The Chronicles of Riddick: Movie Adaptations That Don't Suck

[@kairaz3968]

In the showers segment you actualy can snag a disguise in one of the lockers. So full section plays very differently, you can speak with npc, and no combat is necessary. And later, just past eye scaner is secret vent where you can take guard armor. This section whent full hitman. :)

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat, holy shit, I've finished this game 4 times now and I've *never* found that. Thanks, I know what I'm gonna spend my Sunday with. (I honestly think this is not very well telegraphed, but it makes a lot of sense. This whole chapter always felt extremely out of place to me)

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Okay! Just replayed the part with the knowledge that there's a guard uniform you can steal and hoo boy, it makes me think that the shower itself is an even more horribly designed segment than I thought before. This time around, knowing that this is possible it took me multiple attempts to even find the uniform, and then even after putting on the people in the shower room still attack you on sight after you put it on (without being noticed doing it, even) -- so you have to put it on and then get out undetected and *then* the rest of the chapter changes drastically. It definitely is far more enjoyable like this and makes 100 times more sense - also in line with what Riddick says at the beginning of the chapter: "Better to stay low and undetected". Thanks for pointing this out! I'm gonna pin this comment so anyone can avoid turning this part into shooty mayhem. (Spoiler: The uniform is in the first or second locker on the right side of the shower room from where you enter)

[@remainprofane7732]

RagnarRox To be fair, I haven’t tried to go through undisguised. I’ll have to try that next time I play this game, probably in 12 years.

[@brianpj5860]

@@RagnarRoxShow there are actually 2 guard uniforms you can acquire in that section leading up to the boss fight. There is a heavy guard outfit(the outfit that Abbot/Xibits character wears) in a backroom somewhere in those hallways under the guards quarters...... been a while since i played, cant quite remember the exact spot. I think there is a vent somewhere that allows access to it.

[@remainprofane7732]

Brian PJ WHAT

[@BobLogical]

Vin Diesel is such a strange man because he makes all of these dopey goofball action movies but genuinely 100% cares about all of them and the stories they're trying to tell.

[@TheMetastasia]

Because he can admit he basically liked for playing this roles and don´t do it because he gets payed handsomely for doing almost no work? I can imagine that he does this movies because he feels good about and have fun doing it. Not sure about Johnny Depp, but he seemed like he did a lot of movies just for the money as he basically plays a role which is the Directors version of Jack Sparrow because Depp was highly praised for doing this role.

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

It's because he's not a typical actor, he's a nerd, he plays (or played) D&D, he's shy, and has all of the stereotypical quiet-nerd characteristics, and while he just happened to get famous as an actor, those personality traits and past don't just disappear.

[@OthelloSilvermoon]

@@user-vn7ce5ig1z He still actively plays DND I heard a story from a BTS of Fast and Furious where he had a whole campaign going during the filming with the cast and crew it was freaking charming as hell.

[@JnEricsonx]

@@OthelloSilvermoon He damn near played his Dungeons and Dragons in The Last Witch Hunter I believe.

[@zatoby6705]

@@JnEricsonx yep. He basically played his DnD character.

[@TheUnluckyEverydude]

I've always felt like the Riddick universe is Vin Diesel's D&D Homebrew version of the Aliens universe.

[@carrotsongRPG]

You know, my wife and I have discussed the same thought. Vin is just so deep into the setting. Hell, I would love to play in that universe!

[@nullakjg767]

I hate FnF, I wish diseal would do more movies like pitch black.

[@masstv9052]

@@nullakjg767 Problem is funding

[@nullakjg767]

@@masstv9052 problem is no originality in hollywood.

[@masstv9052]

@@nullakjg767 There is originality in Hollywood, just not for Blockbusters because the Audience doesn't show up for "Original" movies, and user reviews always cry how their boring movies (if they aren't huge action blockbusters). So they respond to the market. but for Original ideas, hollywood funds them as smaller movies for streaming or as long form tv shows on Cable or Streaming sites.

[@ThatDjinn]

Riddick and Lord of The Rings got some of the best movie-tie-in games in history. But I've never knew how integral Vin Diesel was to the creation of the final product. The man deserves respect.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

He really does.

[@webinatic216]

Vin Diesel and Henry Cavill are nerds that happen to be alpha.

[@JnEricsonx]

@@webinatic216 And built like tanks. I remember when my little brother was watching Pitch Black, and he said this, "that guy's arms are bigger than my head!"

[@SnazzyPuke]

Peter Jackson's King Kong was also a really good game adaptation from the movie

[@webinatic216]

@@SnazzyPuke Too bad the hardware could not keep up with it.

[@main_stream_media_is_a_joke]

Man..these old games are literally a slap in the face of current gen AAA games. These are freaking atmospheric and despite not having modern special effects have an art style that doesn't get old. Fantastic game.

