I should mention I got the game for free on Gog and it is a 2003 game.
XIII holds surpisingly well, because it is very story driven,
and there are some incredible gameplay mechanics which make it special.
If you add the very interesting conspiracy story the belgian comics provide,
it clearly becomes more engrossing than following bald 47 on missions
or watching Sam Fisher clear foreign bases out of patriotism.
This game is cinematicaly fun.
But there are major issues which might break the deal for others.
The graphics, while holding up, show the limitations of their time.
The savegame mechanism is an abomination.
You restart from the beggining on the level you saved.
Be prepared to play until you see a level completed in one sitting and
save on the start of the next one.
The soundtrack was too jazzy for my taste.
It felt like elevator or lounge music peppered with my gunshots and explosion.
People praised the voice acting but while Adam West and Eve delivered,
I got really annoyed by David Duchovny's grunts and sighs.
The main menu itself is confusing.
You unlock skills and lore by finding folders.
You only see unlocked skills as checked while in-game,
while the lore somehow progresses faster than your gameplay,
spoiling the next level for you if you read it.
In addition weapon swapping is not really an option, because it is too slow.
You have to decide how to approach a situation and hope the bullets last.
The final boss is not just a bullet sponge, but a grenade one too.
I was on the easiest difficulty, ran out of ammo and switched to God mode..
This allowed me to see the finale which is the biggest dealbreaker of the game.
To be continued and never was.
The comics provide the answer and are a great read.
For me it was a great game because it is unique and I had low expectations.
I liked the story, the Jason Bournegameplay and the comic book effects.
