The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 186 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 129 out of 186
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 186
  3. Negative: 18 out of 186
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  1. MrA
    Jun 10, 2009
    8
    Great game overall. Great story, graphics, and gameplay. Escape from Butcher Bay is a classic and deserves to be played by everyone However, Dark Athena leaves you wanting more as it starts off great but goes downhill from there. Also the graphics create a very lit effect which can hurt your eyes if you play too long. Also its said that after being upgraded to next gen there is no save Great game overall. Great story, graphics, and gameplay. Escape from Butcher Bay is a classic and deserves to be played by everyone However, Dark Athena leaves you wanting more as it starts off great but goes downhill from there. Also the graphics create a very lit effect which can hurt your eyes if you play too long. Also its said that after being upgraded to next gen there is no save function only checkpoints. This is somewhat annoying since some parts of the game are free roaming and you have to pass a checkpoint in order to save.… Expand
  2. CB
    Aug 5, 2009
    7
    At first, the crap graphics made this game an eye sore to me (it's also generally very dark and I couldn't play with a decent enough frame rate at higher graphic settings) and the beginning game play was awkward (not having played Butcher Bay before). Shortly into the game I began to actually appreciate it and felt the urge to finish it all the way through. The game only has At first, the crap graphics made this game an eye sore to me (it's also generally very dark and I couldn't play with a decent enough frame rate at higher graphic settings) and the beginning game play was awkward (not having played Butcher Bay before). Shortly into the game I began to actually appreciate it and felt the urge to finish it all the way through. The game only has about 6 hours of game play but it gets straight to the point. It's a nice variety of shooting, hand to hand combat, and strategy (mainly if finding ways to climb/crawl/jump and overall maneuver into new rooms or areas). I enjoyed putting a few hours into this 'different' FPS and I give it a decent 7/10 but nothing more. It's worth beating the adventure once and getting to use the weapons towards the end of the game (SCAR gun and the mechs are sick). Not super impressed but satisfied.… Expand
  3. Vicon
    May 7, 2012
    9
    Anybody who panned this game is friggin' retarded. Very evocative of the movies, extremely enjoyable to play, very little to complain about. Fighting is visceral and enjoyable, environments are engrossing and if you buy it in a bundle with the original game it's an exceptional value. Throws a few curve balls to shake you out of complacency, and there is as much fun to be had stealthingAnybody who panned this game is friggin' retarded. Very evocative of the movies, extremely enjoyable to play, very little to complain about. Fighting is visceral and enjoyable, environments are engrossing and if you buy it in a bundle with the original game it's an exceptional value. Throws a few curve balls to shake you out of complacency, and there is as much fun to be had stealthing around as running and gunning. What I enjoyed the most is the game starts with you being incarcerated in a super-max prison that no-one should be able to escape -- and after you do just that the lengths your captors go to contain you just get wilder and wilder from there. There are a couple of moments in this game I will NEVER forget -- and that's saying something. Great bargain, great game, great fun.… Expand
  4. SilverHaze
    Jan 16, 2011
    10
    To be honest, when i played the Butcher's Bay demo years ago, i thought i won't like this game, but i had to admit that I was wrong :
    With the whole story (not the cut from demo), the good voice cast (play it in english guys!) and the good mix of steal-action-adventure, Riddick game is a succes: some part (sneaking into the dark and kill silently) reminds me Hitman, some others hunt-phase    To be honest, when i played the Butcher's Bay demo years ago, i thought i won't like this game, but i had to admit that I was wrong :
    With the whole story (not the cut from demo), the good voice cast (play it in english guys!) and the good mix of steal-action-adventure, Riddick game is a succes: some part (sneaking into the dark and kill silently) reminds me Hitman, some others hunt-phase reminds me AvP, and the overal story is as good as a game-from-movie should be..
    Of course, the game is not perfect (keyb assign can be better, also like some secondary caracter's anims), but for a low priced game, i thing we got a very great deal!
    The story from 2004 is also in, so its 2 good game for 1 bought.
    Nice ;)    … Expand
  5. DaveTheJackal
    Jan 22, 2011
    10
    I liked this. Good shooter/sneeker. Not exactly open world but ;evel design reminded a bit of Deus Ex (in structure rather than appearance). Good antidote to the current bout of corridor shooters.
  6. HaruRuben
    Jan 7, 2012
    10
    absolutely amazing. The storyline is fantastic, the tension is brilliant. Why didn't they hire these guys to make the movies? Lurking in the shadows... waiting to pounce... so much fun. There's only been a few times in my life when I wanted to jump into the game and kick @ss, from an emotional standpoint when the kid's mother is murdered by that prisoner... oh, man I enjoyed beating him toabsolutely amazing. The storyline is fantastic, the tension is brilliant. Why didn't they hire these guys to make the movies? Lurking in the shadows... waiting to pounce... so much fun. There's only been a few times in my life when I wanted to jump into the game and kick @ss, from an emotional standpoint when the kid's mother is murdered by that prisoner... oh, man I enjoyed beating him to death.
    When you find out what the pirates are doing to their captives... that really made me want to kill every last one of them. While there is a strong stealth aspect to the game, I made it a point to go and kill every last one of those space pirates.    … Expand
  7. Steeldude
    Apr 15, 2015
    9
    Slightly worse than the previous game and not as memorable, but in all other aspects, it's basically the same game. The story is a little worse, but the gameplay is still a mix of action and stealth and it is as fun as in the first game. It's just not as good as Escape from Butcher Bay, though. 8/10

