Escape from Butcher Bay is to me the best movie tie-in video game ever to made. I agree with the flaws that you mentioned but it didn't hinder me too much from enjoying it. awesome review!
People say movie games are bad: Chronicles of riddick, MatriX games, lord of the rings games, Stranglehold, The bourne game, king kong, Kung fu panda, godfather
30 seconds in, and I can already tell you're playing it wrong. Big fan of yours, so I'll just say always take the stealth option. First off, 30 seconds in, you just left the shower room area. You can stealth kill all the guys in that area with some inventive tricks (turning off lights and such), and steal a staff suit in the lockers to blend in. A few moments and secret passages later (if you explore), you can don a guard suit to blend in with weapons in hand. Man, I love this game.
I completed the game today. He is right. The suit is only in one part of the game. Here's my problem with stealth: enemies will have a flashlight most of the time which covers a pretty big radius, the enemies seem to have tendency to turn around just when im going to stealth kill them, sometimes you don't see them even coming, most of the time if you even peak out of the cover they will see you and last when in the dark if they don't have a flashlight they will usually walk into you like they know you are there but are pretending they don't. Other than some melee sections the game was amazing. Would give it a 9 or maybe even 10. Good stuff heavily overshadow the bad stuff. This game is an agressive type of stealth like catching the enemy of guard, then you also get the stun gun. Like i said an agressive type of stealth.
If a player is "playing the game wrong", that's not an issue with the player, it's an issue with the game. Most often it means there's something in the game that may have been inadequately explained or poorly balanced, because if the game is designed correctly no player should have difficulty figuring out how to play the game right.
@@stefanm.734 They're kinda being dicks but back when this game was new there wasn't as much hand holding as is in most modern games. I know that gets said a lot about older stuff (probably too much) but it's true. Game designers expected you to experiment and figure these things out yourself. There are a shit ton of all-time classics that modern players would throw away in frustration and disgust because there are no directions as to what you are supposed to do or where you are supposed to go. EFBB does have legitimate problems, but OP is correct in that Gman did play that segment in a sub-optimal way. He wasn't experiencing it like we would have back then though, because he's blowing through it for a review. If you just paid 40 bucks for the game back in 04 or 05, you're gonna be looking all around and getting everything you can from it. The sequence they're talking about isn't super hidden or obscure, but there also isn't a quest marker telling you to do these things. You can fault it for that, but personally I find it to be a good thing. It's a lot more immersive to figure stuff like that out for myself. If something doesn't feel right, I start looking around for a better way. Kinda like how the first time you play Dark Souls if you go down to the graveyard from Firelink it feels way too brutal. It's the game telling you to look for some other way. Cause of course everything has to be compared to Dark Souls lol. That was just the easiest thing for me to compare it to.
The Xbox was so ahead of it's time, tech wise. The Game Cube and PS2 couldn't touch it, visually; and the sound card was literally state of the art, and the surround offered by it would be considered top-end to this day. MS, even back then, knew what PC gaming offered and tried to emulate it in the console space, day 1.
@@jesserogalski1402 The Xbox really wasn't ahead of its time; it was just a consolized Pentium III PC. That still made it more powerful than its counterparts, but it was an expensive crapshoot for Microsoft which happened to pay off.
@@hawkevick9184 because I played the version on Original XBOX and it was hell compared to the PC version so I am curious if the remake was just as hard as the Original XBOX or if they toned it down. In the PC version you can basically move around freely and have lots of places to hide and in the Original XBOX version there are very few places to hide and the timing to run from one spot to the next without being seen in the Original XBOX version can't be explained with words, it just has to be experienced. In the PC version there is a stronger enemy that took 7 shots to kill and in the original xbox version I put 200 bullets into the same guy and he was still alive and he killed me. Over all the Original XBOX version is tougher than a cheap steak.
You forgot to mention just how atmospheric this game is. I played it back when it was released on Xbox, but I still remember just how dark and gritty the opening of the game felt. You could hear fighting in cells, inmates screaming, etc. You just get this immense feel of dread walking around the first prison area. It's up there with Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines.
The 2004 version definitely had counters and such in melee combat. I played the hell out of this game on the original xbox and I specifically remember the moment when I started to get the hang of doing it and could defeat pretty much every opponent without getting hit at all. It was all about timing and pressing in the same direction as their attack. Either way, I loved this game, it's one of my favorites of all time.
I really enjoyed it at the time, and would be more than happy if a sequel was announced! But like you said the random checkpoints were annoying, you'd pray for one after a tricky gunfight and it would be a 50/50 chance if you got one or not >.>
Agreed, I just wished it spent more time getting to know the prisoners and guards whole atmosphere before the shit hit the fan; one can dream. Could have gone the route of fighting inmates to get the whole combat role down.
