XIII

by UBI Soft

Product Features

• The President of the United States has been assassinated. The day this happened, you woke up on a beach with no memory, and the Roman numeral XIII tattoooed across your chest. Your only clue is the key to a safe deposit box in New York. To learn who you are you'll discover the hideous truth about a massive conspiracy.
• Your identity, the President's death and America's future are all shrouded in mystery, but somehow intertwined -- it's up to you to figure out how
• Use your internal sixth sense to detect enemies when they come -- use your cleverness and fighting skills to take them out
• Work with a dizzying array weapons, from silent crossbows to furious automatic weapons -- you can even use chairs, bottles. even enemy soldiers as human shields

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00008Z0HX
• Item Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: November 18, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,434 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #28 in Software > Outlet

Product Description

Platform: PC

From the Manufacturer

The President of the United States of America has been assassinated. You wake up on a desolate strip of New England beach. The near-fatal impact of a bullet has left your head pounding, and your memory erased. What's more, the number "XIII" has been mysteriously tattooed on your chest, while your pocket holds a key to a New York City bank box. Head swimming in amnesia, you struggle to your feet only to encounter more assailants intent on finishing the job. To your shock, you handle the hitmen with the killing skills of a professional--before heading to the bank in search of any shred of information about your lost identity and your involvement in the President's murder.

What lies ahead is a deadly quest not only into your shadowy past, but America's darkest corridors of power.

Features:

• The Ultimate Conspiracy. Unravel a whirling conspiracy plot where your identity, the President's assassination, and the future of America are shrouded in mystery.
• Unique Visual Style. Graphic novel presentation, flashback graphics, and pop-up windows create a groundbreaking entry into the genre. XIII marshals the power of Unreal II technology and unique comic book visual styles.
• Groundbreaking Gameplay. Experience a wide variety of gameplay--cunning use of human shields, silent weapons, and XIII's internal "sixth sense" that detects approaching enemies. To survive, you'll master techniques ranging from covert infiltration to heavy combat as you battle sinister conspiratorial forces.
• A Deadly Arsenal of Weapons. Handle a dizzying array of weapons, ranging from silent crossbows to precision sniper rifles, to furious automatic weapons, to chairs, bottles, ashtrays, shovels, and even enemy soldiers' bodies.
• A New Kind of Multiplayer. Square off against other PlayStation2, Xbox, and PC players in innovative multiplayer modes such as Barfight and the cooperative Cover Me, along with classic modes such as Capture the Flag and Deathmatch.

Product Description

Confront your shadowy past and America's darkest corridors of power.

Product Information

You wake up on a desolate strip of New England beach. The near-fatal impact ofa bullet has left your head pounding and your memory erased. What's more, the number XIII has been mysteriously tattooed on your chest, while your pocket holds a key to a New York City bank box. As your head is swimming in amnesia, you struggle toyour feet only to encounter more assailants intent on finishing the job. To your shock, you handle the hit men with the killing skills of a professional -- before heading to the bank in search of any shred of information about your lost identity andyour involvement in the President's murder. What lies ahead is a deadly quest not only into your shadowy past, but America's darkest corridors of power.

Product Features

• Discover who is really behind the presidentialassassination and government cover-up
• Eliminate all that stands in your way to the truth
• Utilize today's weapons and gadgets
• Travel from the streets of New York, to the snowy Colorado mountains, to the beaches of the Caribbean
• Become immersed in the graphic-novel visual style
• Experience a wide variety of gameplay, including cunning use of human shields, silent weapons and XIII's internal sixth sense to detect approaching enemies
• Handle a dizzying array ofweapons, ranging from silent crossbows to precision sniper rifles
• Square off against other players in innovative multiplayer modes, including the cooperative Cover Me, along with classic modes, such as Capture the Flag andDeathmatch

Product Reviews

"Overall Best Game of Show"
     - ects 2003

"Top 10 of E3 2003"
     - Computer Gaming World

"A stunning presentation of

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This could have been a classic, but..., December 13, 2003

By 

Markus Egger "www.MarkusEgger.com/blog" (Spring, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: XIII (CD-ROM)

This game has a lot going for it. The graphics are great and unique. Of course, the whole cell-shading aspect only carries the game so far. After a few levels, you won't even notice it anymore.

The game has a lot of good content presentation going though. The way it shows important scenes in "picture in picture" boxes makes sense to me even beyond the comic-book look and feel. Some of the gameplay however is pretty unique due to the comic-style presentation. For instance, you can see that guards are about to walk around a corner, because you can see little "tap tap tap" indicators on the screen. This adds a nice spin.

So why only 3 stars? Because of the damn save game mechanism. I mean: Why even allow to save anywhere, if you can only start over at the beginning ov levels?!? This completely ruins the game for me. And I mean, c'mon! Every game magazine criticises this! At every Game Developer Conference, everyone keeps repeating "the user must be able to save anywhere!", yet people still keep messing this up! And in this game this is particularily annoying, because the parts that have to be re-played are relatively lengthy, and (worst of all), one has to watch the same cut-scenes again and again, and there is no way to skip them.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "XIII", December 6, 2003

By 

-- "--" (Gondor, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: XIII (CD-ROM)

First person shooters are a dime a dozen, and more often than not any one plays much like another. Games in this genre are only rarely groundbreaking. "XIII" does not buck this trend, but it does provide a visual style that is undeniably unique. The game, which is based on a popular French comic book, wisely decides to embrace its origins. From the cel-shaded visuals to the comic-like cinematics, "XIII" definitely differentiates itself in the visual department. In the realm of gameplay, however, it's rather standard fare.