    However, I got Escape from Butcher Bay in the first place because it is included in this    Slightly worse than the previous game and not as memorable, but in all other aspects, it's basically the same game. The story is a little worse, but the gameplay is still a mix of action and stealth and it is as fun as in the first game. It's just not as good as Escape from Butcher Bay, though. 8/10

    However, I got Escape from Butcher Bay in the first place because it is included in this game for free, so all in all, it's a great deal and a really good bundle. The gameplay reminded me of Deus Ex, so if you liked that series, this one may interest you as well, even though it's nowhere near as complex as far as game mechanics are concerned.    … Expand
  8. RibsR
    Apr 22, 2009
    9
    Love it! It's not quite as good as butcher bay, but still manages to stay true to itself. I love the atmosphere and the gameplay is fantastic! There are quite a few bugs that they need to work out, but that doesnt take away from this great game. + and Butcher Bay is included! maybe not such a plus for those who already had butcher bay... I'm still very impressed.
  9. LuisV
    Apr 24, 2009
    9
    Great setting, play mechanics, story. Different than the average shooter. Needs some improvements, but definitely worth picking up.
  10. RamonA
    Dec 12, 2009
    9
    One of the few movie games that stays true to the movie Butcher Bay is a must play, atleast. However Dark Athena uses to many instances where guns are required to still have the "Riddick" flavor.
  11. hellznrg
    Sep 6, 2012
    10
    Great game... I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just like its predecessor, there's lots of stealth, combat, cliffhangers, great story and writing, fairly difficult enemies, etc. And this time around there's a wee damsel in distress to save... what's better than that?? The game is reasonably short so easy to get it over with and back to real life. (i personally hate games that go on and onGreat game... I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just like its predecessor, there's lots of stealth, combat, cliffhangers, great story and writing, fairly difficult enemies, etc. And this time around there's a wee damsel in distress to save... what's better than that?? The game is reasonably short so easy to get it over with and back to real life. (i personally hate games that go on and on interminably.. some of us have real lives, you know!)

