In the current landscape of first person shooters for PC, XIII looks like a mutant.
While other titles reach for ultra-realistic, highly detailed graphics, this game is making a more clever use of current video boards capabilities.
Since its story is adapted from a famous european graphic novel, most of the game is rendered with a cell shaded look, with original use of comics conventions such as text bubbles, sounds, and layout of additional views into multiple squares.
The cell-shaded effect is smooth and well renderedthroughout the game,but it is not the only original use of graphics acceleration. Flashback scenes rendered with a shiny, flickering, black and white feel are a nice way to draw the player into a real story.
The story itself, with the unveiling of a global consipiracy, add a lot of this overall well balanced game. I found the game well balanced and very enjoyable, with a minimum of frustrating areas (which had mostly to do with trying to find out the weakness of some of the ‘bosses’).
It is so refreshing to see that this kind of creativity still exists. I can’t help wondering, going through this game, about what truly original visual experiences will be available in the future – once the novelty of realistic lighting and high dynamic range glow will wear out.