Cel-Shading has invaded almost every genre of game, and the FPS is the next target of "Jet Set Radio Syndrome", thanks to XIII.
XIII's production values and style get extremely high marks – not only are the cel-shaded graphics absolutely gorgeous and comic-book authentic; the story, about an amnesiac stuck in the middle of a conspiracy to kill the president, is compelling enough to make you want to know what will happen next. Characters almost seem to be high resolution paper cutouts, and the addition of "viewable" sound effects only help to keep in touch with the idea of a comic-book world.
Audio doesn't fare as well – though Adam West is great as General Carrington, Eve and (especially) David Duchovony seem to have just slept through their lines. The musical choices, however, do go a long way towards making up for the lackluster line delivery – XIII's score is entirely composed of jazzy numbers straight out of Golgo 13 or Cowboy Bebop, further adding to the graphic-novel atmosphere of the game.
.Once you set aside the style choices and get to the actual gameplay, XIII is pretty much your standard FPS, though there is a great deal of utilizing the objects in the environment around you for stealth purposes – anything from a shard of glass to a wooden chair can be picked up and used to knock out unsuspecting guards. Truthfully, the stealth element is pretty enjoyable, though the lack of a quicksave option causes quite a bit of unnecessary trial and error. Checkpoints do pop up throughout each mission, but the game is very stingy with them. A quick save function, even in a limited form ala Soldier of Fortune, would have gone a long way towards making this one a classic. Some of the weapons also feel severely underpowered, including the all-crucial shotgun. Finally, some of the boss fights you'll encounter in XIII are nothing short of hellspawned tests of nerve (and your will to finish the game).
XIII makes quite a noble attempt at bringing an excellent concept to all platforms, but the rather imprecise controls on all console versions make the PC your best bet with this one. That said, if you can get over the learning curve, XIII is a fairly lengthy game – it clocks in at 34 missions, and features a solid online component on the PS2, Xbox, and PC. Shooter fans, especially those looking for a challenge, will love XIII. The stylistic choices alone, however, aren't going to be enough for the uninitiated to view this as anything special.
-George
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