XIII

When I saw XIII on sale, I had to get it. I knew that David Duchovny lent his voice for the main character, and that it's visuals were unlike most games. I got it on sale for $2.99. However, I was still left with the feeling like my money could have gone towards Blood, or even one of the Unreal Tournament games which were all on sale at the time I got this. Why? Plenty of reasons. First off, the game play isn't all that great. I felt like I was playing an unfinished James Bond game. The selection of weapons was pretty limited. The only time I got excited about using some guns was when I got the Hunting Shotgun, and the Mini Uzi. Of course, the Hunting Shotgun turned out to be just like the regular shotgun you get earlier in the game, just a different skin and less ammo capacity. The level design is pretty standard. I wouldn't say they are good, and I won't say they are bad. Some parts are nice, but that kind of quality isn't consistent throughout the game. Really conventional level design. I bet you could think of 5 types of levels that this game pushes out. I remember thinking to myself, "How many times have I seen a level JUST like this in older shooters?." Not enough times, apparently. Don't think you'll be wow'd. The voice acting isn't too bad. In fact, I would say it was good. However, it seems like Mr. Duchovny wasn't in it enough. He spits out one line every once in awhile throughout the game, and only actually speaks in more than one sentence after you're at the half way point, which is still very little. Adam West was nice, but the Mongoose guy, bleh. It's hit and miss, but mostly on the good side. The story is standard as can be. Conspiracy, danger, intrigue, yada yada. Just like the level design, it's only so-so. Now, on to the things that stand out in this game. The music in this game is pretty beast. Do you like retro sounding music? It's pretty retro. It all sounds like the music you would find in a spy movie from the 70s, or even a car chase movie from the 70s. I really enjoyed the whole rustic feel of it. This has been said so many times that I felt like saving it for last because you've probably already read this in other reviews. The graphics are pretty sweet. As a cartoon and comic book fan, the graphics really tickle me in that special way. When you toss grenades, a "Boom" visual will pop up. You can see the "tap, tap, tap" effect has people walk on the other side of the wall. It's all pretty nifty. However, it doesn't redeem the game. All in all, I'd say it was worth the $2.99. I didn't finish it because of this annoying stealth level on a submarine, but it had it's moments. The visuals are nice, the music is nice. If they added a bigger arsenal, and better game play, it would easily be a 4. However, it isn't. The game play is bad, the story is so so. The game play is the largest fault of this game. So, if you're the type of person to play a game because they can appreciate pretty visuals, get it. However, stray away if you are looking for clever design, and thrilling game play. You might find yourself falling asleep on your keyboard.

I love this game. I got it a couple of years after it came out (in a bargain bin deal along with FarCry 1 & 2 for the equivalent of about 8 USD) and I was mesmerised. I loved everything about it, especially having both read and watched The Bourne Identity on which the game's comic was based, but goes in a totally different direction from the amnesia beginning. In retrospect however, it's not that great. It's quite short for one thing. The gameplay isn't that good, and the graphics are a bit inconsistent. To be honest it isn't worth its full price. Having said that, you should buy it and play it. It's great, honestly. Plus: the multiplayer with bots is a hidden gem that took me too long to try.

This game takes full advantage of comic book style - there are panels, speech bubbles, each sound is visually represented (you can "see" steps of the enemies behind the corner). Some weapons have special visual effects, like sniper and crossbow. Overall, the comic book style is really well done and it still looks great. However, my biggest issue with the game is save system. When you save a game, you save at the last checkpoint. It can be little tedious to walk through the longer stealth section of a level (again) and listen to the same conversation (again) because that one guard hit the alarm again (stupid guard). Overall, besides occasional frustration it's a truly unique game.

I remember XIII getting mediocre reviews when it first came out. I even remember playing a demo before it launched and distincly recall being unimpressed. The game became a bit of a cult hit though in the years thereafter. So I figured maybe I had missed something and recently gave the game a fresh new try. Unfortunatly I still don't think I would've missed much had I never played it. It's a long (too long even if you ask me), mediocre FPS game with too many stealth missions that fail you instantly the second you get spotted. The story is convoluted for no good reason and even has the audacity to end in a cliffhanger which, we know now, never gets resolved. The cell shaded comic book style graphics are a nice touch though, I'll give it that. But it's been proven time and again that good graphics and good art style is not enough to warrant a playthrough and XIII is no different. Skip it.

I don't know why, but the product page does not mention the extras that the game comes with. Aside from a couple of avatars, a nice (non-scanned) copy of the manual and three different wallpapers of various resolutions (up to 1920x1200), the game has an upbeat, funky soundtrack that's a pleasure to listen to — if you're into that sort of thing. It consists of 13 tracks in mp3 format using a variable bit rate. This game is often on sale, and when it is, I'd say it's worth getting just for a listen.