The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a video game 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 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. Chronicles of Riddick on the other hand received a good deal of critical acclaim, and was generally viewed as a very accomplished and innovative experience.
Gameplay
While many considered the accompanying movie to be a flop, the game, which functioned as a prequel to Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick movies, had an engaging adventure game style feel, with combat sequences featuring well-integrated first-person fighting and gunplay. The game also managed to successfully mix 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).
For many, Riddick's mix of close and long-range gameplay marked a truly innovative take on the genre. Indeed, not only could Riddick dispatch enemies close-up with a wide range of melée weapons, he could even perform several special moves, breaking a guard's neck or given grabbing hold of his weapon and using it against him.
Stealth was also approached in a suitably innovative fasion. Instead of using the now ubiquitous light meter to indicate when Riddick was concealed, the game simply tinted the screen a subtle blue.
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