Superannuation - yep, that guy misses nothing - spotted the LinkedIn profile of the audio director for Starbreeze and noted that it read "I have been working at Starbreeze on the following projects ... The Bourne Ascendancy for EA." Checking Carl Vikman's profile now, however, it says only "New Bourne-game for EA." But that certainly sounds more thrilling than a (wait for it) "newborn" game for EA. Man, I'm clever.

I Have Been Working at Starbreeze on the Following Projects [Superannuation via Blue's News]

Although it was first strongly hinted at during last year's Comic-Con, during this year's festivities it was confirmed by Top Cow (publishers of the comic the game is based on) that a sequel is currently in development.

That sequel won't be worked on by the game's original developers, however, with Starbreeze confirming that they've got nothing to do with it, what with them having both hands full with projects for EA (the Bourne series and a secret project). There's no word on which developer has taken over the series.

New developers, new games, whatever. We're not fussed. So long as Mike Patton's services are retained. (UPDATE: Nick at Dtoid tells us Patton hasn't been approached yet. Get on it, mystery developer!)

Starbreeze not developing The Darkness sequel [VG247]

Originally planned as a simple current-generation remake of 2004's The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, developer Starbreeze changed course during development, creating a whole new chapter in the story of Vin Diesel's Riddick character. Upon escaping from the Butcher Bay prison in the first game, Riddick and his "captor" Johns are torn out of space by the Dark Athena, a massive spaceship inhabited by former mercenaries turned interstellar pirates. It's up to the predatory anti-hero to make his way through the bowels of the ship to escape the ruthless female captain who wants him dead.

Escape from Butcher Bay is widely considered to be one of the best movie tie-in video games of all time. Has Starbreeze managed to stay the course, or is it lights out for the Riddick franchise?

Loved
Escaping Butcher Bay: Everything that made the original release of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay an amazing experience returns, with the addition of new content that was previously only available in the PC version. Starbreeze nailed just about every aspect of the Riddick universe in Butcher Bay, from the cramped, oppressive atmosphere to the colorful characters inhabiting the facility. The prison is as much of a character as Riddick himself; a living, breathing organism that the protagonist is going to hurt a great deal before making his ultimate exit.

Hand-To-Hand: No game handles first-person combat with quite the proficiency that The Chronicles of Riddick does. Where other games featuring hand-to-hand combat leave me longing for a firearm of some sort within the first few battles, Riddick's close combat had me completely ignoring the guns in my inventory until they were absolutely necessary. It just feels right.

Richard B. Riddick: Why is the character of Riddick so enjoyable to play? An exchange between the Diesel-powered killing machine and a prison inmate in the Butcher Bay section of the game sums it up nicely. The other prisoner explains that what really bothers him about Riddick is that he seems so comfortable in any situation, even locked up in the galaxy's most secure prison. Riddick replies, "I just take the hand life deals me. Then I cheat." He's controlling his destiny, and you're controlling him.

Pitch Black Multiplayer: While most of the multiplayer modes in Dark Athena don't offer anything new, the Pitch Black mode is one of the most entertaining times I've had killing other people over the internet. At the start of each round, one player is Riddick, and the others are mercenaries, hunting him in complete darkness with nothing but the light from their weapon-mounted flashlights to see by. The stronger the weapon, the weaker the beam of light standing between you and certain death. The tension created by the situation is amazing, and playing Riddick himself gives players plenty of opportunities to toy with the competition.

Voice Acting: The voice acting in both halves of the Riddick video game saga is superb, particularly in the exchanges between Riddick and the captain of the Dark Athena, Revas, voiced by actress Michelle Forbes. The dynamic between these two characters is one of the highlights of the new content - one of the main reasons to stick with the game despite its flaws. Gears of War fans might also want to keep an ear out for John Di Maggio's stint as various guard voices in Butcher Bay, where he sounds an awful lot like Marcus Fenix.

Hated
Assaulting Dark Athena: The Dark Athena portion of the game is larger, prettier, and completely misses the mark as far as providing a satisfying Riddick experience goes. While stealth and hand-to-hand combat are a large part of the early portions of the game, it eventually morphs into your average run-and-gun first-person shooter. Butcher Bay gives you long stretches of gameplay where wielding a gun isn't an option, while after a certain point in Dark Athena you find yourself heaped with weapons and a seemingly never-ending supply of ammo. The story fails on several fronts as well, with a major character in the franchise sleeping through the entire game, and an ending that's not much more than a snappy line of dialogue and the rolling of the credits.

The Rest of Multiplayer: Assault on Dark Athena originally wasn't supposed to even have multiplayer, so I suppose getting any at all is a blessing, but with the exception of the aforementioned Pitch Black mode, the rest of the online offerings are pretty staid. It plays like a poor man's Unreal most of the time, right down to the cheesy announcer calling out "Double Kills" and "Murder Sprees". Murder spree?

Backtracking: A problem in both the old game and the new game, far too often the player finds themselves running back and forth between the same couple of areas as they complete quests in order to move the story along. It wouldn't be such an annoyance if not for the painfully long load times. NPC A asks you to go to another area to ask NPC B a question, loading. Returning with the answer, loading. During one particularly late session with the game I actually fell asleep during a loading sequence, woken up by gunfire from a wall-mounted sentry drone upset that I hadn't moved.

