Reviews for The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Solid gameplay and visuals

Weakness: fairly linear, not much replay value

I never saw the movie this game was based on or it's prequel, Pitch Black, but Vin Diesel seems perfect in this game. He IS a video game character from his speech and actions, right down to the rather robotic acting, it just feels right even though I dislike Vin in the other movies he has done. The game, too, just feels right, even though it is not a first person shooter in the same vein as Doom 3. There is an adventure game element as you find yourself going from point a to point b in order to collect an item to bring back to someone. And in retrospect it sounds mundane and linear. But it does not feel that way at the time. This might be because the game has excellent pacing, whisking you from environments at a steady clip so nothing gets boring.
For a video game, the voice acting is great, with a slight camp slant that is appropriate. The bulk of the game is spent beating up other people (often without guns). Sometimes this can be avoided by wearing a specific uniform or choosing a more stealthy route, but there is always the option to just kill everybody. There are collectable cigarettes to unlock movie stills and other extras, but there is never a drive to collect them all or go back and find the ones you missed. And the game probably clocks in at around 14 hours or so. Instead of manually saving, there are save points that save automatically and can be loaded from at any time if there is a portion of the game you want to replay or start from.
I do not want to sound too negative, because this is a lot of fun for a single player game, has great graphics, solid controls and never gets boring. For multiplayer gaming, look elsewhere, but anyone interested in an adventure styled fps, this is highly recommended.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Immersive first-person experience, graphics and sound are top-notch

Weakness: No multiplayer

First-person shooter doesn't quite work to describe Escape Fro m Butcher Bay, nor does stealth-action. It's a mix of both types of gameplay, with some open-ended gameplay added in there, as well as some additions to make it even more immersiv e.

Gameplay allows for the run-and-gun fighting to work through a problem, as well as a stealth approach to getting through the same problem. Some of the areas have open-ended gameplay, so there's a bit of replay value to this.

The graphics are extremely well done, without any slowdowns. Character models are very detailed, as are the lighting and weapon effects. The "shining" effect when using the night vision eyes are particularly effective. The voice acting and sounds are also extremly good, adding into the gameplay world of Riddick.

One missing thing from this game is the inclusion of multiplayer, which would make this game pretty much perfect. The different difficulty levels give it some replay value, though multiplayer would have been a very worthwhile addition.

Overall, the game is truly top-notch on all levels, and the only real problem with it is the lack of multiplayer.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Lots of fun, especially if you like the movies.

Weakness: One-player only.

If you're a fan of the two Riddick movies ("Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of Riddick") you will really like this game. Riddick is trying to get out of the Butcher Bay prison in this game and plays like part-Doom and part-Metal Gear Solid. What I mean by this is that you can either go with guns a-blazin' or you can sneak around in stealth mode. Vin Diesel did some work on this game so it is one of the most true licensed movie games around too. A worthy purchase.

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A GREAT MOVIE - TO - GAME... ever!

Strengths: High details levels! Smooth Controller! Budget pricing! Highly fun gameplay!

Weakness: Better Online play please!

As from til this day! We All know movie to videogames is total crap... with a few exception... and this game is one of those exception... I was kinda bland to give this game a try... even after the great reviews from magazine... I didn't like the movie.. much.. after much debate I got my hands on this game..

And my initial thought? WOW! this Game is freaking amazing...! the game is better than the movie.. and that is rare... it's gotta be 1 of the best top 10 XBOX 1st person shooter out! Level is highly detailed! the game engine was running at a smooth 60 FPS... no slow downs at all... AI is 1 of the best of any game... sound effects... that game truely takes full advantage of the xbox.. so you won't see a PS2 version.. that for sure...

Controls in this game is also top notch.. no lag or glitchy feedback.. smooth as silk...

Still story isn't the greatest.. but the gameplay makes up for that...

4 OUTTA 5 STARS!

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A movie game that DOESNT stink?

Strengths: Amazing looking. Deep for a FPS. Mood and lighting is perfect. Voice acting is perfect.

Weakness: Overly violent at times. (it gets old as you see tons of it)Can be hard to see whats going on as its awfully dark at times.

