The world’s introduction to Riddick was the 2000 movie “Pitch Black,” in which our anti-hero is aboard a ship taking him to prison when a comet damages the spacecraft. He escapes after the ship crashes on the planet Hades, leaving the survivors to wonder if he’s going to come after him. They soon learn, however, that they have something worse to fear: nocturnal flying creatures prowl the landscape, and Hades is about to be plunged into months-long darkness by an extended solar eclipse. The group finds itself relying on Riddick and his eyeshine ability to survive.

“Pitch Black” was a modest success at the box office, but it cost little to make, compared to many other science-fiction films, and soon work began on a sequel, “The Chronicles of Riddick.” Released in 2004, it pits Riddick against the Necromongers, a doomsday cult that travels the galaxy conquering planets and converting the inhabitants into more soldiers for their cause. An animated movie, “The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury,” bridges the gap between the first two films by showing us what happened to Riddick immediately after the events in “Pitch Black.”

The novelizations of “Pitch Black” and “Chronicles of Riddick” shed more light on the main character and his supporting cast. Riddick remains an enigma, but perhaps more light will be shed on his origin, as well as his complex personality, in future films — a third movie, titled “Riddick,” is in the works. Twohy will return to write and direct the adventure, which promises to explore the Necromongers’ destination, known as the Underverse.

• Butcher Bay Riot: Up to a dozen players split into three teams: guards, prisoners, and mercenaries. The goal is to grab the map’s lone power cell and bring it to another team’s base. Matches can last three or five rounds. Players earn UD money for winning rounds and killing opponents; they can spend it on more powerful weapons between rounds.
• Pitch Black: Up to five players take the roles of mercenaries, while another plays Riddick. Mercenaries must make their way through complete darkness lit only by their weapons’ flashlights, whose effectiveness worsens the more powerful the gun. Riddick is armed only with his eyeshine and a pair of double-curved blades known as Ulaks. The player who kills him becomes Riddick in the next round.
• Arena: Players fight one-on-one or in teams of two. The winning player or team stays to face their next opponent.
• Deathmatch: Your classic free-for-all with up to 12 players. Grab the weapons, ammo, and power-ups scattered around the level and start fragging.
• Team Deathmatch: Your classic free-for-all with two teams, red and blue. Everything else is the same as a standard deathmatch.
• Capture the Flag: Another staple of online multiplayer gaming, this mode takes Team Deathmatch and adds a flag on each side. The team that successfully steals the flag from its opponents’ base and brings it home scores a point

• Gun: A standard-issue firearm that isn’t very powerful.
• Shotgun: A first-person shooter staple, this one behaves the way you’d expect: devastating up close, but useless for long-range firing.
• Sniper Rifle: Another classic, the sniper rifle is perfect for picking off enemies from a distance.
• Grenade Launcher: Long-distance shooting and splash damage: the best of both worlds.
• SCAR (Sonic Compressor Assault Rifle): This energy-based weapon fires projectiles that stick to surfaces and people. Use the alternate fire button to detonate them; up to five can be active at a time. The SCAR’s rate of fire is slow, but it recharges automatically.
• Assault Rifle: This rapid-fire weapon is accurate and effective in close quarters or from a distance.

• Sub-Machine Gun: You’ll get a faster rate of fire than the assault rifle but weaker damage, as well as a less-concentrated spread of bullets.
• Minigun: This powerful weapon combines the assault rifle’s effectiveness and the sub-machine gun’s high rate of fire, but with drawbacks: you move slower while carrying it, and you can’t switch to another weapon during that time. It also takes a few crucial seconds to begin firing after you squeeze the trigger, leaving you vulnerable.
• Tranquilizer Gun: Zap enemies with a jolt of electricity when hit them with this one. They’ll wake up eventually, though, so either finish them off or quickly move on.
• Handheld Weapons: When guns aren’t available — or the noise they make would bring too many guards running — Riddick often has other weapons at his disposal, including the double-curved blades called Ulaks, those prison staples known as shivs, brass knuckles, and clubs. Even a hairpin is deadly in Riddick’s hands.

Stumped? Want to completely embrace the dark? Then you may need some help, thanks to the cheat codes that are commonly placed in most videogames. They allow you to, well, cheat and change the rules. This sometimes includes activating bonuses, unlocking secrets, and gaining access to new levels of gameplay.

To activate the cheat codes in Chronicles of Riddick, hold down the Control, Alt, and Tilde (~) keys simultaneously to bring up the game’s console. Then enter a code and press Return to activate it. These don’t work during multiplayer matches, of course.

Still stumped? Then you may want to check out the video walkthroughs for Assault on Dark Athena and Escape From Butcher Bay. They’ll show you exactly what to do at certain points in each game.