XIII Remake: Microids given a second chance to restore an iconic title.
XIII’s remake has returned, but now on a current-gen console. As a gamer, you would love the idea of remaking or remastering classic video games, not just because they bring back nostalgia but also because they are usually modernised. Meaning they look more polished. The visuals and sometimes the gameplay are improved and making them far more attractive. Having said all of this, they managed to keep the games feeling old school. In recent years, more vintage games are coming back and getting remodeled, and XIII Remake is among the most anticipated ones.
Most recently, games like the Grand Theft Auto trilogy look neater and have received a lot of positive feedback. And the remastered game looks better. Let’s take a trip back to the year 2003. I mention this year in particular because that was when the original XIII game was released. The game is based on a 1984 graphic novel that also happens to have the same name. The original game met with mixed reviews. However, this game is seen as a classic, and indeed, many gamers wouldn’t mind there being a remaster or a remake.
XIII is remembered mainly because of the comic-themed presentation. The idea that you are playing in a comic book was very interesting to players. Especially when we were younger. However, there is an irony to this. Despite the somewhat absorbing concept, the gameplay in XIII Remake did not necessarily match the developer’s ambition. The game is still a classic, but the gameplay could have been much better. It’s quite remarkable how a game like such possesses such weak gameplay.
Fast forward to the year 2020; this time it was a remake, and they clearly have not learned from their mistakes. It looked much worse. With the sub-standard gameplay, they added more issues, such as less attractive graphics. Now, hopefully, with the XIII Remake on current-gen consoles, maybe the third time is a charm, and they finally address the biggest issue, which stems from almost two decades ago. And with an update that was released the same day as the current-gen platform’s release, we can only keep our fingers crossed.
The story is still as epic as ever. Such an exciting plot. This is, without a doubt, one of the game’s biggest highlights. This is what kept me going—wanting to find out more and what happens next. The game starts with your character waking up on a beach and having no recollection of his past.
The character discovers that he has a tattoo of the number thirteen, which happens to be written in Roman numerals, and he also retrieves a locker key. Things get much more complicated for you in your search for answers on his identity and uncovering his past because these are your only clues given.
XIII Remake has much more to the story, but what was said was enough to garner my interest. Stories that consist of secrets and conspiracies are what get the audience’s attention, mainly because of situations like unexpected plot twists. And it’s even better with the comic-themed display. Although the story was a little short. Fortunately, it doesn’t affect the story’s quality.
Sadly, again, I cannot say the same for the gameplay of XIII Remake. The main issues in this department remain. The gameplay is still very slow, clunky, rigid, and tedious. You’d think that after receiving a staggering number of negative reviews a couple of years ago, the developer would do much better with this game. Especially the area that had taken the most criticism.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Instead, it’s almost as if they had only fixed a couple of problems and then went with it. Although the game now seemingly has fewer bugs, and a few weapons that are quite fun to use. They don’t help much when the mechanics are poorly implemented. Your character and the enemies have very little movement, which is sometimes troublesome when aiming down sights.
Overall, the game would have been phenomenal and arguably one of the best games within the last two decades if the gameplay had been adequately developed. As for multiplayer, there is no point in playing it when the gameplay is dreadful. And I imagine that not many players would have much fun with the mode, anyway.
XIII Remake’s gameplay did not have to change completely, but I feel that they could have placed more emphasis on improving it to make it more playable, at least. But at the same time, keep the nostalgia. I struggle to fathom how these issues have not been rectified, even after having another chance to right their wrongs in remaking a legendary game. I continued playing because of the story, as mentioned before, and the graphics.
Speaking of, the graphics have improved in XIII Remake. They look extremely more attractive than the 2020 version, and they have managed to bring back one of the reasons why the original was widely considered a classic, which is strange as to why they would even think about changing it in the first place. Before, it was horrendously looking, but now, it looks just like the original. But a little better because it is on a current-gen console. The designs look more polished, sharper, look more detailed, and the colours have a more appealing display.
The visual performance has also noticeably improved in XIII Remake. The frame rate has also improved, as it was problematic in the 2020 version. The current-gen version allows you to go for a smoother 60 FPS. The lighting is brighter, and it helps to highlight the game’s new graphical enhancements. However, the animations could do with more work. It doesn’t help much in improving the gameplay.
There’s not much to say about the audio and soundtrack other than positive things. They managed to keep the espionage-like sounds and music in the game to provide players with the same suspenseful feelings they had when they played the original. The voice acting from the cast isn’t too shabby, either.
A mixture of seriousness and comedy is partly why this game is still remembered today. Although it’s a comic book-themed game, it’s good that they included voice-overs. Rather than just having speech bubbles on top of them whenever they speak. Plus, the weapon sounds feel cartoonish, which is, of course, a good thing, as this game is comic-based.
XIII Remake is still brimming with inconsistencies. The story is good, and the visuals have improved, but the gameplay is a bit messy. Although there are a few improvements, it does not feel like I was playing a current-gen game. Without the story, I am certain I wouldn’t have bothered playing this game again. The plot and the graphics carried this game. Microids were given another chance, and they didn’t do enough with it. Having said this, some restorations were brought to a classic.
XIII Remake is available on PlayStation 4 & PlayStation 5, Xbox ONE, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Also, follow our website for the latest video game reviews.
