XIII

In a sense, it��s fitting that XIII��s protagonist has amnesia��apparently, the game��s developers do as well. How else do you explain the fact that they have forgotten such simple PC gaming conventions as meaningful quicksaves, hotkeyed weapons, logical checkpoint placement, and fair and intelligent A.I.? For all its delicious style, this spy shooter is ultimately as fractured as its hero��s memory and the comic-book-style cut-scenes that goose the story along.

Cornucopia o�� onomatopoeia

Lots of developers are hopping on the cel-shaded bandwagon, but XIII has a look all its own, thanks to a richly colored, thickly lined, yet fundamentally realistic appearance that expertly retains the look of the European comic on which it��s based, right down to the serrated red BAOOM! blossoming from an exploding truck and the diminishing Tap Tap Tap of patrolling guards. The jazzy, dynamic soundtrack fits perfectly, and together, these elements create a unique, engaging game world.

But playing this game is the real problem. You can forgive the amnesiac-hero-uncovering-the-government-conspiracy story, since this is hardly the first game to throw that tripe on a plate and call it dinner. You can forgive the uneven voice acting (a near-comatose David Duchovny mumbles your action-hero lines) because quality voice acting in games is still the exception, not the rule. You can even forgive the unimaginative mix of real-world weapons because, well, unless it��s a death ray kinda game, it��s the same mix in every other game. And you can forgive all these things because when you��re running and gunning, the action is generally good, generally challenging, and always presented with style.

But you can��t forgive everything. XIII��s chief source of aggravation is the checkpoint save system left over from its console iterations. I can deal with a good checkpoint system, but an inconsistent, inconsiderate, infuriating system isn��t a good one. Checkpoints are unevenly placed in both the very short and tortuously long levels. One little slipup in the demanding stealth missions dominating the last third of the game means starting over and enduring lengthy, nonskippable cut-scenes and long, uneventful ��follow me�� sequences again.

Checkpoint placement is consistent only in its inconsistency and lack of thought��really, why aren��t there checkpoints immediately before or after boss fights? Repeatedly replaying long stealth missions (complete with the glacially slow lack of fun entailed in hiding enemy bodies) veers out of the realm of entertainment and straight into the heart of digital punishment.

Unarmed and dangerous

Sadly, every time XIII threatens to break out into the sort of absorbing enjoyment you play games for, it quickly curtails being fun. Some weapons are conveniently hotkeyed��the useful ones aren��t. Using your mouse wheel to snap to the best weapon for a given situation is tricky at best, maddening at worst, and it��s at its worst a lot because, while your enemies aren��t all that smart, they don��t miss much. Decent players can probably survive the most heated skirmishes, but the bigger firefights that lack a checkpoint after them serve mostly to deplete you to a level of frightening vulnerability immediately before one of the cheating-ass-never-miss-won��t-die-flits-like-a-mosquito-on-crack boss fights. Time to replay the whole level again!

There��s evidence that XIII wanted to be something more than run-of-the-mill (there��s a window for viewing skills you gain, but there��s no mention anywhere or anytime of how you get, improve, or select these skills��this is no Deus EXIII), but aside from its singular style and presentation, this game is routinely frustrating and frustratingly routine.

Verdict

3 Stars

This Belgian import waffles between fun and frustration, excitement and tedium.

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Dargaud

Genre: Stealth Shooter

ESRB Rating: M

Required: Pentium III 700, 128MB RAM, 32MB videocard, 1.2GB Install

Recommended: Pentium III 1GHz, 256MB RAM, 128MB videocard, 2.5GB Install

Multiplayer: LAN, Internet (2-16 Players)

Copyright © 2003 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Computer Gaming World.