Chapter 1 - General Strategies

This section provides some general tips for surviving your escape from Butcher Bay prison.

• Many sections of The Chronicles of Riddick can be played using either stealth techniques or full on weaponry. Usually if you have a firearm that will be the preferred tactic but it never hurts to save ammunition for later or keep yourself healthy and out of firefight situations. When you enter a new area, be patient and watch the movement of the guards. Often they’ll move far away from your current location allowing you to enter sneak mode and maneuver by. Occasionally the guard will move to a particular spot and stop--perfect opportunity to sneak up behind and perform a neck break!
• Most lights in the game can be shot. This becomes extremely important later in the game when you lack formidable weaponry. Shoot out lights to create darkness. You can use Riddick’s eyeshine ability (once received) to navigate dark hallways and circumvent clueless guards. Look for other dark places, such as behind crates or in corners to hide and wait for guards to move away before attempting to reach your destination. And don’t forget to enter sneak mode!
• If you’re trying to pass an area using stealth and guards spot you, sometimes the best option is to just run--especially if you lack weaponry. If it’s just one guard, you could charge him and perform a lethal move but it’s likely that you will suffer some damage in the attempt. If there are more guards then you’re likely to sustain several hits if attempting to fight off them both. Instead just run deeper into the level or retreat. Separate the guards from each other and find an opportunity to take them out again. Or you can just run past them and into the next section without engaging them.
• There are four health stations in the game. These increase your maximum life by one block. You’ll find the health stations within these checkpoint sections: Infirmary, after defeating Abbott in the interrogation room (at the end of the Tower 17 sequence in the Feed Ward), finding Valya’s secret chamber (get the code from him first), and Loading Docks. All of these locations are outlined in the mission walk-throughs. The health stations are definitely worth seeking out and help keep you alive later in the game.
• Remember the location of the NANOMed health units you encounter. If you don’t use the machine’s regeneration benefits the first time, return after sustaining damage to mend your wounds. Maintain a supply of cartridges to restore a health unit to full capacity for repeat trips during difficult sections.
• If you have sustained minor damage to one of your health blocks, retreat and take cover. A few seconds of rest and the block may return to full health. This can be even more useful in a hand-to-hand fight as it essentially provides extra health to absorb enemy blows during the battle.
• Inflict additional damage on enemies by scoping out explosive barrels. These have been a first-person shooter staple since the days of Doom and they’re just as deadly in the Riddick universe. Shoot explosive barrels from a safe distance and inflict blast damage to any enemies within the explosion’s radius.
• After disabling (or killing) a guard, search around the corpse for dropped ammunition, mission items (like keycards), or UD money, the game’s currency. Spend your UD money wisely. You’ll have a few chances in the game to spend your cash. If you’re collecting packs of smokes (which unlock collectibles like concept art, trailers, and other bonuses) then you’ll want to save up and purchase smokes from a variety of characters in the game, such as Booger in the Prison Yard and Gomer in the Feed Ward. These events are covered in the mission walk-through section of this game guide.