Two different single-player campaigns are available in The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. The first one is a graphically updated version of The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, while the second one is called Assault on Dark Athena, and it follows the plot practically right after the end of Escape from Butcher Bay with Richard B. Riddick and Johns in hibernation on board a ship that is located in the depths of space. They are discovered by a band of rogue mercenaries who take them aboard their massive vessel known as the Dark Athena, where they perform the process of turning humans into mindless drones. Naturally, Johns is far too valuable of a target to be transformed, so they intend to collect the bounty placed on his head because he was the one who broke Riddick out of jail. On the other hand, Riddick was able to avoid being captured, and as a result, he is currently feeling quite angry.
The player once again assumes the position of Riddick and controls him in a standard first-person shooter way while navigating the ship’s corridors. This is similar to the original campaign in which the player played. However, Riddick does not headlong at his adversaries when armed to the teeth. On the contrary, the night is his ally. While remaining stealthy in the darkness, he takes advantage of his unique ability to see in the dark, sneak up on his foes, and execute an immediate kill with whatever melee weapon he carries. Not only does this apply to his melee weapons, which include everything from his fists to the recently invented double-carved blades known as “Ulaks,” but it also applies to the more oversized items that he will find on his adventure, such as assault guns, a mini-gun, and other such things. If he doesn’t have a gun handy, he can pick up a fallen drone and utilize her weapon instead. As he did in the previous game, Escape from Butcher Bay, he will eventually take command of a fully-fledged mech and use it to wreak havoc on the ship during the single-player campaign. If an adversary successfully hits the player, Riddick will be able to restore his health with the use of NanoMED health units. Because these only have a certain number of charges, he can restock them with NanoMED Cartridges located at various points throughout the levels. The larger NanoMED health units provide him with a permanent boost to his health. In addition, as he makes his way through the Dark Athena, he comes across bounty cards. These are the game’s version of the cigarette packs that Riddick gathers in Escape from Butcher Bay, and they allow him to access additional content such as artwork or personal profiles.
The game features a brand-new multiplayer component that lets up to 12 people battle against each other in various game styles, such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, and Arena. This model is original to the game: Pitch Black and the Riot at Butcher Bay. While the first three modes are self-explanatory, the fourth mode, Arena, places up to four players in a tiny space to engage in one-on-one or two-on-two battles while the remaining players watch and wait for their turn. On the other hand, the Butch Bay Riot pits three teams against each other, with each squad purchasing its arsenal of guns, ammunition, and armor before each round. As the guards, captives, and mercenaries all have the same objective, which is to bring the power node in the center of the map to the enemy base, they do not truly combat each other simultaneously. Instead, each group is focused on defeating a single adversary. The convicts, therefore, launch an assault on the guards’ base while the soldiers engage the mercenaries. The final game mode is called “Pitch Black,” which places all players in a dark environment. One of the players takes on the role of Riddick, who is equipped with dual blades and the ability to see in the dark, while the other players play mercenaries who are only armed with their weapons and flashlights.
