XIII: Cel-Shading Done Right
RESEVIL83
70% score
Like many other cel-shaded games, XIII had high expectations. Certain cel-shaded games were poorly received, and were just plain crap. I was kind of reluctant to pick this one up, but after playing through it a few times, I was glad I did. The graphics on the XBOX version are awesome, and are slightly sharper than the PS2 version. I did like the highlight squares (boxes that show up each time you kill someone in a certain way; ie: headshot), and the audio isn't bad to boot. Controlling your character is pretty straight foward, but switching back and forth between the grappling hook or lock-pick back to one of your weapons can sometimes prove to be a chore. Other than that, this is one fine-crafted cel-shaded first- person-shooter. So why only a 3.5? Well, first off, the game is incredibly difficult. Enemies take far too many shots to go down, and all seem to be superb marks-men. Also, the online play is not as robust as the PS2 version, which adds two extra game types to it's online counterpart. And though the back of the box states that the game is Dolby Digital 5.1 and HDTV-compatible, the lack of surround usage and 1080i support is apparent, not to mention optimization for widescreen displays. Why can't developers list correct and understandable statistics on the back? It is still a blast to play with friends and online, though, and is one of the best cel-shaded games out there. Defintely give it a try.
