Review: The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (XBX)

Back in 1999 Pitch Black looked like little more than one of the first stops for Vin Diesel on the ride to the top of the Hollywood action hero list. His performance as outlaw turned anti-hero Richard B. Riddick stood out in what was an otherwise ordinary Aliens-styled sci-fi thriller. Actor and character reunite this summer in a one-two punch of blockbuster movie and videogame releases with hopes to tap that synergy again. Whether or not the combination sparks cinematic magic again digital Diesel ignites the Xbox in Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay.

But the biggest draw to the game isn't the star-fueled movie background. It's the graphics. No, the screens don't deceive you; they're stunning. The kind of stunning that makes anyone who sees them stop and take notice, which is exactly what they did for this game. Say that graphics don't make a game all you want, Starbreeze labored quietly along on Riddick until exploding onto the scene when the first images were revealed.

More than just another pretty face, the look ushers-in a whole new visual presentation. Thanks to a technique called "normal mapping" much higher resolution textures can be used without degrading the game's performance. The added detail, especially noticeable on clothing and natural surfaces, takes us one step closer to photo-realism. If all this sounds familiar that's from the terminology being a big part of the hype building around the upcoming Doom 3, only Riddick is here with it today.

Sound design delivers its part of the presentation equally well. Convincing environmental effects and excellent use of the positional capabilities of Dolby Digital 5.1 help with the feel of immersion in the game. Along with the deep, raspy voice of Diesel (that perfectly captures the Riddick character) excellent voice-overs for the rest of the cast keep the story enjoyable. With a definite touch of movie influence the music ebbs and surges dramatically to match the tension in the game.

While it looks like a first-person shooter at first glance a skillful weaving together of story and gameplay produces more than the usual gun-toting run down a corridor. As the title implies the game follows Riddick's escape from Butcher Bay, which turns out to be the toughest maximum security prison in the universe. For much of the time being a prisoner restricts getting your hands on conventional arms. This leads naturally to making use of alternative means during your getaway.

Starting out behind bars Riddick first learns to rely on an inmate's best weapons - his fists and a trusty shiv. Quick, comfortable controls realize the bruising potential for first-person fighting hinted at in other games (like Breakdown). As the black and blue from trading blows starts to show on opponents don't be surprised to find yourself bobbing and weaving, controller in hand.

Shadows also make a great friend when unarmed. Excellent lighting that compliments the fancy texture work with a broad range of intensity, from almost blinding glare to pitch black, makes seeking out the darkness easier. Some of the tensest moments come while watching the bob of a flashlight coming down a hallway on an otherwise black screen. Couple that with the popularity of sneaking games and it comes as no surprise to find Riddick creeping about like an old pro in the now well recognized stealth mode crouching-walk stance.

Instead of artificial meters Riddick uses a blue-grey color wash across the screen to indicate (in)visibility. Together with the natural lighting in the levels this system allows development of a very intuitive sense for where you can and can not be seen. Like literally stepping into the shadows, when the screen goes almost completely monotone you know you are almost invisible. And yes, stealth kills are every bit as satisfying and useful as you expect.

If all that were not enough the gunplay, when it enters the equation, leaves the distinct impression they saved the best part for last. The same near perfectly tuned controls that made fist-fighting so fun work even better (if possible) here. Rather than a bewildering selection of guns, for the most part your arsenal consists of three basics - pistol, assault rifle and shotgun. The attention paid to giving each of these a satisfyingly realistic kick makes up for what they lack in quantity.

After layering on all these gameplay options Escape from Butcher Bay really hits its stride. For once you feel like a complete action hero with a full repertoire of abilities ready to be used as you see fit. Want to sneak through the shadows and slip by unnoticed? Ok. Want to wait in those same shadows and pounce on unexpecting guards? Ok. Want to crawl through air vents scouting ahead and drop from the ceiling in a surprise attack? Ok. Want to run down the halls, guns blazing, mowing down everyone in sight? Ok. The choice is yours, made without that feeling of being guided down a set path. In those adrenalin-soaked moments that follow the real sense of freedom that develops achieves a rare state of gaming nirvana.

Then suddenly, while walking across the stage to accept its game of the year nomination, Riddick falls flat on its face. Through a series of plot twists, that does at least embellish the story, the fantastic flow of action screeches to a halt. A series of mildly amusing (at best) "fetch" quests from NPCs that would seemingly be more at home in an adventure game take over. Ironically this effort to strengthen the plot has the exact opposite effect, diluting its focus.

By the time things get back on track the fleeting state of perfection has already gone. The action does heat up again, but it reverts to a more typically structured course. Compared to the earlier sense of freedom levels herd you down linear routes that offer only one way to progress. Before Splinter Cell syndrome completely takes over all hell breaks loose to such a degree that the crescendo to the climax becomes one long firefight. The sharp contrast to the masterful balance in the beginning of the game leaves you to wonder if Starbreeze suddenly panicked that no one would appreciate everything in the game without some help.

More bewilderment comes near the end in a brilliant stage where Riddick commandeers a suit of mechanized battle armor. A substantial amount of work must have gone into modeling the mech with the same level of care seen throughout the game. It moves with appropriately awkward lumbering steps while unleashing bucket-fulls of leaden death. Piloting it on a berserk march through the complex brings a big smile to your face - for all of the ten minutes it lasts. Untold potential was left untapped by not better using it.

Those few missteps make issuing a review score an enigmatic gesture. While the untimely stumble keeps it from the lofty scores of the gaming elite, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay creates a gripping experience that makes it hard to set down the controller. Every aspect of the production - video, audio, storyline - is not just polished but executed with the dramatic flair of a major motion picture. Finally shattering the legacy of mediocre games made to cash-in on movie licenses the definitive standard for cinematic videogaming has been set. Perhaps it's not a legend, but it no doubt is a pioneer.

Please note this is not the review which appears in our special Chronicles of Riddick GSO edition

Rating: 8 / 10

Words by Garnett Lee