[@carrotsongRPG]

And notice: no DLC/Microtransactions. Ahhhh. Those where the days....

[@main_stream_media_is_a_joke]

@@carrotsongRPG These old games were complete with version 1 without any need for patches, dlcs, qol improvements, micro transactions etc. Now a days, even if a game seems interesting, buying it on day/month 1 is like buying the lowest quality product at the highest price. Kids still rush out to purchase these games and then complain that they don't work flawlessly. Just wait it out for 6 months and get the complete edition with all patches and dlcs.......for a BIG price drop. Don't remember a single instance of a modern game that hasn't improved over time after patches. Being a patient gamer, in todays times, saves a crap ton of money and headache.

[@the_elder_gamer]

@@main_stream_media_is_a_joke I don't generally go in for the nostalgia-laden, weren't things better in the old days, thing, but for this comment I'll make an exception. Often when I raise this kind issue in some communities, I'm skewered, the comment is taken as some kind of indictment of the game in question (which fundamentally it is I suppose) rather than of the business practices that fuel it. It baffles me how people are (edit: typo) so apathetic about this issue. People are literally spending money for no reason on games that don't warrant you cash and who will happily defend anti-consumer business practices as though they're defending a friend. It's maddening. Anyway, thanks RP, I'm with you!

[@main_stream_media_is_a_joke]

@@the_elder_gamer If I am not wrong, even in mid/late 90's, PC gaming was still considered as a nerdy hobby/activity. Most of the big companies didn't have pure MBA's running the show....there were technical people who also occupied managerial and higher positions. With the massive boom and acceptance of gaming as a mainstream activity, you have non tech MBA's in control and the entire game development cycle has been converted into a fast food production line with predictable profits....and practically little to no risk taking with different genres (this ensuring predictable profits). Now this is good from a shareholder, bonus tide to sales pov but this makes the entire industry extremely homogeneous and samey. No wonder the games are turning up how they are. The rabid fanboyism that you mentioned just seems ridiculous, with fanboys (Nvidia/AMD) etc fighting it out as if their actual lives are on the line. Bring into this mix the "influencers" who are nothing but company payed lackeys, and kids who have little to no concept of delayed gratification, and it's better to buy shares of gaming/HW companies and watch the shit show while making money at their expense.

[@the_elder_gamer]

@@main_stream_media_is_a_joke All I can really say is thank goodness for indies. I've all but abandoned every big developer/publisher. We all need to be smarter about voting with our wallets these days. In any case, stay safe and be well.

[@ConcasicoWoodworks]

The way that Vin Diesel just understood completly what a movie tied game should do is amazing :o

[@LeuvahkTrigger]

If only more people wanted to make fun, entertaining, and interactive series purely for the enjoyment factor instead of a giant corporate wheel intent on taking all of the money of their willing pay pigs, eh? Seriously I miss the old era of gaming.

[@SovietMarmalade]

Hell, he used to have a his own game studio. He was a definitely a guy who enjoyed the games he was involved in. (Except for the latest Fast and the Furious game)

[@Maartwo]

@@ootdega Passion projects made by game-loving nerds were replaced by greed-fueled videogames pumped out by evil corporations run by cunts in suits.

[@thecandlemaker1329]

It's hilarious that you called Rust a "prime rooster", because in Russian prisons "rooster" is a slang term for an inmate forced to give sexual favours.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

huh, the more you know. Fascinating.

[@silentecho92able]

So does that make Rust, Abbott's prison bitch...

[@Rybych]

Well Abbot called Rust "rooster" in the first place. And if i remember correctly there is no slavic refferences in the whole game. Might be coincidink. Damn i need to replay this game. Now im interested if Russian localisation did dirty and translated that moment.

[@matjazvercic6275]

Just like the word Chickenhead

[@pugawugum7458]

That's fucked up.

[@nejinaji]

The Riddick games have some of the most first person feeling first person perspective. You can feel your body and arms. It's borderline vr.

[@christianjohnson3580]

That's a specific characteristic of Starbreezes first person shooters that makes me a fan of them.

[@Zyrxil]

One thing I think that is missing from the Riddick of the games compared to the Riddick of the movies, is that his sense of humor is way toned down. In all the movies Riddick has a dark sense of humor and is constantly subtly mocking his opponents but in the games (and especially Dark Athena) it's barely present. Instead Vin Diesel decided to lean *super* heavily on the man-of-few-words badass type personality.

[@nicknad9165]

That missing tone of voice he uses when joking around in Pitch Black was my only gripe with Dark Athena. That and the ulaks. Did he carry them through all of Chronicles of Riddick??

[@v8matey]

"Are you trying to get under my skin Riddick?" "It's easier with a knife." -Riddick

[@edgepixel8467]

@@v8matey “Already trying to get under my skin, eh, Riddick?” “It’be easier... if I had something sharp.” You need to take this seriously.

