XIII - GameCube

The President of the United States of America has been assassinated, and you are a suspect. In whose eyes? Your own. That is the dilemma you find yourself in at the start of the deep game experience that is XIII.

So, what do you know? Not much to start with, but things are getting clearer. The president is dead, shot by an as yet unknown assassin, and there are various people after you - the FBI and the US army are both keen to 'talk' to you. Oh, and you have the numeral 'XIII' tattooed on your chest. One thing is for sure: whatever events that led to you regaining consciousness on a strip of sand somewhere in New England, no matter how much of your memory has been rubbed out - that tattoo wasn't there before.

A treat for conspiracy nuts, first-person shooter devotees, and graphic novel fans alike, XIII is the much-lauded cel-shaded adventure title from Ubi Soft, whose story echoes films like The Manchurian Candidate and The Ninth Configuration, and real-life events such as the assassination of John Kennedy. As you regain some semblance of where you are and, more importantly, what you need to do to get things back on track, you discover a key in your pocket. A bank in New York City may provide at least one clue to the puzzle you're living in, but before you can make tracks, whoever brought you to the beach is determined that you should stay there. Your first taste of survival combat comes quickly, but surprisingly easy.

So did you kill the president? And if not, who did? XIII's stunning good looks and nifty way with telling the story in flashbacks as you go through the game is a great combination. The mention of a graphic novel earlier on is entirely valid, as the whole thing looks like a comic book come to life. There's nothing comical about XIII however. This is serious stuff - seriously good gaming too. more