When Microids launched the XIII remake in late 2020, the game was a bit of a disaster. The remade PS2 classic was developed by a small studio based in Malta known as PlayMagic, and it was the team’s very first project. Unfortunately, XIII was plagued by several technical issues at launch, including graphical bugs and strange AI behavior. However, those issues would be the least of the game’s problems. The original XIII was known for its stylized cel-shaded art style giving the game a timeless and striking look. However, much of that aesthetic was stripped back in PlayMagic’s remaking efforts, souring the game for many fans who already noted an overall hollow experience.
Earlier this year, Microids announced that a new studio, Tower Five, would be overhauling XIII entirely with a free patch coming to all owners later in the year. Since then, Tower Five has been quietly working on fixing the slew of problems in XIII, promising to deliver a refined art style, enhanced AI, a reworked HUD, and better sound design on September 13. A new gameplay trailer released by Microids gives fans a look at what the studio has been working on, showcasing XIII running on next-gen consoles with all the improvements on full display. The gameplay sequence takes place during the SPADS Military Base mission, serving as the best demonstration of XIII’s reworked art style, sound design, and newly found 60 fps gameplay.
XIII’s new look is now much more in-line with the original graphic novel aesthetic of the PS2 and GameCube original, leading to some happy fans in the trailer’s comment section. PlayMagic’s version of XIII currently holds an “overwhelmingly negative” review score on Steam, but hopefully, Tower Five’s free update truly fixes the game’s rougher edges and lives up to the original’s cult-classic status. What’s more, a Nintendo Switch version of XIII is planned to release on September 13, featuring all the improvements included with the PS5 and Xbox versions.
Whether XIII can manage to catch on remains to be seen. The 2020 remake could likely live in infamy as one of the worst remaking efforts ever in the eyes of some fans and critics. The game did so poorly that the original XIII was even outselling the remake at one point. However, Microids is deserving of some praise for never giving up on the project, even two years later when many other publishers could have easily left XIII in the rearview mirror. With any luck, the XIII remake finds itself in a better place on September 13, and new fans can discover why many gamers hold the franchise in high regard 20 years later.
XIII is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. A Switch version will release on September 13, 2022.
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Source: https://gamerant.com/xiii-remake-ps5-gameplay/
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