The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

"One of the top five X-Box games of all time"

Pronounced by some, the greatest X-Box game, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, is by far a diamond in a very large sea of crap. This is the probably the first game, to not know what exactly it is. The game is all in first person, so you would think an FPS. But it also requires you to be stealthy, like in Splinter Cell. But it is also a platform of movies. What exactly is this great game? Let's just say, it's a master-piece, for the time being.

Where to start where to start? You would think, being as confused as this game is on what it actually is, that it would have some mixed up controls and sloppy delivery. But that is where Butcher Bay excels, no matter where you are, or what you are doing, you're never at one spot, in a bad spot. You could have to guards standing in front of you, firing all around you, but it didn't matter. Riddick just had that cool, stance about him that made you keep fighting. It was as if you could hear him say to those two unlucky guards, “In two seconds, I am going to spin around, take his gun, shot you in the stomach, then break his nose, and walk away.” And that's what made this game great.

The button layout flowed so well in the game, in all forms of combat. You could be unarmed, and still the most dangerous thing in Butcher Bay. But there was something about the game that no other FPS/Stealth/Platform game has ever done. The game starts you with no weapon. In fact, you have to do certain things for other inmates, before you even come in contact with a shiv, a knife type weapon. And you don't get to have an actual gun until some times within the game. But it never really mattered, because the game never let up on suspense and action.

But its not just the fighting and stealth portions of the game that make it great, its also how Butcher Bay, and everyone in it, takes so much emphasis on light and dark. And not the good vs. bad light and dark, actual light and dark. And Riddick isn't fazed at all by any situation, for his eye shine ability later in the game, really places you in the driver seat of how much control Riddick has in all situations, you will soon learn how mush of a difference a little bit of light, and pitch dark, can really mean in the eyes of enemies.

Want to know where the only place this story is bad at? When the credits start rolling, and you beat it. You will not want this game to end ever. Its one of those great games that you wish could continue forever. The game begins, in a dream sequence. You, Richard B. Riddick, have been captured by a bounty hunter, Johnson, and he is taking you to Butcher Bay, for a very hefty reward. When you get there, you kill Johnson, and make an escape. The brief tutorial gets you use to the weapons and fighting abilities. But after it is over, you are taken into Butcher Bay by Abbot, Xzbit for those who care, the head guard guy for Butcher Bay. From then on, you're planning your escape, and learning all there is to know, about the infamous security prison, and the dark horrifying secrets below the surface. The one and only problem here is that the game is a little short, espicially after you beat it five times before.

Never once does the game fell dull, and it always has shock after shock coming. Its awesome, and is one of the few great story lines, or games for that matter, to come from a game based on movies.

Man, I have never seen voice acting like what is in this game. Not only does every single character have their own specific voice trait and own personal name and identity, but they all sound exactly as they would if they were in real life. You could just since their presence from within the game. All creatures, human and… well, I'll let you figure the other ones out, sound great, and just make you feel warm all over hearing them. Music unfortunately didn't play a large role in the game. But it didn't really bother me. Personally, I think music would have ruined the feel of Butcher Bay really.

Now before you stop reading my review because I didn't give it a ten, hear me out. I thought that the graphics for Butcher Bay were awesome. Defiantly, with out a doubt, one of the top five for the X-Box. But, and this is a small, but it kind of bugged me the whole game, every single person looked really shiny. Now I know this may sound strange, but they just seemed like really, um oily? Like they had just bathed in some kind of grease or something. And it bugged me to watch these amazing cut scenes, and being blinded by some dudes head. But besides that, the environments looked realistic beyond belief, from rust on the walls, to small little scratches on the floor, and the list goes on and on.

If you don't buy this, you deserve to be made fun of, no doubt about it. The Chronicles of Riddick is a masterpiece among games. The action never ceases to amaze you, and you're always challenged and forced into thinking in tight spots. The story is one of the best out there in terms of video games, and always has some surprises in store for you. Especially when you get the eye shine ability, oh the hours of fun preying on helpless soldiers. This is one of the few games out for the X-Box, to get it right, with no set backs ever. Loading times are annoying in some parts, and the story, while great and takes lots of turns, is sort of short. But all in all, Butcher Bay is the total package, and gets the job done. Even if you have never seen the movies, which I haven't, the game makes total sense, and will have you coming for more many times after completing it.

So now the only question to ask yourself is…

Are you afraid of the dark?

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/05/05, Updated 01/04/06