I loved this game had it on XBOX never finished it though. Used to be really really scared of that part when you are in the dark trying to find that guy for the goggles, those damn mutant guys scared the shit out of me !!!
You should get the Dark sthena edition. it fixed a lof of problems with the original, also the extra episode is great, its basically two games for the same price.
I bought a copy off Ebay recently to re-play it at 1080P at 60FPS on my PC. Man the memories were great. Thanks for reviewing one of my favorite games of all time Gman. Knew you had good taste.
I don't use the term "One of my favorite games ever" lightly, but this is easily in my top 5, and this coming from a guy that played literally hundreds and hundreds of games. Love the character. the setting, the plot, exploring the prison finding new ways of moving around without being seen. and besides the animations I still like the visuals and music a lot.
I played this back when it first came out for the Xbox and it blew my fucking mind. I had never played anything like Thief or Deus Ex at the time, so having so many elements come together and put into a fantastically well realized setting (for both the environment and the characters inhabiting it) was such a new thing for me. I still think it's well worth playing if you can get over some janky, dated mechanics. Especially considering it's frequently on sale for $3 on GOG.
Salokin Sekwah Like this as in restricting speech in some form, not necessarily an outright ban. You say I've misinterpreted the law, why don't you clarify what exactly it's meant to do then.
At first I was like, "Oh great, he's going to shit on one of my favorite games" but then you gave it every bit of deserved criticism you could. There was even things that I overlooked because I was blinded by how good the story was (and the graphics at the time). I really hope this hobby of yours gets you somewhere big.
I just love that this is the team that eventually got a hold of the Wolfenstein license. They're still doing what they do best and revitalizing a dear old franchise while they do it. Makes me feel all happy.
It's sobering to see your childhood favourite game reviewed as an adult. and despite the objective complaints that you brought up, I can't help but still love this game. It was my first stealth game
The 2004 PC version is waaaay better than the 2009 ver. 2009 lacks some soundeffects, dialouge, lightingeffects and some gameplay-functions. The camera is also a total mess when you talk to charcters ingame. Sure, 2009 ver looks shiny and glossy and all that but it's not as good as the 2004 version.
Yeaaahh, and i noticed a shitty motion blur in the 2009 ver. Since i had begun gaming, games got worse and worse and worse. Exception: Alien Isolation and some others.
+RealHero In what way? Do you have lag AKA mouse stuttering? In that case, try to change mouse or flip the Hz switch if you got one underneath the mouse. My game runs fine in Win7 x64. What OS do you run?
Have you played the 2004 version in 4K? The field of view makes it unplayable except for wide open spaces. The older version looks so much better than the remake. I'd love to figure it out.
I started watching your videos 2 weeks ago. In that time, I've seen every single one of your reviews. It all has that "watched" filter on my youtube. There's just something about your reviews that make them so appealing. Is it the games, a lot of which are older FPSs for PC, is it the voice? Is it the length? You're just that addictive and compelling. I know you're in the middle of trying to decide whether to keep this up. Whatever your decision is, I just want to let you know that I'm a big fan and whatever decision you make, I've really enjoyed what I've experienced. Thanks.
Escape from Butcher Bay was perfection back in the day, without actually being perfect. It just couldn't get boring as it always changed settings in the right time.
Glad you ended up reviewing it. I played through both Riddick games for the first time one or two years ago and despite their flaws, really enjoyed them. Great music, presentation, voice acting and the gameplay had a nice variety to it, plus was decently challenging without being overly frustrating, although the melee took some getting used to at first. I think it's pretty funny how much better the games are compared to the movies. The movies are fairly passable entertainment, but the games are damn near masterpieces for their time.
The re-release of EFBB was a thank you for buying Dark Athena. It wasn't a complete remake in the traditional sense, just the old game polished up on the new engine. I also think shitting on the melee and stealth isn't really fair when you consider this originally came out in 2004. All you need to do is look at old reviews from that time for this to see that it was extremely innovative and well liked. Now in 2016 its easy to scoff at the slightly hamfisted way they did it.
I'm one of those people who asked you to review this. Seems like a fair review. Back then, standards were lower for a lot of people, especially with console gamers, so I think the poor combat and bare-bones stealth system wasn't a big deal. I mean, this game was more competing with Halo 2 and DOOM 3 on the Xbox than it was with Thief and Splinter Cell. I agree with your points though. I'm also reminded of a video Jeremy Jahns made about why critics and the general consumer can sometimes have very wildly different opinions about a movie. It's pretty interesting and I recommend people check it out.
Gggmanlives - Best PC reviewer to grace youtube! From your previous video you asked what would people like to see. Id like to see you review games like RE4, Lost Panet, Final Fantasy (the PC Ports are actually ok) even Xcom would be awesome. Even GoG games such as "D" would be a trip down memory lane.
That's likely because he has a habit of disliking games that popular opinion has asserted to be good or great It doesn't make him wrong of course, but it could come across as being contrary for the sake of self interest
I'm new to your channel and I have to say your reviews are some of the best on UA-cam. I feel I can actually trust your opinion (unlike those IGN guys.) And you don't resort to using bad jokes like other reviewers. Keep up the good work man!
It's impossible to overstate how revolutionary this game was in 2004. It almost looks current gen NOW, 17 years later. Masterpiece and criminally underrated
Favorite stealth kill is where you push this dude down a shaft with a spinning fan near the bottom. Also, the meat grinding stealth kill is pretty damn awesome. It's in the area where you first meet Ron Perlman's character. So many hidden secret ways to dispense of enemies in this game to explore. Stealthily, of course. What else is there to say? Excellent stealth system, best hand to hand FPS combat of all time, RPG elements, badass actors delivering hard boiled dialogue, and a simple premise that's better executed than its film counterpart. Still a top 5 FPS for me.
I've recently found your channel, and REALLY enjoy it! Although I do not agree with everything, all that you say is extremely well thought out, and I love your balance of old and new games. Well done!
I was actually looking at the wikepedia page for this yesterday. Did you know that this game was co-developed by a company that Vin Diesel owns and operates? They're currently working on a game called Melkor which is based on one of Vin Diesel's Dungeons and Dragons character.
It's the first serious FPS game I played as a kid. One of my best gaming experiences. I think you're forgetting this game was released on Xbox 1. It's an incredible game for its time.
Hey, Gggmanlives. Do you think you could review Die Hard:Vendetta. It was one of my favorite first Person shooters as a kid. I would like to hear your opinion on it.
I really wish Steam and or GoG would put this or the remake bundle version back on their stores! I NEED to play this game! I never got into this game when I was younger but now that I really appreciate older graphics and games, its one of the few games that is nearly impossible to get these days
This was one of my favorite games on the original xbox. Back then I didn't even have a PC, but now I do and I have Assault on Dark Athena on my PC. Two great games bundled together. ^_^
Major flashbacks when you referenced the darkness. Loved those 2 games, still wish there would be a 3rd coming to finish the series out as it was left at a pretty bad cliffhanger
This one was a dear game for some time in my childhood. idk how many tmes I played through this game as a kid. Alot. Its 100% the best movie game out there ide say.
I completely agree, being an avid fan of the series in general I had to get this game. And while it's base mechanics are underdeveloped, I would love to see a new release by a new company or even starbreeze to fix these problems and make a new game and continue the story. Even for a game that old you could see it's potential shine through in its amazing set pieces and graphics(like holy shit, it's better looking than most games today).
I have played original Director's Cut years ago, and I can't understand why they cut quick save in remastered version. That being said I really enjoyed the game back then, but the fact is that you made your point. I'll give it another go soon, bundled with "Dark Athena".
I agree with most things. I wanted to like this game more than I did. The world building is pretty amazing though, feels like a real organic place at times.
Gggmanlives Oh crap, I misread "through most", call me blind. Wow, finishing games, I take your word even more seriously now. P.S. Loving the mod series, gj there.
Think you could do a review for Descent, maybe Descent 2? I mean, its an FPS, it had an ad using the Atari Jaguar strategy of using math to prove itself better than Doom, it helped introduce the concept of 6DOF shooters to the FPS genre, and it was made by Parallax Studios (who would split up after D2 and become Volition and Outrage) and was published by Interplay. If nothing else, I'd say its worth talking about.
That ending clip is so fucking badass!!! Shit like that is why I love action movies badass one liners that would be cheesy without proper delivery and context
I believe the strength of a game like Escape from butcher bay is the variety of things it did to a good standard. While no individual element is exceptional the amount of variety it offers is what keeps it entertaining, and I believe that's partly why it has such a great reputation. It's similar to Half-Life 2 in that respect. It goes from walking around environments filled with npcs to talk with and do little quests for to first-person brawling - something few games have attempted and even fewer have done well - to lurking in the shadows, snapping necks with the unique twist of dark vision than with bombastic guns blazing firefights. Further, it has plenty of set pieces to keep you on your toes. The sequence where you're thrown into the dark underground of the prison fighting off mutants with a shotgun and a half broken flashlight leaving you only three minutes to navigate your way to safety before your stuck in pitch black and an endless stream of monsters. What you said is true these enemies are simple and boring but this segment is so brief it didn't get old with me. There's also the mech sequence, which is a ton of fun cause of course it is, mech sequences are always fun. There's a segment where you can disguise as one of the guards and walk around having a chat with your enemies unbeknownst to them. The final layer of the prison was a real treat too and also introduced some new enemies that, may not have been great but were a nice bit of variety cause, yet again you only fight them for a bit.
