Game review: The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Published on Thursday 7 May 2009 16:02

(PC/PS3/Xbox 360, £39.99)

THE second of a series of game prequels to the 2000 Vin Diesel film Pitch Black, Assault on Dark Athena is a superb first-person action title, bundled with a remake of the critically acclaimed first chapter, Escape from Butcher Bay, originally released on Xbox in 2004.

This new chapter follows anti-hero Riddick, again played by Diesel, directly following the events of Butcher Bay. While in stasis onboard an escape ship, the vessel is captured by the Dark Athena, a massive spacecraft over-run by mercenaries.

Riddick must use stealth and adapt to his surroundings to liberate the ship. While the game plays out in first-person, with accomplished firearms and melee combat dynamics, the stealth and platforming elements stand out once again.

Climbing over terrain, shimmying along ledges and other athletic movements cause the game to switch to a third-person viewpoint, giving you more freedom to navigate your surroundings than other games in the genres.

With many superb set-pieces utilising all of these elements, the game zips along, with some memorable action sequences, superb voice acting and graphical gloss. Most striking is the atmosphere, which draws you into the game further. This all goes to raise the bar for movie-game developers.

A compelling title, if a little short, but the inclusion of the Butcher Bay remake makes this essential gaming.