XIII

"XIII: Espionage, Intrigue, Bad reviews."

First off, this game hasn't been treated fairly. It's gotten bagged on by a lot of reviewers. But the truth is, it's a great game. One of the best things about this game are the....

Graphics - 8/10
The graphics are great! I'm usually not a fan of cel-shaded graphics, but this game has changed my mind. It takes the general idea behind comic animation and boosts it up with interaction. You feel like you're in a comic. Also, the way some sounds were translated into words, is great! It adds to the effect.
Also, when a dramatic headshot/death occurs, a pop-up frame appears with a close-up of the villain's death sequence... cool stuff.

Story - 10/10
XIII's story is truly amazing. It's set in a time around the 90's(maybe), with a JFK-like assassination, and you are allegedly the assassin. You wake up on a beach with amnesia, and throughout the story you regain your memories. Great story, this is where the game shines.

Gameplay - 5/10
Yeah, this is where the game drops.... a lot. Most people, while playing FPSs, want to bust into a room, and pop a cap in everyone around(sounds fun). Well, in XIII, you can't. You're a regular human with regular abilities(besides a sixth sense, more on this later). You're health gets taken away at an alarming rate, making face to face confrontations with even the smallest groups hard to walk away from, unscathed. Luckily though, health is generally abundant in harder levels.
Another aspect of the gameplay is your sixth sense. It tells you when something bad is about to happen(like a confrontation). It can help, but not much.

Sound/Voice Acting - 6/10
The sound is great. The weapon fire sounds real, and each weapon has it's own, pretty much, unique sound. The voice acting, however is..... ok. Some characters' voice acting is great. Yet XIII's(the main character's) is terrible. His voice is flat, emotionless sounding.

Control - 8/10
It controls great, to me at least. I have heard complaints, but I have none. It has two control styles, standard, which is like Halo's control scheme(kinda), and goofy, which is like GoldenEye 007's controls.
I do hate that you have to basically dive for a medkit by pressing on the D-Pad, it really leaves you open.

Final Words
Overall, XIII isn't a bad game. Sure, it has its shortcomings, but it has its ups, too. Don't let bad reviews spoil your time. You should always rent before you buy, however.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/03