The Chronicles of Riddick was originally an Xbox game, and it was one of the finest games for that console. Anyone who has seen the game on the Xbox will likely speak in awe of the spectacular graphics. You haven't seen anything yet until you've seen the game running on a beefy PC. The art direction and graphics are simply astounding.
The game acts as a prequel to the Vin Diesel film Pitch Black. In that film, Diesel played Riddick, a cold-blooded badass killer with the ability to see in the dark.
Riddick is played as a FPS, but there's more to the game than just blasting away at enemies. Sometimes stealth is required. The player can use those stealth elements to quietly dispatch enemies.
The plot is pretty simple: Riddick has been transferred to the high-security prison Butcher's Bay. Your goal is to escape. It's not going to be easy.
As I mentioned earlier, the graphics and art direction are just amazing. The game is scalable, so you can play it on a system that meets the minimum requirements. You'll just miss out on the eye candy. Turn the graphics up to "11" and your mouth will drop at the normal-mapped textures. The character models looks great, with a lot of distinct faces. Environmental textures are also outstanding.
Like a DVD, Riddick features an audio commentary track that can be turned on to listen to the developer explain how the game was made.
There are a few changes from the Xbox version. There are more unlockable items (by picking up packs of cigarettes scattered throughout the game), as well as new levels, in all more than 30 levels to fight through.
Game play mechanics are pretty simple and easy to learn. There isn't a HUD like most FPS games, which really adds to the player's immersion into the game world. In the beginning of the game, Riddick can only use his hands to fight, along with any melee weapons the player finds in the opening levels. Riddick can execute various combo attacks by pressing the left mouse button and directional keys. The guards all have powerful weapons, but those are "DNA encoded," which means a prisoner grabbing one of those weapons will be shocked into submission. Thankfully, at one point in the game, Riddick will be able to access them.
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