On this evidence, Vin Diesel should give up the day job – he has certainly never made a film as enjoyable as this, the second game in which he stars as Riddick. This time he stows away on the Dark Athena, a prison-spaceship run by mercenaries.
His task is simple – to free the prisoners and escape – but Dark Athena's joy lies in the breadth of tasks he must undertake to accomplish that. Which include sneaking around in the shadows, jumping and climbing, puzzle-solving, fist-fighting, piloting a mech and shooting. It takes ages before he acquires a gun, but from the off, he can kill drones, grab their attached guns and shoot while rooted to the spot. Great set-pieces abound, such as a period controlling drones remotely.
The storyline is sensibly minimal, and every aspect of all the control systems is well thought-out and super-smooth. Plus a remastered HD version of the first game is thrown in, and there are some enticing online modes. Serious value for money, and the best game so far this year.