The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
Developer: Starbreeze Studios / Publisher: Vivendi Universal
Preview: First Playtest9th June 2004Prison, sounds like fun, huh? Being stuck in a small cell 23 hours a day with a 350lb man called Betty. Now put your self in Riddick's shoes, incarcerated in the deadliest prison in the entire galaxy -that sounds like a real party. In Vivendi Universal's The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, you take the role of Riddick, the condemned anti-hero of the films Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick -both staring Vin Diesel. This game is a tie-in with The Chronicles of Riddick, which is slated to release shortly after the game. Despite the lack of truly great movie tie-ins -anyone remembers ET the Extra-Terrestrial?-our initial impressions have been very positive. First and foremost, this game is drop dead gorgeous. Even the menu system is better-looking then some Xbox games we've had the misfortune to play. The levels are dirty, grimy and rusted and give you the feel of a decrepit galactic prison that has seen thousands of prisoners over the years. Shadows and lighting match up with other such heavy weights as Splinter Cell and Deus Ex: Invisible War. In fistfights faces bruise and bloody just like and if not better then today's top fighting games -fans of Tao Feng, take note. Walls stain with blood as you pummel your opponents. Bullets shred through armour and the models show accordingly the torn armour underneath. (Speaking of models, the eerie realism of Riddick [Vin Diesel] is exceptionally creepy.) Explosions are just breathtaking; blasts tear up the environment and toss flaming debris in all directions -the level of detail apparent in this game is astounding. Sound effects are as well-crafted as the graphical details, from the echoes of guards chatting down the halls to the soft steps of you sneaking up on an unsuspecting enemy. Another point to note is that the voice acting is movie-quality stuff and really sucks you into Riddick's world. However, just like in real life, the guards in this prison are vulgar, cursing like drunken sailors -this is not a game to play with your 10-year old nephew. Swearing aside, the AI is shaping up to be something special as well. In one incident, a team of four guards was searching for our anti-hero in a large room. They panned out and switched their flashlights on as soon as they reached the darker areas of the room. Guards would also use military-style tactics, such covering when sending one member of a team into a room, or running for cover when team members are taken out by Riddick. At its core Riddick is a first person shooter, equipping you with makeshift prison weapons, shot guns, and machine guns. Riddick himself also has the ability to hide in shadows and sneak around quietly, neutralising enemies -very Sam Fisher. When in a crouched position, Riddick's enhanced night vision comes into effect, tinting the screen with a light blue and assisting in the stealthy take-downs of enemies in the dark. Riddick also sports some similar graphical touches to Namco's BreakDown -health is only displayed by four small boxes in the upper left hand corner of the screen and ammo levels are only shown on your gun. If you look down at your character you can see your legs, instead of just being a hovering limb with a firearm -all of which adds to the feeling of immersion in the game. Riddick mostly resides in the first person view, except for occasional "action button" activities -similar to Shenmue's QTE events. The game then kicks you to a third person view and shows off a brilliantly-realized Vin Diesel model in the process. Xequted's impressions of the title are very good -most movie tie-ins that we've played over the years haven't matched the sheer scale, scope and attention to detail that's been lavished on Riddick. Look out for The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay when it hits the shops this summer. |
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