Sneaking up on a guard.

In addition to the first-person fighting you have the option of taking a more stealthy approach. You can crouch down and keep to the shadows, sneaking up behind your enemies and applying quick and fatal neck realignments. You’ll be able to tell when you are undetected in the shadows by the way the game’s lighting subtly changes shades – a unique and effective mechanism. During the game you’ll acquire Riddick’s famous eye shine that allows him to see in the dark, making stealth an even bigger weapon in your arsenal. The best thing about the game’s stealth element is that you are never really forced into using it. The less patient gamers out there tend to really dislike stealth games and the slow, repetitive pacing it can force onto a game. In CoR, there are no long stretches of the game where you are forced to use stealth. Instead it is more of an option that is available to you when you need it. With so many games dictating where and when you have to use stealth, it is nice to see one that makes it your choice.

The AI in the game is excellent. Inmates will converse with each other, guards patrol their areas, and if you get too close to an inmate or guard you’ll receive a little verbal and physical abuse. Inmates are no pushovers when fighting with their fists or shivs, and you’ll have to be smart as to when to attack and when to try and block. You’ll need to be smart during gunfights as well, because guards will make good use of cover and tactics and will make you pay for foolhardy rush attacks.

By now you know that CoR has great atmosphere, story, and gameplay, however there are plenty of other factors in the game that also work together with these aspects to make CoR a must for Xbox action game fans – including what has got to be 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. Other factors include cigarette packs hidden throughout the levels that unlock concept art and similar goodies, a very clever way of presenting the gameplay tutorial, and levels which do an excellent job of bringing the dirty and claustrophobic Butcher Bay to life. Also worth special mention is the character animations and models are top-notch – smooth, realistic, and well-synchronized with the characters’ speech. Vin Diesel did all of the voicework for Riddick in the game, and it is obvious that he put the same effort into the role that he would for a movie role.

If you own an Xbox then you owe it to yourself to added CoR to your game library. It is one of the better titles available on the system, and one of the best efforts to date to meld a compelling movie-like story experience with an exciting action game.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 96%. Escape from Butcher Bay is innovative, immersive, and a heck of a lot of fun to play - every Xbox action gamer should own this game.

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