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Could...Not...Stop...Playing! A Masterful FPS!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 73 / 78
Date: July 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

The Chronicles of Riddick- Escape From Butcher Bay(2004). Released on the XBox and PC(Since I couldn't find the XBOX one I'm doing the PC review).

In the past few years, the movie 'Pitch Black' has been hailed as a masterpiece from Sci-Fi fans everywhere, so it's no surprised that a sequel was made, starring, once again, Vin Diesel, entitled 'The Chronicles of Riddick'. In sort of a movie marketing scheme, Starbreeze decided to release a video game that would be a prequel to 'Pitch Black', entitled 'Escape From Butcher Bay', which chronicles(pun alert) Riddick's tenure at the Butcher Bay prison facility, and how he eventually escaped. Deciding to release it as a First Person Shooter, like the game 'Halo', I was enclined to pick 'Escape From Butcher Bay' after reading good reviews, and also that my favorite genre is First Person Shooters. So, did 'Escape From Butcher Bay' live up to my expectations, or fail miserably? Read on to find out....

Game Ratings-


Graphics- Could they be any better? The dark, gritty atmosphere dominated by bump-mapping and beautiful character designs make this one big piece of eye candy. 5/5

Play Control- The control is top-notch, as moving Riddick around, not to mention shooting, is a breeze, and I never found myself frustrated over the controls, except for the last segment where you piloted a Heavy Guard, but I didn't care because it was so fun! 4.5/5

Challenge- 'Escape From Butcher Bay' is definitely a challenge, at some points making you face multiple guards with only your fists, but at other times you can find yourself breezing through the game. There are very intricate puzzles, and that's what makes 'Escape From Butcher Bay' tough. 5/5

Storyline- 'Escape From Butcher Bay' is fun go through, because of the cut-scenes! I love the plot, and its gritty realism coupled with harsh realities make it plausible, even if it's not. Superb! 5/5

Replay Value- Although playing through the game over and over would get old, you are enticed to go back through the game and collect "Pack of Smokes" cartridges which enable you to unlock special features. Not the greatest Replay Value, but not bad...3/5

Sound/Music- 'Escape From Butcher Bay' has great sound affects, and when the bullets are flying, you KNOW! Plus not to mention great voice-acting, and they got Diesel to even voice himself. Unless you care, there really isn't any music, but it in no way takes away from the game! 5/5

Fun- 'Escape From Butcher Bay''s undoubtable strong point is in its fun factor, and I found myself blasting through robots, guards, zombies, and mutated creatures to finish this game in 2 Days! You have an insanely fun time blasting your way through 'Escape From Butcher Bay'!

Overall, 'The Chronicles of Riddick- Escape From Butcher Bay' sports excellence in every field, and this First Person Shooter is a masterpiece, and, while not being as good as 'Halo', still gives the player an unmistakeable feeling of having fun as you blast your way through the game. This game gets very tough at times, and I suggest you pick up an Official Strategy Guide to solve the puzzles and get all the Packs of Smokes.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FANS OF VIDEO GAMES EVERYWHERE! PARENTS BE WARNED, 'ESCAPE FROM BUTCHER BAY' HAS GRITTY AND GORY VIOLENCE AND STRONG LANGUAGE, SO I DON'T RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE UNDER 18. HAVE A BLAST!

Also Recommended-

Halo-Xbox and PC
Splinter Cell- Xbox and PC
Rainbow Six 3- Xbox

Thanks For Reading!

Wow!! This game is a gem!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 24 / 26
Date: January 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I just happened to be looking through Amazon.com, and I came across Escape From Butcher Bay. Thank God I did. This game is a real gem...one of the best action titles I've played all year. It holds its own with Far Cry, HL2 and Doom 3 or anything else for that matter. I've never been much of a Vin Diesel fan and didn't know much about the "Riddick" character, but this game changes everything. It's a perfect combination FPS, action game and RPG which comes off very, very well (I didn't even know this could be done).

The graphics are amazing -- an incredible depiction of stark metal, rock, concrete and dirt in a "max-max" security prison of the future. Some of the scenes look like the sci-fi portion of 3Dmark03 benchmark.

To add to the game's cinematic quality, Escape is the first title I've seen which has absolutely no HUD on screen. You can bring up information like missions, inventory, ammo, weapons, etc., but it disappears after a few seconds. There is no on-screen reticle (just use the weapon's red laser sight -- and a weapon like a minigun doesn't really need a sight). Health just shows up as white squares which quickly disappear.

Escape has great replay value too. Do you go for stealth (with a few snapped necks from behind or drop them with a non-lethal tranq/TAZER gun and stomp their heads after they go down) or do you try shooting it out (like an RPG your strategy requires some thought/choices)? Do you fight your way "up the ladder" (ever harder "cockfights" to the death against other inmates) to acquire the head guard's key card or do you buy some drugs and get busted on purpose? And there's usually more than one way to get from point A to point B.

The AI is pretty good - both for the guards and the other inmates. The fighting -- especially melee or with fists --is really good. (There's one sequence where you struggle with a guard, and if you press the "fire" and "use" keys just right, you'll turn his rifle around and shoot him in the head. Really well done).

Above all, the gameplay style seems to change just when you're starting to get bored with what you're doing. I have a fairly strong machine which is about a year old, and the game ran perfectly on highest settings. However, I've heard (on forums) that some people are having issues with it (like it won't launch, crashes a lot, etc.). Just something to consider along with the fact that this game is definitely NOT FOR KIDS. There's no sex, but the language is rough and it's very violent (no way to turn this off if you can't handle it).

Finally, my only really serious criticism of Escape is that it's kind of short (about 10-12 hours). From talking with Xbox owners, it seems that the PC version includes an extra sequence where you get to go crazy with an anti-riot suit (two mini-guns). Unfortunately, this doesn't even add an hour to the gameplay. But once you beat Escape, you unlock and get to play a "developers' level" (hence "developers' cut") which is like having the game developers and/or programmers sitting next to you and explaining how different game sequences were done. Very interesting if you're really into gaming. I'd like to see this feature on more games (like how did they DO that?).

This is what a video game should be

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 17
Date: December 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I always thought Vin Deisel was a cheesehead and that games made from movies were mostly crappy and thrown together in 10 days. But THIS GAME IS TOP NOTCH!

I'd say this hands down beats DOOM 3, which is too dark most of the time to enjoy the scenery on my newish video card. With Chronicles, I had time to really notice the real-time lighting and shadows. Whats the point of having the amazing character models in DOOM 3 if you have to shoot everything before you can get a good long look and appreciate the art?

This game has a really cool storyline, it's really amazing to look at, it's not watered down for children, and it's pretty open ended as far as what you can do. You can even drag corpses around to hide them from guards. I really haven't enjoyed a game this much in years. You can tell this game was made by people who love good video games.

If your video card can handle it, and you want to play a game that involves more then just shooting zombies, this is it.

This is what a first person action game should be. As entertaining as a good movie, and as interesting and fun as a well made video game.

Remarkably free of convention

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: March 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

It is rare that one experiences a series of incredible titles over the space of the past six months. While the much-touted Doom 3 ultimately failed to deliver in the gameplay stakes, other big-name offerings such as Half-Life 2 proceeded to add a new dimension to the first person shooter genre. Thus it comes as a welcome surprise that The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay maintains, and even improves on the fine state of the genre. The first game created by the studio Starbreeze, The Chronicles of Riddick (COR) succeeds on all fronts, from its visceral hand-to-hand combat using fists, shivs and screwdrivers to its more traditional shooter elements. While predominantly a shooter, COR breaks convention by the inclusion to several truly innovative additions, all of which transcend the genre.

The opening is impressively cinematic, with the camera tracking Riddick as he is led into the notorious triple-max prison, Butcher Bay. As in a film, the names of actors scroll across the screen, with Vin Diesel and Ron Perlman adding considerable voice talent to the mix. The score is remarkable, ranging from brooding and melancholy to moments of thumping action, worthy of any film. In combat sequences the music accelerates in pace, before slowly subsiding. Graphically, the game is amazing. Though there is little in the way of scenery (The game takes place in a prison, after all), the levels are unbelievably detailed, from the rust on the walls and lavatories to the patterning on the guards' armor. Lighting effects are well implemented, with realistic shadows. While not as precise as Half Life 2, the facial features of the main characters are well rendered and more than adequate.

