Riddick demo assaults Xbox Live

Atari today announced that a demo of the upcoming The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is coming to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The follow-up to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, Dark Athena is being developed by Starbreeze Studios, the Swedish outfit behind The Darkness and Enclave.

The events in Dark Athena take place immediately after Escape From Butcher Bay, which debuted to glowing reviews in 2004. After drifting through space in a cryostatic state, Riddick and bounty hunter Johns are picked up by the titular vessel. The demo features the Athena Main Decks level and lets players sample the Ulak melee combat and drone control, as well as get a sneak peek at one of the game's cutscenes.

The demo is now available for download on Xbox Live, and the PlayStation 3 version is set to appear later this month. Assault on Dark Athena will arrive at retailers on April 7 in North America and on April 24 in Europe.

Check out our hands-on preview for more on The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena.