Film-to-game conversions have reached a milestone. A finely crafted action first-person shooter experience!

Allow me a moment of nostalgia. Ironically, the very first review that I ever wrote for Console Game World was for Enter the Matrix. Although the game was not perfect, I commented at the time it was a step in the right direction and that someday we would have that AAA movie-to-game conversion.

Little did I know that this AAA title would arrive so quickly. Even more stunning is that the game is based on a property that until now, has been considered obscure. But, as they say, a funny thing happened on the way to the cash register.

Starbreeze Studios will go down in gaming history as the developer that broke the movie license curse in a big way. Yes, Lord of the Rings was good, but not like this.

Chronicles of Riddick the game takes place after the movie Pitch Black and before the Chronicles of Riddick film staring Vin Diesel. In another interesting twist, it was actually Diesel’s Tigon Studios that also had a hand in making this game happen.

Ok, so we all want to know the specifics. What did Starbreeze and Tigon Studios do that all the other developers couldn’t do? Simply put, they gave gamers what they wanted.

Chronicles of Riddick is a first person shooter that is reminiscent of Doom or Quake. The game stars our favorite muscle bound action hero and details his imprisonment at the nefarious Butcher Bay triple max security prison.

You take on the role of Richard B. Riddick as you try to survive and escape this place of despair and danger. The core elements have you plowing through enemies and negotiating your way through the complex to see how the plot plays out.

Graphically, this game surpassed all my expectations. The original demo looked and played terrifically, but the final product is gorgeous in a dark and dingy kind of way.

The level designs really make you feel like you’re in a maximum security prison. The areas are dark, but with very nice ambient lighting. Player models are not spectacular, but they are well done. Riddick himself looks eerily like the real life Diesel and this goes a long way toward giving the game a real world quality.

As you work to penetrate deeper and deeper into Butcher Bay, the graphics only become more amazing. Blazing fires, curse words scribbled on soiled walls and steel catwalks all add an industrial feel that few games can match. In short, the architecture in this game is superb.

The sounds are equally impressive. This is due in most part to the voice acting. Even the supporting voice-overs such as prison guards and other inmates are spot on. However, nothing can equal the delivery by Vin Diesel. His crass, dry humor is absolutely perfect for this title.

What really sets this game apart from other movie games is the stellar game play. Controlling Riddick in first person is excellent and the weapons at his disposal are numerous. He can go hand to hand, with a knife or shiv or once he gets his DNA into the Mainframe, he can use the good stuff.

The feel of the rifles and other guns are as authentic as any other first person shooter you’ll find on the market and death animations are satisfying. Regardless of whether you’re punching or shooting your enemy, the game’s liberal use of blood is graphic and in some cases a little sickening.

The game really gets interesting once Riddick acquires his trademark eyeshine, which allows him to see in dark places. Once this occurs, the game’s pace slows a bit as Riddick will have to shoot out lights to lessen the blinding effect. This element is not just an afterthought and really comes in handy in the latter levels.

There are very few puzzles to solve and the overall game is a little short. This is not that big of a deal though, as most first person titles only last 7 to 9 hours. The ride is most definitely worth the purchase price and should be played before viewing the film.

Chronicles of Riddick is an unequivocal success. The rest of the gaming industry now has a worthy mark to shoot for when translating film to game. Hopefully, this game will inspire the rest of the development community to go above and beyond to give us the best possible licensed products.


Review by Michael Harris.