The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.2

Generally favorable reviews- based on 93 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 93
  2. Mixed: 17 out of 93
  3. Negative: 5 out of 93

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  1. msherry9
    Mar 3, 2011
    7
    I got this game recently in the bargain bin at a mere $12.00, and I must say that for a measly $12.00, this game was highly worth the purchase. I averaged for the final score, with me giving Butcher Bay an 8 and Dark Athena a 6. Butcher Bay is clearly the superior game, showing how the Riddick series is supposed to be played, while Dark Athena seems like it began to cave into the modernI got this game recently in the bargain bin at a mere $12.00, and I must say that for a measly $12.00, this game was highly worth the purchase. I averaged for the final score, with me giving Butcher Bay an 8 and Dark Athena a 6. Butcher Bay is clearly the superior game, showing how the Riddick series is supposed to be played, while Dark Athena seems like it began to cave into the modern shooters where the majority of the campaign relies on you running and gunning. But that's not bad, it's just that Dark Athena doesn't have very tight gunplay, resulting in many irritating deaths that were not your fault in the slightest. Butcher Bay is appropriate to start with, since it's first in the series. The environments never get old, ranging from old prison areas to futuristic cryochambers. Your primary means of combat is using a melee weapon or your fists, and stealth. If you cannot master the melee combat mixed in with proper tactical sense, you won't beat the game. My friend found it an extremely difficult learning curve, coupled with some glitchy points in the game where unless you have pinpoint stealth, an enemy soldier will spy you 50 yards away hiding in the shadows behind boxes. The mechanics usually work, but many of the situations require you to think extremely strategically, resulting in gamers being shyed away. Voice acting is also great, and the NPC's throughout the game are extremely believable and hilarious. The game is constantly throwing you new curves, like fighting to the death in prison fights against guards. There's not much help when you encounter boss fights later on, so you might find yourself stuck at some parts without knowing how to kill an enemy. Hint: shoot him in the back. Overall, glitches aside, Butcher Bay is a treat to play. Dark Athena's story wasn't as engrossing as Butcher Bay, even if they are similar concepts. The voice acting in both games is excellent, and Vin Diesel definitely does a fantastic job playing Riddick. I felt that in Dark Athena, stealth was entirely thrown out the window after the first hour, and instead your left facing overwhelming numbers of enemies with an assault rifle that is sometimes utterly inaccurate. I found myself missing entire clips while the crosshairs were on my target, all because the bullet spray decided it didn't want to kill the enemy drone. The guns are only in the game to serve the purpose of having a gun. Example: the name of the shotgun is Shotgun, the name of the pistol is Gun (I'm not even joking either), and the name of the assault rifle is Assault Rifle. There are a few exceptions, but these are few and far between. Boss fights are a little on the stale side, consisting of the same robots you face in Butcher Bay, but larger and more difficult. Graphics are excellent and the lighting is very good. However, it's the exact same controls, even the same HUD as in Butcher Bay, so in reality it may as well be an expansion pack. The game's multiplayer has no one on it, so I cannot comment about that. In conclusion, Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena pack is definitely a great deal, consisting of two full-fledged games that are both enjoyable, with the first one being superior. If you dislike learning curves and prefer a run-n-gun shooter, than this is not for you. If you desire a stealth-oriented game that has a great story, great mechanics, and great graphics, than I would definitely pick this up, especially since it's now in the bargain bin for such a small fee.… Expand
  2. lavalampjoe
    Aug 31, 2013
    7
    Not quite as good as the first Riddick game, but still a very good FPS with a mix of melee and gunplay. Interesting story, good graphics and voice acting. I finished it in about 9 hours, not much point in playing it through again as there's not much in the way of side-quests, secondary objectives or other challenges. Be aware that the story is very dark and some of the content is a bitNot quite as good as the first Riddick game, but still a very good FPS with a mix of melee and gunplay. Interesting story, good graphics and voice acting. I finished it in about 9 hours, not much point in playing it through again as there's not much in the way of side-quests, secondary objectives or other challenges. Be aware that the story is very dark and some of the content is a bit needlessly sadistic IMO.… Expand
  3. Higher_Standard
    Sep 21, 2010
    7
    Another great example of the great talent at Starbreeze, and how their lack of refinement dwarfed what could've been an amazing game. Biggest issue I had was overly insane difficulty curves and the fact that they didn't fix those PISS POORLY placed loading areas in butcher bay. But as always I give Starbreeze an extra point because I think they work on a small budget.
  4. WesAdair
    Sep 21, 2011
    7
    Assault on Dark Athena is a great game. I enjoyed most of it and respect the parts that I didn't. I loved the stealth in this game, hiding in the dark watching your enemies and waiting for the perfect moment to strike was by far the best part, and the strong point of the game. The not so strong point is the shooter part of it. While I didn't mind taking out a few enemies here and thereAssault on Dark Athena is a great game. I enjoyed most of it and respect the parts that I didn't. I loved the stealth in this game, hiding in the dark watching your enemies and waiting for the perfect moment to strike was by far the best part, and the strong point of the game. The not so strong point is the shooter part of it. While I didn't mind taking out a few enemies here and there with a gun, I didn't feel that they had the mechanics worked out well enough to just gun down a lot of enemies. Riddick himself has no armor or regenerating health, so I found myself trapped in situations where I had very little health and multiple enemies, with nothing to do but die over and over again. The story in Dark Athena is very well done, and I enjoyed moving along to see what would happen next, the voice acting was also top notch! I loved that Vin Diesel did the voice of Riddick as it should be. So over all I liked this game, I thought it did some things really well and I am excited to see what the next one has to offer.… Expand
  5. gamingisgreat
    Sep 23, 2016
    6
    This is effectively 2 reviews in one,as the incredible Escape From Butcher Bay Remastered is bundled with the poor Assault On Dark Athena.

