Riddick Review

Have we seen this guy before? Robocop anyone?

Seeing as you are trying to escape, Riddick must lay low, so stealth occasionally plays an important part to the gameplay. Crouching will put you in stealth mode; if you are hidden from view the screen will take a blue tint and distort slightly. You can move around like this unseen from guards. This works well, but there are moments where you think a guard should have seen you, but just walks straight past. It is a minor flaw and never hurts the gameplay enough to detract from the game. Being the cold killer Riddick is he loves to sneak up on people and break their necks. This move is very satisfying and is the best way to kill enemies when bullets are scarce or when you have to try and remain unnoticed. Killing a guard in the patrol path of another isn't a wise move as the dead body will alert him and he will raise the alarm. Riddick can drag bodies around and placing them in dark corners or behind crates is the best course of action.

Make no mistake, this is a game for a mature audience

Matching the games stunning visuals is the equally good soundtrack. It could have come straight from a Hollywood movie and fits with the mood of the game perfectly. Voice acting is top notch with all characters in the game giving good performances, Vin Diesel in particular is excellent, delivering his lines with a tone perfectly suited to a cold blooded killer. Sound effects are excellent and pack a punch suitable for the visceral onscreen action. It should be no surprise in a game this violent, but there is a liberal amount of swearing in the game. Make no mistake, this is a game for a mature audience.

Patroling guards show good AI and give riddick some problems

It is hard to criticise a game so lovingly created as this, but there are a few little blemishes. The game is a great experience, but it is a short one. While some would argue that a ten to twelve hour game is too short to warrant a purchase, the quality is high throughout and is much more enjoyable than a game padded out by mediocre tedious areas added to lengthen a game. The developers have added some reason to play through the game again as cigarette packets are collected to open extras about the games development, but this depends on if you are someone who must finish games completely or not. The lack of a multiplayer mode is disappointing, but as the game was always only a single player game it would be unfair to criticise. While the game looks stunning, some of the texture work is a bit rough and there are a few glitches here and there, but these problems are easily forgivable as the game visually has no match on any console.

Riddick is a game that seemingly came from nowhere, but is easily one of the best games available for the Xbox. While the game is short, it is an experience to remember and is a showcase title graphically. Had the game weighed in a little longer it would be easy to recommend as a purchase. Those of you who want a more substantial offering for your money may want to give this a miss, but it should be experience by everyone, even if it is just for a weekend.