Movie games are supposed to stink. Movie games based on lousy movie games are supposed to lay in bargain bins for the rest of their days. Riddick does neither. It is one of, if not THE best movie game ever. How good is it you ask? It actually made me WANT to see the movie! (despite rather tepid reviews)
The enviornments and sounds are perfect. You really feel like you are struggling to gain your freedom and your life hangs in the balance. The stealth parts are fun, the action is intense, and it never feels forced or canned. Its a great game that everyone (who is of age ;-) ) should try. Youd be missing out if you didnt.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay...

Strengths: (1) Amazing graphics (2) Feels like you're controlling a movie (3) Smart choice to base game on new story rather than create a retread of either existing movies (4) Great story and gameplay

Weakness: (1) Graphics look better on regular TV as opposed to HDTV

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay is a fantastic game. There are many things that this title does right and the best thing is probably that it presents a new story in the Riddick mythos. It is an engaging experience from start to finish, and you want to know what happens next. The Riddick character is great as a video game character and Vin Diesel, of course, does a superb of job voicing him. The other characters and dialogue are very well done, too. The gameplay is a mix of FPS, stealth and hand to hand fighting and is executed really well. You will feel pretty tough after you suprise a guard and turn his gun back on him, forcing him to shoot himself. Riddick is a tough-as-nails character, and as such, the mature violence level and language feels appropriate. This is a definate must-have and one you will want to keep in your collection and play every once in a while, even after you've beaten it.

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The Chronicles of Riddick For Xbox Review.

Strengths: Amazing graphics, great fighting mechanics.

Weakness: Too short.

The Chronicles of Riddick is one of the best looking games of the Xbox. The lighting and textures look great and the characters look like their real life counter-parts. The voice acting in this game is right on. Vin Diesel's voice and likeness is used for Riddick, Xzibit plays Abbott, a prison guard, and Ron Perlman plays Jagger Valance. Over all, TCOR has one of the best voice acting in a video game.

The game plays great. The stealth action is well done. FPS shooting is standard, but still fun. The hand-to-hand fighting is great. Using the analog sticks and the triggers to throw punches in different directions. It gives a nice feeling of throwing punches.

Escape From Butcher Bay shows you what a futuristic max security prison is like. And is a great game in almost every way. One downside is the length of the game. And the fact that there is no online mode.

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Chronicles of Riddick

Strengths: Excellent use of a license

Weakness: Probably could have used some multiplayer options

Not since Goldeneye has a game based on a movie few seemed to enjoy turned out this good. Riddick blasts it's way on the Xbox with amazing graphics, tight controls, and an engaging storyline.

Riddick may look like a standard fps at first but much like the Deus Ex games, you can accomplish your goals in several different ways. The game leaves you with the option to tackle the situtation and still keep the game moving at a nice pace. High production values means you'll find surprisingly good voice acting that really helps build the game's dark atmosphere(and it's rated 'M' for a reason).

Really, the only serious flaw I can find is the lack of multiplayer for the type of game it is but really, there are TONS of shooters out there with strong multiplayer options to get your fix at.

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This game is quality

Strengths: Engrossing first-person adventure, top-notch graphics, great voice work, great controls

Weakness: No multiplayer, maybe a little on the short side

Let me start off by saying that I have never seen either of the Riddick films (I actually have never even seen a Vin Diesel film period). The movies have always looked somewhat bad to me, but I gave this game a chance due to the great critical acclaim it got. I’m glad that I did, because The Chronicles Of Riddick is one of the most unique licensed games around.

The first thing you are going to notice when you pop Riddick into your Xbox is that the graphics are pretty stunning. You can tell that the development team really spent some time pushing the Xbox on this one. It's a very gritty game with superb lighting effects. The sound is also very well done with a lot of excellent voice work. Overall, very high production value all the way around.

The controls for the game should be pretty intuitave for those familiar with first-person shooters on the Xbox. You start the game with a lot of hand-to-hand combat (which is actually very well done) and as you progress you will rely more heavily on the weapons you pick up throughout the game.

