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XIII (2020 video game)

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XIII
Developer(s)PlayMagic
Publisher(s)Microids
Director(s)Giuseppe Crugliano
Producer(s)James Tuner
Designer(s)Julius Carter
Programmer(s)Dmitry Shtainer
Artist(s)Nick Kasolos
EngineUnity
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
ReleaseWindows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • WW: November 10, 2020
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: 2021
Genre(s)First-person shooter, stealth
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

XIII is a first-person shooter video game developed by Maltese studio PlayMagic Ltd. and published by Microids for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 10, 2020 and for Nintendo Switch in 2021. It is a remake of the 2003 video game of the same name.

XIII received negative reviews from critics and players. It was criticized for its changes to the art style, game design differences from the original and the game's technical and audio issues.

Plot

Main article: XIII (2003 video game) § Synopsis

Development

The remake of the original 2003 video game was announced on April 18, 2019 with PlayMagic developing the game and Microids publishing the game for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game was originally scheduled for release on November 13,[1] until it was delayed to 2020 for further development.[2] In June 2020, the game was announced to be scheduled for release on November 10, 2020 for Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.[3] In October 2020, it was announced that the port of the game for Nintendo Switch was delayed to 2021.[4]

The original plan was to remaster the game using originals assets as well as Unity plug-ins. Unfortunately, the original source code was deemed lost and the 2003 version was running in an extremely outdated game engine. Therefore, the team had no choice but to redo the entire game from scratch, which means hiring new staff and extending the release date to remake the levels, assets, cutscenes, and animations.[5]

Reception

XIII received "generally unfavorable" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[6][7][8]

A lot of criticism were aimed towards the remake's unnecessary changes from the original, such as the art style and the weapon limit, as well as the game's numerous technical and audio issues. Developer PlayMagic and publisher Microids issued a joint statement apologizing to players for the state of the game at release, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic had significantly affected the game's production. On Steam, the game received an Overwhelmingly Negative rating from players.[10]

The release of the remake caused an increase in sales of the original game, causing the 2003 game to outsell the remake in the first week of the remake's release in the UK.[11]

According to former staff of PlayMagic, it was reported that CEO and Creative Director Giuseppe Crugliano was to be blamed for the game's failure due to poor project management, a lack of staff, and low morale due to toxic company culture. Crugliano denied these allegations but admitted to a problem with late payments, claiming they were the result of cash flow problems from project cancellations and unpaid fees from clients.[5]

References

  1. ^ "XIII: A Remake of the thrilling cel-shading FPS is in the works!". Microids. April 18, 2019.
  2. ^ "PlayMagic Ltd and Microids announces that the release of XIII slips to 2020". PlayMagic Ltd. August 9, 2019.
  3. ^ "XIII remake launches November 10". Gematsu. June 11, 2020.
  4. ^ Moyse, Chris (October 19, 2020). "XIII remake Nintendo Switch port delayed to 2021". Destructoid. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Yarwood, Jack. "Inside PlayMagic, the Studio Behind the Disastrous XIII Remake". Fanbyte. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  6. ^ a b "XIII (Remake) for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "XIII (Remake) for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "XIII (Remake) for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  9. ^ Helm, Jordan (November 30, 2020). "Review: XIII". Hardcore Gamer. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  10. ^ Macgregor, Jody (November 15, 2020). "Creators of the XIII remake apologize for technical issues after disastrous launch". PC Gamer. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  11. ^ @Chris_Dring (20 November 2020). "Just looking at the UK digital charts... the new XIII remake has inspired gamers to rush out and buy the original 2…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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