It's amazing how these two different games parallel the two live-action movies in the Riddick franchise. Like Pitch Black, Escape from Butcher Bay does innovative things on a relatively small budget, providing a unique, dark and gritty experience to the player. The second film, The Chronicles of Riddick, sought to capitalize on the success of the first by increasing the scope and adding tons of flashy special effects, but ultimately wound up an average science fiction film that just happened to feature one of the most compelling anti-heroes in the genre. That's exactly what Assault on Dark Athena does. It trades innovation and atmosphere for better graphics and production values, and while the genius of the original title shines through now and then, far too often you're simply running and gunning as you would in any plain vanilla first-person shooter.

Still, I consider The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena a worthy purchase, especially for those of you who never played the original game. While the fresh material might not deliver a compelling new experience, we'll always have Butcher Bay.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena was developed by Starbreeze and published by Atari for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Released on April 7th, 2009. Retails for $59.99. Played PS3 version. Completed both campaigns on standard difficulty and participated in multiple multiplayer matches.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

Irate users on the forums of both publisher Atari and developer Starbreeze are complaining that Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena only allows you to install it on three machines. After that, sorry.

Atari's response? That if you use your three installs and need more, and have legitimate reasons for needing more, you need to contact their helpline. Just so you can install a game that you own.

Jesus.

[Atari Forums]
[Starbreeze Forums]

First, industry site Gamesindustry.biz said that, according to sources, Starbreeze (developers of The Darkness) were at work on a new Syndicate title, and that it was due for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. They also said it wouldn't be out for a little while, as Starbreeze had to finish working on the Bourne game for EA first.

Then news site Shacknews said much the same thing, though their source was from publishers EA.

When contacted for comment, EA would only say that they do not comment on rumours.

While it's nice to see the name pop up again after a decade of lying dormant, the fact it's coming for the 360, PS3 and PC has us worried that the appeal in a remake may have more to do with the game's setting and clinical ultra-violence than it will with tactical squad command.

Starbreeze working on new Syndicate title for EA [GI.biz]
EA Reviving Syndicate [Shacknews]

Starbreeze is big on polish, a fact they've readily demonstrated in their two previous outings, The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness. So when Dark Athena producer Samuel Ranta-Eskona calls their next game "By far the most polished game we've ever made", he's making a rather lofty claim.

We'll see if that claim holds up come April 7th, when The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena makes its North American retail debut.

Swedish developer Starbreeze obviously loves the Riddick property, and not just because the first game, Escape from Butcher Bay, put them on the map. They seem to truly get the franchise, perhaps on a deeper level than movies' writer David Twohy does, as evidence by the second movie in the franchise. Witness their love for the Riddick character transform an update to their original Xbox title into the full-fledged sequel we'll be getting our hands on in April.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena features an all-new story for actor Vin Diesel's bad ass antihero Riddick, who once again finds himself in a situation he has to kill his way out of. The game also comes packed with a full high definition remake of the original The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, with some robust multiplayer options making it just that much more of a bargain. Dark Athena ships on April 7th in North America, with Europeans waiting a bit longer for their April 24th release.

With the release date announcement, Atari also reveals playable demos of the game coming to Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network next month, as well as the launch of the official website for the game, featuring more interactive Flash than you can shake your mouse at.

While I wouldn't say I am a huge Riddick fan, but you see those blades he has in the screen up there? I've got a pair. Well, I've got one, on top of the fridge. Not sure where the other got off to. *eyes the cats suspiciously*

And yes, the mech suits look lovely, but they aren't really Riddick, now are they? Riddick is about skulking, stabbing, and interacting with little children, each of which is represented in this "Hunter" trailer for the upcoming game, due out April 7th. I really think the Riddick character shines brightest when there is an innocent for him to play off of, like the Jack character from Pitch Black. Perhaps that's where The Chronicles of Riddick movie failed. Changing Jack into the female bad ass Kyra in the second film stripped Riddick of his innocent side, leaving us with a straight up action film without any real heart to it.

Or maybe I'm putting way too much thought into this. Just nod and enjoy the trailer.

Chronicles of Riddick developer Starbreeze Studios is already hard at work on a new Jason Bourne game as EA and Ludlum Entertainment announce the multi-year agreement that grants the publisher exclusive rights to Robert Ludlum's full catalog.

“Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne is the most exciting action hero to emerge in decades, thrilling audiences around the world,” said Mike Quigley, group vice president of marketing, EA Games Label. “EA is excited to enter into a long-term relationship with Ludlum Entertainment, bringing the action, intrigue and intensity of Robert Ludlum’s fiction to life for casual and core gamers around the globe.”

Ludlum Entertainment originally offered the rights to Vivendi back in 2005, but after releasing only one title - The Bourne Consiracy - the rights were handed back last year during the great Sierra property purge that resulted from the Activision Blizzard merger.

While The Bourne Conspiracy didn't impress me much, a new title developed by Riddick developer Starbreeze might be just what the deadly assassin posing as a doctor ordered.

