In this review, we try to remember what happens in the GameCube game XIII. We find out how well this FPS game plays.
This game was released in 2003 and is based off a graphic novel.
The story is that you have been found on a beach. You are dazed and confused – not to mention, you’ve lost your memory. What you do know is that you have the Roman numeral XIII tattooed onto you and that people are after you. You also have a key to a safe in a bank somewhere.
You start the game off with just your fists. However, you can quickly obtain throwing knives. There is also a health hit ready for you to pick up along with keys and an assortment of breakable objects.
Weapons, in this game, generally have a primary and secondary use. Sometimes, the secondary use doesn’t do anything. An example is the pistol. If you don’t have the knowledge of duel weapons, then the secondary function does absolutely nothing. Other secondary functions can include stabbing with the throwing knife, using the shotgun as a melee weapon, or utilizing the sniper scope on a weapon. So, it’s definitely worth exploring the secondary use functions as it can be mission critical for you.
Health kits work differently than with other FPS games. In a lot of FPS games, health items simply restore health just by picking up that item. In the case of Duke Nukem 3D, there were portable medkits that you could use to restore health at any time for up to 100%. This game operates much more like Duke Nukem 3D, only with every health kit. Unfortunately, health kits are also all single use, so you have to strategically use them to gain maximum benefit. You can either select them in your inventory and use them or use up on the D-pad.
Probably the one thing about this game that separates itself from others is the ability to pick up objects and use them against enemies. You can use cigarette ash trays, brooms, bottles, or chairs to name a few. Simply pick them up when the item pickup icon appears and smash it over your enemies when you are close enough. In some missions, you’ll have to hide the bodies of enemies that are taken out. So, if you have a minor weapon or no weapon at all being used, you can pick up the body and move it to another location. Your movements are slow, so you’ll have to be strategic about when you want to do this.
On a side note, you can also take hostages in this game. If you sneak up behind someone and use the action button, you’ll capture someone. This can stop enemies from firing on you which is useful in certain situations.
Keys also work differently in this game. In most games, they are just automatic. Obtain the keycard or key and the door will automatically unlock when you use the action button. In this game, that sometimes works, but other times, you’ll have to rummage through a menu to get the key and unlock something (usually, keycard related).
As you progress later on in the game, you’ll get special items. One special item you use the most is the grapple hook. This is not too dissimilar from the grapple item featured in 007: the World is Not Enough. The key difference here, however, is that you can also swing on the line to get to high up locations more easily. Again, you’ll have to rummage through your secondary item menu to get to it. Then, you can aim it at a grapple hook location and fire. Crouch permits you to go down while jump permits you to go up.
Other special items include the lock pick (requires time to pick locks) and an attachable bomb (operates similarly to Medal of Honor where an outline appears and you use the fire button once selected to place it).
As you go along, you’ll have objectives to accomplish. Sometimes, objectives affect how you take out enemies. For instance, in a few missions, you cannot kill enemies, so emphasis will be applied to using melee weapons and stealth. For large chunks of the game, though, the objective is to pretty much complete the level. Unlike other games, objectives in this game are generally quite light by comparison.
Another thing to note is the fact that headshots treat you to a quick pop-up item. Only a select couple of weapons permit you to take headshots. These weapons include the crossbow, throwing knives, and sniper rifle. Headshots, of course, are instant kill. You’ll know if you got it if you have three comic book panels appear showing the headshot. On a side note, taking out enemies on a cliff side can also give you a quick one panel cutscene as the enemy falls from the cliff.
Breakables also appear in this game. Some require shots while others can be destroyed with a simple action command. The most useful of this is the ability to take out weakened grates that grant access to other parts of the level.
Also as you move along, you’ll gradually gain skills as you remember more parts of your past. This includes medical skills (doubles effectiveness of med kits), duel weapons, breathing (allows you to hold your breath for longer while under water), and a number of other skills. One skill of note is the sixth sense. This can permit you to see enemies from around corners. Once learned, you can hold still and see “tap tap tap” behind walls. The larger the font, the closer they are. This can really help you in missions where you benefit from stealth.
