Most movie based games have been pretty lacklustre over the years being mere shadows of the movies that they try to capture. With the exception of the few rather than the many it is rare for a movie based game to be “very good”. With this in mind most gamers will probably raise eyebrows when they hear of yet another movie based title and rightly so. Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (COR) is the latest movie inspired game based on the new movie of the same name. Starbreeze Studios who previously created Enclave on the Xbox have teamed up with actor Vin Diesel’s own development team to produce this game. Diesel himself who was a player of Dungeons & Dragons as a youngster has maintained a firm interest in video games regardless of his Hollywood actor status. Its had been reported that Diesel wanted the highest production values for this game and in retrospect he got it. .

As a prequel to the movie Pitch Black COR thrusts the player into the lead role where as the title suggests an escape is immanent. When the game starts, players are treated to a present day Riddick, a cool and calculated anti hero if there ever was one. Riddick recalls his time within the galaxy’s toughest and most notorious prison, Butcher Bay. As the intro concludes, the player is thrown directly into Riddick’s shoes.

Aboard a spacecraft Riddick has been captured by Johns, a bounty hunter who makes a living capturing wanted criminals. Taking them in to one of the many prisons in the galaxy where there is no trial and payment is offered for criminals brought in. These criminals then become part of a huge exploitable work force for the prison and its superiors. Riddick happens to be on the most wanted list and is a veritable prize for Johns. Unable to move at all due to the restraints attached to him Riddick prepares for his confrontation with the infamous Butcher Bay. With a tag that no one has ever escaped from Butcher Bay and no one ever will, Riddick strongly believes that this is about to change, because this was before Butcher Bay met him. Cue music, big lights and; action. Welcome to Butcher Bay.

Gameplay:

Chronicles Of Riddick (COR) is a first person shooter that is currently exclusive to Xbox. As the title suggests, the game is based around Riddick’s escape from the prison. On arrival players will need to gather information from the many inmates that reside in the prison. The dialogue is short and to the point as each person has something relevant to say which could be crucial for your plans. What you will probably notice is how the inmates look different from each other and will shuffle about doing their own thing which adds to the realistic nature of the game.

Controlling Riddick is rather simple as the game employs the standard FPS pad layout that most Xbox games use. A focus frame is used which means that an object or person will have a name pop up when you are close enough to talk or pick up the object (focus frame can be turned off in the options). This makes navigating the prison and finding the correct person a lot easier as you will often have to backtrack throughout the game. Completing tasks for other inmates can also gain Riddick packs of smokes. Unfortunately you can’t stub one out on another inmate’s forehead but you can collect them for unlocking concept art, movie stills and the like.

The combat in Riddick is quite complex as there are moments where no guns will be available, forcing players to improvise. However Riddick is a pretty tough fist fighter who can make light work of troublesome inmates and guards with some simple left and right hooks. This fist fighting works very well and is all the more satisfying when you see the bruises form on your opponents face as you beat the hell out of him. Inmates are one thing and guards another as the main onus is on dispatching the patrolling guards rather than other inmates, for the real challenge lies in disarming or knocking out armed guards with your bare hands or simple tools.

Talking to the right inmates might lead the way to obtain a knuckle duster or a bladed weapon that can be easily concealed from guards. However the oppressive nature of Butcher Bay is represented on every surface as you see cameras and wall mounted turrets watching your every move. Start a fight or draw a weapon and the automated system will shut you down, permanently. Its up to Riddick to go deeper into Butcher Bay away from these visible eyes.

Stealth plays a key role in the game and although not entirely necessary can make some sections a lot easier/harder depending on the play style you adopt. Creeping to and from the shadows is satisfying especially when you pounce and break a guards neck followed by pushing his corpse to the floor. Or perhaps counter attacking an alerted guard and turning his own weapon against him, blowing his face off in the process.

Once a weapon is acquired Riddick is able to shoot out lights a la Splinter Cell which creates a darker moodier game if that is even possible. Some weapons such as the shotgun and assault rifle come with a spotlight attachment which illuminates the path in front of Riddick but also alerts the guards to his location. The guards will automatically use the spotlight if the lights are taken out. A darkened room with muzzle flashes and the flickering of torchlight’s is a sight to behold and not an ideal position to be in. Guards will take cover roll and generally try hard to not get shot as well as throw grenades to flush you out. The intensity perhaps being overwhelming at first as Riddick lies in a pool of blood riddled with bullet holes. In other words some early sections are very tough if you are trying for stealth. Playing more aggressively can yield results but not always so the combat choice is down to the player how they use what is available to them.

Graphics:

For a grimy place such as Butcher Bay the developers had to create an atmosphere that was suitable for the game’s content. This means that there are no flourishing valleys or woods to roam as Butcher Bay Prison is as dark and confining as it sounds. The graphics in COR are of an extremely high standard and in my opinion are better than most Xbox games currently available. Lighting is generally excellent, especially the reflective quality of the textures used and the lighting from the weapons spotlights. Even the blue screen tint that shows Riddick is in stealth mode looks great as the colours warp around the edges of the screen. Some sections have such excellent atmosphere that you could be mistaken for playing a FMV scene.

The character models are also great looking as they cast real time shadows and light reflections. However some issues of jagged edges can be seen at times. This does not pose any sort of problem because the overall look is of such a high standard anyway. The character model of Vin Diesel is also very impressive and looks like a carbon copy of the action actor.

Sound:

Being based on a movie the creators have provided players with a very cinematic experience throughout. Both graphics and sound compliment the game play giving the player the best of both worlds. With Diesel playing the lead role using a deep voiced, calm yet cool delivery throughout the game the voice acting overall is excellent. Dwight Schulz (Murdock from the A-Team), Xzibit and others make appearances throughout the game and keep to the high standard.

Music and sound effects also display that movie feel as the tempo and intensity of the music increases or decreases depending on what is happening at the time. Gunfire and the taunts of your enemies can be heard during most, in your face fire fights adding much personality to the characters.

Longevity:

COR is not the longest of games to complete if you simply rush through the game. With the many side quests that Riddick can undertake the experience is a little longer. That said, Riddick is still rather short as I was left gagging for more as I watched the ending. In its defence Riddick can be played with varying styles as mentioned before and is one of those games that you will most likely want to play several times. Riddick offers three levels of difficulty and the quest to find all the smokes in the game to unlock the extras. With no other modes or game play changes upon completion longevity is COR biggest flaw. Not all games need to have multiplayer to be good but some extras of some sort would have been nice.

Overall:

COR is an excellent but short lived title that explodes on to your TV screen when you boot it up. An engrossing and uncomplicated story presented with un-paralleled graphics and high quality sound makes Riddick a game that every Xbox owner should play or at least have a good look at. The game play itself is not particularly ground breaking, yet the fusing of Splinter Cell/ Metal Gear type stealth, out and out weapons combat and hand to hand fighting is an impressive mix. For those looking for a non secret agent or special ops action game then Riddick is definitely one to check out. Anyone else should take a look as well because Riddick is a great showcase of what graphics we can expect to see over the coming years. A must see but not necessarily a must buy.