Riddick remake confirmed for PS3, Xbox 360
by Ross Miller 
{ May 22nd 2007 at 1:10PM }
It seems like only last week that we were given the first details on a Chronicles of Riddick remake, and now we have official confirmation from Sierra that the "reinvention," now subtitled Assault on Dark Athena, will be released later this year for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.Besides the mandatory visual enhancement, the game will also feature a new chapter (entitled Dark Athena, natch) and online multiplayer. Not mentioned in Sierra's press release is the previously-discussed developer's commentary mode.
The original Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay for Xbox One and PC stands as one of the few games that not only puts a film license to good use, but actually might surpass the movie in terms of critical reception.
[Thanks, sheppy]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stiltz @ May 22nd 2007 1:16PM
vin diesel's movies are always horrible..
vidGuy @ May 22nd 2007 1:16PM
It's interesting. The Wii is trying something completely different with little visual upgrade and it gets called last-gen, but the 360 and PS3 can come out with the same game and people will buy it up if it has teh shiny factor.
Then again, we all know that a visually-upgraded port of Final Fantasy 7 would sell exactly 6.2 billion copies, so I guess this is nothing new.
sheppy @ May 22nd 2007 1:19PM
Gah, I sent Joystiq the link to this press release at 8:30 this morning. 8:30! Just now putting ti up and no probs to me?
Pikachief @ May 22nd 2007 1:23PM
lol, i didnt get Forza so now Forza 2 comes out! I didnt get Guitar Hero 1 so part 2 comes out! and now i didnt get riddick so a remake comes out! YAY
i think im just gonna wait for the sequel/remake of every good game, then decide which of those 2 i want :D
Hirsbrunner @ May 22nd 2007 1:29PM
@vidGuy: I was think along the exact same lines.
It doesn't make any sense to me.
JodyAnthony @ May 22nd 2007 1:33PM
well, the same people that praise this will also be the ones that complain about resident evil 4 wii, so what can you do.
Rod Munch @ May 22nd 2007 1:33PM
Although I'm not happy that they are making a remake and not a straight sequel, Riddick was an excellent game. I especially liked how despite it was an FPS, you rarely used a gun.
JodyAnthony @ May 22nd 2007 1:34PM
side note: i love how when capcom decides "lets rerelease resident evil 4 for wii!" it's nintendos fault.
Anyway, wasn't the original Riddick game terrible? I dont know, I just remember hearing that. correct me if i'm wrong.
Heliophage @ May 22nd 2007 1:34PM
Everyone loves a good First Person Shivver.
Tony @ May 22nd 2007 1:37PM
You know, except the Wii not only looks last gen, but a lot of games so far for it are ports or multi-console releases with changed around controls. Personally, I cannot get very excited for games that essentially just replace button presses with motion gestures. Stuff like Wii Sports works, but should I list all of the PS2 ports? Stuff moved over from GameCube? I mean, you can do this with any system.
It's a stupid comparison here anyway (particularly when that comment came before anyone saying anything on this site about it), considering it's NOT just a basic visual upgrade to begin with.
If it was, I might be more on the same page with you guys. Beyond which, the original game certainly wasn't quite as popular as it should have been considering its overall quality. People aren't going to buy it just because it's pretty, they're also going to buy it because the original was a fucking great game that a lot of people missed out on. I think reviews will reflect that.
sheppy @ May 22nd 2007 1:36PM
"Anyway, wasn't the original Riddick game terrible? I dont know, I just remember hearing that. correct me if i'm wrong."
Oh dear god no....
Riddick was one of the best licensed games ever. The gunplay was typical, but you rarely got into the gunplay. It was an FPS of the melee variety. Pick this one up, pronto
Heliophage @ May 22nd 2007 1:39PM
@8
It's probably because you can't get achievements for Resident Evil 4 on the Wii. It's amazing what some people will buy for achievement points. I'm looking at you Burger King.
It's not always bad to port, though. It's just usually better to wait a while and then truly reinvent it. Look at the Resident Evil 1 remake for the 'Cube. That was awesome.
