Ubi Soft announces XIII

Ubi Soft Entertainment has announced XIII, its upcoming first-person shooter based on the Jean Van Hamme's comic book series of the same name. The game, which will use Epic's Unreal technology, will feature a graphic-novel-style world and cel-shaded animation.

"We are constantly striving to push the gaming envelope, and XIII will create a world so unique and enthralling that gamers will become instantly engaged," said Laurent Detoc, president of Ubi Soft Entertainment. "From the revolutionary first-person cel-shaded animation, Unreal technology, and unique storyline, XIII reaches limits of interactive gameplay never experienced before."

XIII will be the first major first-person shooter to use cel-shaded graphics to create a graphic-novel feel in the game. The game's story is centered on a huge conspiracy that players will try to unravel by uncovering clues about the mysterious events in the game. In order to succeed, players will have to use both stealth and combat. In addition to the single-player mode, XIII will include a number of multiplayer modes.

XIII is scheduled for release in early 2003 for the PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Microsoft Xbox. We'll post more information about the game as it becomes available.