There's also a nice mix of stealth and exploring mixed into this game. You can actually switch into third-person view to climb and jump on various objects.

The story is very well presented and it feels like you are playing through a Hollywood blockbuster. The one major downfall though is that there is no multiplayer. This is usually a very important aspect for first-person shooters, but due to the high quality of everything else in this game, it's easier to forgive them for not putting it in.

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Great Licensed Fun

Strengths: Gorgeous graphics, fun gameplay.

Weakness: Could be a little longer.

Wether it's in movies or games, Vin Diesel just wants to entertain you. If you weren't that pleased with the Chronicles of Riddick the movie, the game should be where you turn to because this games is just so much fun. Whether it's shanking fellow inmates or shooting the guards that are abusing their power, the gameplay is very good and allows for a lot of freedom in how you approach the game. The game just brings Riddick and the cast to the small screen in glory with sensational graphics that are pretty much the best on the Xbox. If you're looking for what the movie should have been or just want more first-person fun on the box, by all means pick this up. Just be aware that it may end before you know it, but it's one hell of a ride.

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Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

Strengths: Great graphics, great gameplay.

Weakness: Too short, and I can't really think of any other weaknesses.

Great game, all around. Very nice graphics, great sound and voice acting, nice shooting, really well done stealth moments, very cool game. The only problem is you could easily beat it in a couple days if you play it fairly often. Other than that, it's got so many little neat things it's hard to comment on them. Running up on a guard who's firing a rifle at you, then forcing his gun upward so he shoots himself is just entirely too satisfying. Not to mention getting a minigun and causing all sorts of havoc.

If you like shooters and/or action games, Riddick is one of the best. The mix of talking, shooting, and sneaking works very well and produces an excellent game.

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Chronicles of Riddick

Strengths: Graphics, Lighting, Sounds

Weakness: Hand to hand combat is a bit unruly

After seeing the movie I was reluctant to check out this game. As most of you know video games tied into movies tend to be rather bad.
This game however breaks this trend.
The gameplay is responsive, with the only exception being that at times the hand to hand combat becomes a battle of patience instead of a test of skill.
The graphics for this game are outstanding, it may be one of the best looking games on the Xbox.
Overall this is an excellent game, the story, while not the greatest, does a good job of drawing the player into the game. The game progresses at a good pace, providing enough to keep the player from getting bored.
I highly recommend this game for the Xbox.

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A single player FPS paradise on Xbox

Strengths: Good Story, Not just another FPS

Weakness: If anything short

One could surely make an arguement that The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay is to the Xbox what Goldeneye was to the Nintendo 64. When I first tried The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay I really wasn't expecting much more then another poorly put together game slathered with a movie licence to help it sell but was surprised when it was actually a very solid game. They did a good job at mixing different elements into a FPS shooter game as you will be using some stealth, hard to hand combat & even some thinking as you will have to interact with people in order to advance though the game at times. The biggest problem one could make about this game is that it dosen't really sport any kind of multiplayer & is only Xbox Live Aware but as for the single player mode I would highly recommend it to anyone that likes FPS/adventure games as it is easily one of the best on the Xbox.

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A great movie-based game.

Strengths: Fun, and acts as a side story to the movie rather than following it closely.

Weakness: Multi might've been nice.

Most people expect movie licensed games to be terrible, and rightly so. But not so with Riddick. While the movie may not have been incredible, the game is actually a lot of fun. It's a prequel to the films, rather than just a retelling of them, so fans of those movies have to play it. For the rest of us, it's just a good game, and very much worth playing.

