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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a video game developed by the Swedish developers Starbreeze Studios, based on the movie The Chronicles of Riddick. The Xbox version was released at the same time as the movie in June 2004 and a Windows version was released in December.
The likeness and voice of the movie's star, Vin Diesel, are also used for the game's main character, Richard B. Riddick. The game surprised many gamers, as most movie-to-game translations are poorly received by reviewers and fans alike, relying on their license to sell. Escape from Butcher Bay, on the other hand, received a good deal of critical acclaim, and was generally viewed as a very accomplished and innovative experience. There is a special x64 version of the game available.
The highly respected video game website GameSpot gave the game considerable praise, calling it "the best single-player action in a first-person game on the XBox" (at the time of writing), and "one of the best action games available" at the time of release. The game got a score of 9.3 out of 10.
Graphics
Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay was one of the first games to utilize normal mapping (preceding Doom 3 by a few months), giving the textures a rougher, more in-depth appearance and making the game characters and environments appear more photo-realistic.
Gameplay
The game functions as a prequel to Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick movies, with combat sequences featuring first-person fighting and gunplay. The game also mixes stealth with combat, restricting the supply of ranged weapons and forcing the player to rely on makeshift knives and clubs (items best wielded with the element of surprise).
Escape from Butcher Bay features close combat and long-range gameplay. Not only can Riddick dispatch enemies close-up with a wide range of mêlée weapons, he can even perform several special moves, breaking a guard's neck or grabbing hold of his weapon and using it against him. At his disposal as well are several different firearms such as pistols, rifles and shotguns.
Stealth is also approached in a unique way. To let the player know that Riddick is concealed, the screen will tint blue. Another innovative feature is the total lack of heads up display and crosshairs. (Minus a small health display that appears when damage is taken)
Synopsis
The plot follows Riddick as he is imprisoned in Butcher Bay, a notorious Triple Max penitentiary.
Bounty Hunter Johns escorts Riddick to the Single Max level where Riddick escapes during a riot (which he started). Following underground tunnels and battling mutant "Dwellers", Riddick happens upon a hermit called Pope Joe who performs surgery on Riddick, giving him his trademark "eyeshine" ability.
Riddick is eventually recaptured and transferred to the Double Max area where he infiltrates the mining facility. An outbreak of large beetle-like aliens gives Riddick the chance to hitch a ride out. He is captured again however and sent to the Triple Max level of the prison.
Here, he is placed in cryo-sleep and awakens every day for a few minutes to have exercise. He eventually finds a flaw in the system and escapes again.
Hijacking a police assault vehicle, Riddick rampages through the various offices and finds Hoxie, the owner of Butcher Bay. With Johns's help, Riddick tricks the guards and they escape together on a stolen ship.
PC Version
The PC version of the game also featured a "Director's Commentary" setting that allowed the player to interact with speech bubbles that appeared in-game in certain areas. By doing so, players were treated to various observations and decision making processes that the developers had gone through for those sections that the bubbles are found in, providing insight into what went into the design of the title. The game is one of the first to utilize such an approach to this type of DVD-style commentary, an approach that has seen later variations within other titles such as the non-interactive video commentary extra as seen in the "Director's Edition" of Monolith Productions' F.E.A.R., or in Valve Corporation's Episode One which utilizes a technique that bears a closer resemblance to Starbreeze Studios' own method.
External links
2004 computer and video games | Windows games | Xbox games | Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick | Computer and video games based on licensed properties | Science fiction computer and video games
"The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay"