XIII
Posted December 5, 2003
The Plot:
"XIII" was one of the most buzzed-about games of the Winter season. A spy thriller that was completely cel-shaded, the game provides a somewhat similar story to "The Bourne Identity". Based upon a French comic book, the story also unfolds similarly to a comic, complete with occasional stills depicting exposition, sudden frames showing a particularly nasty hit against an enemy and even visual sounds - such as footsteps coming around a corner ("tap-tap-tap"). The game's stylish, striking appearance was enough to lead me to want to see more, at least for a while.
Gameplay:
"XIII" is beautiful, but little issues started to nag at me. The story has your character waking up on a beach after falling off a boat during an attack. You wake up on a beach, complete with amnesia and are assisted by a lifeguard, but its not long before the people who were after "XIII" know that he's still around. A chase begins, leading through a bank, a government office and finally, into the mountains. The government believes that "XIII" was behind the assassination of the president; it's up to him to find the truth.
Ah, but the issues. "XIII" isn't extraordinarily difficult, but there are enemies scattered throughout that seem to be particularly good shots. While I found it slightly difficult to aim a slightly shaky crossbow at two enemies far in the distance, they had no trouble whatsoever pinpointing me, pretty much every time they tried. On the player's side is the fact that, while the AI is a good shot, they also don't exactly try to take cover particularly well. The level design could also have used work. The game is simply too linear, with levels that seemed to offer few choices. I also didn't terribly enjoy the fact that the game forces players to be stealthy at times. Although the game's visual sound cues may fit a "stealth" experience, I felt the more straightforward action sections were more enjoyable. The other issue, which I'll talk more about in the sound section, is David Duchovny's voice work as the title character, which I didn't care for.
In terms of the positives, aside from the game's beautiful and rather fascinating visuals, include the game's varied selection of weapons (grenade launcher, assault rifle, pistols, knives and a lot of solid objects - players can pick up chairs, bottles and other objects). There's also gadgets, including a grappling hook at allows players to lift up to higher levels. The story's great, too: we learn more about the conspiracy with nicely spaced tidbits scattered throughout, as well as the introduction of new characters. Players can also steer themselves through the occasional flashback. Controls also handle well, as most players will be able to pick up the game and get playing quickly. The game also smoothly integrates tips on control in the early levels.
So, overall, I'm conflicted. This is a game that tries for a very unique look and does it in a way that not only is successful, but captures the interest. The story is well-told, too. The style is there, but I just can't say I was always clicking with the gameplay, which could have used more tweaking.
Online multiplayer w/XBOX and PS2.
Graphics:
Again, "XIII" uses cel-shading to make the film look like a comic book (or "graphic novel"). Additional touches, such as the sudden appearance of frames to alert players to off-screen action or to follow a particularly nasty hit, also add great visual flair. As for specifics, character models look surprisingly good, while environments have a moderate amount of detail and, in some cases, interactivity (stuff you can pick up, explore, etc).
Audio:
"XIII" does not seem to support Dolby Digital 5.1, which is severely disappointing in a game that could have merged visual sound cues with real, positional sound cues that give players a stronger hint of approaching danger. The sound effects themselves aren't particularly noteworthy, either: they lack force. The vocal work is fine enough, I guess: David Duchovny is capable of better - the character here sounds like Mulder on tranquilizers. Rapper Eve and actor Adam West fare better in their roles. There is certainly a highlight, though: the film's interesting, jazzy score makes a surprisingly strong match with the gameplay.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: The game is rated "M" (Mature), for graphic, strong violence (including close-ups at times in the sudden panels) and language.
Final Thoughts: "XIII" is a little off-balance, focusing a little more on style than substance than it should have. However, its certainly not a bad game - the story is great, the style is impressive and the control is solid. It's not that the gameplay - level design, etc - is necessarily bad, either: it just could use the same sort of inspiration that went into the look of the game. Certainly worth renting or maybe even considering as a purchase, if the game can be found on sale.
"XIII" was one of the most buzzed-about games of the Winter season. A spy thriller that was completely cel-shaded, the game provides a somewhat similar story to "The Bourne Identity". Based upon a French comic book, the story also unfolds similarly to a comic, complete with occasional stills depicting exposition, sudden frames showing a particularly nasty hit against an enemy and even visual sounds - such as footsteps coming around a corner ("tap-tap-tap"). The game's stylish, striking appearance was enough to lead me to want to see more, at least for a while.
Gameplay:
"XIII" is beautiful, but little issues started to nag at me. The story has your character waking up on a beach after falling off a boat during an attack. You wake up on a beach, complete with amnesia and are assisted by a lifeguard, but its not long before the people who were after "XIII" know that he's still around. A chase begins, leading through a bank, a government office and finally, into the mountains. The government believes that "XIII" was behind the assassination of the president; it's up to him to find the truth.
Ah, but the issues. "XIII" isn't extraordinarily difficult, but there are enemies scattered throughout that seem to be particularly good shots. While I found it slightly difficult to aim a slightly shaky crossbow at two enemies far in the distance, they had no trouble whatsoever pinpointing me, pretty much every time they tried. On the player's side is the fact that, while the AI is a good shot, they also don't exactly try to take cover particularly well. The level design could also have used work. The game is simply too linear, with levels that seemed to offer few choices. I also didn't terribly enjoy the fact that the game forces players to be stealthy at times. Although the game's visual sound cues may fit a "stealth" experience, I felt the more straightforward action sections were more enjoyable. The other issue, which I'll talk more about in the sound section, is David Duchovny's voice work as the title character, which I didn't care for.
In terms of the positives, aside from the game's beautiful and rather fascinating visuals, include the game's varied selection of weapons (grenade launcher, assault rifle, pistols, knives and a lot of solid objects - players can pick up chairs, bottles and other objects). There's also gadgets, including a grappling hook at allows players to lift up to higher levels. The story's great, too: we learn more about the conspiracy with nicely spaced tidbits scattered throughout, as well as the introduction of new characters. Players can also steer themselves through the occasional flashback. Controls also handle well, as most players will be able to pick up the game and get playing quickly. The game also smoothly integrates tips on control in the early levels.
So, overall, I'm conflicted. This is a game that tries for a very unique look and does it in a way that not only is successful, but captures the interest. The story is well-told, too. The style is there, but I just can't say I was always clicking with the gameplay, which could have used more tweaking.
Online multiplayer w/XBOX and PS2.
Graphics:
Again, "XIII" uses cel-shading to make the film look like a comic book (or "graphic novel"). Additional touches, such as the sudden appearance of frames to alert players to off-screen action or to follow a particularly nasty hit, also add great visual flair. As for specifics, character models look surprisingly good, while environments have a moderate amount of detail and, in some cases, interactivity (stuff you can pick up, explore, etc).
Audio:
"XIII" does not seem to support Dolby Digital 5.1, which is severely disappointing in a game that could have merged visual sound cues with real, positional sound cues that give players a stronger hint of approaching danger. The sound effects themselves aren't particularly noteworthy, either: they lack force. The vocal work is fine enough, I guess: David Duchovny is capable of better - the character here sounds like Mulder on tranquilizers. Rapper Eve and actor Adam West fare better in their roles. There is certainly a highlight, though: the film's interesting, jazzy score makes a surprisingly strong match with the gameplay.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: The game is rated "M" (Mature), for graphic, strong violence (including close-ups at times in the sudden panels) and language.
Final Thoughts: "XIII" is a little off-balance, focusing a little more on style than substance than it should have. However, its certainly not a bad game - the story is great, the style is impressive and the control is solid. It's not that the gameplay - level design, etc - is necessarily bad, either: it just could use the same sort of inspiration that went into the look of the game. Certainly worth renting or maybe even considering as a purchase, if the game can be found on sale.