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| .............CONTENT
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As events begin to unfold, the player finds themselves at the heart of the recent assassination of the President. The only problem is that they think you are the killer. Needless to say, that'll have more than a few people upset. Not only are the authorities out on the prowl, but so are the unseen forces behind the assassination. Told through the use of flashbacks (represented by the setting becoming blurry and black and white, with muffled sound), and comic book panels (which is surprisingly effective), the story is engaging enough to keep players interested. It won't blow any minds, but it does have a few twists and turns that, along with the presentation, kept me interested. Finding out the answers isn't easy, so it's fortunate that XIII has a few friends to help him out. Voiced by rapper Eve, icon Adam West, and David Duchovny in the titular role of XIII, the cast adds a bit of polish to the story, but it also makes it a little weird. I mean, I like Adam West as much as the next guy, but being reminded of the Mayor of Quahog whenever I'm being told to take down some rogue soldiers isn't what I want to have in mind. But since the assistance they provided helps to unravel the various mysteries, it's just something I had to adjust to. It's hard to say much about the story since I would most likely give something away, so let's just say that the player will see and have to participate in some unsavory things during their journey. In particular -- and this is one of the more interesting abilities -- is the option to take certain people hostage. With a hostage, the authorities are supposed to be leery of taking potshots, making safe getaways much more possible; well, that's in theory, but in actuality, simple guards become supreme marksmen since, despite the fact that another human body is covering about 80% of the player and the hostage is facing the pursuers, they make crack shots with their revolvers. If terrorizing citizens isn't your forte, there is always the ability to knock people out with your hands, chairs, or ashtrays and the ability to carry any bodies out of sight, unless you want another character finding it and alerting everyone else. One might notice the emphasis on stealth, and that is with good reason. Stealth is a major part of XIII, so much so that it encompasses a majority of the 34 missions. Befitting of the comic style, 'Tap Tap Tap' appears whenever the player is near someone else, with the words enlarging or shrinking, signifying which direction the person is going. This is an interesting way of using the visual design to implement functional features, but it gets tricky to use whenever there are multiple people and opponents behind an object. To add a little depth to the stealth, the player has access to throwing knives and a crossbow, both of which happen to be the most enjoyable weapons to use in the game. While stealth is all well and good, it tends to wear thin after a while as the few features put in place to help the player sneak around end up limiting rather than expanding their means of success. When it does come down to out-and-out fighting, the weapons in XIII are a little lacking. An arsenal consisting of machine guns, pistols, revolvers, bazookas, shotguns, and grenades await those who are ready to bring John Mullins to the party. Some tact should go into killing enemies because, not only does the standard head-shot kill with one hit, but no armor (vest and helmet) will be given to the player if they riddled the enemy with rounds from head to toe; this is an interesting aspect, as it does become a point of concern when health is low and there is no aid to be found. The problem with the weapons is that they don't have a satisfying feel to them. Whenever I shoot the shotgun, I don't feel the power that I should, and many of the weapons are just incredibly weak; basic goons without armor can take several rounds in the chest from the pistol and keep fighting. Another problem is that the player is supposed to be a highly trained agent, yet he can't go prone or peek around corners; amnesia or not, a man who can keep a steady hand when firing a weapon should also realize that peeking around a corner is much safer than having to walk out into the open and welcoming an RPG in person. So, what does XIII do well? Aside from the decent story, it happens to have good pacing (despite the stealth aspect slowing things down, the level progression is good and they are just the right size so that several can be played out in one sitting) and the adventuring aspect is solid. When I say adventure, I mean the actual movement, and not the gunplay. Whenever the game isn't requiring the player to go slow, they will be treated to near escapes, using a grappling hook like Spider-Man, and jumping from one rooftop to another; along with a sped-up jazz soundtrack, the mood of tension and excitement is just right. There were some moments when the situation made the combat fun, like when the player is required to hold a building by himself and take out waves of intruders and snipers shooting through the windows. Even with the game's questionable A.I. (the kind of intelligence that would make a soldier wonder why someone is standing in a doorway with a gun, but turn right back around and continue patrol), moments like those are always fun. Unfortunately, XIII's primary
purpose would seem to be that of a first-person shooter, but it's only mediocre
in that regard. Despite the fact that there are a ton of smaller things that make
the game fun and exciting, the low-key shooting seems to simply be there as a
means of getting from point A to B, instead of offering the intense and nerve-wracking
encounters invoked by the likes of Call of Duty. One other nitpick I had
has to do with saving: despite the fact that the player is able to hit the quick-save
button at any time, the game only actually saves their spot at the beginning of
the level, so whatever work was done up until the save will be lost when the game
is reloaded. Still, even with its problems, I still had a fun time with XIII;
the frantic mood, locales, and objectives went a long way in making the poor shooting
aspect a little more tolerable.
Graphics: 9/10 Sound: 8.5/10 Control:
7/10 Overall:
7/10 [ top ] | |||
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