You should maybe do a video on the Godfather. Id love to see a review by you on that game. I played it originally on PS2 and just got it working on Windows 10.
Look, I get it, that video is 4 years old now, it's been a long time, but anyone mind telling me exactly HOW accessible is the remaster? It's neither on Steam nor GOG.
Just sail the waters my dude, I was going to get it on GOG a few years ago but I forgot and then I couldn't buy it anymore. Sucks that you have to do it but it's the only option we have, that or playing it on console. Here, just use google translate www.old-games.ru/game/download/6375.html# It works.
Escape from Butcher Bay is to me the best movie tie-in video game ever to made. I agree with the flaws that you mentioned but it didn't hinder me too much from enjoying it. awesome review!
spiderman 2
But technically, it's not a movie tie-in.
People say movie games are bad: Chronicles of riddick, MatriX games, lord of the rings games, Stranglehold, The bourne game, king kong, Kung fu panda, godfather
Goldeneye
Alien: Isolation
30 seconds in, and I can already tell you're playing it wrong. Big fan of yours, so I'll just say always take the stealth option. First off, 30 seconds in, you just left the shower room area. You can stealth kill all the guys in that area with some inventive tricks (turning off lights and such), and steal a staff suit in the lockers to blend in. A few moments and secret passages later (if you explore), you can don a guard suit to blend in with weapons in hand. Man, I love this game.
I completed the game today. He is right. The suit is only in one part of the game. Here's my problem with stealth: enemies will have a flashlight most of the time which covers a pretty big radius, the enemies seem to have tendency to turn around just when im going to stealth kill them, sometimes you don't see them even coming, most of the time if you even peak out of the cover they will see you and last when in the dark if they don't have a flashlight they will usually walk into you like they know you are there but are pretending they don't. Other than some melee sections the game was amazing. Would give it a 9 or maybe even 10. Good stuff heavily overshadow the bad stuff. This game is an agressive type of stealth like catching the enemy of guard, then you also get the stun gun. Like i said an agressive type of stealth.
If a player is "playing the game wrong", that's not an issue with the player, it's an issue with the game. Most often it means there's something in the game that may have been inadequately explained or poorly balanced, because if the game is designed correctly no player should have difficulty figuring out how to play the game right.
@@stefanm.734 you sound like you're shit at video games
@@cogwheel756 I'm not entirely sure where you got that from, but okay.
@@stefanm.734 They're kinda being dicks but back when this game was new there wasn't as much hand holding as is in most modern games. I know that gets said a lot about older stuff (probably too much) but it's true. Game designers expected you to experiment and figure these things out yourself. There are a shit ton of all-time classics that modern players would throw away in frustration and disgust because there are no directions as to what you are supposed to do or where you are supposed to go. EFBB does have legitimate problems, but OP is correct in that Gman did play that segment in a sub-optimal way. He wasn't experiencing it like we would have back then though, because he's blowing through it for a review. If you just paid 40 bucks for the game back in 04 or 05, you're gonna be looking all around and getting everything you can from it. The sequence they're talking about isn't super hidden or obscure, but there also isn't a quest marker telling you to do these things.
You can fault it for that, but personally I find it to be a good thing. It's a lot more immersive to figure stuff like that out for myself. If something doesn't feel right, I start looking around for a better way. Kinda like how the first time you play Dark Souls if you go down to the graveyard from Firelink it feels way too brutal. It's the game telling you to look for some other way. Cause of course everything has to be compared to Dark Souls lol. That was just the easiest thing for me to compare it to.
Probably one of the best movie based games of all time
Another great one is the King Kong video game from 2005, you should give it a try
That King Kong game is flames. Especially the Kong sections. I will upvote this comment.
Yeah, I mentioned that he should review that as well
Yes, both this and King Kong are fantastic games. Fantastic in their own right.
Nope, Spiderman 2 for PS2
UnaSolida That's a great game. Though it seriously lacked in terms of content. Too many pizza boys to save.
I remember playing the original XBOX version back in the day. It was stunning visually for the time, as far as console releases went back then.
The Xbox was so ahead of it's time, tech wise. The Game Cube and PS2 couldn't touch it, visually; and the sound card was literally state of the art, and the surround offered by it would be considered top-end to this day.
MS, even back then, knew what PC gaming offered and tried to emulate it in the console space, day 1.
@@jesserogalski1402 The Xbox really wasn't ahead of its time; it was just a consolized Pentium III PC. That still made it more powerful than its counterparts, but it was an expensive crapshoot for Microsoft which happened to pay off.