[@NebLleb]

But he still does it though. He still has that dark sense of humour in the games, but it's done more subtly. It's not full "Sipping whiskey whilst the Hunter-Gratzner crew's paranoia does the job for him", but Riddick still gets a few digs in. Riddick (on Johns busting his first attempt out of Butcher Bay as a way to stick it to Prison Warden Hox): Nicely done, Johns. Give it another couple of years and this could be normal for you. Hox (Flanked by his forces): GOING SOMEWHERE WITH _MY_ PRISONER, JOHNS? Riddick: ...Just not today. :)

[@IronOger]

V.D. is such a dork and i love him for it. The way he talks about the media he's in and enjoys seems genuine and i find that to be pretty cool.

[@IronOger]

wtf is happening in here?

[@ladislausferreus2742]

For me personally, Escape from Butcher Bay is so good, that i consider Pitch Black as a bonus add-on.

[@unbearifiedbear1885]

A bot just posted this exact comment as a reply on my comment on this video; followed by multiple other bots reposting other comments.. the fuq

[@ladislausferreus2742]

wtf with these bots, lol

[@valipunctro]

"he's Riddick,thinks he's shit don't stink" was the first time I ever heard that expression back when the game came out,the only line I remembered from the game :)).

[@Dillpickle1997]

Bro i played the crap out of these games when I was in middle and early high school. I'm so glad I'm not the only one who remembers them.

[@erinprizant5542]

My girlfriend loves the Riddick series and just started going through them with me starting with this game two days ago. We're gonna finish the game and then watch your video together.

[@piotrdaniel3829]

Have you finished it yet?

[@Leadhead]

Oml, thank you so much for the archival links! Me and my dad have both wanted to play these games for so long, but I've never been able to find them!

[@acidzombie2934]

Its Lead!

[@telophasemusic]

Hey LeadHead. Love your content!

[@scottneil1187]

Worth picking up a ps3 or 360 for imo, these games are that good.

[@stapuft]

WHAT THE HELL IS WITH THE THOTBOT INVASION?!?!

[@ArmundJay]

hi Lead!

[@PunkExMachina]

I love this franchise. Even Chronicles of Riddick. I know it has its flaws but I love how different the universe is so different from other sci fi universes. It’s very Heavy Metal.

[@Biouke]

Part one: How you totally botched your first year of college playing all those awesome video games with your new nerdy friends instead of attending to classes.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Painfully spot on.

[@scrustle]

I've always been a huge fan of The Darkness, made by the same studio. I heard people say good things about these games too whenever I brought that up, but never really knew much about them before. Seems like there's even more in common between the games than just the developer and aesthetic. And hey look, the Riddick games are abandonware...

[@scottneil1187]

The Darkness is freakin' amazing, the Riddick games are equally good.

[@Omnicide101]

The Darkness fucks so hard

[@TJF588]

And I thought my reacting to Riddick's line of "Embrace the darkness," by gurgling out "JaCkiiiEEE!!" was wholly coincidental.

[@thommybepunkt7111]

"It`s not the fall that kills you. It's the sudden stop at the bottom."

[@jakedanielsen4512]

"It`s not the fall that kills you................................................................................................................................................. It's the sudden stop at the bottom."

[@hemangchauhan2864]

This game still looks insanely good even today.

[@captainnyet9855]

good lighting at work.

[@DeadPixel1105]

Escape from Butcher Bay is honestly one of the greatest games I ever played. A genuine hidden gem. So underrated and underappreciated.

[@Medieval_Dead]

It still hurts my soul that it got overlooked during its original release and the rerelease with Dark Athena. Starbreeze deserved better.

[@caramelconundrum9280]

Synchronicity never fails to amaze. Literally just watched Pitch Black the other night and picked up the game from a pawn shop yesterday. And now this. Wtf

[@edgepixel8467]

Just coincidence. All sorts of things happen to align once in a while, but we only notice those that we care about. If you were into cooking or piano or painting you would also notice things aligning and go “ooooh, synchonicity,” but it’s nothing special. It’s why they say “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear.” The opportunities for various things are always around us, but we don’t notice because we’re into other things.

[@The_RedVIII]

One of the most underrated games of all time. And yes, I agree, it’s THE FPS of 2004.

[@BlindBison]

Agreed, I enjoyed the main campaign more than Halo 2’s or HL2’s myself though those are both great games as well. For me, EFBB has aged better than HL2, but I know that’s likely to be a controversial statement.

[@The_RedVIII]

@@BlindBison yeah, I mean the physics ins HL2 were revolutionary I guess, but besides that I don’t remember much about it. EFBB is way more memorable.

