PX360: How are the achievements implemented into both the new (and old) game content, was that a difficult experience?
Ian Stevens: It was fun actually, implementing achievements into a game that previously didn’t have them. We had an advantage, knowing exactly what gamers liked about EfBB, so it was cool to put those where we knew they’d be meaningful to people.
PX360: If you could compare the gameplay of the upcoming Riddick game to any other title out there right now which would you pick and why?
Ian Stevens: We’ll let you guys make the comparisons. I’m more tempted to compare us to our original release of Escape from Butcher Bay, because it does the best job of telling players what they can expect from Assault on Dark Athena – an absolutely wonderful gaming experience worth having!
PX360: If you had one selling point on this new title (modes, story, value, etc.) what would it be and how would you "sell" it to the general Xbox 360 owner?
Ian Stevens: Impossible to do. There is so much about this game that’s special. The volume of content – two games in one plus multiplayer. The quality of the game – our follow-up to (arguably) the best movie-based game ever and an Xbox classic. And the talent of everybody involved – Starbreeze, Tigon, and Universal. There are just too many reasons for gamers to get excited about this game, and boiling it down to one would certainly make my job easier (!!), but probably does gamers a disservice.
PX360: What can you tell us about the multiplayer offerings in Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena?
Ian Stevens: We’re really happy with the multiplayer we’ve built for Assault on Dark Athena – it’s an amazingly accessible and fun taste of classic multiplayer gaming with some really fun twists. We include Death Match, Team Deathmatch, CTF, and the like. But two modes that have us really excited are Pitch Black and Butcher Bay Riot. Pitch Black places Riddick against six other players (Mercs) in an environment that has absolutely no light. The Riddick character is faster with more health and carries only melee weapons (Ulaks – the curved blades) – he can also use his eyeshine to see in the dark. The Mercs have big guns and flashlights. So it’s kill or be killed and if you kill Riddick, you get to play as Riddick in the next round. One of the great parts of this mode is the audio – since you can’t see, you can only hear the sound of a throat being slashed…but from where?
With Butcher Bay Riot mode, there are three teams of four players – Prisoners, Mercs, and Guards. Each faction plays against another: Prisoners hate Guards, Guards hate Mercs, and Mercs hate Prisoners. As a team you fight for a power cell (in the center of each map) to plant in your enemy’s base. Its multiple rounds (best of three or five) and you have the chance to score UD money (Riddick currency). You can then use that money to buy better gear. We take some obvious inspiration with this mode, but what’s most surprising is how flexible it can be – it all depends on who you’re playing with and your strategy. It can be very intricately planned or mindless guns playing. You’ll decide.
PX360: Can you talk a bit about what's next from your studio and end with a closing thought as well as the release date for Dark Athena on the Xbox 360?
Ian Stevens: Right now we’re concentrated on finishing up Riddick. It’s a daze as we work pretty hard to get the game done and ready for store shelves, so we’re really only looking as far as our April release, and our sincere hope is that you love this game and that we’ve managed to entertain you and make you happy!