@@FuzedBoxwrong. It was ahead of it's time as a console. Look at its specs then look at GC and PS2 specs
I love the prison section in this game, it kinda starts to fall apart during the underground/mining part
Couldn't disagree more. I loved the challenge it brought.
@@othelliusmaximus Agreed with your disagree.
This game is freaking awesome.
@@ezioauditoredafirenze8352 disagreed with your agree of his disagree. The mining part is lazy designed
Ok but the underground prison fight part with Michael rooker was dope can we at least agree on that
Escape from Butcher Bay is a masterpiece in all ways. ive played both the 2004 and 2009 versions...both are incredible.
Which is easier in your opinion?
@@hawkevick9184 because I played the version on Original XBOX and it was hell compared to the PC version so I am curious if the remake was just as hard as the Original XBOX or if they toned it down. In the PC version you can basically move around freely and have lots of places to hide and in the Original XBOX version there are very few places to hide and the timing to run from one spot to the next without being seen in the Original XBOX version can't be explained with words, it just has to be experienced. In the PC version there is a stronger enemy that took 7 shots to kill and in the original xbox version I put 200 bullets into the same guy and he was still alive and he killed me. Over all the Original XBOX version is tougher than a cheap steak.
This is one of those rare games that I just can't help but get immersed in despite the shoddy mechanics. Feel the same about Metro 2033.
Yes Stalker aswell, comdemned, F.E.A.R... So many great games with real immersion and consistence. Unlike today's game
You forgot to mention just how atmospheric this game is.
I played it back when it was released on Xbox, but I still remember just how dark and gritty the opening of the game felt. You could hear fighting in cells, inmates screaming, etc.
You just get this immense feel of dread walking around the first prison area.
It's up there with Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines.
The 2004 version definitely had counters and such in melee combat. I played the hell out of this game on the original xbox and I specifically remember the moment when I started to get the hang of doing it and could defeat pretty much every opponent without getting hit at all. It was all about timing and pressing in the same direction as their attack. Either way, I loved this game, it's one of my favorites of all time.
I really enjoyed it at the time, and would be more than happy if a sequel was announced!
But like you said the random checkpoints were annoying, you'd pray for one after a tricky gunfight and it would be a 50/50 chance if you got one or not >.>
You sub the G-Man? Chill.
Azzalack
That's right sonny jim! :)
Larry! Big fan man, I used to love watching Wez and Larry's Top 10 back when it was on TV.
A Really Bored Individual Wait, he was on TV? ***** You were on TV? What?
I used to watch him as a kid. The whole channel died years ago but I remember him on TV. It was in the UK.
After 18 years this game still has a kick-ass graphics and gameplay.
I wish The Callisto Protocol started off slow like this and gave you a chance to explore the prison before all hell broke loose.
Agreed, I just wished it spent more time getting to know the prisoners and guards whole atmosphere before the shit hit the fan; one can dream.
Could have gone the route of fighting inmates to get the whole combat role down.
Wow i was about to asking you to review this masterpiece.
For me one of the best FPS games ever, Dark athena is pretty great too.
***** What?
I loved this game had it on XBOX never finished it though. Used to be really really scared of that part when you are in the dark trying to find that guy for the goggles, those damn mutant guys scared the shit out of me !!!
You should get the Dark sthena edition. it fixed a lof of problems with the original, also the extra episode is great, its basically two games for the same price.
Your right it was fantastic when it dropped on xbox :)
Eh, I always hated the shooting and stealth sections. But the open ended prison fighting made me wish for a full Riddick prison game.
I bought a copy off Ebay recently to re-play it at 1080P at 60FPS on my PC. Man the memories were great. Thanks for reviewing one of my favorite games of all time Gman. Knew you had good taste.
I don't use the term "One of my favorite games ever" lightly, but this is easily in my top 5, and this coming from a guy that played literally hundreds and hundreds of games. Love the character. the setting, the plot, exploring the prison finding new ways of moving around without being seen. and besides the animations I still like the visuals and music a lot.
I played this back when it first came out for the Xbox and it blew my fucking mind. I had never played anything like Thief or Deus Ex at the time, so having so many elements come together and put into a fantastically well realized setting (for both the environment and the characters inhabiting it) was such a new thing for me. I still think it's well worth playing if you can get over some janky, dated mechanics. Especially considering it's frequently on sale for $3 on GOG.
I very much agree, too bad you watch "Regressive News" nonsense.
@OP Aren't you the annoying troll on Digital Foundry vids?
*****
Eh, i'll still argue ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
DrearierSpider1 Seeing your comments on "Australia has banned criticism of Islam" makes me want to cringe and die.
