Well, It's been awhile since I made an entry into my long running editorial series called "Shooters and Cliches" since there hasn't been much to comment on with my beloved game genre. Contrary to recent notification, I'm amazed how many overlooked shooters there are in this industry, simply overshadowed by the over-hyped and brand-bashing that bigger titles get. Obviously, one such shooter has made it's way into my gaming collection and has unique qualities that make it a diamond in the rough even though it's not the greatest in other areas.
This game happens to be The Chronicles of Riddick, the second installation being Assault on Dark Athena. Unlike games that take on a third-person approach, this game is one of very few Stealth games that tackle the challenge from a first-person perspective. The stealth is greatly engineered using sensory details, if you hide in the shadows your vision becomes this pale purple and if you are detectable the vision is normal. That and if you are in a unlit area with no light sources you can toggle on Riddick's famous "night-vision" to make stuff see-able. Besides this like any other stealth game, Health generation is limited(but not scarce) and the emphasis on only landing headshots is obvious since headshots are quick instant kills while aiming for the body results in several hits being taking down a target.
This out of the ordinary game wouldn't take chances visually as the game tacks on almost movie-quality graphics using the studio's proprietary engine. This tech is also being used in the studio's latest cover-shooter; Syndicate which looks and plays amazing also.
There is also multiplayer, but do to the game's overlooked potential and being stricken in a few years...the match-making is all but alive. Though it does sport a LAN function for if you have friends or family willing to spar it out.
The story so far, while riddled in drivel-like dialogue (most of it from Riddick), is actually surprisingly well done if you are able to take the drivel as just pieces to an overall branching plot. That and it seems this studio couldn't help the fact to take on some Gravelly voice casting.
If you want to see the game in action I have uploaded a couple of vids of the Athena game, as well as the previous demo based on the first game called Butcher Bay.
That is pretty much it for now, thanks for reading!
-BrioCyrain
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