GAME OF THE MONTH
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 9
Value: 7
Reviewer's Tilt: 10
Overall: 9.0
Like I said, Riddick breaks all the rules. Any gamer knows what rules I am talking about:
Rule 1: All movie-based games are terrible.
Yeah, this used to be a rule. But after playing Riddick, I can't believe what I am seeing. This is a very high-quality game where a lot of attention and care has been put into it. The result is a flawless title that truly rises above all other action games.
Rule 2: Vin Diesel makes everything bad.
I used to support this claim until, again, I played Riddick. Vin Diesel has starred in some of the worst movies ever made, including Fast and the Furious and XXX. It seemed like he was a poor actor who liked to star in bad movies. Well it turns out that Vin Diesel is a great actor and actually has some considerable talent. In fact, Riddick is one of the coolest game characters ever. His dialogue is strong and sometimes sickly funny, and Vin Diesel is perfect for the part. I have a new respect for this actor, especially after he turned down XXX 2 and 2 Fast 2 Furious. Good work Vin.
Rule 3: Mixed-genre games are a bad idea.
Let's say I make a fighting game with RPG elements. And then let's say I take this game and add puzzles to it. A bad game? Probably. Mixed-genre games used to be a big no in gaming. Riddick has actually made this work extremely well, and what is more amazing is that all of it is seemless. This game is in first person, but there are some third person perspectives when you are climbing a ladder or pressing a button. But what is more amazing is that this game combines shooting with fighting and stealth, and very successfully I might add. You're only shooting people for about half of the game, the other half you are sneaking around in the shadows waiting for an oppurtunity to smash some prisoner's head in with a club, or come from behind him and slit his throat. It is up to you. That is the brilliance of Riddick.
There is no doubt in my mind that Chronicles of Riddick is the best game I've played this year. Not only does it revolutionize shooters, it also creates an entirely new genre based on stealth shooting. This game clearly has no specific genre. Some of this game is role-playing, where you can visit many NPCs and do things for them and get special items in reward. Some of it is shooting, but half of the time, you do not have a gun in Riddick. Instead, you find whatever weapon you can find (screwdrivers and shivs for example) and hide around in the shadows waiting for your next victim. There's also a fair amount of platforming involved, such as shutting off valves to get by a certain tunnel in the game, or climbing up crates to jump into a nearby vent. These platformer sections of the game might have been hell if it wasn't for the brilliant third person perspective, which allows you to shimmy precisely to where you want to be.
It's no secret that Riddick is the best looking game on any console, either. Judging from screenshots alone won't do much though, you have to see Riddick in motion to truly appreciate its beauty. Brilliant, Doom 3 quality lighting effects, hi-res textures and stunning geometry counts all help create one terrific looking game. The game never slows down either, which is a great feat considering that the game is so amazing looking. The game may appear to have some aliasing problems in some areas of the game, so expect some jaggies. But they are only a problem in some cutscenes. Additionally, some texture seams can be seen on many characters in cutscenes, but do not take away from their great presentation too much.
Like I said, this game is all about presentation. The stunning graphics help out a lot, but the cutscenes are truly well done and are very cinematic. Some of them look like they came straight out of a great science fiction movie. It should be noted that Riddick contains probably the best voice acting ever achieved in a video game. You're going to be hearing some familiar voices, such as Ron Perlman (Hellboy) and Michael Gough (Batman series). The best voice is Riddick's, who is of course voiced by Vin Diesel. His personality is completely badass, from his deep, threatening voice to his wicked humor. He makes the game's cutscenes even more fun to watch.
Riddick is a little on the short side, at only eight hours. That is not a problem though, because this game has plenty of replay value. First of all, you collect cigarette packs throughout the game which unlock extra content that shows the early stages of this game. You can view concept art and even see a prototype version of the game entitled "Pitch Black" and see what this game could have been: a typically terrible movie-based video game. You'll want to replay the game to pick up any of these cigarette packs you may have missed in a previous play. Also, the game's RPG style side quests are spattered throughout the game, and you might want to try to do some of these to make the game a little more easier and to squeeze some more life out of it. Upon playing through this game twice, I have found several of these side quests which could have made my previous play a little easier, if only I would have done things a little differently. And because Riddick is full of these Deus-Ex style moments of having more than one option, it's worth revisiting just to explore the game a little closer.
And you'll want to spend as much time as you possibly can with this title. Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is clearly one of the best Xbox titles that has been made. Halo was then. Riddick is now. Buy it and you'll own a gaming moment that you won't soon forget.