Salokin Sekwah Like this as in restricting speech in some form, not necessarily an outright ban. You say I've misinterpreted the law, why don't you clarify what exactly it's meant to do then.
At first I was like, "Oh great, he's going to shit on one of my favorite games" but then you gave it every bit of deserved criticism you could. There was even things that I overlooked because I was blinded by how good the story was (and the graphics at the time). I really hope this hobby of yours gets you somewhere big.
I absolutely loved this game when it came out, best movie tie-in game ever made.
Hell yes, finally. Best review choice of the year.
I'd like to point out that melee counter-attacks are possible in the 2004 version
I just love that this is the team that eventually got a hold of the Wolfenstein license. They're still doing what they do best and revitalizing a dear old franchise while they do it. Makes me feel all happy.
back in 2004 this game was way ahead in graphics using HDR ... one of my favourites for atmosphere and a great story
It's sobering to see your childhood favourite game reviewed as an adult. and despite the objective complaints that you brought up, I can't help but still love this game. It was my first stealth game
No such thing as objective complaints
The 2004 PC version is waaaay better than the 2009 ver.
2009 lacks some soundeffects, dialouge, lightingeffects and some gameplay-functions. The camera is also a total mess when you talk to charcters ingame.
Sure, 2009 ver looks shiny and glossy and all that but it's not as good as the 2004 version.
Yeaaahh, and i noticed a shitty motion blur in the 2009 ver. Since i had begun gaming, games got worse and worse and worse. Exception: Alien Isolation and some others.
+RealHero
In what way?
Do you have lag AKA mouse stuttering? In that case, try to change mouse or flip the Hz switch if you got one underneath the mouse. My game runs fine in Win7 x64. What OS do you run?
+Max Headshot you hate alien isolation
Have you played the 2004 version in 4K? The field of view makes it unplayable except for wide open spaces. The older version looks so much better than the remake. I'd love to figure it out.
Max Headshot
you can turn off motion blur and dof
I started watching your videos 2 weeks ago. In that time, I've seen every single one of your reviews. It all has that "watched" filter on my youtube. There's just something about your reviews that make them so appealing. Is it the games, a lot of which are older FPSs for PC, is it the voice? Is it the length? You're just that addictive and compelling. I know you're in the middle of trying to decide whether to keep this up. Whatever your decision is, I just want to let you know that I'm a big fan and whatever decision you make, I've really enjoyed what I've experienced. Thanks.
I feel the exact same why, and did the exact same thing
This was one of my favorite games of the time.
Escape from Butcher Bay was perfection back in the day, without actually being perfect. It just couldn't get boring as it always changed settings in the right time.
This is by far the best gaming channel on UA-cam . Man I absolutely love your content! You have impeccable taste bro 😎
This game was the reason i got an OG Xbox it blew me away i had never seen graphics like this before and those bullet wound decals omg!
I never, ever get sick of going back and playing through this classic. It's incredible how well Butcher Bay turned out, especially for the time.
Glad you ended up reviewing it. I played through both Riddick games for the first time one or two years ago and despite their flaws, really enjoyed them. Great music, presentation, voice acting and the gameplay had a nice variety to it, plus was decently challenging without being overly frustrating, although the melee took some getting used to at first. I think it's pretty funny how much better the games are compared to the movies. The movies are fairly passable entertainment, but the games are damn near masterpieces for their time.
MOST
UNDERRATED
GAME
EVER
seriously no one knows about this beautifully crafted gem it's a shame !
The re-release of EFBB was a thank you for buying Dark Athena. It wasn't a complete remake in the traditional sense, just the old game polished up on the new engine.
I also think shitting on the melee and stealth isn't really fair when you consider this originally came out in 2004. All you need to do is look at old reviews from that time for this to see that it was extremely innovative and well liked. Now in 2016 its easy to scoff at the slightly hamfisted way they did it.
I'm one of those people who asked you to review this. Seems like a fair review. Back then, standards were lower for a lot of people, especially with console gamers, so I think the poor combat and bare-bones stealth system wasn't a big deal. I mean, this game was more competing with Halo 2 and DOOM 3 on the Xbox than it was with Thief and Splinter Cell. I agree with your points though. I'm also reminded of a video Jeremy Jahns made about why critics and the general consumer can sometimes have very wildly different opinions about a movie. It's pretty interesting and I recommend people check it out.
Gggmanlives - Best PC reviewer to grace youtube!
From your previous video you asked what would people like to see. Id like to see you review games like RE4, Lost Panet, Final Fantasy (the PC Ports are actually ok) even Xcom would be awesome.
Even GoG games such as "D" would be a trip down memory lane.