[@edgepixel8467]

@@The_RedVIII Let’s not be unfair. HL2 was amazing, if you played it at launch. The level design, the oppressive atmosphere, the thrilling ride it took you on, were unprecedented. It’s great to play even now. And so is EFBB.

[@BlindBison]

@@Banzeken well said mate I hear you - I like how you articulated your points there. Yeah, I think it’s a good game certainly for it’s time, just not in the same league as HL1. EfBB holds up very well/very fun game today.

[@micindir4213]

2004 was a year of HL2 and Doom 3. EFBB was considered a bit less, because of its console roots and a bit lesser technical excellence. This was first year bumpmap and dynamic lighting was used in (mainstream AAA) games. But yeah, it seemed like a start of a new great era for games. And I would say 2005-2010 did not dissapoint. Most of xbox360 AAA releases seemed like a revelation in terms of scale, production etc. Oddly enough, next decade seemed to take wrong turn somehow.

[@HumanOddity69]

It blows my mind that this was on the original XBox and it ran well. I mean 2004 was 17 years ago and the game holds up visually and feels great even now.

[@98izzark69]

Well he notes that this footage is from the remade portion of Dark Athena from 2009 on the 360/PS3

[@HumanOddity69]

@@98izzark69 I know, I guess I didn't explain that well. I have the original game and an original xbox still. I keep it around for a few authentic experiences like this and Ninja Gaiden because in my view they were so fundamentally tied to the hardware itself that even the creators haven't been able to replicate the magic of what just worked back then on any other platform. Dark Athena is content rich and pretty but the original is the first time that I ever really felt like I was in a fight in a game and I still have that same disc. It still holds up even though I have to use an adaptor for the display now.

[@Medieval_Dead]

To me, this game is the hidden gem of hidden gems. It had no business being as good as it was. I can’t believe it’s almost 20 years old.

[@Medieval_Dead]

The hell is going on here

[@yoosungtobio]

i feel so happy that my religion is portrayed in such a positive way in this game/movie narrative and also so beautifully described in your video; because it's pretty rare that people view us, muslims, as actual people with their own culture and beliefs, we are rather some bunch of delusional and aggressive psychos in the eyes of some people.

[@remainprofane7732]

I do not believe, but even I can see that Islam has given the world much more than religious fanatics could ever take away. Insha’Allah, truth will prevail and people will open their minds a bit more.

[@yoosungtobio]

@@remainprofane7732 beautiful words! i absolutely agree. true believers always try to make world a better place to live in :-)

[@thoughtfuldevil6069]

Imam was my first exposure to a Muslim in cinema, and he's arguably the heart of the surviving Pitch Black trio. I still hold that killing off Imam and Jack was a HUGE mistake of the franchise. Ideally he Riddick movies would center around Riddick, Jack and Imam, even though it's far too late to go back now :'(

[@funnyman10912]

@Bitch Lasagna However no where near as evil and Machiavellian as the greedy money grubbing cult of Scientology

[@funnyman10912]

Even if I may disagree with your religion, I will never see you as a psychotic terrorist because of the fact you practice Islam.

[@The_RedVIII]

Man, after watching this whole video, I really want nothing more than a new Riddick game with refined stealth mechanics similar to Ghost of Tsushima, like air assassinations or multi stealth kills.

[@leosabat4636]

dam that would be dreamlike

[@nifftbatuff676]

No.

[@mavvynne444]

Like Dishonored series.

[@ILoveYouMaverick]

like ghost of tsushima????? r u ok? this AC stile of stealth is a joke

[@nickkiller-0710]

The lighting in this game is freaking gorgeous, reminds me a bit of FEAR edit: IDK why but a bunch of Russian Porn Bots really liked this comment

[@michaelweldon4613]

I actually really appreciate Vin Diesel as a person. Until recently, I really only knew him from The Fart and The Furious franchise, and if you can't tell from that, I didn't think much of him. But if you dig deeper into his passion projects and his personal life, you realize he's actually a huge nerd, and he cares about those nerdy projects. Mad props to him. And mad props to you for reminding me of this hidden gem. I randomly got this video game for Christmas one year and didn't think it was going to be anything approaching good. I was totally blown away when I started playing.

[@TheSuperuser49]

"It aint the fall that gets ya....It's the sudden stop at the bottom"...That line has stuck with me since I first heard it

[@TheSuperuser49]

@@ootdega is your mom Vin Diesel?

[@silenttvshka]

@@TheSuperuser49 Lmaoo

[@deaconsyxx322]

I’ve done my Saturday chores while listening to this audio on my phone in my pocket without any of the video. That’s the quality of Rag’s narrative. I love your video essays 👍🏻

[@shubniggurath3255]

38:50 I legit heard "waifu" and now I can't unhear it

[@Biouke]

Wait, that's not what he said? XD

[@introspectiver1787]

Damn you!, now I can't unhear it!