The gameplay is equally astounding. Within the prison Riddick can interact with other prisoners, each with their own voice and personality, and it is here that the innovative gameplay elements truly excel. Riddick can choose to fight his way through a brutal competition, to steal from his fellow prisoners, to bribe, and to trick his way through the prison. By providing the player with different conversation options, the game changes into an adventure-fighting game rather than a shooter. Stealth elements also play a major role in the game, with Riddick frequently having to shrink back into the shadows to escape detection. As a shooter, COR is also refreshingly different. Unlike other games of this ilk, there is no Heads Up Display (HUD) for health and ammo. Rather, the gamer must read the ammo remaining from the glow of the gun, and the health appears in small white squares at the top of the screen when Riddick takes damage. In this way the game becomes far more visceral than any other offering to date. During the game, Riddick also gains his notorious "eye-shine" ability, adding yet another dimension to the game. This gives a distinct advantage when the lights are disabled.

The plot is simple but effective. Captured by the mercenary Johns, Riddick is taken to the seemingly inescapable prison Butcher Bay. The game revolved around his efforts to escape from this hellish jail.

In conclusion, COR is a thoroughly entertaining game. The incorporation of other elements not found in other games of this ilk is both innovative and refreshing, and accompanied by a fine score, great voice talent and crisp, detailed graphics, COR is destined to be a classic, far better than its abysmal film counterpart. Please note, however that the game is abundant with expletives.

Surprise, surprise! A movie tie-in that's actually good!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: January 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I remember seeing The Chronicles of Riddick last summer in the movie theatres. I thought it was a pretty good movie...not great, but decent for what it is. Around the same time I heard that a game was being developed for the X-Box that would be tied into the movie. At the time I thought that it was a useless marketing ploy and cash grab. Good games based on movies are nearly non-existent, so how good could Escape From Butcher Bay be? Apparently it was very good, as many video game reviewers gave consistently high marks over and over again. When word got out that a PC version of the game was coming out, I had to see how good the game was for myself. Well, I gave it shot...and came out pleasantly surprised. With fantastic graphics, great voice acting, and fast-paced action, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay can easily be one of the best sleeper hits for the PC.

The basic story has you playing the role of the intergalactic criminal known as Riddick. You arrive at a triple maximum security prison known as Butcher Bay, and now you have to find a way to escape. The first thing I noticed about this game is the high quality of its graphics, especially considering that this game was ported from a console system. I would even go as far as to say it almost looks as good as Doom 3. The lighting and shadow effects are a sight to behold, and will help guide you to where you can properly hide and use stealth. The character models in this game are incredibly well done, as they use high quality textures for a realistic appearance, and it looks like the developers also used motion capturing to re-create realistic movements. However, my only problem with the models is the lip-synching when they are talking, because the mouth movements don't seem to match up with what is being said.

The sound in this game is pretty well done, although not as impressive as the graphics. The game could have benefited from a wider variety of music, but what is there serves the game adequately. The main highlight of Escape From Butcher Bay's sound is the voice acting. Vin Diesel, who plays Riddick in the movie, does a superb job as Riddick in this game, and he is also supported by a team of great voice actors. I have said in the past that voice acting in a game does not have to be crappy, as it so often is, and this game shows that good voice acting can easily enhance a person's experience.

Now let's talk about the most important part of any video game, the gameplay. After playing through Escape From Butcher Bay I can safely say that it won't beat Half-Life 2 in terms of originality, but it is definitely a step above Doom 3's standard run-and-gun gameplay. This is mainly because of the delightful inclusion of stealth tactics. While you could conceivably just run up to a guy and start wailing on him with your fists or shooting him with your guns, I often found it more satisfying sneaking up behind a guy and snapping his neck. Also, because the game is a First Person Shooter, it does not take long for a player to get used to the control scheme, which is a huge plus. The gameplay also benefits from a story with a strong narrative, as well as a host of interesting characters, which allows the player to more easily relate to what is going on in the game world.

