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The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

(2009, Video Games - First Person Shooter, Rated M, Play it on: Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 18, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 17.
  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Graphic, gory first-person shooter with some sexual themes.

Why We Rated This not for kids

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    Not an issue.
  • Messages:

    Not an issue.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    While a sci-fi adventure, this game offers realistic graphic violence including many gun-based weapons and hand-to-hand kills. The lead character is known for his lethal use of razor sharp "ulak" blades. Human-like enemies can be decapitated, dismembered, and strangled. Blood sometimes sprays when enemies are killed.

     

  • Sex:

    It's from behind, but one male player is masterbating in his prison cell, and the scene is quite lengthy. Moans of pleasure can be heard, too. Some lines of dialogue contain sexual references to rape and necrophilia.

  • Language:

    Explicitives can be heard, including strong swear words such as "f-ck" and "c-nt."

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena was written by Marc Saltzman

Parents need to know this game was created for adult players. The "Mature" rating warns of excessive violence and gore -- and there is plenty of it -- as well as foul language and sexual references and imagery. This game is not appropriate for kids, tweens, or young teens.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about whether they like when a Hollywood celebrity "stars" in a video game? Is this game more appealing because Vin Diesel plays as the main character or do you prefer a different face (or none at all, such as the helmet-wearing Halo's Master Chief or Metroid Prime's Samus Aran).
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More on The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

What’s the Story?

While it didn't sell too well at retail, The Chronicles Of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay (based on the movie of the same name) became a cult hit among gamers a few years back for its intense action and gripping narrative -- not to mention raising the bar for video games based on movie licenses. Thanks to Atari, Riddick is back in THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK: ASSAULT ON DARK ATHENA, an all-new cinematic adventure that once again stars ba(l)d boy Vin Diesel as Riddick, who uses stealth and cunning to take down the evil Captain Revas of the predatory Mercenaries ship, Dark Athena, and her loyal followers. To stay alive, Riddick must rely on his signature moves and powerful weapons (such as the razor sharp "ulak" blades) while navigating the dark and creepy corridors from a first-person perspective.

Along with the lengthy single-player campaign is a "re-imagined" edition of the previous blockbuster game Escape From Butcher Bay, as well as six multiplayer modes including "Pitch Black," in which five players, as Mercenaries, try to hunt down the 6th player who assumes the role of Riddick, using only weapon-mounted flashlights to see through the darkness. Another multiplayer mode, "Butcher Bay Riot," is fast-paced three-team mode, where 12 players split into teams of Guards, Prisoners, and Mercenaries to brawl over a power cell.

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Is It Any Good?

While not a revolutionary game by any stretch, The Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena is a good action brawler for mature players -- and is a good deal considering it includes the original game and many multiplayer modes for added replayability. It's not the next Halo, plus it's violence, sexual themes, and language might offend some, but the game shouldn't leave serious shooter fans disappointed. If money is tight, then it's at least a very good weekend rental.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 4/6/2009, price $59.99, online enabled
ESRB rating: M (for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language )

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title off for age 14 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Inappropriate language
    • Negative role models

    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    Great for older kids and teens.

    The brutality is at it's fullest, game characters make reffrences to having sex and ra*eing, they use coarse sexual dialouge like f*ck, cu*t, pr*ck, di*k and show a mild deception of a man mastrabating. The language is extreme and the violence is brutal and grotesque! I recommend this for older audeinces!

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title off for age 15 and give it 5.0

    I love it!

    A great shooter with a lot of blood,violence,and language. The enemies call you bad names. The language includes s--t,f--k,f--ker. Over all a great game with adult language.

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in New Jersey
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 1.0

    15

  4. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 1.0

    it is not rated by esrb

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