A satisfying game that grabs you and makes you love it.
I bought Escape From Butcher Bay soley on the word of Gamespot's recommendation. Seeing as how it's a universal fact that most games based off movies aren't up to par, I was surprised it would get such a swell review. I never saw Pitch Black and the sequel wasn't out in theaters yet, so this was my only introduction to the Riddick universe.
It grabbed me right from the get go, with an exciting mock-escape running through Riddick's dreams. It was like a James Bond flick, start with some action to set the tone and move on to the exposition. That's where the game start to veer off into other arenas like RPG and fighting. I've played a lot of FPSs in my time and it's awesome when a game can incorporate aspects of other genres without compromising it's core commitment.
Another great aspect is the story. Not often do we get games heavy on story outside the RPG genre, but this one really gives a cinematic situation with a larger than life anti hero. Shortly after playing this game, I bought Pitch Black and saw Chronicles of Riddick. Dare I say this game was more engrossing that both? Even though Pitch Black was a bad-ass movie and the Chronicles of Riddick seemed a little campy, Escape From Butcher Bay was an extraordinary intro for me that could've been a lot worse if I had chosen the other two options.
The music in Escape From Butcher Bay is also fantastic. Most people won't recognize how wonderful it is because the game itself is so engrossing, but after a while it starts to sink in. The voice acting is all it could be and more. Not being a big Vin Diesel fan, I wasn't expecting much from the virtual him either. I was wrong, he was great. One of the more memorable moments in the game is when a lowly guard stupid enough to walk out into a pitch black (Pun? What pun?) cave and gets mauled by some nasty cave creature; with decapitation and the like. Riddick looks on and simply says, "Beautiful." Very well put.
Overall, it's hard not to recommend this game. A lot of effort was put into this and it really shines, not unlike Mr. Riddick's crazy eyes.