My only real beef with this game is its lack of replayibility. Since it has no online multiplay there is no real reason for me to come back and play again, other than trying to find cigarette packs to unlock game features (which to be honest I would have found tedious). The lack of multiplay is a shame since the game's mixture of both fast-paced action and stealth would have made for some interesting matches. Still, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay is a very good game that any fan of shooters or action games in general will enjoy. It is an understatement to say that it is a diamond in the rough, so don't miss out on this game.

My ratings are:
Graphics = 10/10
Sound = 8/10
Gameplay = 8/10
Overall = 8.5/10

Story based "Adult" First Person Shooter

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: February 10, 2005
Author: Amazon User

**Not for children**

Butcher Bay happens to fit the niche nicely. After Half-Life 2 there was only really the Call of Duty: United Offensive as a good first person shooter (Doom 3 being an older game now and Far Cry also... you should play all of these if you have not). Riddick comes off the back of a very bad sequel to the surprise hit Pitch Black. Here we actually play a game that should maybe have been the sequel. It is certainly heaps better.

The premise is very good. You are Riddick in a maximum security prison somewhere on a planet with inmates voiced by leading actors and facial expressions that are nearly as good as HL2. The atmosphere of the prison is A+ as you go about the place taking on various missions in the cells (fighting, buying drugs, snubbing out bosses, causing a riot, doing jobs for people) so that you can... escape Butcher Bay.

The menu is astonishing at first as it opens up like a cube and the buttons move around, however owners of ATI RADEON cards may experience some shading difficultly and a few glitches in the cut sequences and models now and again (there a number of shading options to help improve this). Riddick is mostly about stealth moves, like grabbing people from behind and either slicing them or breaking their neck. You can get into hand-to-hand combat where the enemies face actually bruises and bleeds. Clubs and knives have a similar effect. The story breaks nicely at the end of each level where you meet your foes. Riddick banters off some classic one-liners and there is quite a bit of swearing. You can talk to some of the characters and choose your answers.

Once the prison riot starts, you are given weapons to escape the prison and the real rush begins (Doom 3 type fast and furious blasting). Enemy AI is quite good and the game plays very smoothly from start to finish. For all intensive purposes, the game play is very much like DEUS EX but the graphics are a way better. It is surprising how long this game is, given that it just seems like a movie tie-in package. It is not. This is a FULLY FLEDGED first person shooter all the way.

I had difficulty running this on a 256mb card, 3ghz P4 and 1gig of ram on full screen resolution and had to take the graphics down a bit. It seems like this game is more for the 512mb series on the way. Anything less than a 128mb card may not do the game justice.

It seems that high-end graphics "adult" first person shooters are back again! Bottom line is to play it.

Pros:
- Great Story
- Great Graphics
- As good as any new 1st person shooter.
- It is long.

Cons:
- Not enough stealth jump moves.
- Enemy AI can sometimes get a little repetitive.
- Needs a fast high spec machine to run properly.
- Some glitches with ATI users.

Only a few minor bugs in what is otherwise a very fun game.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I just finished playing and was pleasantly surprised by both the depth and the addictiveness of this new addition to the increasingly crowded field of FPS games for PC. It's hard to stand head and shoulders above the rest when there's sooo much hype over the mega-titles like Half-Life 2 or Doom III. I was especially surprised at the quality of game play on my somewhat modest gaming system (2.6 GHz P-IV, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128 Mb, 256 MB RAM). And yet, I was even more surprised by the fact that this is a piece of movie merchandising. Normally, I'd avoid these spin-offs but the early positive reviews piqued my interest.

The object of the game is, of course, to escape Butcher Bay, the triple-max-slam mentioned in the films, but the game is a pre-quel to the films, chronicling Riddick's arrival in prison. One never learns the exact nature of the crime that sent Riddick away which would have made for an improved introductory cut-scene IMO. After an early "dream sequence" that serves as a tutorial level, one is thrust into the filthy, ultraviolent, testosterone-quenched world of slam-life. The fight sequences are bloody and the foul language of the cons and the guards would make a sailor blush so it definitely earns its M-rating for content but the gore can be turned off in the setup screens.

