XIII

"A GREAT looking FPS with some mior flaws"

Introduction:
XIII is a FPS that uses cell-shaded graphics as it's ''gimmick'' into picking it up. I bought it because it looked like a different style for the already overcrowded FPS market. I wasn't expecting much from it, but I am surprisingly impressed with the results.

Story: 9/10
You wake up on a beach with no memory. The president has been murdered. You are obviously drugged and a lifeguard that God has obviously blessed with larger than natural...(fill in your offensive word for breast here) picks you up and takes you to her cabin. She is promptly killed and it all unfolds from there. I actually was intrigued by the story unlike most games and was excited when more cutscences came around. Although the ending is kinda disappointing, the story as a whole is stellar.

Graphics: 10/10
The graphics rock. Although the cell shading in the game are just a gimmick, I totally fell for it. The graphics are crisp and clear, and there is never a hint of slowdown. The whole look of the game fits a comic book. The cutscences really fit with the whole look of the game, going from cell to cell in a comic book format. The most interesting and gruesome part of the game is when you get a head shot and three panels come up and show you a ''slow-mo'' of the headshot. I found myself using the sniper rifles even more just to see these panels. EXCELLENT!!!!!

Sound: 8/10
The sound kinda takes a back seat in this gaming experience. I rarely even noticed the music most of the game. It seems to kick in more when you are in intense firefights compared to when you are in more stealth based missions. Overall the sound is good and the sound of the weapons sounds realistic. Some of the funniest moments of the game come when overhearing the enemy soldiers having conversations. I was also impressed when I heard more than one F word come from the mouth of the enemy soldiers. HAHA, YOU MISSED THAT ONE ESRB!!!!!!

Controls: 8/10
Anyone who has played Timesplitters 2 will be at home with these controls. They are customizable and they work well with the game. Of course they are not as precise as PC controls, I think they are the best the PS2 controller can offer.

Replayablitly: 7/10
The game is only about 10-15 hours in length depending on what difficulty you choose. There are certain skills you can acquire throughout the course of the game, and finding them will increase replay value. Then there is the online play. THERE IS NOBODY ONLINE! I have been online with this game more than five times, and every time I've been there were less than four games going on. Although this game came out a couple weeks ago, this kinda sucks. I thought the power up mode was fun, but it doesn't matter IF NOBODY IS PLAYING IT!!! The multiplayer is fun, but it would be better if it would support four players.

Gameplay: 9/10
I found this game VERY fun to play. I played all the levels more than once just because I was having a good time every level. The AI isn't the greatest, but it is satisfying. There is a good mix of stealth and just shoot 'em up missions to keep everyone happy. I had more fun with the shoot 'em up missions, but I hate stealth games like Splinter Cell.

Overall:8/10
The graphics are defiantly the high point in the game. The gameplay is what kept me coming back for more. I just wish that more people would get this game to make the online play a little bit more exciting. Rent this game if you have doubts, buy this game if you like a new type of graphic style and like FPS. Despite some minor flaws, XIII is a good example on how an original FPS should be made!!!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03