Been looking forward to this review! Thanks Sunny Jim
Niiiice. Really enjoyed this game and the sequel :)
Uploaded one minute ago and already has a dislike... wtf.
Haters gonna hate.
People just don't like Gggman, seems silly to go on a crusade to dislike all of his videos.
I'm adding one more dislike just because
That's likely because he has a habit of disliking games that popular opinion has asserted to be good or great
It doesn't make him wrong of course, but it could come across as being contrary for the sake of self interest
It's not that deep. It's practically youtube tradition for videos to have dislikes and only a select few have avoided this.
in 2004 this game was the business, it has a very unique feel to it, different from other FPS'.
I'm new to your channel and I have to say your reviews are some of the best on UA-cam. I feel I can actually trust your opinion (unlike those IGN guys.) And you don't resort to using bad jokes like other reviewers. Keep up the good work man!
These reviews are pure gold
Keep up the superb reviews Sonny Jim
It's impossible to overstate how revolutionary this game was in 2004. It almost looks current gen NOW, 17 years later. Masterpiece and criminally underrated
Rumour has it the protein waffles ain't bad.
Once you get the hang of melee, honestly that was the only way I wanted to play. Especially with the counters.
I remember my brother playing this on the original xbox and me thinking he was actually watching a film at first
The graphics.... Wow being a 12 year old game it's beutiful
jevero oswaldo 15 :D
Still looks better than Cyberpunk 2077
I'm really glad someone finally made a proper review for this.
Oh yeah, i've been waiting long for this. The game of my childhood.
Favorite stealth kill is where you push this dude down a shaft with a spinning fan near the bottom. Also, the meat grinding stealth kill is pretty damn awesome. It's in the area where you first meet Ron Perlman's character. So many hidden secret ways to dispense of enemies in this game to explore. Stealthily, of course. What else is there to say? Excellent stealth system, best hand to hand FPS combat of all time, RPG elements, badass actors delivering hard boiled dialogue, and a simple premise that's better executed than its film counterpart. Still a top 5 FPS for me.
I've recently found your channel, and REALLY enjoy it! Although I do not agree with everything, all that you say is extremely well thought out, and I love your balance of old and new games. Well done!
I was actually looking at the wikepedia page for this yesterday. Did you know that this game was co-developed by a company that Vin Diesel owns and operates? They're currently working on a game called Melkor which is based on one of Vin Diesel's Dungeons and Dragons character.
Mr. Diesel made my wife smile. He will forever get my support for that. It was a big deal for her to meet him.
It's the first serious FPS game I played as a kid. One of my best gaming experiences.
I think you're forgetting this game was released on Xbox 1. It's an incredible game for its time.
Using "Vin Diesel" and "good acting" in one sentence made this video so much funnier.
Another great review and another old game you reminded me of that I played on 360 and now will pick up on pc. Thanks and keep up the good work!
I remember picking this game up for my xbox in 2004 at Dallas Tx mall and as a 6 year old it blew me away
The third person set in first person made PERFECT sense! Great review! :)
I can’t find the game in the different stores anymore 😥
I played this so much when I was like 13. my memorys of it look way better lol
Should I shell out for the original version or the remake? I've heard both are superior for different reasons
Hey, Gggmanlives. Do you think you could review Die Hard:Vendetta. It was one of my favorite first Person shooters as a kid. I would like to hear your opinion on it.
I honestly only want to play this game because I have vivid memory of G4 pushing it back in the day, how does it play on Windows 10?
The engine does support quicksaves thankfully, it's just a bit of a pain to get them working (requires fiddling around in the console/inifiles).
My Wish has been Granted.
Pretty Swell Review as always 3G.
I loved this game, as I'm terrible at stealth games and this game respects that
I really wish Steam and or GoG would put this or the remake bundle version back on their stores! I NEED to play this game! I never got into this game when I was younger but now that I really appreciate older graphics and games, its one of the few games that is nearly impossible to get these days
This was one of my favorite games on the original xbox. Back then I didn't even have a PC, but now I do and I have Assault on Dark Athena on my PC. Two great games bundled together. ^_^
This game had revolutionary lighting. It went over the top, but nothing looked like that back then.
2:24 That scene looks better than many current gen games its very well presented.
This game on Xbox was the biggest jump in graphics technology in my memory.
Back in the day I enjoyed the melee system. Ones you get good at it, you don't even need to block, can just do combos of left and right punches.
Where did you et this game im trying to get it on windows 10 impossible to find it not on steam or any where
Major flashbacks when you referenced the darkness. Loved those 2 games, still wish there would be a 3rd coming to finish the series out as it was left at a pretty bad cliffhanger
That reminds me that I have this game in my library but I haven't played it yet. Downloading it now.
wowww... I remember playing the demo of this on original Xbox back in the day! was pretty awesome back then ;D
This game was great, so was the sequel. Riddick is a bad ass character.
