XIII
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| XIII | |
 | |
| Developer(s) | Ubisoft |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 2 |
| Release date | November 18, 2003 |
| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single player / Multiplayer |
| Age rating(s) | ESRB: M PEGI: 12+ |
| Platform(s) | Xbox, Playstation 2, Gamecube, PC, Mobile |
| Input | Controller |
| System requirements | 6 Memory card blocks (Gamecube) |
| Credits | Soundtrack | Codes | Walkthrough | |
A cel-shaded first-person shooter from Ubisoft. XIII is a story-driven action game, centering around a conspiracy surrounding the assassination of the president.
Contents |
[edit] Story
The events in XIII are based on a popular European comic book of the same name (hence the comic book style). The game begins with the main character on a beach, with complete amnesia, but combat skills come to him quickly - which is good, because armed men are already after him. He has a tattoo on his chest that reads "XIII." As the game progresses and important people are rescued from the conspirators, more of the plot is uncovered and more clues revealed as to what's really going on, who the main character really is, and why these jokers want him dead.
The main character learns that he is a top agent of General Carrington, inserted into a mysterious conspiracy to find out what they're up to; within the group, each conspirator is known only by a number. There are twenty conspirators. Number XIII was the man who assassinated president Sheridan, but he was betrayed by the other conspirators and killed. The main character was given plastic surgery to pose as agent XIII, and surprise the other conspirators with his survival, but Carrington's plans to find the truth went awry when his agent developed amnesia.
Now, not only must the man known only as XIII investigate the conspiracy, he must also investigate his past. Remnants of his memory occasionally pop into the game in highly stylized cutscene flashbacks, giving him insights as to how he got into this mess in the first place.
[edit] Gameplay
XIII has a very interactive environment. Aside from armaments including fisticuffs, pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, grenades, sniper rifles, and crossbows, XIII also has access to pieces of the scenery - like shards of broken glass, beer bottles, ash trays, and wooden chairs - to use as impromptu weapons. An early level of the game trains the player in non-lethal combat through sneaking around and bashing people unconscious with said objects.
The game is no cakewalk. Enemies have incredibly good aim and can kill you just as fast as you can kill them if you aren't careful; stealth is a big part of the game, as is learning to shield yourself with your surroundings. It's almost a puzzle game, in the sense that you'll play a segment and die many times before figuring out and perfecting the proper course of action. Checkpoints are fairly frequent, so, most of the time, boring repetition isn't a really big problem.
[edit] Graphics
Cel-shading is used stylistically to depict XIII as a comic book. Outside of the main gameplay, menus, extras, and cinematics are organized in comic book panels. When something dramatic happens, like a strange noise or killing someone in a single shot while remaining undetected, small panels will appear to depict it in a comic book-like fashion. The graphics are well-polished and the effect works well with the action-oriented nature of the game. Seeing a knife go through a man's head in close-up comic book panels is ultra-cool.
[edit] Sound
XIII's soundtrack is very jazzy, which makes the entire game feel very smooth as you play.
The main character is voice-acted by David Duchovny (Fox Mulder from the X-Files), and another primary character, General Carrington, is voiced by Adam West (Batman). A supporting character, agent Jones, is voiced by rap starlet Eve. Duchovny's voicing is hit-or-miss, and Eve's appearances are fairly infrequent, but West's performance is spot on 100% of the time.
In some relatively early levels, the effect of playing as David Duchovny, and rescuing Adam West from pursuing forces, is absolutely incomparable.
[edit] Sequel
The ending of XIII directly implies ("To be continued...") that a sequel is planned. However, currently no announcements have been made regarding it.