[@Matfen815]

When you order a new waifu but Vin Diesel turns up instead

[@edgepixel8467]

@@Biouke He means “rifle,” pronounces it more like “waifle,” hence people hear “waifu.”

[@Biouke]

@@edgepixel8467 I know he didn't really said "waifu" (immediately went back to listen more attentively) but thanks for the explanation anyway , that's kind from you :)

[@KingC1193]

Papa Ragnar releasing an hour and a half video about Riddick's Butcher Bay...yes pls!!

[@erdngtn9942]

"Yep it's getting RIDDICKulos" I caught it, did you?

[@ub-relax6800]

Yeah, it's what brought me to the comment section

[@Mia-ip6vi]

This game still looks insanely good even today.

[@silenttvshka]

@@Mia-ip6vi Bot

[@SmirkleJerk]

Literally searched for videos about the Riddick games yesterday, and now Ragnar comes up with this! 😍

[@devildavin]

incase anyone watching this video didn't know. Vin forfeit his paycheck when he cameoed in Tokyo drift to obtain the rights to Riddick some actors have their Favorite roles Kurt Russel has Snake Plisken Harrison ford has Indiana Jones Vin Diesel has Riddick and Dom

[@LeuvahkTrigger]

I was not aware of this, but knowing what I do of Vin, I am also not surprised.

[@WaspGenocide]

You're not supposed to stealth your way through the guard quarters. You can disguise yourself and it becomes another hub area where you can talk to people, do side quests, etc.

[@iuserprofile]

The game was amazing. I never played the follow up though. I always felt it was a game that was perfect in it's time and the sequel somehow didn't appeal enough. Big respect for the Jagged Alliance 2 music - that is a game I played for about a lifetime again and again.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Same, it's incredible how JA2 never seems to lose appeal for another replay

[@azooreus]

I've never watched a Vin Diesel film, but I've heard tons of good things about these games. Wonder if they'll ever get a proper re-release/sequel. I know the devs are currently handling the Wolfenstein series.

[@chancepaladin]

they've been remastered, still extremely playable.

[@crozraven]

Totally Missed this games, maybe it's time to finally embark for Riddick's journey in this year. Also, gotta really like that you also watched Pimp My Ride regularly in the past LOL

[@chillhour6155]

The prequel game is 100% worth it

[@Aranneas]

The Chronicles of Riddick is a series of greek tragedies. Riddick is actually the vengeance of the gods sent to punish hubris.

[@rahjeel]

I swear when I finished Dying Light, I wanted to play Escape From Butcher's Bay again.

[@ezecruelx]

Man I remember I was like 13 when I bought assault on dark Athena and escape from butcher bay, me and my brother weren't very good with videogames at that time, so I remember we tried to play if once or twice and gave up, then like a month or more later I decided to actually try and was able to push through and fell in love with both, I still remember trying to climb the rope to escape or jumping around to avoid bullets, it was one of the only times I've really put a lot of effort to finish a difficult game

[@dsagent]

Sad we don't get movies like these anymore.

[@UniversalWhatnot]

Lovable mess is the BEST way to describe the Chronicles of Riddick movie, can’t wait to watch your whole video RagnarRox!

[@JJRodriguez]

Every time Ragnar puts up video over half an hour, I always have to bring out the popcorn.

[@cliftonsargent1572]

Couldn’t think of a better way to start my weekend....well better way “legally” to start my weekend. Thank you sir for this content, I can honestly say if anyone else would have recommended this game i would have laughed my ass off but you vouching for it well I wanna give it a try

[@DrRESHES]

I honestly didn't expected to find even one person to notice Jagged Alliance 2 OST. Glad there are people who hadn't forgot about this game.

[@deraralaalfideldidumm103]

Yeah, always nice to meet gamers old enough to even know it

[@TheZanzibarMan]

I am contractually bound by how good a game this that whenever someone mentions it, I must play it again.

[@farribastarfyre]

I noticed the use of Jagged Alliance 2 music at the start of Part 4. Always puts a smile on my face to see tactics RPGs like Jagged Alliance and Silent Storm getting some love (even though I'm not very good at them).

[@roland4623]

started looking for a copy after getting hyped by this video only to notice the archive links! that was a really nice touch. thank you.

[@LeBarmalei]

This dude actually picks every of my favorite games. Highly recommended

[@glenngriffon8032]

I remember playing this for the first time on PS3 with an HDMI cable connected to my first flat screen tv. I was like 27 at the time... god... But i hadn't really kept up with technology so the graphics of Butcher Bay actually surprised me with how real they seemed to be. I recall walking through the opening cell block and looking in one cell, the way the light bulb just dangled from the ceiling and the room was so bare and empty reminded me of so many places i had visited in my life. There was even an echo in the cell! The melee combat was gritty, visceral, it felt realistic. I could feel some actual weight in the punches Riddick threw. I wish i had finished it.