You step into the boots of number XIII, an amnesiac who washes up half-dead on a beach. From there, it's up to you to piece the plot together as you work your way through the game. Because it's a conspiracy theory, it gradually becomes more and more clear what is supposedly going on around you, and of course there are some twists on what you initially perceive. Even so, the story is a little thin, and it's ultimately pretty disappointing. The presentation, on the other hand, is remarkable in some ways. For instance, you will occasionally experience interactive flashbacks. These black-and-white storytelling segments are seamlessly integrated into the gameplay, and really pack a nice cinematic punch. The cel-shaded graphics, speech bubbles, and picture-in-picture windows certainly add the right comic book flavor to the proceedings, but the game's irritating soundtrack and sloppy voice work do hamper the overall presentation. Yes, David Duchovny is on hand to voice XIII, but the character has so little to say that the actor is painfully underused. The rest of the game's acting is too over-the-top, even when the style of the game is considered.

One thing "XIII" has is style. The graphical approach of the game truly sets it apart, and despite some minor problems you won't find yourself mistaking it for anything else on the market. It's a slick design, though I think at times the level engineers and texture artists used the cel-shaded graphics to promote a touch of laziness. Even when the visuals are at their worst, though, you will never feel ripped from the comic-inspired universe, which is superbly consistent.

The game generally relies on a shoot-anything-that-moves philosophy, and the action is decent enough. It's nothing to write home about per se, but it works. Strangely, the game's best weapons aren't available save in a few select levels (most of which rely on a more stealthy approach). The sniper crossbow is hugely gratifying, and well-placed throwing knives can elicit some glee as well. A harpoon gun makes a cool appearance in just ONE of the game's levels, and the rest of your arsenal is entirely unremarkable. Cue the usual suspects: pistol, uzi (called a "minigun" here, for some reason), rocket launcher, shotgun, et cetera, et cetera. These more conventional weapons provide unsurprisingly conventional action, and don't quite pack the punch that they should. It's easy to shoot an enemy in the head several times before he drops to the ground and dies.

In terms of level design, "XIII" is far from brilliant. The very linearity of the levels can be distressing at times, and often you'll feel like you're playing a "rail shooter" simply because you're being shoved by the game's designers in one given direction without any opportunity to stray or any incentive to explore. On the plus side, it's very straightforward, so you'll never get lost or reach an impasse. Outdoor levels are probably the coolest in "XIII," and pack the strongest visual punch. Indoor locales are clichéd and considerably less impressive. Note to game designers working on a first person shooter: hold the factory levels filled with wooden crates, as we gamers do not want them! Thanks.

"XIII" employs a practically unforgivable save game system. Though it appears as though you can save your game at any given time (as we PC gamers expect), it's nothing but an illusion. Loading said saved games takes you right back to the beginning of the level, no matter where you last saved. Worse, the game has no autosave feature, which might spell trouble for less paranoid first person shootists. These faults make "XIII" needlessly frustrating at times - particularly in stealth missions, which will ultimately require some trial and error since you can't experiment freely without risk of dying, getting caught, and ultimately starting the level from the beginning. I assume this problem stems from the game's multi-platform release, but it's just unacceptable.

"XIII" is not a long game either, and experienced gamers will probably breeze through it. Given the game's linear nature, there's little replay value to be had. Despite some serious flaws, though, "XIII" is a good game, atmospheric enough that, cosmetically at least, it stands out from the pack. It might be wise to let it go down in price a little before picking up a copy, but most shooter fans will find something to enjoy here provided they don't enter into the experience with inflated expectations.

Final Score: B

20 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Nice graphics and poor gameplay, January 22, 2004

By 

Patrick R. Emerson (Olathe, KS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: XIII (CD-ROM)

XIII has some really nice cel-shaded graphics. That is the best thing I can say about this game.

Gameplay is lacking. The game has a very linear storyline and that tends to get boring. There is a certain way to progress through each level and there is no room for improvisation. You have to follow a certain path, kill all the bad guys and so on. After playing games like GTA why would anyone want to be locked into one path in a game? A bad example of this is the submarine base level. You go through the level until you get to a gate which is closing. If you try to duck under you get crushed. So I figured I'd try to run through the level, not worrying about killing anyone and head for that door. No matter how fast I get through, the door always beats me.

There are also several "boss battles" which are ridiculous. In one you fight an old mad scientist. For some reason you can drop a 20 year old a soldier with one shotgun blast, but this 70 year old scientist can take 5-6 blasts before he is stopped. C'mon!

One thing I really disliked was the game required that you change CDs as you get farther through the game. This is a poor attempt at preventing copying. Considering how lame the game is, I doubt there is going to be too much pirating.

I give this 2 stars only because I like the graphics.

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