immaculatewang
Rating: 4.0/5
Exception to the Rule.
Ask any gamer. Movies about books? Okay, fine. Games about movies? No. Not only no, oh hell no. By and large, this is true. Be it a lack of care on the production company's part, or a simple difficulty in translating on screen effects into useful game features, game translations of movies usually just suck. Every once in a while, though, a good idea comes along and fills us with hope. My secret theory is that this happens only so that such hope can be mercilessly crushed by evil, soulless game companies, but I digress.
More to the point, one such game is Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. Is it revolutionary? No. Is it the greatest game ever? No. But it is a good game. Come to think of it, you could describe the Riddick movies much the same way...
Getting Started
The game's opening sequence doubles as a tutorial, teaching you the ins and outs of combat, sneaking, and exploration in the guise of Riddick dreaming of his titular escape. Personally, I rather enjoyed the "practice run" of Riddick's escape, it was a rather more original and entertaining implementation than most tutorials I've seen.
Learning Curve and Game Play
The game on the whole is not too difficult to pick up; there's almost no learning curve to speak of. Really, the only thing of marginal difficulty is executing the right maneuver at the right time. That being said, it's still best to familiarize yourself with any new weapons as soon as you pick them up, as your arsenal, small though it will be, will be the only thing that saves your life.
Escape From Butcher Bay falls primarily under the FPS, or First Person Shooter category, and, as such, you'll know most of what to expect from it. However, it's what it does differently within this context that sets it apart, and indeed, makes it a memorable game. Unlike standard FPS games, you actually won't even have a gun in your hand most of the time. If you're lucky, you'll have a shiv, or a bat, but sometimes, all you'll have is your hands. In fact, the game, via cutscenes, makes a pretty regular habit of stripping you of the weaponry you've acquired periodically. This is not some "silly AI, I'll just go in guns blazing" FPS. No matter what's in your hands, your primary weapon is darkness. The game has a fairly well-developed stealth mechanism, which is made all the more believable when the shadows you're hiding in are, ahem, Pitch Black. The game conveys the same kind of tension as many popular tactical stealth games, despite being of a largely different variety. Still, this is a FPS, and so functionality is limited, at least on the console version. Most of your interaction in the game is via either shooting, hitting, or stabbing things, and what little isn't accomplished in that fashion is accomplished via your standard 'interact' button. Towards the middle of the game, this can start to feel like a chore, as you're forced to do various jobs for other inmates for this or that doodad.
Overall, though, the game play is very satisfying, and is really what holds this title up, franchise or no. Every major cutscene leading to plot progression feels well-earned, and the rewards you get after some of the harder battles in the game really add to the enjoyment.
Graphics
The game, while not the prettiest, is certainly no slouch in the visual department. In fact, 'not pretty' is an apt description, the prison looks forlorn, desolate, and hopeless, creating exactly the kind of desparate atmosphere is should. Lighting is harsh, and scratchings and blood are all over the prison walls, testament to the fact that this is a "double-max" prison (for very bad people), as Riddick so often mentions. Where the game really shines, however, is in the characters. Vin Diesel actually looks like Vin Diesel. Plus, there is really a minimum of generic "guard" characters in the game...when I say minimum, I literally mean not more than a dozen. Just about every single character has a distinct look and personality, which really adds to the feel of the game. When you get in a fight with another inmate, you don't just beat a prisoner, you've taken down Larry, who's here for triple murder, and now all of his friends are pissed.
Sounds and Music
If you haven't gotten the point yet, the majority of this game is about atmosphere. Music is kept to a minimum, after all, you need to be able to hear those guards around the corner. Otherwise, the game's sound effects are wonderful. The giant mechs actually sound like giant mechs--the floor echoes with their steps. Voice acting is superb, easily movie quality, which is only helped by the fact that characters from the movies are actually voiced by the same actors. The game is narrated by Riddick, and throughout, he doesn't lose that monotone sneer in his voice.
The script is decent, about on par with the best of the Riddick movies. There's not much more to say on that, if you've seen the movies, you know what to expect.
Final Thoughts
The game is almost a better addition to the Riddick mythos--and believe me, I hesitate to call it that--than some of the movies. As I said, none of what it does is truly new or groundbreaking, it's just that it takes a lot of the best elements of other games and manages to make it work, mostly. However, its flaws, while few, are big ones--mission-based FPS games fall too easily into the "go there, get that" or "go there, shoot them" pattern of predictability. Also, the game is simply too short, as it can be finished in roughly 10-15 hours. Still, it's a great game for your money, and certainly one of the better titles in my collection.
Recommended For
The game is rated M, and there is absolutely no question about that. It is violent and bloody, and you probably shouldn't let your kids play it, unless they've got a strong stomach and a firm grasp of the difference between fantasy and reality.