This one was a dear game for some time in my childhood. idk how many tmes I played through this game as a kid. Alot. Its 100% the best movie game out there ide say.
Ah the golden age of gaming, good times
Was there a game with graphics/ an engine like this before 2004? Or was this the first?
Hey GGG, do you plan on ever reviewing Chrome or Chrome Specforce?
Does anyone know how/if I can still get a copy of this game on PC?
you can off eBay and such or you can basically download it anywhere for free but i perfer to have a physical copy
You _cannot_ get this digitally from what I can tell because it requires a DRM that's been shut down for years.
I completely agree, being an avid fan of the series in general I had to get this game. And while it's base mechanics are underdeveloped, I would love to see a new release by a new company or even starbreeze to fix these problems and make a new game and continue the story. Even for a game that old you could see it's potential shine through in its amazing set pieces and graphics(like holy shit, it's better looking than most games today).
I have played original Director's Cut years ago, and I can't understand why they cut quick save in remastered version. That being said I really enjoyed the game back then, but the fact is that you made your point. I'll give it another go soon, bundled with "Dark Athena".
I love the Chronicles of Riddick, Riddick is one of my favorite characters and the games gave him life equal to the movies
I agree with most things. I wanted to like this game more than I did. The world building is pretty amazing though, feels like a real organic place at times.
1 Question: When do you find the time to beat these games so fast (considering you have to create the video)?
I make these videos months ahead of when I upload them. I'm not playing through entire games each week and then quickly editing them.
Gggmanlives I see, hope you at least blast through 50% of the game before you review it.
gtabro1337
I play through the entire game. Incase that wasn't obvious by showing footage from the later levels of games in my videos...
Gggmanlives Oh crap, I misread "through most", call me blind. Wow, finishing games, I take your word even more seriously now.
P.S. Loving the mod series, gj there.
this was one of my favorite games at the time back when I played on console.
Think you could do a review for Descent, maybe Descent 2? I mean, its an FPS, it had an ad using the Atari Jaguar strategy of using math to prove itself better than Doom, it helped introduce the concept of 6DOF shooters to the FPS genre, and it was made by Parallax Studios (who would split up after D2 and become Volition and Outrage) and was published by Interplay. If nothing else, I'd say its worth talking about.
That ending clip is so fucking badass!!! Shit like that is why I love action movies badass one liners that would be cheesy without proper delivery and context
I believe the strength of a game like Escape from butcher bay is the variety of things it did to a good standard. While no individual element is exceptional the amount of variety it offers is what keeps it entertaining, and I believe that's partly why it has such a great reputation. It's similar to Half-Life 2 in that respect.
It goes from walking around environments filled with npcs to talk with and do little quests for to first-person brawling - something few games have attempted and even fewer have done well - to lurking in the shadows, snapping necks with the unique twist of dark vision than with bombastic guns blazing firefights. Further, it has plenty of set pieces to keep you on your toes. The sequence where you're thrown into the dark underground of the prison fighting off mutants with a shotgun and a half broken flashlight leaving you only three minutes to navigate your way to safety before your stuck in pitch black and an endless stream of monsters. What you said is true these enemies are simple and boring but this segment is so brief it didn't get old with me.
There's also the mech sequence, which is a ton of fun cause of course it is, mech sequences are always fun. There's a segment where you can disguise as one of the guards and walk around having a chat with your enemies unbeknownst to them. The final layer of the prison was a real treat too and also introduced some new enemies that, may not have been great but were a nice bit of variety cause, yet again you only fight them for a bit.
I wish they'd go back and re-make the Riddick games with modern graphics and updated mechanics, and maybe some re-worked enemy types.
I remember back when this came out it got huge praises, especially the graphics. I did not have an Xbox so I never got to try it.
I need to play this again. Loved it on OGbox - I think I got it for the PS3 but never got around to playing it for some reason. Need to find it!
This game was ahead of its time !! So badass !!
You should maybe do a video on the Godfather. Id love to see a review by you on that game. I played it originally on PS2 and just got it working on Windows 10.
Look, I get it, that video is 4 years old now, it's been a long time, but anyone mind telling me exactly HOW accessible is the remaster?
It's neither on Steam nor GOG.
Just sail the waters my dude, I was going to get it on GOG a few years ago but I forgot and then I couldn't buy it anymore.
Sucks that you have to do it but it's the only option we have, that or playing it on console.
Here, just use google translate www.old-games.ru/game/download/6375.html#
It works.
"Hey man, wanna buy a pack of smokes?"
nice review, but shouldn't Riddick's knees be shattered from that drop?
“Today, Johns, You get fucked.”