[Chefelf]

XIII

Game Info
Platform(s): GameCube, Playstation 2, Xbox, PC
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft
Release Date: October 9, 2003
Rating: Mature
Genre: First Person Shooter

Basic Overview
Pros: XIII is a successfully plot-driven first person shooter that is as engaging in gameplay as it is in story.
Cons: A long wait for the sequel.

Ratings
Story: 9/10
This game has a great story that gets the player into the game right from the very beginning. It's based on a 1984 French comic book by Jean Van Hamme. Rarely do we find a first person shooter with such an interesting plot. Your character wakes up on a beach with no memory but soon learns that people are trying to kill him. If you've seen The Bourne Identity then the first few levels of the game will be very familiar to you. It's unclear whether the writers of that movie are bigger fans of the comic XIII or plagiarism.
Game Objectives: 8/10
The game objectives are a nice mix between stealth, run and gun and sniping. A wide variety of weapons and devices really adds a lot of depth to the play. Being able to decide whether you will shoot someone with a crossbow, stab them in the back of the head, knock them out with a chair or simply snap their neck lends an exciting layer of choice where most games would simply give you a gun and set you loose.
Gameplay: 9/10
XIII is simply one of the smoothest playing first person shooters I've ever touched. Aside from Halo I can't think of an FPS that moves so smoothly and has such fluid controls. Some FPS's make you frustrated because your character simply won't move their sights where you want them. The frustrations in this game aren't due to your lack of control but rather your lack of skill.
Graphics: 10/10
I salute Ubisoft for making another cell shaded game. It's easy to dismiss the graphics as "simplistic" at first glance but after playing the game you realize that the graphics are brilliant and the comic book feel lends a truly original feel to a genre that suffers from a lot of cliches.
Sound: 9/10
David Duchovny, Adam West and Eve working together in perfect harmony. The sound effects are quite well done and the other voice acting, for the most part, is very high quality.
Music: 10/10
The music in XIIIis excellent. It's a nice upbeat jazz score that interacts with the game seamlessly. When you get into a melee you will notice the music pick up, become louder and more frantic. As you put an end to the battle you will notice the music settle back down with you. This has been done in many games but XIII has it down to a tee.

Bottom Line
Genre Factor: 7/10
This is truly a great game. As a fan of the FPS you may be turned off to it initially because it doesn't seem to fit the FPS mold quite the way other games do. Give it a shot and you'll be very glad that you did.
Replayability Factor: 6/10
The game is quite long for a FPS. Still you would probably beat it in a little under 20 hours. However, I started right back up as soon as I was done using a harder difficulty level. I wanted to keep on playing even though I'd beaten the game.
Fun Factor: 9/10
This game is a blast. There are some tough boss battles and frustrating stealth missions but the frustrations and difficulty do not detract from the game, if anything they enhance it.
Recommendation: Buy it
This game doesn't have a heck of a lot of replayability (aside from the multiplayer) but given its originality both in story and in style I have to recommend a purchase on this one.