As for whether it was bad: no... no it wasn't. It was pretty good actually.
gLitterbug @ May 22nd 2007 1:50PM
I played Riddick on PC and it's one of the best FPS out there. Real surprise hit. Too bad they are going to do a remake and not an actual new game. Still I hope it's going to get more attention than last time, even if that means people are morons probably buying it for that sticker on the box saying "includes hot sexy online multiplayer mode omg awesome". While they're at it why not just port the old game over to Wii and add controls so you can snap those necks with real arm movements for total immersion.
WebPimp @ May 22nd 2007 1:59PM
I love how people beg for props...who cares!?
Ross Miller @ May 22nd 2007 4:29PM
Sheppy --
Yeargh, I did not see your email until now, I had the post queued up before I went to bed last night. But alas, credit shall be given where credit is due.
Rosco
Joystiq
Neurothustra @ May 22nd 2007 2:21PM
Well, to call it just a port is a bit misleading. The game will feature MP (as previously stated) and will also have additional content (40% more, apparently, which is quite enough to warrant a new title and some hype). Also, Riddick was one of the best looking and playing games for the Xbox V1. If they are reworking the 3D assets to higher polygons as well as updating the textures and normals - I really don't see what the complaint is...
0ldb0y @ May 22nd 2007 2:29PM
@2: Obviously you haven't seen the pacifier. Great flick.
Tim @ May 22nd 2007 2:42PM
At least I knew what was going on in it. I'm looking at you Oldboy.
l0tus @ May 22nd 2007 2:47PM
The only people bitching about this are the douchebag PS3 fanboys and the kids stuck playing the Wii. Chronicles was an awesome game, and who wouldn't want a version that looks MUCH better and has almost twice the content? Haters, thats who.
polly @ May 22nd 2007 2:46PM
Better than the Chronicles movie? Not surprising. Better than Pitch Black? Doubtful.
JodyAnthony @ May 22nd 2007 2:52PM
Oh, you know what, I was confusing this with that Advent Rising or whatever it was called. As for this game I havent a clue. I'll have to give this ps3 version a try.
Vidikron @ May 22nd 2007 3:05PM
@1
Your point makes exactly zero sense. You're trying to compare little to no visual advancement to what will likely be a big step up in visuals. I fail to see your point.
Anyway, I think this will be good. The original game didn't get the attention it deserved. So some visual upgrades, new SP content, and MP added in. Sounds good.
This does make a bit suspicious of one thing though... could this be the reason that the original game hasn't made the 360 backwards compatibility list? People have been begging for it to be added from the start, yet it has remain suspiciously absent.
sheppy @ May 22nd 2007 3:15PM
"The only people bitching about this are the douchebag PS3 fanboys and the kids stuck playing the Wii. Chronicles was an awesome game, and who wouldn't want a version that looks MUCH better and has almost twice the content? Haters, thats who."
Ummm, look above... confirmed for PS3. I think you win the moron award. Considering you surpassed my whorish grab at fleeting fame in this very thread, quite an accomplishment.
perfectchaos @ May 22nd 2007 3:18PM
i'm glad this is coming out as i was a fan of the first, but that i doubt it'll sell well despite the critical acclaim. the first one didn't and that one was praised to high heaven, not to mention it was released not long after the second movie came out. personally if i didn't already i'd go out and get the first one for the $10 or less that gamestop or eb charges for a used copy.
vidGuy @ May 22nd 2007 3:18PM
"You're trying to compare little to no visual advancement to what will likely be a big step up in visuals."
No, I'm comparing a big change in gameplay and controls (+ a little change in visuals) to a big change in visuals (+ a little (no?) change in gameplay and controls). I'd be very surprised if this remake plays any different than the XBOX version.
The point is... how is a last-gen game with new content and pretty visuals suddenly next-gen?
sheppy @ May 22nd 2007 3:19PM
@Vidikron
"This does make a bit suspicious of one thing though... could this be the reason that the original game hasn't made the 360 backwards compatibility list?"
I'd say it has more to do with how the game specifically stressed the GPU in their coding from the ground up. I have no doubt the game featured some very nVidia centric coding. And since the 360 is cranking Ati, that could be the source of the hissyfit. I don't smell conspiracy here, just the typical problems with the BC.
