Digital Dimension: XIII

It’s the near future. The President has been assassinated and you’re the only suspect. However, you suffer from amnesia and don’t remember a thing. Only one clue exists as a link to your cloudy past: the roman numerals XIII tattooed just below your neck. This is the initial premise behind UBI Soft’s newest masterpiece, the conspiracy-thriller/first person shooter XIII (thirteen), based on a graphic novel of the same name. A few well known celebrities provide voices for the central characters of XIII; mainstream hip hop queen Eve lends her vocal chords to the bad-ass sidekick Agent Jones, and Adam West of Batman fame voices the good-natured General Carrington. The coolest and most ironic voice actor-considering the conspiratorial nature of the plot-is X-Files’ David Duchovny, supplying the dialogue and grunts for the memory-less main character only known as Thirteen.XIII begins when you wake up confused and delirious on a New York beach, where a busty lifeguard whisks you away to her medical tent. Just as you come to your senses, the lifeguard is gunned down by unseen assailants, and you must escape the beachfront, now swarming with armed men. As the game progresses, you’ll learn more about your past, and more about your enemies. XIII will eventually infiltrate the inner sanctum of a secret society working through the highest levels of the United States Government and military known as The Twenty, and expose their plan to install a totalitarian government in the US though a simulated state of emergency and martial law. XIII emphasizes stealth infiltration rather than mindless shooting, requiring players to have a keen awareness of their surrounding environment, location of enemies, and any lingering evidence. In many levels, XIII cannot be noticed at all, so he must be careful to hide bodies plus utilize a number of special skills that give him the edge. One unique ability allows XIII to see the footsteps of enemies through walls, literally a comic-book style “TAP TAP TAP” visible with each step. Later in the game, XIII acquires another skill that makes his own footsteps silent. In many scenarios guns are obsolete, as XIII can knock someone out with objects found around the level (like chairs, brooms, shovels, bricks, bottles, and ash trays), and can even throw shards of glass to kill enemies with a headshot. The selection of available guns is not great, but again, gunplay is not the emphasis of gameplay. You can even sneak up behind an unsuspecting enemy, take them hostage with your left arm and shoot people with the right, then snap your human shield’s neck at leisure. Other great non-firearms include throwing knives and the crossbow (with sniper scope), both great for silent takedowns of patrolling sentries and other unknowing foes. In many situations it’s more fun and challenging to clear house without using any guns at all.Since XIII is an interactive adaptation of a comic book, all characters and 3D models are cell shaded. This also allows distinctive cool special effects that reinforce the comic book nature of XIII, implementing pop-up windows for dialogue and death sequences, and visual audio for death moans and footsteps. In-between major missions, stylish cut scenes fill in the plot gaps. XIII also features a really great jazz soundtrack that fluctuates with the action. While creeping around, there’ll be soft percussion and some light flute, indicating that your presence is unknown. As soon as your location is compromised, a chaotic saxophone or grumbling piano builds with a frenetic drumming until the ensuing gun battle ends or you die. These different themes of music help you to make better decisions during gameplay.For any fan of first person shooters, any comic book aficionados, or those who fall under the label of conspiracy nut, XIII is guaranteed to please. The solid controls and gameplay, coupled with the successful graphic novel presentation and a highly intriguing, disturbingly probable plot, makes this game enjoyable and addictive on so many levels. With a customizable multi-mode multiplayer feature, XIII has significant replay value above and beyond the remarkable single player mode. With future installments already in the works, XIII will surely be an enduring series.