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New impressions of Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
Our PC loving brethren over at Big Download recently got a chance to sit down for a hands-off session of The Chronicles: Assault on Dark Athena. Dark Athena is essentially two games in one, as it is both a remake of the first Riddick title, Escape from Butcher Bay, and it also includes a brand new campaign entitled (you guessed it) Assault on Dark Athena. Fans of the original will be happy to hear that the new campaign can be started from the outset, so it won't be necessary to play the enhanced original unless you want to.Big Download notes that the entire team that created Escape from Butcher Bay has returned to work on Dark Athena, ensuring that the game is more than just a simple remake. Dark Athena takes place directly after the first game, with Riddick tasked with escaping the Dark Athena, a ship replete with shadows and enemies that need killing. Among the new enemies are Drones, remote controlled androids that Riddick can incapacitate and use as shields. Riddick can also ustilise an incapacitated Drone's gun and, with the help of a control station, can even control Drones directly. This comes in handy should you find heavy opposition or otherwise impassable obstacles. Overall, it sounds like the game is shaping up well for its 2009 release.Head over to Big Download for full impressions.
Riddick: Dark Athena coming early '09, features new 10-hour campaign
click to enlarge It's no secret that Atari rescued Starbreeze Studios' hi-def remake of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay after Activision-Blizzard kicked it to the curb. What you don't know – and we didn't know until we recently saw it in action – is that those added "Dark Athena" levels are quite substantial. They've been expended into an entirely new, 10-plus-hour campaign, complete with new game mechanics, full-game production values ... the works.Starbreeze told us that, despite the game being absent from anyone's radar for quite some time, it never let up on development. In fact, the acquisition of the game by Atari has afforded the team upwards of nine additional months of development time, hence the (essentally) second full game and what the team was visibly ecstatic about: more time to polish every last detail.The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (Escape from Butcher's Bay is still there, looks amazing, and will incorporate new gameplay and tech developed for Dark Athena) is set for release in spring of 2009. Check back tomorrow for our full impressions of the new campaign.%Gallery-38368%
Atari unleashes Tekken 6 and Riddick screens
As part of today's press conference, Atari unloaded a bunch of fresh screenshots for next year's upcoming Tekken 6 and Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. You can view the Tekken and Riddick screens below, but be warned about those Riddick screens. If you thought Gears of War was lacking color, then keep clear of Riddick's drab and dull "color" palette. Actually, it isn't so much a color palette as it is a black to white gradient. %Gallery-38363%%Gallery-35705%
Chronicles of Riddick picked up by Atari, now has brand new campaign
Atari today announced that it will publish The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena from Tigon Studios and The Darkness developer Starbreeze Studios. The title was previously announced as a graphically enhanced remake of the original Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay that would also feature a new chapter and multiplayer support. According to the press release, not only will the game include the remake of the original campaign, but the new chapter has now been expanded to include "a brand new full-length campaign" as well as the previously announced online multiplayer support. We're just going to guess that might be why the game missed its original winter 2007 release date.The newly revamped Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is expected to release in spring 2009. Check out a hi-res version of the first screenshot by clicking the image above.
Riddick remake and (maybe) Ghostbusters go to Atari
Continuing its long climb back to Phil Harrison-lead relevance, Atari has picked up an Acti/Blizzard merger cast off and might have made a home for another, according to Variety. The company will publish Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, adding not only multiplayer but a new campaign to the original Xbox release. "Originally it was just a remake, but we started thinking more and felt that wasn't super compelling," said Bill Kispert, head of interactive for Universal. Yeah, Bill. No kidding. Variety also reports that Atari has picked up long-term licensing rights to Riddick to allow the possibility of more sequels. The trade pub says it understands that a similar deal could be in place for Ghostbusters, as was previously hinted by Dan Akroyd, though that hasn't been confirmed yet.Well, finally, it seems all the Acti/Blizzard orphans have found good homes. ... Wait a minute, who's that sad, long-haired boy in the corner?
Wanted game brings next-gen bullet curving
Universal and GRIN are working on a Wanted game, and we got to take a peek behind the scenes during E3. Faster than you can say "rushing a movie title into development" our cynical preconceptions were shattered. Not only were we impressed with the gameplay they showed us, we also were bolstered by the fact that one of the developers cared enough to drop the f-bomb several times during our appointment.Find out more about this upcoming title after the break. If you haven't seen the film, watch out for spoilers and don't come crying to us later.%Gallery-27891%
Ask X3F: Riddick-ulous edition
With so many editions of Ask X3F come and gone, one would think that we would have answered them all by now. But no, man is a curious creature, a creature whose thirst for knowledge will not be slaked. Also, it turns out, people just love asking questions about unreleased games. The most recent game-du-semaine is none other than The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. Announced just over a year ago, it missed its projected 2007 release and sank into obscurity. What happened to it? Find our best theory (and feel free to submit your own) after the break Oh, and we answer other questions too.Got a question for Ask X3F? Maybe you have a story or some information you'd like to share? Send it all to ask [at] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.
