The original version of XIII was released in 2003 and had an impact on gamers at the time with its visual style in Sleek shading which faithfully reproduced the Belgian comics of the same name. The new version, which was released in 2020, is somewhat disappointing with a myriad of technical issues. This should change on September 13th.
Image credit: Microïds
In fact, French publisher Microïds announced a major update to the current version of the new version on PC, Xbox One and PS4, which will be released on September 13, 2022. On the same day, Nintendo Switch owners will finally be able to discover his gameplay.
The development of the 2003 version of the game was led by Southend Interactive and Ubisoft Paris. The license has since passed under the fold of Microïds, who entrusted the development of the new version to PlayMagic. The new update and Nintendo Switch version has instead been delegated to French studio Tower Five, which explains the long delay between the initial release of the new version and the free update that comes to fix the game’s technical issues.
The update by Tower Five will also include the online multiplayer segment.
Microïds CEO, Stéphane Longeard, is responsible for the state of the new edition in the initial release:
We are fully aware and deeply regret that the initial launch of XIII Remake on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC did not meet the quality standards gamers have come to expect. A little over a year ago, we made the decision to call in the Tower Five studio to complete the development of the game. The Tower Five has worked with us in the past, particularly in the wonderful port of Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders on Nintendo transforms. We really wanted to take the time to fix the game and give XIII Remake owners a free update that gives the best possible homage to the original game we all love. The Nintendo Switch version of the game will of course benefit from all the work done to improve the game as well as the multiplayer mode, which will mark the end of the game’s development. We can’t wait for players to get their hands on this enhanced version of the game and (re)discover the classic adventures of The Thirteenth Factor, once it’s released after the summer.
Read also: My 10 Favorite Video Game Franchises