    there were a few bugs (upon entering a level, the lighting is wrong.. fixed by reloading the checkpoint).. but nothing serious..    … Expand
  12. daveyy12
    May 10, 2012
    10
    Super game in all respects. The grapics were clear, even though a bit too dark at times. The plot was complex to the point that I needed a walkthrough to get through Escape from Butcher Bay. The best thing about both games was that cut scenes were kept to a minimum so that the game moved fast.
  13. mascotbeaver
    Sep 3, 2011
    10
    My my, better than the movie. graphics aren't the best, but for the 5 dollars I paid for this game, it's quite good. Hand to hand combat is fun, but some firefights do loose the riddicky feel.
  14. martint
    Apr 19, 2009
    3
    I am voting for the whole product. The game itself is great, the remake is better then the athena part but you will enjoy both if you like this kind of fps. The product is totally overpriced. You can only install it on 3 PCs because of drm. A hardware change, e.g. a new vga card or an os re-installation will use up one installation. There is no revoke tool available. You have to phone a I am voting for the whole product. The game itself is great, the remake is better then the athena part but you will enjoy both if you like this kind of fps. The product is totally overpriced. You can only install it on 3 PCs because of drm. A hardware change, e.g. a new vga card or an os re-installation will use up one installation. There is no revoke tool available. You have to phone a support hotline to get more and you have to state a legitimate reason before you get one - try this in the middle of the night. This game is a rental at full-price, it has no resell value. Do yourself a favor and wait until this game is available in the bargain bin for 10 bucks without drm in a year or so. The game is great, the product is horrible.… Expand
  15. DejanN
    May 29, 2009
    3
    Game without option to assign weapons to keyboard!!!!! and it is rated 8? How easy it is to please people! Good physx? Constant sliding, whole game is like "gravity generator" level. This game is a joke.
  16. ChrisM
    Dec 27, 2009
    10
    V-good game graphics are ok gameplay (keeps the Riddick feel but looses it in the firefights) generally overall gd game.
  17. dumle
    Sep 21, 2012
    5
    Assault on Dark Athena is an odd mix. There are some really cool gameplay sections in the game and the mix of brawling, shooting and sneaking does its part to keep the game feeling fresh. The game do however have its fair share of problems. Even though the shooting and brawling in the game works well enough cant they compete with other games in similar genres. The brawling feels stifferAssault on Dark Athena is an odd mix. There are some really cool gameplay sections in the game and the mix of brawling, shooting and sneaking does its part to keep the game feeling fresh. The game do however have its fair share of problems. Even though the shooting and brawling in the game works well enough cant they compete with other games in similar genres. The brawling feels stiffer and and more button-mashingy than i remembered it to be from Butcher bay, and the shooting simply doesnt feel up to date with the current standard. Add some framerate problems, needless backtracking, dumb quickslots options ,annoying checkpoints and you will get a game that is a bit rough around the edges to say the least. The game is still alright though and if you like the genre you could do worse. Especially considering that you get the original for "free" with the game.… Expand
  18. PhilC
    Dec 26, 2009
    5
    The screen shots on the steam page must be from cut scenes. This game is pathetic, both in how it looks and how it plays. So dissappointed that I paid money for this game.
  19. SergeT
    Jun 17, 2009
    10
    I'm just rating it so high to counteract the tool who gave it a three because it was "overpriced." Rate based on the game, tool, not the price tag.
  20. TheUnbeholden
    May 4, 2013
    6
    Each section is designed for a particular style of gameplay. So you'll be going from a stealth section to a brawling one, then the last third of the game being an all out shooter. This is really jarring having to switch from one to other. Rather than having any emergent gameplay, you are forced into one or the other.

    +Graphics are nice and have a distinct design +Voice acting is top    Each section is designed for a particular style of gameplay. So you'll be going from a stealth section to a brawling one, then the last third of the game being an all out shooter. This is really jarring having to switch from one to other. Rather than having any emergent gameplay, you are forced into one or the other.

    +Graphics are nice and have a distinct design
    +Voice acting is top notch
    +Multiplayer is surprisingly fun on pitch black mode
    +We get to see a brief glimpse of a planet that is real beautiful and serene.

