XIII (2020) Review

• Platform: Nintendo Switch PC PlayStation 4 Xbox One

• Release date: Nov 10 2020

• Publisher: Microids

• Development team: PlayMagic Ltd.

• Genre: Action, First Person Shooter 

 

This year will be marked by remasters and remakes in the world of video games. They are a fantastic way to revive old classics and show them to a new audience, but it is increasingly happening that they are inferior versions. The idea of re-releasing games seems to be running out because now more and more obscure titles are getting a second chance, and XIII is a real example that some games should remain only as beautiful memories.

 

XIII was a charming shooter who looked like an interactive comic. The plot is a cliché of every action movie of the 90s, which was okay 20 years ago, but since the games have improved and their stories have progressed, that is no longer enough. At the time this game came out, it was unique in the market in terms of graphics and scenes between missions, but today there are a large number of titles that adapt the look of comics to interactive entertainment in a much better way.

 

 

Gameplay just isn’t fun. Opponents are too stupid to pose any danger. Each rifle behaves like a "sniper", ie there is no impenetrability, no jerking of the weapon, so it is very easy to hit every opponent in the head. Throughout the game, sneaking is a matter of choice, but opponents certainly do not hear when you shoot a few meters from them, so it is not necessary to make an effort to go unnoticed.

 

Most of the changes compared to the original negatively affect the XIII remake. The videos between the missions no longer have that comic flair but are now generic in-game scenes with horrible animations. The remake has a "weapon wheel", which significantly reduces the arsenal compared to the original, so you have fewer options for resolving situations.

 

XIII has one of the funniest ways opponents die - every time you kill an opponent, it takes them a few seconds to remember to fall to the ground. There are moments when the game in close-up shows the one you killed, which seems hilarious. Bugs are another big problem - animations are often locked or the wrong animation is started; opponents, even before they notice you, shoot while they have their backs turned; sometimes the change of the cartridge is not registered, so the rifle remains empty… This is inadmissible when it comes to remakes.

 

Graphically, the game has undergone a major transformation, but not for the better. The soundtrack is awful, and the music is often interrupted when not needed. It happens that the whole level passes in silence as if the sound effects are completely lost. The remake should improve the existing game or completely change it and in that way attract the attention of new players, and not be worse in almost every respect than the original. The biggest sin a game can commit is being boring, and the XIII remake is certainly the most boring title I’ve had the opportunity to play in the past few years. You should avoid this title, and if you are a fan of XIII, you better stick to the original version, because it can provide much more than a remake.