Ubisoft's first-person shooter XIII got the remake treatment this year, but based on yesterday's launch, the game might have been better off untouched.
Originally released for the GameCube in 2003, XIII is adapted from a Belgian graphic novel series first published in 1984. Its cel-shaded graphics, made popular by The Legend of Zelda: The Windwaker, gave it a suitably comic-like appearance that set it apart from most other FPS games at the time. While it received decent reviews at launch, poor sales nipped the potential for sequels in the bud. Aside from a mobile side-scroller and hidden object game, the series has mostly flown under the radar.
Still, it seems the game had enough of a following for someone to pick up the torch. The remake, also named XIII, comes courtesy of PlayMagic, a small studio based in Malta. According to its website, the studio has contributed to a variety of well-known series like Halo and Call of Duty.
XIII appears to be the studio's first full project and it shows. Fans are not happy for a number of reasons, including the graphics. The remake drops most of the cel-shaded graphics in favor of a more realistic style which many have compared to Fortnite. If that were the only issue, the game might have been received better, but as Twitter user SirCrackerBulb highlights in a video, the game is rife with technical issues. From objects popping in and out, to weird AI behavior, the issues are abundant.
Remakes and remasters have boomed in popularity this generation. Successful remakes, like Resident Evil and Final Fantasy VII Remake, stay true to the original's spirit while modernizing mechanics. Gamers looking to revisit old favorites likely won't tolerate excessive bugs or other issues, and that goes double for a game that lacks the fanbase of the aforementioned remakes, or that of the upcoming Demon's Souls remake. A poor effort is likely to do more harm than good to the IP if it was already obscure.
Granted, PlayMagic probably doesn't have the same resources as Square Enix, Capcom, and others. Still, many of the issues highlighted in the video seem like they should have been caught by quality assurance. Further, PlayMagic plans to release XIII for the Switch some time next year. Unless the PlayMagic team can iron out these issues before then, the Switch port is unlikely to fare much better.
XIII is now available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a Switch version in development for 2021.