    -It seems to lack ideas, this sequel if you can call it that.
    It feels like the chronicles of riddick movie in that it feels like a ham fisted attempt at squeezing all the mystique out of everything while giving us only the bare bones of story, characters. We aren't even given any side missions to do like we could in escape from butcher bay.
    -a fair bit shorter than the previous game, and for such a short game you do a fair bit of backtracking.
    -level design is no where near upto par of the previous games, dark athena isn't the big sprawling ship you think. Its basically a series of corridoors with some storage areas and robot storage. One short section in the "labs".
    -gameplay isn't up to par, you are always forced into stealth, brawling or shooting. You're never given a choice, its always one course of action that a section is designed for.
    -Ironlord is the cheapest enemy in the series, he counterattacks you every time (and it takes out one hp each hit) so you can never hit him first. This is why the counter attack system is always so stupid to be included in multiplayer or against unfairly cheap AI. You can never attack first or you automatically get hit.
    -You can't resign weapon keys. The sprint key doesn't work in single player.    … Expand
  21. Kotofon
    Apr 27, 2022
    6
    Π­Ρ‚ΠΎ ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ»ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΈΠ³Ρ€Ρ‹ "Π₯Ρ€ΠΎΠ½ΠΈΠΊΠΈ Π ΠΈΠ΄Π΄ΠΈΠΊΠ°: ПобСг ΠΈΠ· Π‘ΡƒΡ…Ρ‚Ρ‹ Мясника". ДСйствиС Π² ΠΈΠ³Ρ€Π΅ происходит Π΄ΠΎ событий Ρ„ΠΈΠ»ΡŒΠΌΠ° "ЧСрная Π”Ρ‹Ρ€Π°". Π‘Π»ΡƒΡ‡ΠΈΠ»ΠΎΡΡŒ Ρ‚Π°ΠΊ, Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ ДТонс, ΠΊΠΎΡ‚ΠΎΡ€Ρ‹ΠΉ доставил Π ΠΈΠ΄Π΄ΠΈΠΊΠ° Π² Β«Π‘ΡƒΡ…Ρ‚Ρƒ Мясника», ΠΏΠΎΠΌΠΎΠ³ Π΅ΠΌΡƒ ΠΈ ΡΠ±Π΅ΠΆΠ°Ρ‚ΡŒ ΠΎΡ‚Ρ‚ΡƒΠ΄Π°. На Π΅Π³ΠΎ ΠΊΠΎΡ€Π°Π±Π»Π΅, Π½Π°Ρ…ΠΎΠ΄ΡΡΡŒ Π² состоянии Π°Π½Π°Π±ΠΈΠΎΠ·Π°, ΠΎΠ½ΠΈ ΠΎΠΊΠ°Π·Ρ‹Π²Π°ΡŽΡ‚ΡΡ затянутыми Π½Π° Β«Π’Π΅ΠΌΠ½ΡƒΡŽ Афину» - гигантский ΠΊΠΎΡ€Π°Π±Π»ΡŒ Π½Π°Ρ‘ΠΌΠ½ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠ², управляСмый Π“Π΅ΠΉΠ» РСвас ΠΈ Π΅Ρ‘ замСститСлСмЭто ΠΏΡ€ΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ»ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΈΠ³Ρ€Ρ‹ "Π₯Ρ€ΠΎΠ½ΠΈΠΊΠΈ Π ΠΈΠ΄Π΄ΠΈΠΊΠ°: ПобСг ΠΈΠ· Π‘ΡƒΡ…Ρ‚Ρ‹ Мясника". ДСйствиС Π² ΠΈΠ³Ρ€Π΅ происходит Π΄ΠΎ событий Ρ„ΠΈΠ»ΡŒΠΌΠ° "ЧСрная Π”Ρ‹Ρ€Π°". Π‘Π»ΡƒΡ‡ΠΈΠ»ΠΎΡΡŒ Ρ‚Π°ΠΊ, Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ ДТонс, ΠΊΠΎΡ‚ΠΎΡ€Ρ‹ΠΉ доставил Π ΠΈΠ΄Π΄ΠΈΠΊΠ° Π² Β«Π‘ΡƒΡ…Ρ‚Ρƒ Мясника», ΠΏΠΎΠΌΠΎΠ³ Π΅ΠΌΡƒ ΠΈ ΡΠ±Π΅ΠΆΠ°Ρ‚ΡŒ ΠΎΡ‚Ρ‚ΡƒΠ΄Π°. На Π΅Π³ΠΎ ΠΊΠΎΡ€Π°Π±Π»Π΅, Π½Π°Ρ…ΠΎΠ΄ΡΡΡŒ Π² состоянии Π°Π½Π°Π±ΠΈΠΎΠ·Π°, ΠΎΠ½ΠΈ ΠΎΠΊΠ°Π·Ρ‹Π²Π°ΡŽΡ‚ΡΡ затянутыми Π½Π° Β«Π’Π΅ΠΌΠ½ΡƒΡŽ Афину» - гигантский ΠΊΠΎΡ€Π°Π±Π»ΡŒ Π½Π°Ρ‘ΠΌΠ½ΠΈΠΊΠΎΠ², управляСмый Π“Π΅ΠΉΠ» РСвас ΠΈ Π΅Ρ‘ замСститСлСм Π‘ΠΏΠΈΠ½Π½Π΅Ρ€ΠΎΠΌ.… Expand
  22. JayH
    May 7, 2009
    7
    Definitely a worthwhile experience. Riddick brings more badassery as usual, with a great story and setting. I would've given this game 9, but since the DRM is indeed a nuisance I don't think it deserves it.
  23. JonesR
    Dec 1, 2011
    8
    Immerse yourself in the role of Riddick...the baddest **** in the universe. Two games in this package make it a great value. It's pretty much like playing in a movie--a very cool sci-fi experience. The gameplay offers a typical run and gun shooter with some stealth aspects from Splinter Cell. Graphics and voice acting are both top notch, plus it's controller enabled. Both the story andImmerse yourself in the role of Riddick...the baddest **** in the universe. Two games in this package make it a great value. It's pretty much like playing in a movie--a very cool sci-fi experience. The gameplay offers a typical run and gun shooter with some stealth aspects from Splinter Cell. Graphics and voice acting are both top notch, plus it's controller enabled. Both the story and level design are a little on the linear side, but it's a fun game and worth a playthrough.… Expand
  24. keefbaker
    Oct 27, 2013
    10
    The fact that this contains the phenomenal "butcher bay" gives it an automatic 10. The Dark athena parts are also excellent and have a stronger focus on melee which suits the game very well. The characters aren't as well rounded and interesting as Butcher bay but he extra additions to the mechanics of the game are very welcome.
  25. AstiX
    Dec 25, 2018
    8
    A great sequel! Continues the story from Butcher Bay very nicely with great gameplay, atmosphere, action and even better voice acting. Seriously, the characters' performances are top notch, combined with great facial and body animation. Really felt like I was playing something I'd never played before with both this one and Butcher Bay.

