XIII

I live my life in cell-shades

Have you ever heard of the game XIII? Even in the dreariest recesses of my darkest subconscious, my memories of this title are hazy at best, but they do exist all the same. I remember a game that rocked a cell-shaded aesthetic in a time when every single game looked like a pretty ropey attempt at photo-realism, (The tech wasn't really there yet) I remember a James Bond-type experience that felt a lot more freeing than any of the other Bond games of the day (or since, to be fair) and I remember, distinctly, the campaign feeling really short. That last one is peculiar too, because I wasn't really the sort of person who finished games at the time when this game was a thing, so either I made an exception for this one game or I got regularly stuck at one point which I convinced myself was the end of the game. This title literally launched so long ago in my life that I cannot remember between the two. What I can remember, however, is really enjoying my limited time with XIII, thus it was with surprise and a hint of exuberance that I saw the impending re-release due in literally no-time flat.

For me, I think the most enduring shade from the recess of my memories comes in the art style which was an absolute triumph of concept and execution. Many games go for the cell-shaded style as it's very loud, somewhat interesting and depreciates a lot slower than other aesthetic themes, but for XIII the cell shading carried a purpose too. You see, the story of this game was born out of an adaption for a graphic novel of the same name, one which delved into conspiracy and intrigue throughout it's comic pages, this it makes sense for XIII (the game) to literally ape the style of the comic book. In gameplay, this literally meant moments where cutaway panels would spring onto screen to act a dynamic camera, proving fictional and attributing to the artistic vision simultaneously. There are also cut-in dialogue boxes, dynamic pop-up sound-effect text and Metal Gear reminiscent head punctuation. (God, do I love a game with style!) 

Which isn't to say that none of the rest of the game was fun to play, in fact I do remember spending a good amount of time playing XIII with my friends in days past, and I'd love to spark some of those memories again now with this. From the screenshots already available you can see the substantial ways in which the art alone has improved, with a simply ludicrous upgrade in the detailing and much softer outlines. Additionally, it would seem that the Multiplayer which I loved so much is also making it's way to us, though whether it's still the same couch co-op from that bygone era is unknown. (Doesn't really effect me either way if it is.) As far as the age of remakes goes, I will definitely put my foot down and say that from everything I'm seeing this appears to be the way to do it in a manner that preserves and old cult classic whilst making the wait seem at least somewhat worth it.

The story is, lo-and-behold, pretty cliche off the bat. It follows a man who awakes on a desert island without a name or identifying mark beyond the tattoo of the number XIII by his collarbone. He knows nothing about how he got there nor how he attained the reflexes of a trained assassin; although maybe it has something to do with the recent assassination of the President of America. (Who knows) So yeah, this is pretty much a Jason Borne story though realised through a game that isn't total garbage like that movie tie-in was. Personally I can woefully say that I don't actually remember the ins-and-outs of the conspiracy in question which means I can feasibly approach this whole thing fresh. (Although I vaguely remember someone commenting that this game ended in an particularly unsatisfying manner, so that should probably be something to watch out for.)

One aspect I do wonder about with this new XIII (Which doesn't actually have a subtitle to differentiate it from the original) is the marketability of this new title. Nowadays the game is considered a pioneer of it's time, and in many ways it did revolutionise how video game presentation could be rendered. Before them the biggest step forward was probably from Voxel characters to proper 3D models, a substantial graphical and conceptual leap, no doubt; but XIII flipped that 'race to look the best' concept on it's head by just looking unique and unlike anything but itself. Although in today's age that isn't quite the status-quo upset as it used to be. Plenty of games have their own visual flair and, in fact, some have even pushed the cell-shaded genre forward in this game's absence. Take the 'Prince of Persia' remake for example, which was lauded for it's visuals. Or the Borderlands franchise which ruled with them. XIII still has it's comic book references, but I don't know if that's enough to stand out at a glance, and that's a real shame if it means a great title will get largely looked over for a second time.

The cult status of the original game may just be the only thing that is really going for it in terms of visibility. And I say that as someone who only happened upon the game himself because he was looking at the 'upcoming games' section of the Microsoft store in search of something to make fun of and literally did a double take. Of course, in the years since the original, word of mouth will have dripped out and folk may be more aware of this title than they once were, but this is a very busy year for games at it is so there just may not be room for this November 10 launch. Heck, I'm actually someone who's super interested in trying this out and even I can't find a room for this game in 2020. It breaks my heart to turn down a game remake that looks so good!

Of course, at the heart of the issue this stirs a little deeper than my nostalgia for a good spy game. The era that this game is from, alongside the boxart, reminds me of another game that was similarly a cult darling but to which I owe a much bigger chunk of my childhood heart. A game I fear may be subject to the same poor treatment for it's time to shine. A game that I don't think I've ever taken the time to talk about on this blog. Have I ever told you about, Timesplitters? Now I know the comparison is somewhat tedious, but you can't in good faith deny the similarities are there. Cult game, FPS, hugely influential, dissipated from the public eye, due a remake. And now the rights are with... (THQ Nordic, I think?) there's a distinct possibility that dead series from my childhood could see the light once again. I'm smelling those necromantic juices in the air, and it both excited and worries me.

I know it's a little weird to hope for the success of one game under the weird belief that it will effect the success of an entirely different (not even announced yet) game, but that's where the heads at right now. Sue me. XIII is, if nothing else, a great game with a decent mystery at the heart of it which may, or may not, decide the fate of off-kilter cult game remakes in the future. (No pressure, then.) I hope it'll keep all the charm of the original, and even if it doesn't it has to be better than that movie/TV adaptation from the 2000's. (God that looks bad)