A shining gem of the Xbox, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay was one title that pushed the boundaries of console gaming and licensed games by providing a unique experience that stayed true to the universe in which it was based. Unfortunately for many gamers, it was an Xbox exclusive, and never saw the light of day on Sony hardware. Until now that is, as Starbreeze’s remake of the original classic will hit the PS3.

Assault on Dark Athena is more than just a straight remake. Aside from the requisite boost to high-def, the game will offer multiplayer (an element that the original game was sorely lacking) and a brand new campaign in addition to the original Escape from Butcher Bay. The added features are definitely a bonus for those who missed out on the original game. However, on their own merits, the whole package would seem a bit shoddy without the inclusion of Escape from Butcher Bay. The new campaign doesn’t really live up to the high standards of its predecessor, and aside from a great multiplayer mode that effectively captures the feel of the stealth-based single player game, the online element feels fairly run-of-the-mill. Still, if you were a Sony gamer who missed out on the original Riddick game when it launched, then this title is definitely a great bargain.

The Escape from Butcher Bay element of Assault on Dark Athena has been left largely untouched, save for HD graphical boost. For those not in the know, the original campaign is a prequel to the events that transpire in the Chronicles of Riddick film, which involves the “hero” (or villain as some would say) being incarcerated at Butcher Bay, a reputed prison colony not known for escapees. Therefore, it’s up to the player to employ some pretty crafty dealings and take advantage of Riddick’s special abilities to bust out. The original title emphasized more cerebral pursuits as opposed to simply blasting your way from one point to another. You’d often have to take out enemies using stealth and impromptu weapons like shivs, and often times avoid combat altogether. Along your journey, you’d have to meet and gain the assistance of other prisoners or guards on the colony, be it to get into certain areas or gain access to new items. The story added some new elements to the Riddick franchise, and offered up some truly compelling gameplay.

However, as a straight remake of the original game probably wouldn’t fly as a $60 dollar investment (regardless of how great the original was), Assault on Dark Athena features a brand new single-player campaign called, well, just that. Assault on Dark Athena follows the events of the Escape from Butcher Bay story arc, with Riddick and his captor Johns being brought aboard a ship of renegade mercs led by a person straight from Riddick’s past. Therefore, escape is the name of the game once again, as the stowaway Riddick must fight his way to get off of the ship, but not before settling a few scores.

Assault on Dark Athena is a fun addition to the original game, offering up more story elements and new gameplay for fans of the original who couldn’t get enough. However, there are some noticeable shortcomings, especially when compared to the original Riddick title. The campaign feels a lot more restrictive and linear than the original game, and while you will interact with other people on board the ship (who are prisoners, ironically) this element of the game feels a lot more secondary than it did in the original. All in all, the Assault on Dark Athena campaign feels somewhat lacking when compared to Escape from Butcher Bay.

Additionally, the story elements aren’t fleshed out terribly well in Dark Athena. The dialogue is very cheesy, and it’s pretty hard to muster up a real desire to help out the prisoners on board of the ship when every other word out of their mouth is a venomous insult hurled at you. While the Butcher Bay campaign does a nice job of setting the stage for the events that unfold in the film, Dark Athena doesn’t really feel like it brings any compelling story elements to the table.

Aside from the two single-player campaigns, the game also features online multiplayer for the first time. The online component offers up several different modes, the coolest of which being the Pitch Black mode. In this mode, one player will become Riddick, while the others will have to hunt him down in a completely dark area. While Riddick has his ability to see in the dark, the others will have to rely on flashlights to spot and take him down. The downside to being Riddick is that you don’t have access to any guns, and limited to using your Ulaks for melee combat and stealth to take out your enemies. Once someone kills Riddick, that player then becomes him and the game begins again.

While the Pitch Black mode is a lot of fun, the rest of the multiplayer element falls pretty short. Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag play just like you’d expect them too, and the other new mode, Butcher Bay Riot, a 3-team take on Counterstrike, feels like it ends far too quickly to be a truly compelling multiplayer game.

Graphically, Assault on Dark Athena looks pretty good, but not as great as it could have been. The original title took excellent advantage of the Xbox’s hardware, offering some visuals that were amazing for 2004. Unfortunately, while the game isn’t ugly by any means and features a pretty competent HD look, it’s lost some luster in the 5 years since it’s released and doesn’t really compete with the likes of Gears of War or Killzone 2. The PS3 version also suffers from a few graphical bugs here and there, including clipping and disappearing characters, and generally lacks the polish of its Xbox 360 counterpart.

The sound effects are well done for the most part. Vin Diesel’s deadpan delivery is as eerie as ever, effectively capturing the character’s dark streak and brooding tone, but there are some script issues (including the aforementioned cheesy dialogue) and some over-the-top acting from secondary characters. However, aside from that, the music does a great job of capturing the mood and the sound effects are solid.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is a solid action title that undoubtedly gets a boost by having the original classic Escape from Butcher Bay included in the package. However, simply off of the merits of the new campaign and multiplayer, the game wouldn’t be nearly as recommendable without it.

Gameplay: 8.0
The release benefits by including the original Escape from Butcher Bay in the package, which was one of the most compelling FPS titles around when it launched in 2004. Unfortunately, the Assault on Dark Athena campaign isn’t quite as good.

Graphics: 7.5
The game features a high-def boost to the original engine and a few new bells and whistles, but what was ground-breaking five years ago isn’t nearly as impressive today. The PS3 version suffers from a variety of graphical glitches that hurt the score.

Sound: 8.5
While the script is cheesy at times, the voice work, particularly Diesel’s, is appropriately brooding. The sound effects and score are also well done.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.0
While the packaging of the original title is a great move, the new campaign and story elements leave something to be desired.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The new Pitch Black mode is great and a lot of fun, but the other modes feel old hat.

Overall: 7.8
Assault on Dark Athena is a great deal for players, as it gives those PS3 owners who missed out on the phenomenal Escape from Butcher Bay the chance to check it out in HD, with a host of perks. However, based solely on the strength of these perks, it’s a bit harder to recommend for those who played through Riddick’s first console game.