If you need a break from the campaigns, Dark Athena offers multiplayer modes for up to 12 players. Most of the modes are standard FPS faire (deathmatch, capture the flag) that don’t take advantage of the series’ unique aspects, but the Pitch Black mode offers something different that fans will enjoy. PB sets one player as Riddick and everyone else as flashlight-equipped guards. The levels are completely dark, and Riddick must use his Eyeshine and blades to take out as many soldiers as he can before getting gunned down. Once you kill Riddick, you become him. This mode is well worth trying if you can get a lag-free game.

The visuals of Butcher Bay were mind-blowing back in 2004, and Starbreeze has gussied them up a bit for this re-release to keep jaw firmly on the floor. While some of the animation is a bit stiff in the older title, both games look great and employ a realistic style that emphasizes the grittiness and darkness of Riddick’s world. Unfortunately, this blackness leads to some drab environmental design, as there is not a lot of color. Many of the areas that you find look similar to ones that you have traveled through before. On the flip side, Dark Athena includes some fantastic facial animation that accentuates the dialogue and adds personality to the unfortunate souls that you encounter.

It also helps that these unfortunate souls are being voiced by high-class Hollywood talent. Stars such as Ron Perlman, Cole Hauser, Michelle Forbes, and Lance Henriksen join Vin Diesel in bringing these characters to life. All do an excellent job, though Diesel’s work as the enigmatic Riddick stands far above all. The rest of the audio is equally exemplary, as the music heightens the tension and action at the exact right moments while the sound effects personify the violence with their graphic detail. 

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena includes two lengthy first-person action titles that are sure to please. While each campaign has its share of problems, the entertaining gameplay, clever design, and heart-stopping moments of both missions will leave you longing for future installments of the Riddick saga.