Vivendi’s worthy companion to the forthcoming Vin Diesel sci-fi outing has the sunken-eyed space warrior Riddick transported to a bleak maximum security jail from which he must escape. Stealth rules over fire power, as he must not only skulk in the shadows but hide the bodies of countless dead guards along the way.

Riddick’s first victim is the bitter guard who transports him there. A swift twist of the neck from behind finishes off this first foe neatly, before Riddick dives into an open manhole and makes his way through a series of steel doors and smoky air vents. Most of the meaty weapons are DNA fingerprinted to the guards, and so cannot be used, but one crafty way of getting round this is to use their hands to unlock the DNA protection system. Riddick must also collect any snout cigarette packets he might chance upon; these deliver bonuses later in this lengthy puzzle-solving yarn.

The metallic interface at the start of the game indicates more investment than usual in styling. This holds up as a thoroughly immersive product, thanks to handsome level design, decent sound effects, an unnerving music score and lines delivered by real actors, including Diesel himself. This game is certified 16+, a classification that presumably has more to do with the odd expletive than any especially stomach-churning violence.

Tim Wapshott