I needed a game to play when I was laid up for a week after my operation. I originally was going to pick up Crimson Skies, but I saw XIII for $30 at Best Buy, so I bought it instead. Since I was essentially trapped on my couch, I had no choice but to play. Which actually was a good thing.

Setup
You start off by registering your name, setting the configuration of your controller, and setting the difficulty. The controller settings are pretty typical for a first person shooter. I ended up using the standard setting. If you’ve played Halo (and who hasn’t?) then you can expect the same feel. The button set up I used was not as intuitive as I would of liked it. The action button, which is typically the A button, was the X button. The A button was Jump. The B and Y button switched weapons. The right button fired. The white button fed you a health pack when pressed (which was a necessary option at times.) No more going to the subscreen menu to use a health pack.
There are 3 difficulty modes. I started off with the easy level and it still offered me plenty of challenge. The hard mode requires a lot of patience, skill, and timing. Not to mention a little luck.

Visual
The cell shading is sweet. It adds a unique element to the typical game graphics. During the game I didn’t notice any major problems with the graphics. They created a beautiful and consistent world. The environment didn’t detract from the game, it really only enhanced it. You played both outside and inside. The beach, on roof tops, in buildings, an estate, canyons, frozen wastelands, and did I forget the boat?
The game beautifully imitated a comic book. All of the captioning that comes with a comic book is added. And when you do certain things, like a head shot, it is shown as a frame by frame shot. Occasionally the frames do get in the way.

Story
One of the biggest strengths of the game is the story (even though it’s copied from a dozen other stories.) I’m not going to spoil it for you, but let me just give you a brief overview. You start off with a flashback on a boat with gunshots all around. You seem to have enough common sense to jump off the boat, but not without taking a bit of damage that probably led to your amnesia. A lifeguard finds you and takes you back to the station. After that all hell breaks loose and you are just fighting for your life.
The rest of the story is captivating. It reminds me of games like Final Fantasy 2 & 3 where you want to keep going because you want to know what happens next. This was the main driving force for me to complete the game within a week.
And as a final note, I was really disappointed with the ending. I’m not going to tell you want I was disappointed with because it may ruin the game. Lets just say I like my story lines intact.
They also got the voices of Adam West and David Duchovny. This was a smart move because I felt they added quite a bit to the game. They both have good, strong voices and they know how to use them, unlike many other video games with poor voice acting.

Level design
The levels are very linear like most other games. You really only have one path to go on. I know this solves a lot of problems, but it gets boring and predictable. I only got lost once in the whole game (the frozen forest) and that only lasted 5 minutes. Whatever happened to the frustration felt in games like Myst? But the levels are consistent, spacious at times, and fairly unique.

Game play
I was a little disappointed with the game play. The weak part of the game play was the control of the character and control over what I was shooting at. I felt like I had no control over the aim (but neither did the AI.)
What was cool was the stealth missions. Stealth and careful planning are one of the cool aspects of this game.

Online
I don’t have Xbox live so I can’t tell you how good it is. I personally don’t plan on getting it because of the vulgar mouths online.
The game is Playable on Xbox live and system link so you don’t have to play by split screen. By using Xbox live you can play with anyone around the world, or with your friend down the street.


Extras
This game also has a multiplayer mode that includes bots. And the bots are pretty ruthless. I personally was not impressed with the levels or weapons. I’m looking for a unique experience in multiplayer, and this game does not give it. I would rather play Halo or Time Splitters 2 instead.
There are also some documents that I initially thought were cool. That feeling passed after I saw how little they added to the story. There is also a comic book of your whole game included and it shows you what you have done in comic book fashion. Another cute items that doesn’t really add anything to the game.

The good:
The voices of Adam West and David Duchovny were awesome
It is a cool story line
You get to snipe with crossbows and rifles
Cell shading
The xbox version can be found for $30 or less, (whereas the game cube version wasn’t discounted last I checked.)

The bad:
Controls were a bit difficult
Violence wasn’t graphic enough, I couldn’t see where my hits were going.
AI sucked
The ending sucked
Note to developers, get rid of escort missions

Summary: All in all, this is an average first person shooter. I feel that the positive aspects of the game outweighs the negative. If you love shooters that involve a story and strategy, then buy this game (especially at this price.) If you aren’t a big shooter fanatic but still like to blow things up, then go pick up Time Splitters 2, Halo, or wait for Halo 2. These games are far better.


Supported Features
1-4 players
Dolby digital
Systemlink compatible
HDTV
Communicator headset
Xbox live compatible
Online Multiplayer
Voice
Friends
Scoreboard


Other review you might be interested in.
Nintendo Wii game console
Star Wars Rogue Squadron III
Midway Arcade Treasures


Recommended: Yes