VIDEO GAME REVIEW Count on 'XIII' for visual style

Unfortunately, the voice acting falls short in this 'Bourne Identity'-style title.
By VICTOR GODINEZ
DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Ubi Soft should have ditched Batman and Mulder when it developed its new game "XIII."
The company garnered some press -- from me, for example -- when it announced that Adam West and David Duchovny would provide the voice talent for its new first-person shooting-adventure game.
West -- TV's former "Batman" -- is competent enough in this video-game version of the spy novel "The Bourne Identity." Duchovny, of "X-Files" fame, sounds like he's recovering from a hangover and working on his next one.
Unfortunately, the limp voice-acting threatens to overshadow what is otherwise a fun little game.
"XIII" ($49; suitable for ages 17 and up) is out for the PC, PlayStation 2, GameCube and Xbox; I tested the PS2 version.
You are the titular agent XIII, and you wake up on a beach, finding yourself shot, bleeding and not knowing who you are. The president has just been assassinated, and you might be the shooter.
No sooner has a lifeguard gotten you into her hut (after making you hobble down the beach -- thanks for nothing!) than a helicopter zooms in, machine-guns your lazy rescuer into a crimson pulp and disgorges a horde of goons trying to kill you.
After you escape, you follow the only clue you have -- a bank safe deposit key -- which leads to more bad guys, nefarious military conspiracies and some neat weapons.
Distinctive style
OK, "XIII" really is a shameless rip-off of "The Bourne Identity," but the action is pretty intense, and the cel-shaded graphics give XIII a visual flair.
And the game uses the comic book-style graphics to great effect.
For instance, if you skewer a guard in the eyeball with a dart from your crossbow, a sequence of photos pops up, showing the guard getting hit and falling down, a little reward for your marksmanship.
Or if you're being stealthy, the words "Tap, tap, tap," appear on the screen to let you know that a guard is around the corner, and the letters get bigger as the guard gets closer.
Sure, Ubi Soft could have just used the sound of footsteps, but it's more stylish this way.
There are, of course, weapons. From throwing knives to rocket launchers, you won't want for firepower.
And you get helpful gadgets such as lock picks and grappling hooks that keep the game interesting.
Yes, the plot is cheesy and the voice acting is insultingly bad, but "XIII" has some good stuff going for it.