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A Great Game That Follows A Great Movie

Strengths: Good Gameplay and Graphics

Weakness: Game is short

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay for XBox is a first person shooting game that is based on the movie of the same name. You take the role of Riddick and need to go through each level and complete the task given to you. The graphics are clear and crisp and the game is fun to play. The only problem is the game is a little short and should take less than 20 hours for most people to finish. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay is reccomended for shooting game fans and fans of the movie.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Graphics, Voice Acting, Presentation

Weakness: No Xbox Live or Multiplayer

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay is one of the rare video games from movies that are actually better than the movie it was based. Just because you didn't like the movie (did anybody?), you shouldn't rule out getting this game. This game was the action game of 2004 and certainly the biggest surprise that I found. The story and atmosphere are outstanding. Definitely recommended for anybody that wants to recommend and outstanding game only found on the Xbox.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Excellent graphics, voice work from name brand Hollywood actors, responsive controls, great first-person hand-to-hand combat, prequal to Pitch Black, Vin Diesel likeness and voice acting

Weakness: Limited online support, linear gameplay, short overall length, limited replay value, no multiplayer support

In interviews around the release of Triple X in theaters, Vin Diesel stated that he was excited about his involvement with the Triple X videogame for GBA and was forming his own company (Tigon Studios) to work more closely with his future gaming projects. Tigon had a role in the Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay as producer, but the real credit here must go to developer Starbreeze and publisher Vivendi Universal.

In Escape from Butcher Bay, Vin Diesel again portrays wanted fugitive Richard B. Riddick. The story picks up as he arrives at Butcher Bay triple maximum security prison, toughest slam in the universe and impossible to escape. As Riddick, your mission will be interact with the necessary criminal elements to gain the information, weapons and abilities you'll need to escape.

Starbreeze did a great job coding this title where the graphics, control and gameplay are concerned. This could have been just another Xbox FPS, but the visuals were truly stunning for their time. The hand-to-hand combat (fist and knife fights) are handled well from a first-person perspective, and the combination of these with movie quality actors (Michael Rooker, Ron Perlman, etc.), sound and storytelling help to raise this game high about the rest.

On the down side, Escape from Butcher Bay is linear and fairly short (8-10 hours total) with limited replay value and includes no multiplayer support. However if you're a FPS fan, don't let any of that persuade you from owning one of the very best first person shooters available for Xbox.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Great graphics and gameplay

Weakness: no multiplayer

Chronicles of Riddick is a mix of stealth and run-and-gun shooters. It's variety offers a good replay value for the game since it has no multiplayer mode. However, the single player does a great job of almost making up for the lack of multiplayer mode because of its great controls, graphics, and sound.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: One of the finest single player FPS's of the current generation

Weakness: No multiplayer

Having watched both Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick, I like how the game melds into the universe quite nicely. It's a nice mix of both stealth and action, with an incredible story. It is a bit on the short side, but it's one ride that's worth the price of admission.

Finally a movie game that, at times, even surpasses the movie of the same name.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Amazing graphics. Excellent gameplay.

Weakness: No multiplayer or online.

The Chronicles of Riddick Escape From Butcher Bay is an amazing FPS experience on the Xbox. The game takes place before the events of the movie. As Riddick, you have been imprisoned on a desolate planet. You must first fight to survive in jail by fighting other inmates. The hand to hand combat is excellent in this game. Punches are thrown by using the L and R triggers. You can also use shivs which make for a bloody good time. The game is rated M for mature and definitely earns that rating. The story, while short, is extremely well written and fun to play. Later in the game you can use guns and grenades and also pilot a giant walking mech. There is also a stealth element to the game were you can sneak and see around in the dark. There is not really anything bad to say about the game. The Chronicles of Riddick Escape from Butcher Bay is one the Xbox's best games. A+

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Beautiful graphics and lighting, good hand to hand combat for a first person shooter, excellent voice acting

Weakness: Game levels can be confusing.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay for the Xbox is easily one of the best looking titles available for the console. This is one of two things that make it stand above all the rest of the average first person shooters available. The graphics will make you feel like you're really stuck in a prison on some bleak, lonesome solar system. The second best thing about this game is the excellent voice talent. Every voice actor in the game does a great job (from the movie stars to the supporting cast)! The gameplay for this game is superb. You're not always running into fights head first. You'll have a nice blend of stealth, run/gun and even hand to hand combat! My only problem with this game is some of the levels are a little confusing. You might have to wander around a bit to see where you should go next. Other than that, this is a terrific buy for your xbox!

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: High quality all around. Fun at every moment. Should be able to find at bargain prices.

Weakness: Don't buy if you're looking for a multi- player game.