In the trailer, the Diesel-powered Riddick ponders the nature of desperation, or does the best that he can considering the limited resources he is working with . "Where there's desperation, there's opportunity", is certainly a true statement. Not so sure about the whole, "I'm hell's messenger" bit though. I mean, if you're killing people all day, wouldn't you be more of a delivery boy? Unless the gameplay consists solely of you sneaking up behind people and whispering, "Hell says hi" and then running like hell, I cry foul.

Speaking to Eurogamer TV at the Atari Live event last week, Tigon head of production Ian Stevens called Dark Athena an episodic expansion, indicating that they've got a sequel to the original in mind should gamers react positively to the updated release.

"[The full sequel] is ambitious and that is definitely going to follow the precedent that we set with the first," he added. "But for now we've got a new story that we want to tell and a little bit of a single-player expansion on that original game."

Even though the reworked original isn't due out until the spring, it's never too early to bombard Tigon and Starbreeze with funny "Do Want" lolcat pictures.

True Riddick sequel "couple of years out" [Eurogamer]

Multiplayer is a new addition to the remake of 2004's Escape from Butcher Bay, and Starbreeze is doing it up right. You'll get your standard deathmatch and capture the flag modes along with an objective-based Butcher Bay Riot mode that pits 3 teams of 4 players each against each other, but by far the most interesting mode is Pitch Black.

Pitch Black takes place in a large, darkened arena, pitting mercs with flashlights against Riddick, who can of course see in the dark. Players take turns getting torn apart by the Furian badass until one gets in a lucky shot, becoming Riddick at the start of the next round. We wouldn't want to meet Riddick in a darkened area. Oh no.

Riddick gets 'Pitch Black' multiplayer mode [CVG]

EA at work on new Syndicate [CVG]

bit-tech
...the shadows and interaction between player and light source [are] both radiant in its beauty and important to the gameplay...[but] we got the strange feeling that the game is a year or two late...and that it would have been better served if it had seen a release earlier in the 360's lifespan when it was a bit more fashionable to have games which used light/dark conflict...it feels a bit like it's wearing last season's clothes...

Jolt
Light is also harmful to Darklings, which are rather poorly explained creatures that can be pulled from another dimension and used as fodder against enemies, although in truth their main usefulness is the comic relief that they provide.

TeamXbox
After a little while, you'll gain the ability to send out a snake-like appendage called The Creeping Darkness. You can use this guy to sneak through vents (allowing you to open locked doors from the other side) or simply send it off to literally bite the faces off of your foes....You'll also earn a tentacle that can impale foes and smash out lights, as well as Darkness-powered pistols that actually aren't quite as cool as they sound.

Pocket-lint
...for AI, don't expect much. all the bad guys we encountered playing on medium level (there are three difficulty levels in total) weren't too clever and unlike some games where they flush you out - here they just wait for you to come charging.


Yahoo Games
...there's almost no challenge here. The battles offer a bit of variety for how many ways there are to dispatch bad guys, but there's no reason to vary your approach or develop your character a particular way. All guns and powers eventually come to you as you sweep everything out of your way. By the time the SWAT teams arrive, you couldn't care less. Just spam your black hole on the way from plot point to plot point until you get to the credits.

The reviews are odd in that they all seem to complain, but then rate the score high. I think we're supposed to take that as, the game is fun despite its issues. Mark Wilson

I haven't really been paying too much attention to Starbreeze's The Darkness for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, but after seeing this clip, I'll have to start. Sure, the comic book fan inside me withered into nothingness long ago, plus I'm a jaded FPS player, but extra demonic arms? C'mon. Michael McWhertor

The new title will be CoR: Assault on Dark Athena, named after the scavenger ship on which the additional single player content takes place on, supposedly extending the solo experience by 40%. On top of that, the game will also feature a multiplayer mode as well as the developer's commentary that was included on the PC version of the original.

Being an inordinately large Riddick fan (I own a pair of his curved dagger thingies), I am extremely excited to get another shot at Butcher Bay. Hell, the thought of just playing the original one again is compelling enough...new content and multiplayer are just icing on the cake. Just one question - How do I get eyes like those? Michael Fahey

Riddick redux is go! [CVG]

Not to be confused with "believing in a thing called love," 2k Games announced its plans to publish Starbreeze's (the company behind Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay) The Darkness, based on a long-running comic book of the same name, for next-generation consoles. This Darkness, according to the press release "will feature a distinct blend of dark modern crime drama and supernatural horror with intense first person non-linear gameplay." Sounds like Deus Ex meets CSI meets Silent Hill? There's a movie in development, too, expected in 2007. How I love the tie-ins!

Vin Diesel jokes notwithstanding (and there are a mountain of them that can be made), an insider at Starbreeze Studios, makers of Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay has let some tidbits on their new game, Kona. Computer and Video Games reports that the game has an "unusual hook." From the blurb: "You're actually shown an enemy's actions before they happen. So you're actually shooting predictively." That's some Jedi-type crap.

A little bird whispers in our ear about a new next-gen FPS from Starbreeze called Kano [Computer and Video Games]