I have been looking forward to this game for the longest time. Richard B.Riddick may seem like a hokey, pointless character for some, but I for one loved Pitch Black. Chronicles of Riddick was…passable. During the wait for the sequel to Butcher Bay, I found out that it was actually included in the game. As I nearly crapped myself I came to realize that having both games available on one disk may lead to harsh and immediate comparisons as much as it could blood-chunky fun.  But I had faith that a new game would have all the elements of Butcher Bay and then some of its own added flavor. “Does it?” you ask. Maybe. Check it out.

The best thing about this release is the inclusion of Escape From Butcher Bay. This is an old Xbox classic that incorporates all the best things about adventure gaming and puts them in a first-person environment. The game’s structure flows perfectly from beginning to end with a world that seems so real in execution that everything you come upon is new and fitting. The original story is on par with, if not better, than the movies this game is based around. Really, one of the best games of its generation. Things shared by Butcher Bay and Dark Athena include  great graphics (Butcher Bay’s tweaks are done incredibly well), incredibly fun stealth/shooting mechanics and voice acting that is arguably the best in gaming. There is so much fun to be had in this game that you won’t be putting it down for weeks to come. And that is awesome.

Riddick’s shortcomings are pretty straight forward: Dark Athena is NOT Butcher Bay. If Butcher bay didn’t exist than Dark Athena might have scored higher. But Butcher bay does exist and in comparison, Dark Athena doesn’t stack up as well. The highly touted adventuring had been reduced to ‘blah’ fetch missions (and even those dwindle in number later on in the game). The gameplay has become so formulaic (stealth segment, shooting segment, switch, repeat) that you can easily guess what’s around the corner. All this can usually be pulled together by a tight storyline, but Dark Athena’s is so cliched and contrived that it’s just not happening. And while the voice acting is outstanding, it tends to droll on for several minutes past your interest. The multiplayer is pretty par for the course except for the Pitch Black mode (merc vs. Riddick) which is pretty cool, but doesn’t have the legs to give any long-term enjoyment. Basically, Dark Athena wants to look like it’s trying hard, but we all know it’s just sitting on the couch in a expensive tuxedo eating potato chips and passing gas. If you get my meaning.

When all is said and done, this game is worth a purchase for two reasons. First, it comes with Escape from Butcher Bay, which is not only an absolutely outstanding game but also damn hard to find on its own.  Second, after your finished with Butcher Bay there is enough meat in Dark Athena to keep the momentum going until completion. After that however, you’re gonna have to wait and hope that ATARI and Universal have gotten their shit together enough to make a more fleshed out sequel. Or prequel. Whatever. In any case pick this one up and see what all the hub-bub’s about.