First and foremost, XIII has mouse acceleration & saving issues with possible audio issues, all of these can be fixed by player input & guides shared on steam.

In regards to saving you can remedy it by manually saving in the menu & also using the auto save key (F5) throughout the level, however you must be aware that the saves only restore you to the latest checkpoint not to where you saved. In some cases there are long gaps without checkpoints that can be extremely frustrating.

XIII also has Unskippable cut scenes & sequences that halt player movement/interactions. This is not a problem on its own but in conjuction with the poor checkpoint system & boss fights utilising them, it can lead to frustration as you seem them multiple times after dying or failing the mission guidelines. One level in particular "infiltrate, disable generators & save hostage" can set you back minutes.

XIII is a PS2 era first person shooter forged out of comic book stylization based on a European graphic novel series. It features stealth mechanics from the time alongside finer gameplay elements like grappling hooks & interactable objects like glass shards, bricks, chairs etc. that can be used to take down targets.

It utilises displays of onomatopoeia where applicable as movement indicators alongside comic panel cut-outs that overlay the screen during specific stealth related sequences or upon landing headshots. Despite the game running in odd resolutions the XIII’s graphics and art style alongside the aforementioned hold up to this day with only a few instances of obvious aging.

The item interactions are engaging and satisfying. Blunt objects like chairs, brooms, bricks and ash trays can be used to knock out targets while lighter objects like glass can be used to create distractions, the latter of which can be gained by destroying windows.

While stealth is fun, the same can't be said for gunplay & combat (outside of the crossbow & throwing knives). Weapons are inaccurate with huge bullet spread that makes mid-long range encounters a pain to clear. That being said, combat feels janky & realistic in that shots to the head eliminate NPCs swiftly while shots elsewhere stagger targets depending on their armour (armour of which you can steal if left undamaged from your assault.

Bosses on the other hand are awful & do not reflect the basic gameplay, they are bullet sponges, have high mobility and increased damage. The final boss in particular has an interesting loop tied to damaging him but it's poorly implemented and leaves the player wasting ammo & thought on inconsistent movement & untelegraphed strikes. These bosses might not be a problem on their own but they also have the aforementioned Unskippable cut scenes and movement restrictions throughout that you'll experience numerous times on reset.

Level design is on par with other titles of the 6th console generation & the variety of their biome is welcome even if short. You’ll go from the beachside, city rooftops, hotel rooms to snowy mountains, docks & military complexes. XIII in a way evolves as you progress & gain access to more weapons & utility. The latter involves a grappling hook that sees use in preset locations to access the next section of levels, secrets & vantage points. The former has less appearances in comparison and offers little

XIII is a spy thriller about a conspiratorial plot to overthrow the United States government by unknown individuals that use Roman numerals to mask their real identities. It's a competent video game story for the time but it lacks a conclusion and opted for a cliffhanger ending. The mystery can also be lost if you've engaged with any media in the genre before alongside a majority of the canal having no presence or showcase throughout the 30 levels.

XIII is a near perfect 6th console generation video game in that it has love, charm & variety however due to the time of its release it also lacks quality of life improvements that some in the modern day may prefer in a shooter. Bosses are awful compared to other targets, checkpoint gaps are frustrating, saving can be inconsistent, guns are inaccurate, the story ends on a cliffhanger & the game requires external editing to remove mouse acceleration & to possibly restore audio or increase the resolution.

That being said the comic art style that forms the gameplay like stealth with its onomatopoeia & panel cutouts are unique, the headshot panel killcams are satisfying, the grappling hook while limited is fun, crossbow/throwing knives are a blast during stealth sections, the story despite its cliffhanger & predictability is intriguing, the 30+ levels have variety & there is a vast amount of weapons available across the levels; all of the aforementioned make XIII a unique experience that I have not seen since its release that despite the flaws & frustrations I have to recommend the title.

It’s $18.50 but during sales it drops to $1.50AUD and for that price XIII is definitely worth playing for the unique experience alone.

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