Vidikron @ May 22nd 2007 3:39PM
@23
Well, you have a point. Though I think part of the complaint against the Wii is that the controls are really just "different". In the vast majority of the games they haven't proven to be a "step-up" at all. In fact, in most cases, the same controls could have been done as good or better by a standard controller. Where as improved visuals is, by definition, a step-up. I think that may be the root of the complaint that the Wii isn't "next-gen". Either way, defining "next-gen" is a bit pointless anyway.
@25
You're probably right and would have more insight into that than I would. Just thought I would throw that out there to see what other people thought.
J-son @ May 22nd 2007 4:03PM
I have to agree that this game totally blows the movie out of the water. It's really amazing that they got better writers for the game than they did for the movie.
And @ #18, yeah, the game is better than Pitch Black, too. But I will say that Pitch Black is the better of the two movies.
Tony @ May 22nd 2007 4:17PM
"The point is... how is a last-gen game with new content and pretty visuals suddenly next-gen?"
I think the main point anyone can make in response to this is "Why does it matter?".
I don't understand how anyone can really respond to this in a definitive way. If your idea of next generation is new forms of control, then how is anyone going to change your mind?
Likewise, if someone just expects more bells and whistles for next gen, how will you change their mind?
I haven't seen anyone run around screaming that this game is defining the next gen experience. It just happens to be a good game that's getting remade.
Is RE4 appearing with the PS2 extra content and new controls on Wii by default a next generation experience? Does that make it more next-gen than remaking a game that makes use of the 360's actual talents? Power, online capabilities, etc.? I just don't see how that's any less "next gen" to some one.
To me, generations just involve time. This whole generation is the so-called "next generation" now. I don't think that phrase implies an ideal in which every game in the world has to be "innovative". If that were true, we might as well ignore half of the systems and generations that came previously.
Obviously most of the time a new generation of systems are just more powerful. The Wii is breaking that system. It's doing something different. I don't think that makes it any more or less next gen than anything else out there. It certainly uses last generation tech, which is something that's easy (and factual) to say. I think a lot of people take comments like that too personally lol.
At the end of the day, I've come to realize that these squabbles and such rarely reflect well on the interests and buying habits of the general consumer anyway.
polly @ May 22nd 2007 5:43PM
"yeah, the game is better than Pitch Black, too."
I'll have to play it first before calling you a damned liar.
"But I will say that Pitch Black is the better of the two movies."
That's like saying ice cream is better than fruitcake.
jfls @ May 22nd 2007 5:59PM
It's funny that this is one of the best movie license games out there, considering that it's based on one of the worst movies out there.
Vidikron @ May 22nd 2007 6:45PM
@30 & 31
I actually CoR was a pretty good movie. Much more so than PB, IMO... which I thought was alright.
How many of you have actually seen it and how many are just joining the herd in saying it sucks?
AirIntake @ May 22nd 2007 6:47PM
Best part about the game? Dwight Shultz
vidGuy @ May 22nd 2007 9:50PM
Thank you for that honestly good post, Tony. I completely agree with you. I don't care what "next-gen" is, I enjoy my games no matter how someone else defines them. Controls don't make a game, neither due graphics. Even a story doesn't make a game, by itself anyway. They all have to match up to get the right mix for a good game, and the relative weight of the importance of each component is up to the individual gamer.
For me, I care less about graphics and more about gameplay and control. But, my personal opinion aside, I was merely pointing out the stupidity of the argument of graphics v. gameplay+controls.
After all, RE4 Wii (extras + better control) is just as silly of a port as Riddick (extras + better graphics) when you step back to look at it. Neither are representative of what their respective systems can do.
It's just interesting to me that a visual-bump is worthy of a new release. I bought the Wii version of LoZ:TP, but I'm not buying RE4 for the Wii because I've already played through the game and I don't see added controls being worthy of a re-release. But then again, some people buy the HD-DVD or BluRay versions of movies they own on DVD, so...
jfls @ May 23rd 2007 6:47PM
@32
A friend of mine had free tickets for a sneak preview of the movie back before it came out. It was literally one of the worst movies I've ever seen. There was horrible acting, a stupid story, giant plotholes, bad effects, and general implausability of just about everything in the entire movie. I didn't pay anything to see the movie but I still felt ripped off.
I haven't seen PB. However, if you're right and CoR is better than PB, then I can't imagine what kind of disaster it must be.