[@gaborpetroci]

This was my best FPS, and interactive movie experience in my life.

[@danielvandusen5724]

One of my favorite things about this game, and im not sure it's intentional is that nasty fluorescent like artificial light that's used in real prisons in the 70's and 80's. They reproduced it in game for the prison sections and it makes the prison atmosphere as nasty and oppressing as a real prison used to be. It was an incredible aesthetic choice, if done intentionally to reproduce real prison lighting.

[@Trassel242]

@danielvandusen5724 sorry for replying to an old comment, but I’m pretty much completely sure that the lighting was a very well-researched and intentional choice. My father was one of the developers for the game, and through him I know that they spent a lot of the time making sure the look and feel of the prison would be just right. There are a lot of wall textures that are made out of ceramic tiles, which might seem kind of old-fashioned in this science fiction setting, but it really works to make the prison seem more like an inhumane institution, like the walls are there to be easily hosed down by the guards if they get too bloody. The devs made research into things like old prisons and old mental hospitals. They also put effort into things like how the beds look and where they’re placed, even the different graffiti on the walls have been researched and can give hints to the story and the inmates in the different areas.

[@danielvandusen5724]

@Trassel242 I wasn't sure because I thought it might have just been the result of the lighting in the Doom Engine, but then I remembered all the scenes after like the white room with the cubicles and the halls you use the mech in. And those are lit completely different and emphasize how oppressing the prison felt. That prison captured the mood and feeling better than any other game I've ever played. Somehow, they nailed it perfectly and there hasn't been a game I've seen since that was able to reproduce that weird, uncomfortable feeling, with a type of lighting that makes you feel... icky and overbearing is the only way I can describe it.

[@U.F.O_0908]

Hey Ragnar! Thanks for covering this sleeper hit! I can't believe it, but Butcher Bay's graphis still look awesome even today!!

[@Roach1776]

as a kid pitch black was my first encounter with keith david and vin diesel, good times.

[@Thorax2552]

I'm a relatively new subscriber to this channel and seeing an entire vid on one of the most slept on game adapted movies just made my night. This game remains in the top tier by comparison to so many modern AAA games with gameplay, level design, atmosphere, ect

[@bruvathroatpuncher500]

Acursed Farms talked about this, sometimes pirating games can preserve abandon ware. It's sad to some abandon is really good to, and sometimes the copy write laws are complete BS.

[@carfox1860]

It's like hearing an old song and time traveling mind & soul back to a special time and place. Even more so, because unlike a song, video game engagement is way deeper and more immersive. I loved these games so much - making this video so profound. Thanks!!

[@ashleycook2202]

The prayer mats just being markings in the concrete is so depressing and such a subtle detail that adds a lot.

[@spikeghost666]

I would like to thank you for being intentional about your ad breaks. It feels so much less irritating when the ads happen between segments instead of in the middle of a chapter while you're explaining something. It doesn't seem like much, but not a lot of people seem to take the time to do that on here, and i really appreciate the work you put in making even that part a pleasant experience (as pleasant as ads can be).

[@jimbelaco4]

The guard segment is because you're supposed to steal a uniform out of one of the lockers, which lets you just walk around and interact with the guards. You can even buy a sick combat knife from someone there.

[@hannibalcase1100]

I honestly hated the changes made in the Assault on Dark Athena rerelease. The melee combat lost its weight, everything looked like it was smeared with vaseline.

[@Medieval_Dead]

I had a lot of issues with it as well but was able to stomach it due to being ecstatic about being able to play Butcher Bay again. It was a flawed bonus.

[@hannibalcase1100]

@@Medieval_Dead My biggest hangup was in the mines. In the OG release, there's a big cavern with a riot guard patrolling. You could temporarily stun him with your tranq pistol, lead him to a pad where a shipping container gets put down and picked up, and use the environment to crush him. In the rerelease, the tranq pistol does nothing to him. ;_;

[@Obiniu]

What annoyed me the most is that in original release you could sneak past the mech after getting the assault rifle and use the elevator. In Dark Athena you can only use the button after defeating the mech

[@francissoto3027]

The chronicles of riddick was what a “sequel” (using that term real loose here bois) should be not necessarily “this is what happened after the credits rolled” but more like “a continuation of of the themes and narrative from the same setting and characters you enjoyed before”

[@gutsthe100manslayer4]

I loved this game so much when it came out and I still do. It was ahead of its time.

[@Interstellarsun]

I think this is one video of yours I am addicted to. I watch it before making music, and the atmosphere is very on point.

[@chrisalvino812]

I remember these games being even better than the films

[@edgepixel8467]

EFBB was.

