XIII

"A hidden gem"

XIII: A truly groundbreaking game, combining cel-shaded comic book style graphics, a deep thriller/ conspiracy storyline, and action-packed, fast paced first person shooter gameplay. Based on the Belgian comic book series of the same name, XIII the game follows the story of the first 5 comic books.
The game starts with the main character, referred to as 'XIII' (due to a tattoo of the roman numerals) waking up on a beach suffering from a serious dose of amnesia and physical injuries. He is found by a lifeguard shortly before he falls unconscious. He wakes up to find he is faced with a battle against a group of armed men, and from there, as the game goes on you fight more and more enemies, obtain new skills and equipment, encounter new characters and learn more about XIII's past and the whole conspiracy story going on.
Graphics: 9/10

The graphics are highly original and to many people's surprise work well with the FPS style. They provide an adequate amount of detail and originality, look cool, really do make it feel like a comic book and make things easy to see. The characters and landscapes are well designed and look great, and are strangely realistic. Of course it is extremely creative and original, attempting something new and different from the norm. Unfortunately the graphics are the main reason gamers were put off by this game, because they saw it as cartoonish and immature. Of course, as anyone who has played it or hopefully who has read this review will understand, the game is mature and deep, the graphics work well and are an interesting change, and graphics aren't that important relative to gameplay and storyline anyway.

The only problem I have with the graphics is sometimes they can get a little blurry with enemies in the distance or when a lot is going on. Fortunately, this is quite rare and doesn't interfere with the XIII experience.

Sound: 8/10

The game's music is very fitting, creating suspense and working well with stealth sections and action sections. The music on the whole isn't that significant in the game, but it suits it well and is effective at emphasising tension and action. The voice acting is great, with most voice actors fitting their characters well. The cast actually features a couple of well known actors; to name but a few, David Duchovny (The X Files' Mulder) as 'XIII', Adam West (Batman!) as General Carrington, and to a lesser extent Eve (Saturday Night Live, xXx and... Eve?) as Major Jones.

Gameplay: 9/10

Not only is the game very fun, it's a varied, deep, interesting experience that one should not miss out on. I don't like to spoil, especially with a game with a story as brilliant as this, but I will say that as the game takes incredible twists, more secrets are unveiled dramatically and effectively and the development of the characters and the story is a great, dramatic mystery. The game features many weapons, ranging from throwing knives and bottles to assault rifles and RPGs. Each of these have their own individual qualities that provide a fun and varied experience. With the use of knives and silenced pistols, you can take a stealth approach, lurking in the shadows and disposing of enemies silently, or alternatively you can just blast in with an AK and explosives. When you hit an enemy with a head shot, a satisfying series of comic book cells appear in the corner of the screen showing the shot from different angles. Strangely and perhaps scarily I also find it very satisfying and fun to dispose of enemies by stabbing them with the knife from behind.

Keeping with the comic book theme, the game features text showing onomatopoeic words representing the sound effects; blasts from explosives, thuds from bullets hitting their targets, footsteps of unseen enemies. It is through these that you make use of a 'sixth sense', where you can use your senses to learn enemies' positions and movements from the sound of their footsteps.

The game is quite challenging in some sections, with good battles, varied tasks, puzzles etc. For example apart from the regular action and stealth, some sections have you protecting someone, or chasing someone, or eavesdropping on an important private conversation. The varied options affect the difficulty of the game to adjust to the player's preference.

The multiplayer options in this game are also superb. You can play split screen, network play or online, against friends and/ or computer-controlled bots, in a variety of fun modes. There's the traditional capture the flag and deathmatch modes, but the game also features a couple of original ones like a rather lethal, fast paced, extremely fun one that plays kind of like a game of tag, except the person who's 'it' is a three foot tall grim reaper who kills you when he touches you, and to win you have to earn points by killing other players and the reaper, losing points if you yourself are hit. It's a lot of fun with a few friends around, or online, although, unfortunately the online XIII community isn't that popular now.

The controls are another strong point; well organised and easy to get the hang of, providing a great sense of control that really does let you feel like you're a part of the game, and shows that FPS games can work great on consoles. The controls are responsive, do what you tell them to, and work well and as you'd expect them to do in different situations, be it slow, careful stealth, fast paced action, climbing and exploring etc.

Value: 10/10

One good thing that has come of the game's undeserved lack of popularity is it is now usually available at great low prices be it first or second hand. For the amount of money you would spend on two packets of cigarettes or a few pints you could own one of the greatest, deepest and most rewarding games of this generation. The game can last a long time in playing through the main story mode itself, replaying that story mode just to relive the great experience, and also playing against bots or other players. As I mentioned earlier the story is incredible; it really is like several great thriller/ mystery/ action stories from films, TV series and books rolled into one original, exciting, entertaining experience.

Overall score: 9/10 (36/40)

Conclusion/ ending note:

I strongly recommend this game to anyone who reads this and hasn't tried the game, and would hope that anyone who agrees with me would recommend the game to others too. Due to the game's unfortunate lack of popularity a sequel is very unlikely, despite the way the story plays out. The review may sound a little biased, but I really haven't ever experienced a game quite like this; there have been many games I've played with great gameplay and stories, but this game does it in a completely diverse, deviant way, combining several different concepts. If you prefer a different format, the game is also available on the X-Box, Game Cube and PC, the only apparent differences being the controls and multiplayer options.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/07/06