The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

"An Amazing FPS, this has GOTY written all over it!"

Introduction:
Welcome to the amazing world of Riddick, Starbreeze and Tigon studios debut into video games. Whether you're a fan of the Riddick universe or not, anyone can appreciate the quality and craftsmanship that went into making this great game. So buckle up and get ready for in amazing ride into this dark, seedy, and atmospheric adventure.

Graphics: 9/10
One word can describe the graphics in this game. WOW. Jaw dropping visuals, and definitely the best out of ANY next-gen game, bar-none. The amount of detail in the environments and characters, most notably riddick himself, help set this game apart. The shadows(which play a large part in this game) look eerily realistic. The mouths really move with the voice and the animation are top notch. Many people have complained about the amount of jaggies in this game, and sure there are jaggies, but they don't detract from the game enough to notice. Riddick uses the technology of scaling down objects to keep the frame rate up. This was a great idea. Sure, sometimes things look blurry, but its not too noticeable and having a constantly fast frame rate more than makes up for it.

Sound: 9/10
Another strong point of this game. Great voice acting from many well known actors/musicians such as Vin Diesel, Ron Perlman, and Xzibit. Sound effects are top notch, and the dialog is very well crafted and not cheesy like a lot of games that try to over-emphasize it. Weapons sound very powerful and it gives them a realistic feel. The music is also well done, and shifts depending on the situation, which really adds to the overall mood of the game. I honestly cant think of anything negative to say about the sound at this point.

Controls: 8/10
Pretty much standard FPS layout used here. If your familiar with FPS games like Halo or RTCW, you'll be right at home here. The Zoom function seems pretty pointless to me, seeing as though I haven't had to use it, not even once. My only real nitpick at this point is how there's only one way to cycle the weapons, which means that if you accidentally scroll past the one you want, you have to cycle through again. Not a huge deal though, as there aren't a ton of different items anyway. The controls are customizable, but like I said, most should be just fine with the default.

Gameplay: 9/10
Riddick has some truly amazing game play. The rag doll physics are really cool and you will find yourself killing time by playing with them a bit. Their not quite on par with Dues Ex 2, but there close. The ability to hide bodies makes the shadows really come into play. You can avoid a lot of confrontations by doing so. Climbing ladders and boxes are not only easily done with the press of a button, but it gives you a cool 3rd person view of riddick himself. You can hang from ledges and shimmy along them, and you can drop kill someone if your hanging from a beam or overhead rail, which is really cool. The AI seems really well done and they react well to different situations. Sometimes they will come at you head on, sometimes they will sneak around with there flashlights looking for you, etc. Another thing that makes the shadows important is your special vision. When your in a dark area where no-one can see you, and your crouched, you go into a mode where everything stands out in a blue/purple type of night vision. Later in the game you get an “upgrade” for your eyes enabling you to see even better. Gunfights are well done, but the hand-to-hand is my personal favorite. You can actually do basic combos! The vibration of the controller and how the screen shakes and your perspective shifts really makes every punch feel like it connects. This makes from some truly intense first-person fighting, much similar to Breakdown. Without a doubt the best part of the game play, is the open-ended depth to the storyline. You do follow a main story, but there are tons of mini-missions to do along the way. Whether or not you do them is up to you. This does add to the replay value.

Overall: 9/10
This is a terrific game, and a welcome introduction by Vin diesel and his new studio into the gaming industry. Well crafted and oozing with quality and cinematic elements, Riddick sets itself way ahead of most other next-gen games. This goes right up there next to halo, if not possibly surpassing it. There is no need to rent this game. You need to buy it. If you don't, your missing out on a great experience.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/10/04