Most guards and prisoners can be engaged and there are several side-missions beyond the overall goal of escape. During the game you'll meet a motley bunch of personalities, including the Slam Preacher (responsible for Riddick's most-useful eye surgery). Most combat in the game is not of the "break down the door with guns blazing" category. In this game, subtlety and sneakiness go a long way. The strategy reminds me a lot of the Hitman series by Eidos Interactive®. Your best bet before charging into battle is to survey all the surroundings and make the best use of cover, silence, and darkness. Speaking of darkness, the use of shadows is very good in this game. I played it at 1024x768 resolution and had no problems whatsoever with frame rate, stitching, or significant aliasing. Riddick's night-vision comes off a bit blurry by design but I don't see it as harming the game overall.

Most experienced FPS players will probably want to start the game on the hardest difficulty level. At the top level, I found it much harder than Doom III. There are a few levels in the mines that are especially challenging. Weapons range from homemade shivs on up to mini-guns but as I mentioned earlier the key is to tread lightly. Successful game play requires careful balance of force, stealth, quick-thinking, and especially awareness of surroundings. Make plentiful use of shadows, climbing atop objects, and crawling through air-ducts for bypassing heavy defenses.

There are one or two plot and game flaws that are very noticeable in the game play. These include a cut-scene that is apparently unviewable even though the sound can be heard and the game can continue, a handful of dopey guards that just don't seem to see you, and a section in the mines where the interaction between the prisoners and guards just didn't make sense to me.

Overall, I found the game to be a good value at the price of $29 USD new (not hard to say when HL-2 debuted at nearly $70 USD and Doom III at nearly $50). Like Riddick, it will likely be eclipsed in the shadows of the mega-hits like HL-2 but should not be overlooked for those that like games that don't require a $500 video card or who don't have parents to buy them new games every month.

Great game, but too short.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: May 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

C.O.R: Escape from Butcher Bay is an excellent game. Ironicaly, it is far superior than the movie that it shares a title with. Overall gameplay is excellent, and for a console-PC port it plays less like a console game and more like a PC. The lack of the ubiquitous third-person POV was refreshing, as I half expected the game to play solely from that POV. The smoothed out stealth/combat mix is an interesting and innovative change for someone who is accustomed to Thief-style stealth games, the two are equally balanced in Butcher Bay, and the stealth option becomes more effective once the player gains Riddick's infamous ability to see in the dark. Graphics-wise, this game is good looking, however, if you expect to get the best out of it then you must have an especially high-end machine. Otherwise, you'll have to put up with choppy battle sequences (with two or more enemies) and running the game at a resolution of 800 X 600. Sound is superb, as are the weapon and environment design.

There are no real negative aspects, the voice acting is superb, gameplay innovative and excellent. However, as mentioned prior, "find the key" missions exist in abundance, and this becomes tedious. Also, the action really doesn't pick up until Riddick gains his eyeshine ability, and then the stealth option becomes a no-contest option. The adventure-style inventory system is great, as is the mission objective stats screen. However, the map section is laughably useless, as it shows just a rough outline of the area and no other details, not even a "you are here" note. The assault rifle is worthless in a long range fire-fight, walking up behind an enemy and emptying a clip on them is the only efficient means. Apparently accuracy hasn't improved in the future. It serves better as a "light extinguisher" and as a flashlight. The final and most telling negative aspects of this game is that the end-level is laughably easy and too linear (you'll feel like a mouse being herded to cheese in a maze) and the game takes 10 - 12 hours to beat. I spent roughly a week, on and off with the game (one to two hours max). I had made it to Triple Max (final stage) and decided to go "all the way"; it took me less than an hour, with one reload after dying. A huge change from the eight hours spent in Double Max and uncounted reloads from dying.

All in all, this game is worth the 19.99 (or better offer) because it definately has a high replay value, and is an excellent game. In an interview Diesel mentioned something about a sequel in the works, though Tigon and Starbreeze have not mentioned such nor given any clues. If there is, I look forward to it with glee. Hopefully they'll iron out the very few bumpy areas and produce another ass-kicking Riddick-romp of a game.

Unexpectedly good

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: April 12, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I have a question for some of the so-called reviewers below? If you can't even install the game, that means you haven't played it, right? So why are you in here wasting our time? This is for reviews of the game itself, not whether you have some technical issue with it. Fix your machine (because the game works fine for the rest of us), play the game, and then come here and review it.