    Butcher Bay plays very well,mixing stealth with shooting.The stealth is done incredibly,along with solid shooting mechanics.The story is surprisingly good.with some surprising twists along the way. It also looks phenomenal,far better than the    This is effectively 2 reviews in one,as the incredible Escape From Butcher Bay Remastered is bundled with the poor Assault On Dark Athena.

    Butcher Bay plays very well,mixing stealth with shooting.The stealth is done incredibly,along with solid shooting mechanics.The story is surprisingly good.with some surprising twists along the way.

    It also looks phenomenal,far better than the original Xbox version.

    It's soundtrack is solid,along with it's sound design.

    Dark Athena,on the other hand,is literally a futuristic Call Of Duty clone which takes everything good about Butcher Bay and throws it into the nearest bin.

    It looks phenomenal,just like Butcher Bay.

    Both games last around 8-9 hours each.

    Overall,my verdict is absolutely play Butcher Bay,and don't bother with Dark Athena,resulting in a decent score for the overall package.    … Expand
  6. frederik1478
    Jun 21, 2022
    7
    I enjoyed my time with this game even if it has some of the most uneven parts . I have played in a really good game mostly because of escape is a really good and atmospheric game and the assault on feels like ok price DLC. This is not a game you play for the gameplay because the gameplay is mostly not satisfying and feels weird. It doesn't feel as good as the darkness they worked onI enjoyed my time with this game even if it has some of the most uneven parts . I have played in a really good game mostly because of escape is a really good and atmospheric game and the assault on feels like ok price DLC. This is not a game you play for the gameplay because the gameplay is mostly not satisfying and feels weird. It doesn't feel as good as the darkness they worked on earlier, but the atmosphere and characters and all the things around the gameplay that is not the gameplay is so amazing that it is worth playing.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2009
51
#51 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2009
34
#34 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 67 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 58 out of 67
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 67
  3. Negative: 0 out of 67
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    80
    There's plenty to be getting excited about, despite a slight lack of originality and visual finesse. Make no mistake, Dark Athena is first class stealth/action game with a double dose of top-notch entertainment that competently unites elements of "Mirror's Edge" and the "Splinter Cell" series. [Mar 2009, p.84]
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  2. Xbox World 360 Magazine UK
    84
    Despite the name on the box, AODA's latter half makes it a supporting act to Butcher's Bay's main attraction. It doesn't matter how many triple twists and double somersaults a gymnast pulls if he smashes his face on the landing, and AODA crash lands pretty bloody hard. Fortunately, it's a broken nose limited to a small part of a packed box. [Apr 2009, p.82]
  3. Official Xbox Magazine
    90
    The allure of this package is irresistible. [May 2009, p.70]
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