Review: Remastered Riddick Raises Bar for Movie Games
Game developers tasked with crafting a game based on a movie franchise need only look to The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena to learn how to do it right.
First, capture the central theme of the film: in this case, the careful balance between high-octane action and mankind’s innate fear of the dark. Then ensure that the characters that initially gave the film such appeal are represented by pitch-perfect simulacra within the virtual world.
Finally, load the disc with content. Athena’s biggest draw is the fact that it includes an upgraded version of its predecessor, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, a 2004 sleeper hit on the original Xbox hardware that defied all the (mostly true) stereotypes about terrible games based on movies.
A "remastered" version is included here with the sequel, making this Xbox 360 (reviewed), PlayStation 3 and PC game perfect for Riddick fans and newbies alike. Both Athena and the updated Butcher Bay are excellent first-person, stealth-oriented, spooky adventures.