    On the downside, the graphics somehow look worse    A great sequel! Continues the story from Butcher Bay very nicely with great gameplay, atmosphere, action and even better voice acting. Seriously, the characters' performances are top notch, combined with great facial and body animation. Really felt like I was playing something I'd never played before with both this one and Butcher Bay.

    On the downside, the graphics somehow look worse when compared to the crispy, pretty looking graphics from its 5 year older predecessor. Also, for some reason you only have 2 quick select (compared to 9 on Butcher Bay) whic which makes switching quickly through weapons a struggle.    … Expand
  26. aralath
    Aug 7, 2018
    8
    Great gaming experience. Average graphics for its time. But good story overall
  27. Cz3rw0ny
    Feb 17, 2021
    8
    Amazing story and gameplay, one of the must play games which are not just plain old shooter style.
  28. Filuyezz
    Jul 21, 2020
    8
    Assault on Dark Athena is a little bit worse then Escape from Butcher's Bay but still a solid game with probably the best main character ever. You cannot have too much of Riddick.
  29. KolesAdlerov
    Jul 5, 2022
    9
    The movie game "how to do it properly" with AMAZING CAST again! The locations are still a little boring, but the station and characters felt even better here.

    Gameplay: combat mechanics 8/10 combat logic [too oldschool] 8/10 stealth 9/10 atmosphere [lack of content, annoying animations] 8/10 Story 7/10 Graphics [all-gloom, bad first-person] 8/10 Sounds & music (due to the    The movie game "how to do it properly" with AMAZING CAST again! The locations are still a little boring, but the station and characters felt even better here.

    Gameplay:
    combat mechanics 8/10
    combat logic [too oldschool] 8/10
    stealth 9/10
    atmosphere [lack of content, annoying animations] 8/10

    Story 7/10

    Graphics [all-gloom, bad first-person] 8/10

    Sounds & music (due to the cast) 9/10

    .
    I like it much more than Butcher's Bay! RIP, Starbreeze.    … Expand
  30. Nekrips
    Aug 1, 2022
    9
    A cool sequel to a cool game!
    It has everything: a cool hero, dynamic and diverse gameplay, an interesting plot with an exciting story, charismatic characters, dramatic moments, excellent graphics, fantastic battles, and stealth.
    Unlike the previous part, this one is shorter but very intense and exciting. The story keeps you enthralled from the beginning to the very end. The characters    A cool sequel to a cool game!
    It has everything: a cool hero, dynamic and diverse gameplay, an interesting plot with an exciting story, charismatic characters, dramatic moments, excellent graphics, fantastic battles, and stealth.
    Unlike the previous part, this one is shorter but very intense and exciting. The story keeps you enthralled from the beginning to the very end. The characters are really well written and voiced. The cinematography of the game is top-notch.
    The gameplay here is also varied and allows you to feel like an invisible super-killer, and take control of various equipment and even undead combat androids.
    Battles with some bosses make you think and allow you to deal with them in different ways.
    Graphically, the game has received some improvements and looks great.
    The soundtrack is not worse than in the previous part.
    This game definitely deserves attention.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

36
#36 Best PC Game of 2009
72
#72 Most Discussed PC Game of 2009
76
#76 Most Shared PC Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    78
    The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena gets stuck in one gear for too long. Even though the game has many same aspects as the great Escape from Butcher Bay, the pacing is bad and the action forces you to run through the same corridors over and over again. The included Escape from Butcher Bay is still a masterpiece, however. [Mar 2009]
  2. PC Gamer
    80
    A brutally enjoyable stealth shooter that revisits and builds on the success of the original Escape from Butcher Bay. [May 2009, p.84]
  3. Total PC Gaming
    80
    Not in any way groundbreaking, but two games in one and hugely entertaining nonetheless. [Issue#18, p.52]
See all critic reviews »