GDC08: The eight best stories in gaming
Tuesday afternoon four well-known games industry writers and designers got together to discuss the best storytelling gaming has to offer in a panel entitled "Stories Best Played: Deconstructing the Best Interactive Storytelling." Each of the authors brought a pair of games that they viewed as some of the narratively strongest yet made. Prior to the panel all four men played the ten titles, and came prepared to talk about the strengths and merits of each. Panelists Richard Rouse (Paranoid Productions), Steve Meretzky (Blue Fang), Marc Laidlaw (Valve Software), and Ken Rolston (Big Huge Games) offered up, in essence, a 'top eight' list for gamers looking to get more from exposition than explosions. Read on for views from a panel of expert opinions on the likes of Loom, BioShock, Phoenix Wright and the legendary Planescape: Torment.
Riddick devs to revisit EA classic in mystery project
Electronic Arts announced that it is working on a new project with The Darkness and Chronicles Of Riddick devs Starbreeze Studios to revisit one of EA's "most acclaimed classic franchises" for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. As for which one, EA's keeping mum, simply dubbing the effort Project RedLime and leaving our imaginations to run wild. Work has apparently been ongoing on Project RedLime for some time, as Starbreeze CEO Johan Kristiansson comments that the team is " already deep in development" on the project. Nothing else, and mean nothing, is known about the mysterious project, though EA notes that more details will be revealed "in the coming months," leading us to hope that this game, whatever form it takes, will be among EA's salvo fired during this year's E3. We're crossing our fingers for James Pond.
Get your shivs ready -- multiplayer Riddick confirmed by Sierra
We've got a soft spot for Riddick. Not so much Vin Deisel, but the original film that started it all, Pitch Black, was campy and awesome. If you disagree, you've probably got a little more sense than us. Or you've got poor sci-fi horror movie taste. Whatever the case, Riddick is pretty badass and this attribute was exemplified in the original Xbox title Escape From Butcher Bay. Now retitled Assault on Dark Athena, the recently announced remake sports high-definition graphics and added enhancements in addition to the "Dark Athena" chapter.For the first time, says publisher Sierra, action will go from the Butcher Bay, er, episode, and throw players "in intense multiplayer combat. The game introduces the ominous Merc-ship Dark Athena, which sits silent like a marauding spider, awaiting helpless prey in the dark reaches of the galaxy. Players must face a large, bloodthirsty operation led by the dreaded Captain Revas and her slaves-turned-controllable combat drones, storm though death-defying events and fight fierce enemies in a battle of malice and gore." Malice and gore? Sounds like a double whammy of awesome. Sign us up! We'll keep tabs on this game as its release later this year grows closer.
Riddick remake confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360
It seems like only last week that we were given the first details on a Chronicles of Riddick remake, and now we have official confirmation from Sierra that the "reinvention," now subtitled Assault on Dark Athena, will be released later this year for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.Besides the mandatory visual enhancement, the game will also feature a new chapter (entitled Dark Athena, natch) and online multiplayer. Not mentioned in Sierra's press release is the previously-discussed developer's commentary mode. The original Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay for Xbox One and PC stands as one of the few games that not only puts a film license to good use, but actually might surpass the movie in terms of critical reception.[Thanks, sheppy]
Riddick Remake coming from Starbreeze
According to UK magazine MCV, Starbreeze will be revisiting The Chronicles of Riddick after finishing The Darkness. Pro-G reports that the game, reportedly a remake, will be called The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and that the game will feature a longer single-player campaign, online multiplayer support, and a developer's commentary mode. Frankly, we really dig the idea of hearing developer commentary as we play. Perhaps this is a feature we might see in more new-gen titles. When Pro-G contacted Vivendi Games for comment, a representative wouldn't provide any details but noted that an announcement is expected soon.Anyone out there excited to fight their way through a retooled Riddick?[Via Joystiq]
Scary new screens of The Darkness
It seems like The Darkness looks a little better every time we see it. Gamertag Radio got their hands on 21 new screens of the game, and they look sharp. The amount of detail and the use of lighting is very nice. Considering The Darkness is coming from the same people that brought us The Chronicles of Riddick, it's not exactly surprising that they're delivering a pretty game. More importantly, it looks like it will fun to play, too. Throw in some sweet multiplayer and we should have another great 360 title. The Darkness is expected to drop this quarter. Anyone got it on their wish list?
Creepy pics of The Darkness
Xboxygen has posted some nice -- mildly disturbing -- images of The Darkness, Starbreeze's horror themed FPS. Starbreeze was behind Chronicles of Riddick -- and the underrated Enclave -- so they have quite a legacy to live up to. Hopefully, The Darkness will deliver. If these screens are anything to go by, it looks like it will.Anyone looking forward to this one?
The Wiimote as a Power Glove
From the hey, that's a great idea department comes a conceptual rendering of what it would be like to throw caution and embarrassment to the wind and strap a pair of wiimotes to your arms. The full ad depicts a guy with a Wii controller on each punch-capable limb next to some screenshots of the Xbox titles, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, Breakdown and Fight Night Round 3. The connection between dual wiielding action and Super Punch-Out should be obvious in your mind, though we recommend you swiftly move on to the conclusion we reached:Namco Bandai should port Breakdown to the Wii. Immediately. The game (which had a really fun story) was critically undone by unwieldy controls and unfair combat, problems that could very well disappear when given the opportunity to beat up those pesky T'lan warriors (or hallucinated cats) by flailing your own, more reliable fists. Oh, and let's not forget the joys associated with consuming magically restorative soda and protein bars. [Via 4cr. Kudos to zaiten.]
