XIII

"For the last time, it's thirteen...not ecks-one-one-one....."

“What? A comic-book FPS? You must be joking!”
Fortunately, I’m not. This multi-format game appears to be another pathetic effort at making another Goldeneye or Halo, but actually turns out to be a unique game that stands out on its own two feet. Well, if game boxes did have two feet, that is…

Graphics and Sound
The game looks good almost all of the time, but there are some parts where you would wish the makers would put a bit more detail in. This is nothing, however, to the sheer crisp, clear graphics of the rest of the game. Whether you’re in the snowy depths of bright mountains or the dry heights of deep canyons, the graphics never disappoint. The characters look human enough, even if they are cel-shaded, and as I mentioned earlier, the settings will leave you in awe. Whenever you shoot something, a noise bubble saying “BANG” or “BAOOM” appears, which makes the game live up to the cel-shaded comic style.
The sound is all you can expect from a first person shooter. Guns, explosions sound realistic and the speech in the game (including voice-acting) is done brilliantly. The sounds really make the story come alive, and without it the game wouldn’t be the same.

Story
The President of the USA has been assassinated and, quite suspiciously, you have a severe case of amnesia. You wake up on a beach, not a clue of your past apart from a tattoo which reads “XIII”. Did you kill the President? Are the CIA, FBI all on the hunt for you? Play the game and find out, genius!

Gameplay
The game is very fun to play, so fun that the game hooks you in. Once I played it, I had to complete it. What I also like about this game is that you choose how you complete some missions. It may not give you as much freedom as games such as Splinter Cell, but you can sniper the guards first and then walk through, or you can blast your way through, firing at every direction. Guess which one is the better option?
As you progress through the game, you find documents and files which unlock the story and conspiracy of the game. This is very clever, as it is up to you if you find out the story or not.
The controls are of the exact same layout as a normal FPS. R1 to fire, X to press or open something, analogue sticks to move etc. Why change what isn’t broken?
The weapon choice is quite vast, with weapons like pistols, silent pistols, sniper rifles, shotguns etc. Again, this is normal to a FPS.
One quirk about the game, though, is that the AI is fairly dumb at times. It will see you, and will the purposely run into a wall or door, giving you a chance to nail the enemy in the head with a throwing knife or silent pistol. Also, enemies will sometimes walk past dead bodies that you haven’t bothered to hide, and not respond at all. It makes the game way easier, but alas, it doesn’t happen all of the time, and it doesn’t really spoil the game.

Overall
XIII is a very enjoyable game to play. If you can find it pre-owned, definitely go for it! Even though it is enjoyable enough to buy at full price, try and find it second-hand, as you might be expecting it to be another Goldeneye, which it isn’t!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/18/04