XIII
| Posted by Bossman on 08-Dec-2003 08:50 |
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The newest shooter to come out from Ubisoft’s backyard is entitled XIII (Thirteen) and it’s based on a French comic book series bearing the same name. XIII is also the name of the main character, which finds himself on a beach, with a tremendous headache, a tattoo on his chest and no idea about his past or who he is. After he is taken to a first aid station by a lifeguard, the bullets start flying, and XIII finds himself hunted both by the authorities, and by a shadowy group, who seems to be very irritated by the fact that thirteen is still breathing. What follows is a story full of conspiracies, shadow plays and unexpected turnarounds, with everything revolving around the recent assassination of the United States president, which XIII is being accused of. As you can see, the story is more serious and mature than in other FPS, and so its target public is more likely to be grow-ups.
Besides the in-game movies and engine created ones, the story is pushed forward by seemingly random and semi-interactive flashbacks of the main character, flashbacks which are triggered at the sight of a person/location or during a conversation. The only thing that will disappoint you about the story is the mini-series style ending, which is totally anti-climatic and will leave players saying: “Oh you have got to be kidding me!” However, I believe XIII was conceived as the first in a game series, and the sequels will probably follow depending on the success of the initial game.
One of the main selling points of the game is its cell shaded graphic, which give it its comic book look and feel and from the start of the game you will be blown away by the original style and look of XIII. When the lifeguard mentioned above is shot, a sequence of “TA-TA-TA-TA” will appear on screen, symbolizing machine gun fire, with cartoon fonts as you would expect. Also, when an enemy is close enough you can “see” his footsteps due to the “Tap-tap’s that appear on screen, which allow you to pinpoint his exact position without having to be in direct line of sight.
The characters are highly detailed, with excellent models, hi-res textures and comic book looks, with strong defining lines and cell shading. When an enemy is far away, but still represents a threat to the player, a comic book panel will show up, to indicate his location (call it a sixth sense if you will). When you sniper someone, another three panels will appear, portraying his death. The locations are also good looking, and are diverse too, ranging from city banks, to desert areas, snowy mountains or military bases. The water and character flashbacks benefit from the services of pixel shading, while the particle effects and rag-doll physics add to the “realism” of the game. All of these elements, combined with a unique comic book style and artwork make XIII one of the best looking shooters out there.
Besides the in-game movies and engine created ones, the story is pushed forward by seemingly random and semi-interactive flashbacks of the main character, flashbacks which are triggered at the sight of a person/location or during a conversation. The only thing that will disappoint you about the story is the mini-series style ending, which is totally anti-climatic and will leave players saying: “Oh you have got to be kidding me!” However, I believe XIII was conceived as the first in a game series, and the sequels will probably follow depending on the success of the initial game.
One of the main selling points of the game is its cell shaded graphic, which give it its comic book look and feel and from the start of the game you will be blown away by the original style and look of XIII. When the lifeguard mentioned above is shot, a sequence of “TA-TA-TA-TA” will appear on screen, symbolizing machine gun fire, with cartoon fonts as you would expect. Also, when an enemy is close enough you can “see” his footsteps due to the “Tap-tap’s that appear on screen, which allow you to pinpoint his exact position without having to be in direct line of sight.
The characters are highly detailed, with excellent models, hi-res textures and comic book looks, with strong defining lines and cell shading. When an enemy is far away, but still represents a threat to the player, a comic book panel will show up, to indicate his location (call it a sixth sense if you will). When you sniper someone, another three panels will appear, portraying his death. The locations are also good looking, and are diverse too, ranging from city banks, to desert areas, snowy mountains or military bases. The water and character flashbacks benefit from the services of pixel shading, while the particle effects and rag-doll physics add to the “realism” of the game. All of these elements, combined with a unique comic book style and artwork make XIII one of the best looking shooters out there.
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