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Review:

3rd January 2004:
XIII
XIII is the first Cel-shaded FPS game released but how does it stack up with the slew of already released FPS titles? Find out in our full review.
Posted by John Wasabi - PlayStation 2 - UK and Europe

As you may already know by now, XIII is a cel-shaded first-person shooter based on a French comic graphic novel. The story is about a military operative who suffers from amnesia and is being chased after by various organisations in connection with the assassination of the President. Think Hitman 2 meets the Bourne Identity and you will have an idea about what it is all about.

XIII starts with a few flashbacks that imply of an undercover operation going very wrong. You won't get much chance to think about what's happened before the all hell breaks loose. The only thing you can really remember is a key to a bank but you'll have to work your way through some real nasty bad guys before getting there.

XIII has some truly amazing looking graphics. The character models are stunning and everyone in the game really looks like a graphic novel drawing… but in 3D! Very slick use of cel-shading and art talent has been poured here, if there were any doubt initially about a cel-shaded FPS not working will go right out the window immediately. There variety of levels is plentiful too. From rooftops, tunnels, snowy mountains, underwater, deserts, and crawling through dockyards and much more as you unravel your dirty secrets. Only minor complaint would be that the outdoor environments could have been more open-ended as the level design is quite linear.

The game is full of scripted triggers, so sometimes you have to be in a very specific spot in order to move things along. There were instances where we had to stand at specific points down to a hairline in order to progress. To give an example there was a point where we were stuck because in order to progress you have to stand in front of this particular woman so that a weapon could be handed to you to dispatch bad guys for without it you could be left wondering around for ages not knowing what to do. Basically certain gameplay elements could have been a little clearer or it can also be argued as player error and not playing it the way the designers thought you would.

So the graphics are great to look at which leads us to our next question… how does the music fare? Ubisoft and the developers went with funky jazz music, which actually works very well. The tempo increases with more action and mellows out when you are not and I have to admit I don't really like jazz but the music here is awesome and very atmospheric. Sound effects are very good but not great and in places sound a tad weaker than they should (I always expected a shotgun to sound much louder). The voice acting talent include the likes of Adam West from the 60's Batman TV series and X-files star David Duchovny that you will recognise immediately and adds the extra kudos to Production.

Gore factor in this game is high so don't think for one second that a cel-shaded is for kids of all ages. The most particularly gruesome way of dispatching bad guys is the sniped headshots with the rifle and crossbow. With the crossbow, you actually see the arrow stuck in the guy's head… Not a pretty sight, believe me.

Like most console FPS games XIII comes with auto-locking, your crosshairs have to come within a certain proximity before it locks on and even though it sounds easy, there is plenty of skill involved. Controls are intuitive and responsive so if you have worries about console FPS gaming, you need not worry.

It is worth mentioning that XIII has excellent multiplayer options such as deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture the flag, and Sabotage, which you can play against local players or online. The multiplayer mayhem here are great stuff and one that will keep the shelf life of this game for much longer. Worried that once you finish XII in single player mode you'll never pick it again? Don't because the multiplayer may have you playing for the coming weeks, months or even years!!!

Ultimately XIII is a very polished affair. The story is fairly deep for an action game, the graphics (especially the character models) are beautiful and the music is joy to listen but despite all this XIII has some minor flaws. precise trigger points in order to proceed, repetitive enemy AI behaviour and awfully tight linear gameplay. Regardless though, XIII is fun, has great MP modes and well worth playing if you are looking for an FPS experience for the consoles.

John Wasabi

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Review Summary:

Polished with a deep storyline that is only slightly flawed in areas that can be overlooked. Thoroughly recommended for single player goodness and all your Multiplayer needs regardless...

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XIII
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