butcher Bay is still a better game than Assault on Dark Athena. It set the bar high for movie-based video games and still does. Dark Athena is a great addition to the story, but doesn’t quite match up to the original as far as unique gameplay.
The Good
- Unique gameplay with both titles, although gameplay is still better in EFBB.
- Melee & stealth action you will not find in other games!
- You are getting two really good games for the price of one.
- Voice acting is superb!
- Lighting effects in Dark Athena are up there with the best games.
- Two solid games for the price of one make this one of the best deals in gaming.
- Both games are challenging which is something lacking in most titles these days.
The Neutral
- Multiplayer mode is OK. They have introduced some interesting modes, but it wasn’t enough to grab my full attention.
The Bad
- I expected Assault on Dark Athena to be a little more innovative. The original game was one of the most innovative titles of 2004.
- Assault on Dark Athena lacked the level of character interaction you find with EFBB.
What’s New
Those of you who played Escape From Butcher Bay on the Xbox and loved it may be wondering if Assault on Dark Athena has anything new to offer. In my personal opinion, Dark Athena is a little easier, but more intricate with some controls. There are far more melee options this time around. There’s still plenty of moments where you need to use your head and choose between sneaking and pulling off direct assaults. The AI has improved with Dark Athena. Even though I say it’s an easier game, it’s still not an easy game. The visuals have been massively upgraded, but gameplay felt like it was lacking. Dark Athena is more of a trial-and-error game, which becomes extremely frustrating at points.
In The End
For the price of one game, you are getting two really good ones. Both titles have some pretty big flaws, but I was somehow able to enjoy my experience despite the flaws. Both games do so many things well that it becomes easy to overlook the deficiencies.
Had this game been released without EFBB, I would have given it an 8/10…
Our Score
9/10
This is currently one of the best deals in gaming and the best game I have picked up in some time. We will also be giving away a copy of Assault on Dark Athena, so stay tuned for information on that! Also stay tuned for a more in-depth analysis of the game (particularly multiplayer) from Aaron Mazza. For this review, we played the PS3 version of the game (compliments of RocketXL).
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