This game is a prequel to the Riddick sci-fi films "Pitch Black" and "The Chronicles of Riddick" and actually surpasses both movies in terms of story and entertainment value. The game's narrative follows Riddick's adventure as he tries to find his way out of the maximum security prison Butcher Bay.

It's hard to classify the game to a particular genre as it's more of a mixture of different types of play styles. Throughout the course of the game you'll encounter first person hand to hand combat and shooting, interaction with other characters, stealth, and even piloting a mini mech suit. This is all done with very fluid and seemless transitions and prevents the game from ever getting stale; keeping it exciting throughout.

It's also great because this means there is multiple ways to accomplish your goals. You can use stealth, disguise, or just go full on Rambo and slaughter everything that moves. This openness allows for a nice balance of freedom and structure. You don't feel confined by the game's boundaries with out losing direction and purpose.

Immersion and atmosphere is where the game excels. This is a high quality production. The voice acting, graphics, sound and responsive controls really absorb you into the game. All and all this game was made with care and attention to detail. It makes a great value and is a fine example of how licensed property should be integrated into a video game.

I would only recommend passing if you are looking for a more straight up first person shooter like Halo or a multiplayer game. Butcher Bay is more about the story and stepping into the shoes of Riddick.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

Strengths: Amazing graphics pushes the XBox to the max, terrific control in first and third player perspective, good use of stealth blended with action, Xbox Live aware so your friends can email you play

Weakness: Some objectives a bit hazy, starts off a little slow, may need to get use to the control scheme as it switches between first and third person

This excellent Xbox game covers the time in the story before Pitch Black. The story, cutscenes and voice acting (much of it by Vin Diesel himself) are simply amazing. The game play is almost a mere bonus to the story.

The frequent switches between first and third person perspective may seem ackward at first, but are well executed, smooth and mostly intuitive. Hand to hand combat is done very well in first person perspective and is a real joy to behold. Weapons use is not as good as Halo (or Halo 2) but grow on you over time. Stealth elements are also well executed. Objectives, as I mentioned above, can be a little vague at times which may lead to some random wandering, but all in all, it'll keep your interest.

The graphics are simply amazing and finally really let the Xbox shine. You'll feel like the movie is actually unfolding before your eyes, under your control! A true pleasure to play, it's well worth it's current bargain pricing. I bought it at launch and never regreted a minute. Enjoy!

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS rating of 3.62 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #256 game of all time, #6 game of 2004 for the Xbox and #29 Xbox game of all time. The rating and ranking is based on an average of 122 critic scores, awards and other criteria. To see a breakdown of the game ranking, read individual critic reviews, or see how other...

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

The Chronicles of Riddick is truly a rare breed -- games this great almost never arrive with this little fanfare.

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

“The dark can’t protect you.” Especially when those eyes penetrate the blackness and give sight where nothing is truly visible. Vivendi Universal in conjunction with Universal and Tigon Studios and Starbreeze Studios are the ones responsible for The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, game slated for release on the Xbox console system. The game is a prequel to the Vin Diesel...

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (xbox)

Love him or hate him, there's no denying that Vin Diesel epitomizes the ruthless action hero that is Richard B. Riddick. The character was first introduced as a killer in the underappreciated 2000 sci-fi film Pitch Black, and with a full-blown movie sequel about to hit the U.S. it seems only fitting that someone would jump at the chance to bust out a video game based on the character and his...

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (xbox)

When I first watched Pitch Black in 2000 I loved the vicious alien sci-fi flick despite its strict adherence to a well-traversed Alien formula. Who knew the quiet debut of Vin Diesel as the next super bad-ass would kick off an entire universe around its indifferent murderous anti-hero? I certainly didn't. What's more, I never expected Vivendi Universal Games to make a knockout first-person...

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The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

Set before the events of both Universal Pictures' upcoming summer release, The Chronicles of Riddick, starring Vin Diesel, and the 2000 breakout hit Pitch Black, which first introduced Diesel as enigmatic anti-hero Riddick, the game tells the story of Riddick's dramatic escape from the previously inescapable triple max security slam Butcher Bay, home to the most violent prisoners in the universe.

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