Barnicals's Profile

So, I've been working through Riddick: Dark Athena, and I figure I have had enough experience to pass some judgement on it. I haven't played multiplayer yet, but look forward to it.

A big selling point of this game was the fact that it wasn't actually one game, but two! Yes, Escape from Butcher Bay was an Xbox game, but it has been tidied up, PlayStation gamers can now get thier mitts on it, and it gives some good ramp-up to Assault on the Dark Athena.

Butcher Bay is a good game, with non-linear gameplay and plenty of side missions and collectables, which give it reasonable replay value. I found Normal quite tricky, however, and time can be spent wandering around, trying to got to the next area.
Sound in the game are something of a mixed bag. You have Xzibit doing the vocals for a stint, which is great. Footsteps etc. can be heard, which is handy in a stealth game. However, don't bother with too much dialogue with other characters; they tend to have about three standard phrases for each type.
Graphically, it is as good as can be expected: It pays to remember that it was an Xbox game, and has been scrubbed up from there. Shadowing was quite stark, with Riddick being virtually invisible standing behind a crate, right next to a ray of light.
The storyline is good, with a lot of twists. It does feel somewhat like they're stretching the same idea out however, as you're caught and put into higher security multiple times.

Assault on the Dark Athena has much tidier graphics, some chilling cutscenes, and a compelling storyline. It also has a great balance of stealth and action. Profanities come thick and fast, adding to the unpleasant gritty nature of the game.
Soundwise, there are no issues aside from the repeditive phrases used by the enemies, and the fact that things occasionally clip and don't drop down completely, resulting in the sound being repeated. I'm not sure if there's a name or phrase for this, so if someone could enlighten me, that'd be nice. Aside from that, the music is ominous, the sounds suitably, for want of a better word, creepy.
The graphics are quite tidy in this game, with a good amount of detail being paid to things like faces. However, I can't really give an opinion on it, as HD is naturally preferred, to get the full experience.
Storyline... well, it doesn't seem too bad, but there isn't any great overall deviation from the previous story. People still hate Riddick and want to kill him, or get the considerable price that is on his head.

The game is good, but it could be great. There are a few glitches in the game, and it can be somewhat tricky for normal difficulty. That, or I'm just not that great a gamer. :P
That said, there are a wide variety of styles that you can use in the game, you also have access to the first game, and there are plenty of side missions and collectables to keep you entertained as you play.