XIII

"You can pick this up for less than $13!"

Before I go on, you're probably here because you noticed that 3. I do this for two reasons: the first is to grab your attention and the second is that the way my ratings work is simple -

a 1 means I do not like it
a 2 means I thought it was average
a 3 means I recommend buying it

If you've figure it out, that means I recommend it.

Anyway, let's move on...

XIII, a game that sold badly, yet is it inferior to the likes of other shooters?

In the graphics department, cel-shading is used in an interesting way to give the game a comic-book feel. For the most part the game runs smoothly, though multiplayer can lag a bit. The cartoon style allows greater facial expressions and it's just interesting to look at.

The music can be plain at times, but other times it throws some haunting piano melodies. Think about a 1920's laidback piano theme. I'll guarantee you'll remember the loading screen music however.

Graphics 3/3

The plot involves a conspiracy about a presidential assassination and you are the prime suspect. Along the way you'll meet allies, traitors and figure out who or what XIII is. I ruined the ending for myself, but it was a bit predictable.

Story 3/3

My favorite type of gameplay is strategy, which unfortunately doesn't exist here. What I can say is that the game offers a good balance of different types. You'll have stealth missions where you need to sneak up on foes. Boss fights are about figuring a pattern and punishing them. You can use grappling hooks, lockpicks and such, but they don't add much to the gameplay. It's mostly about using stealth.

If you feel the need to kill, you can always try multiplayer mode. With up to 7 other bots, you can tackle on modes such as deathmatch, capture the flag and the gamecube exclusive, the hunt. It's challenging because there is recoil when you shoot and the bots are simply incredible. Even set on easy, these guys sure can aim. If you feel Time Splitter is way too easy for you, this game will hunble you.

Gameplay 2/3

A major complaint is that the loading times are atrocious; if you screw up just once in a level, you have to wait 30 seconds for the level to reload. Secondly, I experienced some lag in a 4 player multiplayer session, though we were throwing grenades. Finally, there isn't much to unlock when you beat the game, nor can you choose which levels you want to play, unless you start all over.

Overall, I liked this game because it combines unique graphics, a detailed story, great AI and 30+ levels of singleplayer (good length). At a price this low, XIII is worth every minute of your time.

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 05/04/06