If there was ever a time to play through The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, then this April is the time to do so. Starbreeze Studios is set to deliver not only a remake of the original, but they are promising a whole new single-player story arc in the form of The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. Over the course of the past month, I have been able to play through the storyline, compete against the developers in multiplayer sessions, and have been overwhelmed in sheer joy of playing through the original Xbox’s classic title. Digging deeper, the discussion of the new multiplayer function needs to be spoke on first. Sporting several different game modes, Dark Athena is bound to draw interest from every type of gamer.
Whether you’re the Counter-Strike type where you prefer to buy your weapons before the match or prefer Splinter Cell-esque mercenaries vs. spies (Dark Athena’s Pitch Black mode), there’s a little of every spice in Dark Athena’s multiplayer. The first game mode that the multiplayer session produced was a regular team deathmatch that is in vein of Unreal Tournament that produces weapons on the floor along with power-ups, armor, and health. It’s a standard game mode that can be experienced elsewhere in other first-person shooter titles. The second mode that I had the opportunity to play was Butcher Bay Riot. It splits teams up into three teams of four players (Mercs, Prisoners and Guards) and has them battling against one another to plant the power cell in their enemy’s base. While this game mode promises to be a lot of fun, the amount of strategies weren’t to a high enough level to make for compelling games.
The matches were over before a blink of an eye since you become a spectator once you die and won’t have a chance to enter back into the fray. The basic strategy I employed was watching the power cell from a distance and picking off enemies as they approached the object. This resulted in short rounds since the opposition would die before anyone planted the power cell. Here’s hoping that they allow for respawning due to the fact that we finished this game mode in our cycle within five to six minutes. Aside from the Jekyll and Hyde multiplayer – currently, there’s not much identity to be found – the single-player is shaping up to be an inspiring offering. With two campaigns in one package, Dark Athena is the best package to arrive on the Xbox 360 since The Orange Box.
What Dark Athena really boils down to is two-and-a-half games due to the multiplayer is a whole different world by itself. If you’ve never played the original, then be prepared to play one of the most original titles from last generation. From prison fights to stealth kills, Riddick makes a name for himself while escaping the confines of the legendary prison. If you have played the original and are looking for a reason to play through it again, then perhaps the inclusion of enhanced graphics and audio, the additional content that made it into the PC version, altered gameplay mechanics, and achievements will attract you back. Whatever the case, this Xbox classic is ready to make a splash on the Xbox 360 with great fashion.
As for the new single-player campaign, Assault on Dark Athena is much more action-based than Escape from Butcher Bay was, but that isn’t to say it’s a flaw. The two games aren’t drastically different, but they do have attributes that stand out from one another. Dark Athena is much more akin to the Aliens franchise as it’s based on a ship with creepy interiors and tension around every corner. The storyline for Dark Athena doesn’t start with a bang, but players will get much more than they have bargained for when they advance further into the game. Overall, I still prefer Escape from Butcher Bay over Dark Athena, but Dark Athena is fine game that deserves all the attention it’s receiving.
Releasing on April 7th, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is shaping up to be one of the year’s smartest purchases for any gamer. It’s a resounding, diverse first-person shooter that favors stealth and hand-to-hand combat over gunplay. Thankfully the development team decided to include two great games for the price of one. We’ll have our full review of this double title in a few short weeks, so stay tuned and let us know what you thought (via our forums) about the recent demo that hit Xbox Live Marketplace late last week.