As for the game itself, I would rate it very highly, although it it is not without some flaws. But even taking those flaws into account, I would say that the Escape from Butcher Bay is easily one of the top 5 action games of 2004.

1. Graphics and environment - 5/5
Arguably the best graphics for any PC game out there right now, that includes Doom 3. Environments are much more varied and larger than what you get in Doom 3 as well.
2. Gameplay - 4/5
Excellent overall gameplay experience. Melee combat is good, but weapons feel somewhat odd and some feel underpowered. Gameplay requires strategic thinking and there are multiple paths to specific goals. Game gives the player the option to choose nonviolent methods for solving problems. Game is a challenging "sneaker" in many areas, where evasion is preferred strategy over confrontation. NPC interaction is sophisticated and interesting. Player abilities (like healing and vision) progress as the game moves along adding a slight RPG element to the mix.
3. Plot - 4/5
Is actually quite well paced, and above average for your typical FPS fare. A few other characters from Pitch Black and CoR make appearances, most notably Johns who plays a key role as plot progresses. Overall, the presentation is extremely cinematic and has high production values.
4. Replay value - 4/5
The developer mode is interesting and worth a replay.

The game does require a fairly fast computer with a very good DirectX 9 video card. If you don't have either of these, you wil still be able to play the game, but just not with all the graphical bells and whistles it features.

Possibly Overrated

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: August 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived, or you're just curious about the game, Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. Either way, I hope to enlighten the uninitiated and maybe rouse a little indignation in the hearts of those dangerous religious cultists otherwise known as "Riddick fans." I've heard so much about this game, and it has received almost universal hoorahs from reviewers and players alike. Well, ALMOST universal as you shall soon see (I left my opinion of the game until last assuming that my opinion isn't all that important).

So what kind of a game is Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay? At first blush it may appear to be a first-person shooter. However, the game is by no means all shooting, at least on the player's part, and you'll spend a lot of time sneaking around hoping that some huge sentry doesn't spot you and blow you all to hell. As a result, I'd describe Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay as a "first-person stealth-action game."

Stealth makes up the bulk of the gameplay, and you'd be wise to find places to hide. Fortunately, most of the levels have ample places to hide like dark corners and behind large crates (yeah, as if we've never seen a lot of crates in action games). As a shooter fan I found such gameplay to be a bit awkward, and many times I found myself pining for a huge gun to blow away those pesky guards. But all is never lost, of course, and after perhaps a few unsuccessful attempts I finally found a way through a tough level.

This emphasis on stealth is possibly the reason that the levels seem relatively small. I found some levels to be so small that I kept running into the loading screen that takes you back and forth between these levels. Similar to Doom 3, these levels are very often dark, and you can even shoot out lights making them almost pitch dark. Fortunately, you have a "night vision" available to you so you can still find your way around all the while being able to sneak up on the guards who presumably cannot see in the dark. I found myself hesitating to take this course because I liked the looks of the levels with the lights on, and although the levels are largely bare and empty, they have some very nice textures.

The difficulty of the game oddly reached its peak at about the halfway point, and I was surprised at how easy it got toward the end. You then have available to you ranged weapons like a heavy mini gun, and you'll then delight in filling full of holes those guards that made your life miserable. You even get to don their armored suits and shoot them with some powerful weapons. Why the developers decided to ease up on the difficulty this way is anybody's guess, but I got the impression that they wanted to cater a bit to shooter fans by giving them some run and gun. In any event, I'd say that Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay is a relatively easy game overall.

How difficult is this game on your hardware? The box lists the minimum requirements as a 1.8 GHz Pentium 4, 256 MB RAM, a 64 MB graphics card, and 3.7 GB hard drive space. The only specification on that list that appears to be reasonable is the hard drive space, and I'd recommend a much more robust PC to get this game to play smoothly. I played it on my Dell Dimension 8300 configured with a 3 GHz Pentium 4, 512 MB RAM, and a 128 MB Radeon 9800 Pro graphics card. Even then, I experienced some hiccups while playing.

So what's my verdict? Frankly, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. This is a decent game, but there's a lot of better games out there. It's possible that the relatively complicated gameplay grows on some players, and as you replay the game you get better and experience more of what Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay has to offer. But hey, at $15, you don't take a big risk at paying a lot for a game you end up not liking.

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