For me, this game is largely a mix between Goldeneye 007 for its spy-like concepts and Max Payne for its comic book style narration. This all mixed down into a cell shaded FPS game. Unfortunately, this game takes a watered down version of both. You don’t have the in-depth objectives like you do in Goldeneye and you don’t have the cool time slowdowns like you do in Max Payne.
The novel features in this game are quite subtle. This is mainly the ability to see the footsteps of other characters in the level. The other novel feature is the ability to take a hostage which you do maybe two or three times throughout the entire game. While both are interesting concepts, novel concepts outside of that are quite few and far between.
Other pitfalls of the game revolve around core concepts. One concept is the use of keys. As mentioned earlier, while other games simply automate the process, this game half forces players to dig around for the keys and even goes so far as to make you sacrifice holding a weapon to unlock something. On the one hand, this adds to the realism. On the other hand, this is extremely clunky when most games have a much smoother approach to locked doors.
Another pitfall is the medical kit system. This not only adds a layer to the learning curve, but is also incredibly clunky. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve died while still carrying around medical kits. All because I couldn’t press the up button fast enough (or, in some cases, the up button didn’t register). While it’s interesting having this ability, having health restoration revolve exclusively around this is irritating.
Of course, this is not to say this is a bad game. This game does manage to handle secondary functions of weapons quite well. A lot of games force you to hold down a button or tap a button to switch from one use to another. In this game, you simply have two separate buttons for the two separate functions. This is definitely a much smoother system and improves on this concept a fair bit.
Another positive is definitely the writing. While it’s not novel to have characters and enemies to have dialogue in the game itself, what is in there is pretty good. Sometimes, it’s dead serious, but other times, it can be quirky and amusing. It does add a nice bit of personality to the overall experience. An example is how one guard was annoyed that his girlfriend wanting to take her to somewhere romantic. Instead, he went fishing with his buddy. The dialogue ends with how he’s not talking much with his girlfriend after.
This game also features a multi-player mode where you can play against bots or fellow human players. The game features just a standard small amount of game types like death match and capture the flag. Nothing too exciting in terms of bringing something new to the table, but it can extend the life of the game after the main storyline is complete.
Generally speaking, this is one of those games that is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the few innovative features are quite subtle. While interesting, they only add a minor amount to the overall game. On the other hand, there are features that make this game more clunky and increases the learning curve. There is some good dialogue and the writing is pretty decent all around. As a result, I’d say this is a pretty good game to kill some time, but not a game that would be something to consider for “best game ever” lists.
Graphically, this game is decent. There is some nice cell shading styles going on. There is some interesting pop-up panels like when you hear guards approaching or when you get head shots. There is even some interesting locations being rendered. At the same time, model animations can leave a bit to be desired and the polygon count seems a bit low. The fireworks display at the end is probably the most impressive thing I’ve seen in the game coupled with the odd cutscene here and there. A solid effort, but nothing particularly amazing.
Audio is decent enough. The tracks in the game can be a bit similar to one another at times, but it isn’t bad either. The voice work is quite decent. As for the sound effects, they are half decent as well. So, a decent effort all around.
Overall, this game is a mixed bag. On the one hand, there are small features that help set the game apart. This includes being able to see footsteps and the ability to use a host of items for single use melee weaponry. The writing is also quite good as well. Pitfalls include a much clunkier use of items and nothing that is too exciting in terms of innovation whether in single player or multiplayer mode. Graphics are pretty solid and the audio is pretty good. So, a decent game to play, but not an effort I would find exceptional. Still, you could do a whole lot worse than play this particular game.
Overall
Furthest point in game: Beat the game.
General gameplay: 18/25
Replay value: 7/10
Graphics: 7/10
Audio: 3/5
Overall rating: 70%
Drew Wilson on Twitter: @icecube85 and Facebook.
