90
XIII may not 'revolutionise' the genre, but it certainly tips its hat to some revolutionary (FPS) elements, including the platformesque addition of the grapnel and...an obeisance to singing soldiers.
80
A flawed masterpiece. A game brimming with variety and a freshness lacking from most of the factory farmed franchise exercises that pass through our offices with crushing regularity.
70
Seeing the game from beginning to end reveals its true artistic merit: it never gets stale; every episode has been drawn with minute care and attention. It would have been an incredible achievement if the gameplay had matched the outstanding art direction. [Dec 2003, p.94]
10
One of the best games of the time. Story, action, soundtrack weaponry - perfect.
7
The game is cool, nice story and nice graphic sector. But on my first run I've to find how and when to save the game (right after pass a checkpoint) but beside this issue the game is enjoyable
8
Intriguing story and original visuals. Shooting mechanics are solid making this a great FPS. Stealth sections are plentiful though so can't just run in and shoot everything in sight. That cliffhanger though. Sequel is coming soon at least, right? RIGHT?
XIII
Xbox
Released On:
Nov 18, 2003
Metascore
Mixed or Average
74
User score
Mixed or Average
7.4
My Score
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Metascore
Mixed or Average
55% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
45% Mixed
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
A truly dazzling, inspired game that mixes a riveting story with a stylish look and absorbing gameplay.
85
First and foremost, you're going to get your hands on some cracker-jack weaponry, both firearm and silent. Each weapon has a standard and secondary fire, which depending on the weapon is pretty cool.
User score
Mixed or Average
56% Positive
29 Ratings
29 Ratings
40% Mixed
21 Ratings
21 Ratings
4% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Jul 22, 2025
10
One of the best games of the time. Story, action, soundtrack weaponry - perfect.
Apr 14, 2022
8
Intriguing story and original visuals. Shooting mechanics are solid making this a great FPS. Stealth sections are plentiful though so can't just run in and shoot everything in sight. That cliffhanger though. Sequel is coming soon at least, right? RIGHT?
80
Has a great story-driven sheen, but at it's core, it's weighed down by some occasional bewildering flaws, in addition to the lackluster weapons and simple combat we usually see in lesser productions.
75
A more general problem is that the gameplay doesn't do much new, or even contemporary for that matter. You do the general flip-switching and item collecting types of missions, and your firepower is very typical.
70
While XIII has style in spades, gameplay is nowhere near as groundbreaking. [Dec 2003, p.166]
64
While it definitely has a certain sense of style to it, the game itself misses its mark, and the total package isn't one that will hold the interest of most first-person shooter players.
50
The game's aesthetic design choices are great, for the most part, but they can't entirely overcome the clunky control system and overly simplistic A.I.
May 29, 2022
7
The game is cool, nice story and nice graphic sector. But on my first run I've to find how and when to save the game (right after pass a checkpoint) but beside this issue the game is enjoyable
Aug 8, 2017
7
Excellent game for its genre and style of play is very happy, so I did not expect that the game will multiplayer both local and Xbox Live. But on Xbox it's not convenient management for consoles.
Nov 26, 2020
6
Okay so i wanted to check this game out mainly because the remake came out recently and I heard it was bad. But it reminded me that I see the original for 5 bucks at my local used games store all the time. So I checked it and first of all the visuals are very nice ill say that. Some times they can be a little blocky and janky but overall it nails the comic book style that it's going for. And the story was alright I think, its not commuted very well some times on what's happening. So I felt very confused a lot of the time but that's not a huge negative for me. What really suffers is the gameplay mostly the stealth parts of the game. The stealth is very frustrating mostly due to how basic it really is there's a lack of depth with it . But it probably wouldn't be as bad if the check point system didn't make it so after getting spotted and sounding an alarm in some levels that I had to rewatch story scenes or replay big chunks of levels. Which are boring to replay because the stealth makes it so that you have to go very slow. Other than that the gunplay is fun a little to easy due to very simple AI but still serviceable for it's time. If your looking for a very stylized shooter and can tolerate some simple yet frustrating stealth segments than I more than recommend you check out XIII for yourself.
SummaryThe President of the United States of America has been assassinated. You wake up on a desolate strip of New England beach. The near-fatal impact of a bullet has left your head pounding, and your memory erased. What's more, the number "XIII" has been mysteriously tattooed on your chest, while your pocket holds a key to a New York City ban... Read More
Rated Mfor Mature
Platforms:
- PlayStation 2
- Xbox
- GameCube
- PC
Initial Release Date:Nov 18, 2003
Developer:
- Southend Interactive
Publisher:
