Ubi Soft working on a cel-shaded FPS

Ubi Soft has announced that it has started development on XIII, a first-person shooter based on the comic license of the same name from Belgian writer Jean Van Hamme. Fitting with the source of the content, the game will be feature cel-shaded graphics similar to those found in games such as Smilebit's Jet Set Radio Future and Capcom's upcoming Auto Modellista. The development team will also be using the latest Unreal Engine graphics technology, which will enable it to incorporate high-quality textures and smooth 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."

Players will have to make use of both action-based and stealth-based styles of gameplay while attempting to unravel the clues behind the game's plot. The GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox versions of the game will all feature a four-player multiplayer mode in addition to the single-player mode, but the Xbox version will also include online play.

All three versions of the game are scheduled for release in Q1 2003.