The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay Critic Reviews

It's rare that a game of such impeccable design and ingenious execution is seen. It's paced wonderfully through an interesting story; features well-developed, appealing characters; and blends numerous gameplay types into one flawlessly executed adventure.

Enormously high production value adds to the pleasure of playing this game. It's no exaggeration to say that these graphics are the best you've ever seen in a console game...A masterpiece.

A thoroughly immersive product, thanks to handsome level design, decent sound effects, an unnerving music score and lines delivered by real actors, including Diesel himself.

The game has two great general strengths. The first is a simply spectacular presentation and attention to detail. Despite the grim environments depicted, this is one of the best-looking XBox titles I've seen. The details are breathtaking.

The controls prove the best out of the recent crop of first-person shooters; the hand-to-hand combat system is spectacular.

This game is everything FPS and movie games need to be, chewing up and spitting out the vast majority of the competition.

The challenging levels, the variety of gameplay and the amazing visuals alone make it worth every penny. Dare I say (here comes the hate mail), it would be an even better game than "Halo" if it wasn't for a lack of multiplayer action.

One of the coolest menu systems ever to be seen a video game. If I'm mentioning a game's menus in a review, then you know that they have to be pretty darn cool.

The characters appear to have a depth I've never seen before.

Not only are the visuals ridiculously sweet, the gameplay is unique and incredibly well-paced. Hands down, this is one of the best titles in the Xbox library.

This cracking game also proves the Xbox truly is the only console capable of running games with this level of immersion...Riddick should be waved in the face of every PS2 fanboy with a taunting "nyah, nyah."

From start to finish, it brings the player into the story and doesn't let go. Tremendous visuals, sound work and engrossing gameplay is just a short list of what this game brings to the table.

This game is simply gorgeous. The lighting and mapping of the environments truly is a sight to behold.

It is easily the best looking game to date on the Xbox and the gameplay is equally strong. I can't stress enough how shocked I am at the quality of this game

What essentially makes The Chronicles of Riddick such an excellent game is the awesome atmosphere that has been created.

It's got more action than "Splinter Cell" and plays better than "Breakdown," plus you have the character of Riddick, crass, egotistical, and tough as nails.

Innovative gameplay, rich story, and near flawless visuals.

It's so unbelievably good that it almost feels like it was brought back in time, because most all of today's action games (on the Xbox or otherwise) just aren't in the same league.

Every facet of the gameplay is brilliant, and it's wrapped in the best looking graphics on the Xbox to date. I've used the word 'immersion' in this review several times, and really it really is the aspect of Riddick that truly separates it from the pack.

What's most interesting about even this game, though, is that in spite of its being single-player only, we're just as eager to go back and keep playing. With the exception of a few linear and otherworldly levels (which, by the way, out-Doom Doom), there are enough ways to try to escape from Butcher Bay that it's hard not to think about playing again.