XIII (2003)

XIII (read: Thirteen) is a first-person shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Paris and published by Ubisoft. It is based on the first five volumes of the 1984 Belgian comic with the same name.

Plot
XIII is based on a Belgian graphic novel series of the same name about an amnesiac who seeks to discover his past.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) It was one of the first games to implement cell-shaded graphics along with Jet Set Radio and it still looks great today.
 * 2) Additionally, the game give emphasis that this is a comic book with the cutscenes being presented in panels, onomatopoeias pop up when things like explosions happen, and small panels show up to zoom in on headshots.
 * 3) Good voice acting especially from Adam West.
 * 4) Interesting story about a man with amnesia trying to recall his memory while trying to solve a grand conspiracy involving a secret society called the Clan of 20.
 * 5) Great soundtrack that was composed by several artists from the San Francisco-based music label Future Primitive Sound. It incorporates elements of 70s-era music such as soul, funk, jazz, but also hip hop.
 * 6) There are 16 weapons, from a knife to a bazooka, an Uzi to an M60. The player can also pick up objects off the ground such as bottles, chairs, or brooms which can also be used as weapons.
 * 7) As you progress and meet specific requirements after completing a mission, you unlock skills like being able to Dual-Wield pistols, stun enemies from behind, lockpick faster, and more!
 * 8) Great plot twist at the end. The final level is set aboard newly elected President Walter Sheridan's yacht where he's celebrating his election victory. When Number XIII goes to find the President he overhears the President talking about how XIII was meant to die before discovering a call from The Mongoose calling Sheridan: Number I.
 * 9) The game allows you to be able to stealthily take out enemies if you choose to, something the Wolfenstein series would later incorporate.
 * 10) Decent boss battles (except for one).
 * 11) The multiplayer is pretty fun and it has a great Mode called The Hunt, where you and the other players/bots try to hunt a miniature version of Death.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) It's hard to be stealthy as enemies can hear you when you approach them even when you're crouched. The only way to be stealthy at that point is to use the crossbow or wait for enemies to approach and knock them out with an object.
 * 2) The game isn't that challenging despite barely having checkpoints and not having regenerative health.
 * 3) The shotguns are incredibly underpowered and require you to be at a specific distance to one-shoot kill an enemy, regardless if you get a headshot or not.
 * 4) Cliffhanger: As mentioned in WIR #8, it's revealed that William Sheridan, the newly elected president, is in fact Number I and Mongoose is still alive with XIII being held at gunpoint. However, because the game didn't sell well, a sequel was never made.
 * 5) Number XIII's voice acting isn't that good compared to the rest as David Duchovny gives a performance that makes him sound bored at times.
 * 6) Difficulty Spike: The Mongoose's boss fight is really difficult mainly because he's programmed to only aim for your head, which takes large chunks of your health.

Game Tips

 * You can beat The Mongoose easily if you hide behind the ladder used to enter the room as this will obscure, but you can still just BARELY graze him allowing you to chip away at his health as he just stands there without firing a shot.

Reception
XIII received "mixed or average" reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. Reviewers often praised the game's graphical style and presentation, while criticizing the gameplay. GamePro called it a "rejuvenating, jaw-dropping experience". 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".

GameZone also criticized 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 be the most unbalanced part".

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".

GameSpy criticized 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".

Sales performance for XIII was lower than expected.

At the first Spike Video Game Awards in 2003, XIII was nominated for the "Best Animation" category and "Best First Person Action" category, but lost to Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball and Call of Duty respectively.

In following years, the game has acquired a cult following with the game gaining more traction thanks to the many YouTubers who reviewed the horrid remake and in fact recommending the original. In 2010, UGO ranked it #7 on the list of the games that need sequels.