Game review: XIII

Well I finally finished playing through the single-player game in XIII. Here are my thoughts.

The game's principle claim to fame is that it is "cel-shaded" which is a technique of rendering a 3D game so that it looks like it's animated, or looks like a moving comic book. There are a few games out there that are doing this and this one does a very good job. In addition to the cel-shading, there are other visual touches that evoke a comic book style like words showing up on the screen that reflect certain sounds. For example, if a person is walking nearby, but is out of sight around a corner or on the other side of a door, you will see the word "tap" appear briefly as the person takes each step and it will indicate his or her position. Explosions are often accompanied by the word "Boom!" or "Bang!" in large comic-style letters. Also, the cut scenes are split into panels like a page in a comic book. They're obviously video which was originally rendered by the game engine, as opposed to being rendered in real-time.

The game play doesn't really offer anything that we haven't already seen. Some parts are full of action, others require you to be stealthy and either avoid other people or knock them out without killing them. You also have a grappling hook and a lockpick that come into play at several points. The weapons are pretty standard and contemporary, from a knife up to a heavy machine gun. The obligatory sniper weapon is there as well, this time in the form of a crossbow with a scope, as is the rocket launcher.

The levels are well-designed and are quite nice to look at. They're pretty much what we've come to expect from a well-produced 3D game. The environments vary widely from desert to snowy mountains, and it's about evenly divided between interior and exterior areas.

The AI is decent. The characters are pretty quick to respond to your presence if they "see" or "hear" you and it doesn't take much for that to happen. In many cases, you need to prevent them from sounding an alarm so you need to avoid them or take them out. Those that attack you tend to do so pretty directly so it's not hard to shoot them. They will use cover to a degree but aren't all that clever about it.

The sound effects are well done, again pretty much what you'd expect. The voice acting on the other hand is hit or miss. The three main characters and their voice actors are:

XIII (you): David Duchovny
Major Jones (female partner): Eve
General Carrington: Adam West

David Duchovny just doesn't seem to work in the role. His voice is like his characterization of Mulder, pretty laid back, and it doesn't fit the dynamic character of XIII. I don't know if he just wasn't trying very hard, or if he just wasn't able to make the voice fit. They should've went with someone else. Eve does a decent job but Adam West is the best of the three. His voice fits the character well and he is clearly putting some effort into it, and enjoying it.

One thing that bugged me was that in-game conversations between characters (there are several points where you're listening in on others) don't flow smoothly because text balloons accompany the spoken dialog. When one character is done speaking, there's a pause before the next one speaks so you can finish reading. It's especially noticeable when the script calls for one character to interrupt another. It's a minor quibble, though.

All in all the game was enjoyable, but not the best game I've ever played. Max Payne and its sequel were better and I'd even say that the original Half Life, the standard by which first-person games are still judged, was superior. Still, if you see it in the bargain bin, don't hesitate to pick it up. Gamespot gave it a 6.4 rating and I pretty much concur with their conclusions.