[@goopah]

In 2004, I was amazed that Escape From Butcher Bay looked so glorious and ran so well on my relative potato of its day. I honestly can't remember which setup I had back then, but I do remember that I never had more than a low-to-midrange video card back then, and that I thought that there was no way this game could look and perform this well on that card, when Doom 3 ran like a slideshow on the exact same rig.

[@darkowl9]

Something that I don't think many people would appreciate with Riddick Dark Athena is, from memory, there's precisely one bathroom in the Dark Athena crew quarters where there's a fully functional mirror. You can muck about with looking at yourself, and you may notice something that very, _very_ few games do - your character's first-person and third-person weapon holds and animations are 1:1 _perfect_ with each other. There's no different first and third person animations. The third-person model even animates looking up and down. It is, in a word, incredible.

[@adurpandya2742]

Doom 3 was amazing in almost every way. Mind-shaping experience that affected me deeply, infinitely more than half life 2, and remains by far my best horror experience. And later in the game, it turned into Doom in the perfect way.

[@MKF30]

Big Riddick fan, ive always said he'd be great DLC for MK yet nobody thinks of Riddick for some reason, he'd fit right in plus even has powers with his Furian background.

[@MKF30]

Spam bots....WTF

[@1219stiles]

I remember playing the demo on one of the demo disks that Target used to sell. That small play time was enough for me to beg my mom to buy me both games. I still have them, stashed away with my Xbox, and I need to revisit them again. Thank you for showing the new line of players what a good team of developers can achieve back in the day

[@kairaz3968]

And about final battle against invisible drones, you could see them in dark vision mode in original, sadly they removed that in athena re-release

[@RagnarRoxShow]

I had a feeling that something felt different in the Athena version.

[@Matt561]

My favorite line from a video game review ever is "Doom 3 uses it's dark shadows so monsters can jump out and scare you, in escape from butcher bay you are the monster."

[@BlazingJacob]

What a brilliant video man, thank you for bringing back such great memories. If any game needed an actual remake/remaster it's these! Gonna see if I can require these games!

[@TheRacter]

Dropped just in time for my workout. You're the man!

[@sevenproxies4255]

It seems to me that Swedish game developers are pretty adept at making rather decent games out of movie franchises. Another example that I quite enjoyed was the game Mad Max by Avalanche Studios from 2015. The story of the game is pretty "basic" in that way you'd expect from anything related to Mad Max. But the gameplay and the renditions of the enviroments and the brutal combat are all quite top notch. I normally avoid games based on movie franchises due to the reasons given in the video, but after I saw a gameplay video of Mad Max I immediately felt compelled to try it out and I was not disappointed at all. So it's very curious to find out that Escape from Butcher Bay was also developed by a Swedish studio.

[@slartimus]

Ah, yes, thank you for such a detailed and loving tribute to both of these games. I had an original Xbox and played Butcher Bay back in 2004, then had to sell it all the next year due to financial difficulties. A couple years later, when I'd gotten back on my feet and gotten a 360, I was sad to find out that EfBB wasn't one of the titles that the 360 had backwards compatibility for. Then Dark Athena came out, and that it included the EfBB remaster was so lovely, because I could revisit the old love and also experience the new joy. That said, one nitpick: Isn't the super-jank wobble-cam during the mech fight portion of Butcher Bay specifically explained as that Riddick was only able to find an unoccupied mech because it was in for repairs to fix a busted gyro-stabilizer on one side? Granted, they could've written in some other challenge-inducing malfunction that didn't bounce you around like that, but it's not like we're supposed to assume those mechs in general were that bad. I forget, does Dark Athena ever cover just how Johns escaped? You show how he gets captured and disappears from the narrative, but I don't remember if we're ever shown/told that he'd gotten himself out or if Riddick retrieved him for some reason or what.

[@CGoody564]

The way you present things and the atmosphere you provide is phenomenal.

[@RagnarRoxShow]

Thank you, that's a really cool compliment!!

[@lemonaids6559]

The Percy Jackson King Kong game was also one of those amazing games!

[@methical__]

The Jagged Alliance music brings back memories...

[@mikedrop4421]

I remember getting this game on sale because I heard rumors that it was actually good and being shocked at the quality. Then realized and learned how involved Vin Diesel was and it really left an impression on teenage me.

[@JDelwynn]

What makes Escape From Butcher Bay so special is that the movies aren't good but the tie-in game is excellent. Really an anomaly.

