| XIII | |
|---|---|
European cover art |
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| Developer(s) | Ubisoft Paris (Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2), SouthEnd Interactive (Xbox)[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Ubisoft, Feral Interactive (Mac OS X)[2] |
| Engine | Unreal Engine 2 |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 2 Nintendo GameCube Xbox Mobile phone Mac OS X |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation 2 & Windows Mobile November 20, 2003 GameCube & Xbox Macintosh
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| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Optical disc |
| System requirements
Microsoft Windows
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XIII (pronounced: Thirteen) is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Ubisoft. It was released for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube consoles and the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems. The game is based upon the 1984 Belgian XIII comic book series.
XIII was developed and published by Ubisoft and released on November 18, 2003. The game was published for Mac OS X by Feral Interactive [2] and the Windows DVD version has recently been re-released in the UK under the Sold-Out Software budget games label.
Contents |
The game centres on the main character, who has awakened with amnesia, using a variety of weapons and gadgets to uncover the mystery of his identity. The characters and weaponry in XIII are cel-shaded, giving a deliberately comic book style appearance, including onomatopoeic words contained in bubbles for sound effects, for example when an RPG explodes, the word "BAAOOOM" shows up close to where the explosion occurred.
The multiplayer over Xbox Live, PS2 Online, and System Link hosts a maximum of 16 players. The game features three standard game modes along with modes exclusive to each system: Team Deathmatch, Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Sabotage (exclusive to Xbox and PC), The Hunt (exclusive to PC, PS2 and GameCube), and Power-Up (exclusive to PC and PS2). Each game type has different maps with a maximum of 16 players.
The story begins at Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, New York City where XIII awakes, badly wounded and with no memory of his past. The game roughly follows the storyline of the first five volumes of the comic (the first fifteen issues), although there are several additions to the storyline, and changes were made to better adapt the story to game format. The game ends at the exact point where the comic's fifth volume ended, and as such, the complete story is unfinished, leaving room for a sequel.
| Number | Name | Position |
|---|---|---|
| I | Walter Sheridan[a] | – |
| II | Calvin Wax | U.S. Secretary of Defense |
| III | William Standwell[b] | Chief of Staff |
| IV | Phillip Gillepsie | U.S. Secretary of the Interior |
| V | Clayton Willard[b] | U.S. Senator |
| VI | Irving Allenby | Judge, involved with the Sheridan affair |
| VII | Franklin Edelbright[b] | Admiral, USS Patriot |
| VIII | Dean Harrison | Congressman |
| IX | Jasper Winslow[b] | CEO, Winslow Bank |
| X | Orville Midsummer | Proprietor, Press Groups |
| XI | Seymour MacCall[b] | Colonel, SPADS |
| XII | Lloyd Jannings | Advisor to the White House |
| XIII | Steve Rowland | Captain, SPADS |
| XIV | Harriet Traymore | CEO, Federal Steel Corporation |
| XV | Jack Dickinson | CEO, American Legion |
| XVI | Norman Ryder | Colonel, National Guard |
| XVII | Kim Rowland | Steve Rowland's widow |
| XVIII | Edwin Rauschanberg | CEO, CBN News |
| XIX | Elly Shepherd | Director General, Department of Defense |
| XX | Edward W. Johansson[b] | Director/Doctor, Plain Rock Asylum |
^ At the end of the game, there is a strong implication that President-elect Walter Sheridan, brother of the assassinated president, is Number I. However, since he is never explicitly identified, that is only speculation. In the comic series, Number I is indeed proven to be Walter Sheridan, and the same is true of the miniseries, but, without a sequel to the game, the likelihood of this being clarified in the game timeline is unknown.
^ These characters, along with the Mongoose, are battled during the game as bosses.
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 76/100[3] |
| Metacritic | 74/100 |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | C+[4] |
| Eurogamer | 8/10 |
| Game Informer | 7/10 |
| GamePro | |
| Game Revolution | C+ |
| GameSpot | 6.4/10[5] |
| GameSpy | |
| IGN | 8.0/10 |
The game attained mostly positive reviews. According to Metacritic, XIII has an average of 74% for the Xbox version,[6] 73% for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 versions,[7][8] and 72% for the PC version.[9]
Reviewers often praised the game's graphical style and presentation, while criticising the gameplay. GamePro called it a "rejuvenating, jaw-dropping experience".[10] IGN said "XIII has a great story-driven sheen, but at its core, it's weighed down by some occasional bewildering flaws, in addition to the lackluster weapons and simple combat".[11] GameZone also criticised the combat, stating "If not for the graphics to carry the game through, XIII would have been a boring game. Gunfights are the best part of the gameplay. It also happens to the most unbalanced part".[12] Edge said XIII had "true artistic merit: it never gets stale; every episode has been drawn with minute care and attention. It would have been an incredible achievement if the gameplay had matched the outstanding art direction".[13] GameSpy criticised the graphics and the multiplayer mode, and concluded "When it comes right down to it, XIII is a fine game...Just don't expect the FPS of the year because, sadly, this isn't it".[14] Game Informer praised XIII's "unique look", and concluded "I am glad that I played XIII, but came away longing for the great game that this could have been, rather than the merely adequate game that it is".[15] gamesTM said "It's one of those mixed-bag situations - flashes of genius and genuinely enjoyable moments of success, occasionally mired by unbalanced weapon damage, clumsy AI and the odd bit of unfair level design that requires astounding feats of memory".[16] Eurogamer called XIII "a flawed masterpiece. A game brimming with variety and a freshness lacking from most of the factory farmed franchise exercises that pass through our offices with crushing regularity".[17] Game Revolution complimented the game's story, graphical style, voice acting and soundtrack, while criticising the gameplay as "about as straightforward - and in some cases boring - as it gets for an FPS".[18] Electronic Gaming Monthly scored the game 6.5/6.5/6.5: Joe Fielder, the first reviewer, said, "You'd be hard-pressed to find a more visually stunning game than XIII", but complained that "numerous frustrations pile up to make XIII more chore than thrill". The magazine's Greg Ford, who provided the third review, said that its "style, cut-scenes, and story are all great, [but] the actual gameplay is pretty mundane"; he concluded, "But if all you need is a solid shooter fix, XIII will do just fine. It has no fatal flaws, and the conspiracy-laced story should keep you going".[19]
Sales performance for XIII was lower than expected,[20] despite its positive reception. In 2010, UGO ranked it #7 on the list of the games that need sequels.[21]
On October 17, 2011, a reimagining of XIII called XIII: Lost Identity, was announced for PC, Mac, iPhone & iPad for a November 2011 release. It will not be released on consoles.[22]
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