The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is a re-imagined version of Escape From Butcher Bay with updated content for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Escape From Butcher Bay was, in my opinion, one of the best games for the original Xbox. While it’s a shame it couldn’t be a backwards compatible title, Starbreeze Studios and Atari have teamed up to bring this amazing series to the next generation, including giving the story an “AAA Hollywood treatment,” says Atari.
Assault on Dark Athena will drop the player in the middle of Butcher Bay where Merc-ship Dark Athena sits silent like a marauding spider awaiting helpless prey in the dark reaches of the galaxy. Players will have to face a bloodthirsty operation led by the dreaded Captain Revas and her slaves-turned-combat drones. As Riddick, players will have to cheat death through a series of battles with the drones as well as the merciless crew of the predatory Merc-ship Dark Athena. Stealth will be a big part of this adventure, as players will find themselves outnumbered and out gunned. That shouldn’t be a big problem though, as players will be well equipped for battle using a unique blend of first-person range and melee combat with stealth kills and counter-attacks.
“The Riddick IP offers a rich universe from which to develop no-holds barred games, and we’ve believed that since the days of the Pitch Black film,” said Bill Kispert, Vice President and General Manager, Interactive, Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. “Assault on Dark Athena extends the franchise fiction; adds to the mythology with new storylines, characters and locations while remaining true to the original material; and gives fans an experience they haven’t seen before. As we introduce this new Riddick chapter, we are also excited to welcome Atari to the Riddick family.”
This time around players will also be able to take the action online with a variety of fast-paced multiplayer options, marking the first time the Riddick franchise has been online. It will be interesting to see how the online component is handled given the type of game. Could we see something like Splinter Cell where one team is full of mercs and the other team Riddick-like escapees?
Regardless of how the multiplayer end works out, we can’t wait to get our hands on more Chronicles of Riddick gameplay. Rest assured we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one.
Bonus Material!
Escape From Butcher Bay, considered as one of the best games of 2004, has been re-mastered and will be included along with The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. -Love, Atari
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