[@jakedill1304]

I'm really glad they packaged the two together for the dark Athena release. Not only did it give you a proper 64-bit version of the first game, but you get to play through it with all the improvements and polish to the combat and gameplay mechanics, things that were very decent and still better than most nowadays back in 04, but significantly iterated polished and extended. Also in terms of the structure of how the games are designed when you look at the second game it really does play out in the, we showed you how to play this in the first game now we're going to mesh it all together.. Like it's still set piece based, but certainly by the middle of the game it brings in all the gameplay together in a good Harmony where the first one was more akin to action part sneaking part RPG part, melee Part... Which in no way is a bad thing by the way, and the second one definitely has the core structure of this, but rather than having to reteach you, it can assume that you know the basics and can take that design further. While it's still linear it's much more open linear.. and when it finally does just set you lose all of the freeform combat, stealth mechanics and melee mesh together really well into a whole game.. I'm not saying the second one is free form immersive Sim exactly, it just has more segments that are designed around freeform immersive Sim light where you get the full culmination of your options and it's utterly glorious to progress mixing between them, especially the final quarter of each of the two main Acts.. It always confuses me, people will talk about how the first one looked better and don't bother with the new one.. and yet this is actually one of the few cases where the remaster improves significantly on the old one, in gameplay alone.. then manages to do it without screwing it up, and as far as the visual changes go well you can you can turn those off LOL.. the difference is is that it will run on modern hardware without crying, and I totally get not liking the heavy post processing even though it wasn't terrible by comparison to some of its contemporaries, but unlike it's contemporaries and a lot of modern games you can turn it off LOL but I honestly I don't even think people know you can do half the things you can do in this game, I still watch people playing it that don't know you can lean.. and in all fairness, in the first game I had no idea how to trigger specific melee moves... By the second game, especially with the addition to the that set I can go through without a gun like a freaking Ninja, except unlike the more modern Wolfenstein games, I get to make my own finishers rather than hitting a button and having BJ do it all for me.. which don't get me wrong I'm glad they're still DNA from riddick in the new Wolfenstein games, and they've gotten the movement down almost perfectly with their first person awareness style that a lot of people complained about throughout their games when they were under starbreeze.. and Wolfenstein really brought a lot to the shooting department in the best of ways, but at the same time, in a riddick, at least the updated version that we're talking about here.. like I can literally plan a fight not Target by Target, but move by move... Gosh I wish more games were like that nowadays, we have gone so far backwards.

[@StabYourBrain]

A video dedicated to one of my favorite franchises released on my birthday. (i was a little busy yesterday, but i watch it a day later) Thank you very much Ragnar!

[@ak-jxrdy-7]

3:30 Why couldn't everyone think like this? That would make all forms of media so much better man. Experimentation with things not necessarily having been in the original. Of course, this is much easier to achieve in gaming, though. Massive shout out to Vin's involvement with this project and your expert coverage and review on it. You already know that your research, narration and editing skills are top-tier. Keep it up man, take care!

[@raulvito6246]

An hour and a half of Ragnar’s insights on one of the most criminally underrated games of all time with perhaps the best melee combat this side of Condemned and Dark Messiah

[@Biouke]

I loved Condemned, finished the two of them despite me not being cut to enjoy the horror genre :p

[@justovision]

Star Wars dance party is fucking amazing and its only sin is not being bigger, having DLC tracks, etc.

[@TJF588]

Riddick: "Embrace the darkness." The Darkness: "JaCKiiiEEEE!!"

[@sting7789]

I love Riddick badass character. I just bought the games on ebay for my ps3. This and The Darkness 1 and Darkness 2 never get old

[@WolfeLeon23]

It's from my understanding that the reason the Warden doesn't just have Riddick executed is because Riddick doesn't belong to him yet. He is still in negotiations with Johns over price for Riddick's capture. To further make this point in Chronicles of Riddick he warns Tombs to just take the money and go, rather than haggle. Cause if Riddick escapes before payment Tombs would get nothing.

[@nickbooze9766]

The graphics and atmosphere we're unmatched for years!

[@PolnocneGranie]

The worst thing about this, is the lack of digital sale of these games. And in the day an age when most laptops and even computers sometimes don't have DVD drives (since you can only sometimes get a physical copy on ebay being sold), you basically can't play the game at all.

[@chancepaladin]

the pacing in butcher bay is so amazing.

[@IrishMorgenstern]

When your voice starts I know I can just take a breath, relax, and drift back into an experience that educates, entertains, and reinvigorates.

[@UponDemise666]

Vin Diesel is an awesome guy & The “Riddick Universe” is a badass concept I’ve been a fan of since the OG release of Pitch Black. Ragnar, you really making me want to play these right now (too bad that’s impossible) Great video, always good shit on this channel

[@UponDemise666]

If ANYONE knows where I could get a copy of both these games lemme know I have: PC, PS4, Switch.

[@drudenae]

So happy my parents got me the Dark Athena and Butcher Bay package as a kid. I vividly remember struggling through Butcher Bay in the mid 2000s. Too bad it's nearly impossible to play on PC

[@VillaCarrington]

Dude, your work is incredible. Thank you.

[@johannlabertaler6095]

Oh god, I love those old engine style so much. Hard shadows, normal maps on everything - F.E.A.R. and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games also really nailed that aesthetic, I miss this. So glad you talked about normal maps