The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is by far one of the most outstanding games from the outstanding past few months that the Xbox has had. It's packed with style, variety, and a cinematic flair that could only come from a game of this caliber.
The first thing you notice about EfBB is that is has amazing graphics. Thanks to normal mapping, dynamic lighting and ragdoll physics, this is the best looking Xbox game ever and I could go so far to say that it competes with even the latest PC games in visual quality. The interface is amazing as well. If you have no gun in your hands, you see absolutely no interface. When you have a gun, the bullet count is displayed on the barrel, and you aim with a laser sight. Your health is only shown when it comes under assualt. This makes the immersion factor all the more believeable. However, graphics are only part of the package.
The gameplay is innovative and varied, so this game couldn't be branded as just a first-person shooter. No, in fact, it is an FPS, a stealth action game, and a fighter. All of these elements are seemlessly blended together, and no matter what you do, Riddick makes you feel like a badass. You can sneak up behind guards and snap their necks, or turn their own guns on them. Or, if you have a rifle or shotgun, you can blast away, in awe of the intensity. There are also sequences when you can just explore the prison and talk to prisoners, and you can even take little quests for money or weapons. The variety of gameplay here is really EfBB's best point.
One of my gripes about the game is that some of the stealth parts can rely on a lot of trial and error, and I found myself reloading sections over and over until I found an alternate path past the baddies. Any other issues of mine are too minor to have an effect on the overall game.
Briefly:
Highs - Jaw-dropping graphics; execellently developed and varied gameplay; a truely cinematic experience.
Lows - Some sections of gameplay rely on trial and error a little too much.
Bottom Line - If anything, rent this game. It is one of the finest Xbox titles to date.
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