Ever heard of a comic book going by the name of XIII? No, me either. However it sells by the bucket load in the French speaking countries of this world, and now it looks like XIII is about to strike it big here and in the US.

XIII is the brainchild of Belgian mad man Jean Van Hamme (who is also the creator of Largo Winch), and the comic itself has shifted over 6.5 million issues in various French speaking countries, so at least Ubi-Soft are on to a winner in countries such as France, Canada, Belgium etc… But how will the rest of Europe like XIII?

The thing that has everyone in the gaming world talking about is the fact that XIII is the first FPS to use cel-shaded graphics, and strays away from the realistic graphics of games such as Metroid Prime and Halo. However it is the graphics that really give the feeling that you are playing the cartoon and the fact that actually, it looks pretty damn good. With explosion and gun firing effects looking ultra stylised for added effect, the tired formula of FPS's these days gets re-shingled and launched in a whole new direction.

The story itself, although heavily under wraps, will no doubt be a cocktail of conspiracy, intrigue, and espionage. And the actual XIII title refers to the nameless man who finds himself washed up on a beach with amnesia and the figure XIII tattooed onto his collarbone. And you can bet he will not be happy about it. Try to give the outlandish situation a chance (even if it does sound like a regular Newcastle stag night), because it is bound to leave lots of clues to uncover and people wanting you dead for a reason you do not know. The types and amount of weapons that will make an appearance is unknown, but judging from recent screen shots, they could range from pistols to machine guns, sniper rifle to throwing knives. And the various locations that have been seen in screen shots go from some sort of FBI office to outdoor levels looking very much like the Severnya missions from the N64 classic Goldeneye.

The First Person Shooter competition on the Gamecube is slowly getting better, with the arrival of Timesplitters 2, Die Hard and James Bond Nightfire all on the scene. And, although it will take a lot to beat the magnificent Timesplitters 2, it will certainly be the most original as far as looks go. And we are told XIII will have a multi-player mode for up to four people, so get your mates around and indulge in some cel-shaded carnage.

XIII is not the first cel-shaded game in the world, there have been many, and there will be many more. Here is just a brief cel-shaded history lesson.

Jet Set Radio on the Dreamcast was the first game to make use of cel-shaded graphics. It was a highly enjoyable game and sold by the bucket loads, spawning a sequel on the XBOX.

Auto Modellista is about to be released on the PS2 and is the first cel-shaded racing game, has received mixed reviews.

The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is about to be released in Japan any day now, but unfortunately will not see these shores until well into 2003, but you can bet it will be a real corker of a game.

Cube Europe has taken a further look at this game with a 2nd preview featuring more info and details! Take a look via the link below:
- 2nd Preview