starbreeze
Latest
Rumorang: Riddick dev helming new Syndicate game
A new report suggests that Starbreeze Studios is working on a new Syndicate game, with Electronic Arts set to publish. Word of the Riddick and The Darkness dev's involvement with the title first made the rounds last October. Possibly related is a new casting call posted on superannuation for actors in an upcoming "futuristic" Starbreeze/EA title called "DART," which according to the post will be set in a "high tech city."Though nothing has been formally announced, sources tell GI.biz that the Syndicate series is behind EA and Starbreeze's mysterious Project RedLime, which was originally referred to as a "classic franchise" for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. While that project was said to be "already deep in development" in February 2008, don't expect to revisit the classic cyberpunk series anytime soon. According to the report, the new Syndicate title won't be released until Starbreeze finishes up its current project based on Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne. Until then, the four gentlemen in the corner giving us the crazy eyes will just have to wait.
Riddick dev diary drones on about drones
Atari has released a new developer diary video for Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. The video centers around the game's story, which the developers at Starbreeze consider the next chapter in the Chronicles of Riddick saga. The video also spends a great deal of time talking about the drone enemy. The drone is essentially a cyborg with rudimentary AI that can also be controlled remotely. Kind of a crappy life, really.Finally, the video highlights the different ways the game can be played. According to the developers, it's possible to play the game guns blazing or in a stealthier manner. Us, we'll probably opt for the method with the heaviest use of Riddick's razor-sharp "ulak" blades.Check out some new screens in the gallery below.%Gallery-48248%
Riddick assaults Dark Athena April 7 in North America, Europe April 24
Riddick better get all those dark, monotone soliloquies out of his system before assaulting the Dark Athena crew on April 7 in North America, and April 24 in Europe. Atari sends word that The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena will be available for PC, PS3 and X360, with demos releasing in March for the console versions.Don't forget that Dark Athena also comes with an enhanced Escape from Butcher's Bay, so there'll be plenty of Riddick packed onto the disc come April.Update: Big Download has word that a PC demo is in the works. No word of when it'll release, though.%Gallery-38368%
Bourne is born again at EA
Assassin Jason Bourne has been detained by EA, as the publisher announced today it now holds "exclusive worldwide license" to games based on the works of Robert Ludlum. Starbreeze Studios, best known for the Riddick games and The Darkness, is handling the first Bourne title in the multi-year agreement between EA and Ludlum Entertainment.EA gained the opportunity to pick up the Bourne license after Activision-Blizzard dropped the series to focus on its own machismo spy: Bond ... James Bond. This whole licensing reshuffle also leaves the rumored multiplayer Treadstone title, allegedly in development by Radical Entertainment, in an even more unclear position. There's currently no indication on when the new Bourne game will punch and parkour its way to stores.
Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena gets new trailer
We hope we're not alone in this, but we sure miss Vin Diesel when we don't get to see him for a while. The reasons should be more than evident in this new trailer for Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, which we've just lifted from our friends at Xbox 360 Fanboy.Vin Diesel is a video game character. He's bald, he's buff, he speaks only in low growls and he loves to kill people. All he's missing is a bitchin' rock guitar soundtrack to follow him around everywhere, and we think you'll agree that the above trailer fills that need effortlessly.
Video: Riddick - Assault on Dark Athena 'Desperation' trailer
We couldn't have been more excited when we heard that one of the most under appreciated original Xbox titles, The Chronicles of Riddick, was going to get a next-gen upgrade. When we heard the upgrade also included an entire new campaign plus new multiplayer modes, our heads nearly exploded. Above is the latest trailer, titled "Desperation," for The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, which showcases stealth action, both hand-to-hand and weapon combat, and more legendary Vin Diesel dialog.
Dark Athena is an 'episodic expansion'
Even with a new 10-hour campaign to its credit, we'd suggest portioning out your time with Starbreeze's shiny remake of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay when it arrives next spring. According to Eurogamer, Tigon Studios views the upcoming Assault on Dark Athena as an "episodic expansion" to the original Xbox classic, while an actual sequel is still "a couple of years out." The Diesel-fueled developer calls the theoretical sequel "ambitious," adding that its arrival is largely contingent on whether or not the fans like the upcoming title and "tell us [they] want more." In short, money talks if players want to continue to live vicariously through Vin Diesel's manly virtual physique. Then again, there's always The Wheelman ... maybe.
Chronicles of Riddick multiplayer includes 'Pitch Black' mode (no word on grues)
With new publisher in tow, and new 10-hour campaign out in the open, Starbreeze's more-make-than-remake Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is barreling towards that early 2009 release with a few more tricks up its sleeve ... well, Riddick rocks a tank-top, but you get the idea. CVG has details about the game's multiplayer modes – yup, they're adding in multiplayer, where the original 2004 release had none. Now, we're with you: not every FPS needs a multiplayer mode – more often than not, they seem like back-of-the-box bullet-point more than integral component – but let's give Dark Athena a chance, shall we?In addition to standard-issue 12-player deathmatch and CTF modes, Dark Athena boasts an interesting "Butcher Bay Riot" gametype featuring three teams of four players each, ranging from guards to mercenaries to prisoners, each trying to make their way to a "central power cell." More interesting than that: a "Pitch Black" gametype featuring a (get this!) pitch black arena full of grunts armed with little more than a flashlight and a gun, each looking for he-can-totally-see-in-the-dark Riddick. Kill Riddick and you're Riddick next round. Rinse, repeat. With 20 maps "planned" for the final product, it sounds like Dark Athena's multiplayer may be more than an afterthought – but we'll let you know as soon as we see it.%Gallery-38368%
Riddick comes out of hiding in new Dark Athena video
Starbreeze wasn't cooling its heels while it waited for word on a new publisher for The Chronicle of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, as evidenced by this first video of the game in all its current, two-games-in-one glory. We've seen it in action and can attest to the fact that, yes, it actually looks like this on 360 and PS3 (though it will also be hitting PC).The video features a couple of elements that we were especially impressed by. The first is a visual nuance, but one that speaks to the effort being put into the polishing of the final game. In the segment where Riddick hangs from a pipe and moves along it, hand over hand, there wasn't one iota of clipping – no "hand through wrist" glitching, nada. The look of the game is extremely solid. The new gameplay mechanics are impressive as well. The half-man, half-weapon characters in this trailer are "drones" – cyborgs created by the Dark Athena crew from the hapless passengers of ships they've raided. Riddick can kill these enemies and use them as human shields, while using the gun grafted to their arm to shoot. As you'd expect from a real body, it's difficult to push it forward, but dragging it's a snap (which factors into overall strategy). It's also possible to control these guys from a remote terminal, hence the red-hued POV you catch at one point during the footage. Download in HD (79MB)
Riddick debut trailer is dark, gravelly
"The darkness, for me, is where I shine," says Vin Diesel as Riddick, his greatest character (apart from the Iron Giant, of course). While it's clear that his daily breakfast of Gravel-Os probably ruined his chances at a singing career, it's also obvious that Riddick has a bright future in killing people with knives. Put bluntly (sharply?), The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena looks great, as is made plainly clear by the debut trailer above. Given that the game is being made by the same team that made the original (which fared very well), we're hopeful that it plays just as good as it looks. We'll find out when the game ships early next year.
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%
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?
Rumor: Comic Con brings The Darkness sequel talk
Comic Con is not only good for comic related news and culture, but also for semi-official video game sequel announcements as well. It's true!According to The Quarter Bin's recap of Top Cow Production' Comic Con panel, when talking about their future comic book licensing agreements they responded by hinting pretty heavily that The Darkness 2 is real and in the works. More specifically, Top Cow told everyone in attendance that "we can't say DARKNESS and video game sequel in the same sentence. So, DARKNESS. Wink. Sequel." So, there you have it. A possibly, maybe, probably The Darkness sequel announcement straight from The Darkness creators Top Cow. Fun stuff.[Via Joystiq]
Rumor: The Darkness sequel looking likely after NY Comic Con panel
Like rummaging through celebrity trash for the latest gossip, it often makes us chuckle as to where new video game news emerges, something only reinforced by last weekend's New York Comic Con. Buried beneath action figures, cosplayers, and that Super Girl Barbie we absolutely must have, came word of an upcoming sequel to last year's comic-inspired FPS The Darkness.The news was unleashed during a discussion panel with American comic company and The Darkness publisher TOP COW, during which (according to comic blog The Quarter Bin) it was said: "We can't say Darkness and video game sequel in the same sentence. So, Darkness. Wink. Sequel." While hardly an absolute confirmation, the news is enough to make our stomach rumble with a hunger that only hearts will quell.[Via WorthPlaying]
The Darkness gets new, free multiplayer map
We like to imagine that someone at 2K or Starbreeze Studios recently ran out of batteries for their flashlight. They went rifling through their utility drawer, pushing aside empty light bulb boxes and corn cob holders before they found the AAs they were looking for. But there, underneath them, just to the right of the broken remote for the VHS player ... is that ... a multiplayer map for The Darkness?If that's not how the situation shook out, we have no other explanation. It's months after the game's release and nobody that we know ever really got in to the multiplayer. At least the price for this new map ("DM_Haunt") is right: Free. So, if your Darkness multiplayer menu option hasn't complied shriveled up and fallen off from disuse, feel free to give it a spin.
Look! The Darkness gets free multiplayer DLC
After hopping onto the XBLM this morning, we were surprised to come across new downloadable content for none other than The Darkness. Odd, no? The new DLC can be found under the "New Releases" section of the Marketplace under the not so convenient title "Darkness MP Map: DM_Haunt" (uhh, wha?). The content features the multiplayer map DM_Haunt which is set in the streets of New York City, a new death match and team death match game mode as well as the ability to customize your shapeshifter, darkling or human character. The best part about the DLC is the fact that it is 100% free. Worst part about the DLC is that it's for The Darkness' multiplayer of which we don't know of anyone who has played it in the last three months. Oh well, free content is free content.
_redimensionar.jpg.cf.jpg)
We won't see Riddick until 2008
For all of you who were looking forward to some Riddick action before the end of the year, we're sorry. With all the hard-hitting titles coming out by the end of this year, we're not all too surprised to see this game move itself into next year. Sure, this gives it more time to become as fantastic as the original Xbox counterpart, but it's also good to know when you're fighting in a crowded arena.Starbreeze's Assault on Dark Athena is mostly remake of the original, Escape from Butcher Bay, with some added chapters for expanded excellence. This point is another supposed reason for the delay -- people moaned the game was simply a remake and demanded more original content. Starbreeze might be doing just that. Either way, we'll find out in 2008!
Riddick's next-gen remake delayed until 2008
Legend has it, there were people – humans – that actually enjoyed the Chronicles of Riddick film, starring The Pacifier himself, Vin Diesel. Those "people" are now in the dark on the real status of a sequel – or sequels, as it was envisioned – but fans of the wow-it's-really-pretty-good Chronicles of Riddick video game were looking forward to a next-gen remake, dubbed Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena touching down in 2007. Unfortunately, Sierra has confirmed that Riddick will join the rest of the delayed games this year, and be pushed back until 2008. The game's original developer, Starbreeze Studios, are back to "reinvent" their effort with an additional chapter, some online multiplayer, and of course high-definition muscles for our Riddick character (those have to be just right).
