XIII

Based on a popular European comic book of the same name, XIII follows the story of a man with amnesia immersed in a violent political plot, trying to figure out who he is and what's going on, all the while doing his best to stay alive.

The game is not only cel-shaded, but highly stylized with sound effect bursts on-screen and picture-in-picture panels to show simultaneous events. The soundtrack is jazzy and gives the game a very 'cool' feel. With voice actors Eve, David Duchovny, and Adam West, XIII's presentation is impeccable.

But it's more than just style, there's substance, too. Aiming and avoiding enemy fire makes up the bulk of the challenge, which is done very well. There are also environmental elements, mainly impromptu weapons like beer bottles, shards of glass, and broken chairs! Sometimes stealth plays a part too, and you must sneak rather than run, knock out guards rather than kill them.

Staying alive can be hard at times, but checkpoints are frequent enough that the game's difficulty is never excessive. All in all, XIII is a challenge that's greatly fun.

Progress: Complete