The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay--Great Game or Greatest Game?

[Architecture]

This game rules.

 

Let me present...Xzibit A:

 

[TychoCelchuuu]

I got to the level where you have to sneak through the prison and I just kept getting spotted and instant failing and I said "fuck this" and quit. This was near the beginning of the game.

[Architecture]

I remember buying this game the week it came out because Gamespot rated it a 9.2. I took it home, plunked it in my Xbox and proceeded to have my mind blown.

 

If I could play this on a Duke controller, I would.

[Trip Hazard]

I liked it. Spent many a happy hour sneaking through the dark, snapping necks for cheap thrills. I particularly enjoyed the very start of the game, making deals with other inmates for crude weaponry and fighting with Molina for dominance.

I think if I played it now I wouldn't like it so much and probably consider it really dated. It can remain a pleasant memory

[Roderick]

I played it a few years ago as a lead up to Dark Athena, but I got stuck on some point and then it drifted away. It wasn't the beginning though, somewhere halfway rather. I really liked the atmosphere, it was fun. Should return some day.

 

I also remember a hard as nails mid-level sub-boss.

[Boris Stoke]

I really dug this game.  I played the remastered version that came with Dark Athena.  Dark Athena was also good, but shorter.  I'd love a new Riddick game.

[eot]

I never bought this because of SecuROM and as far as I can tell it's not on Steam anymore.

[feelthedarkness]

it's on gog.com!

[Dewar]

I remember buying this game the week it came out because Gamespot rated it a 9.2. I took it home, plunked it in my Xbox and proceeded to have my mind blown.

 

If I could play this on a Duke controller, I would.

 

You can buy original xbox to USB controller dongles.

[eot]

it's on gog.com!

 

Neat, I'll try to get to it. Always heard great things about this game.

[JonCole]

http://www.gog.com/game/the_chronicles_of_riddick_assault_on_dark_athena

 

To save you a search and a couple clicks.

[namman siggins]

Game is the shit. I played the hell out of it as teen and it definitely the best game based on a franchise 

[eot]

http://www.gog.com/game/the_chronicles_of_riddick_assault_on_dark_athena

 

To save you a search and a couple clicks.

Thanks, turns out it's 50% off.

Picked up SS2 as well, for €2!

[SecretAsianMan]

I'm one of the "did not like it" votes, but not because I think it's a bad game.  I actually do like almost everything about it.  I just didn't like playing it, which is entirely my own fault.  The game is heavily based on two things I hate doing in first person, stealth and melee combat.  Not that I want it to be a run and gun shooter, I'm glad it is what it is.  It's just unfortunate that what it is is a thing I couldn't enjoy because of my own personal proclivities.

[Justin Leego]

It's best to read this thread imagining that all posts are being vocalised by Vin Diesel's voice.

[miffy495]

I got this game for Christmas the year it came out on PC. I was polite, but very much thinking "what the hell is this hot garbage?". I installed it because I was still being polite, and then had my mind completely blown. That game is so damn good.

[Sno]

I've played through Escape mutliple times, and i've always felt that certain stretches of stealth gameplay were a little too rigid and strict, mainly in the mines. On the whole though, it's a phenomenal game.

[Architecture]

I also re-purchased this on GOG, which spurred the thread itself. I hope that any of y'all who bought it give it a play and enjoy it!

 

How much of a clean-up job did they do for the Dark Athena remaster? The game doesn't look significantly better than I remember, but it looks sharp and wonderful in 1080p.

[heybeardo]

http://www.gog.com/game/the_chronicles_of_riddick_assault_on_dark_athena

 

To save you a search and a couple clicks.

 

Sweet, cheers man. I've been meaning to check this out and at this price it's a steal for 2 games.

[Roderick]

Do a video on Riddick, heybeardo!

[heybeardo]

Will do, Roderick! Looking forward to playing them both.

[Sno]

I also re-purchased this on GOG, which spurred the thread itself. I hope that any of y'all who bought it give it a play and enjoy it!

 

How much of a clean-up job did they do for the Dark Athena remaster? The game doesn't look significantly better than I remember, but it looks sharp and wonderful in 1080p.

There were some side-by-side comparisons floating around when Dark Athena came out, and it indicated that they had pretty much completely rebuilt most of the areas in the game and dramatically overhauled their engine.

[JonCole]

It actually looks exponentially better, by my estimation. I'd say the improvement is much more substantial than most HD remakes of this generation, like Halo Anniversary or God of War Collection. 

[eot]

Played about four hours of it (got to the mines) and I concur, it's very good. It opens so well and it doesn't feel dated at all. Lot's of great voice acting too.There are some small things I don't like, the rifle isn't hitscan and you notice the bullet travel time even at maybe 20m which I think is silly. There's one early boss that is extremely tedious, the stealth can be a little annoying (as stealth tends to be) and the melee stops being fun when it gets challenging. Maybe I'm bad, but I can't read enemies well enough to find their openings and the tougher ones will kill you if you trade blows. Every game can't be Dark Souls, but still.

 

I like the pace though, they give you plenty of room to breathe and even the shooty bits don't have that many enemies.

 

edit: also, the guy who voices Rael played Smuggler in Deus Ex. I knew I recognised that voice!

[eot]

Alright, I finished this thing. The cryo part was probably the creepiest thing I've played.

Something I don't get though is why you regain the ability to use guns, it seems rather arbitrary. They explain it the first time, but you don't go through that process again. Also, I got a little annoyed with the amount of mechs later on. I stealthed past some, which meant I missed the miningun which I only found out about because I looked it up. Fighting one is annoying enough, beating those two mechs in the spaceport seems borderline impossible without the minigun.

 

My overall feeling on it is that it's pretty damn great, one of the best shooters I've played. I would've been fine with a few more shooting segments, and the ability to quicksave in the stealth sections. The checkpointing was good, but there were a few times where the game set me back a little too much. I also think I like the first half better than the second.