XIII Remake is Getting Remade Because the Original One Was So Awful!

Released back in 2020, the remake of the first-person shooter XIII was pretty much universally panned by both fans and critics. Now, in an attempt to avoid any hyperbole, the game, in itself, wasn’t terrible. Yes, it had some bugs and glitches etc. (don’t all games these days?). The most unforgivable sin it committed, however, was dropping pretty much the one key aspect of the original title that made it so iconic!

You see, what really made XIII stand out from the pack at the time was that it used incredibly vivid and vibrant cel-shaded artwork. And what did they decide to do with the remake? Well, they got rid of it! – And as you can see in the comparison video below (courtesy of Game Intros & Finales) it really does kind of highlight just how huge of a disappointment this was.

It even led the studio charged with the XIII remake to issue a full-blown apology regarding it. (Albeit, one that completely dodged the lack of cel-shaded design that brought most of the criticism in the first place).

So, the XIII Remake was released, it was terrible, and from that point, you probably think the story is over, right? Well, following a report via DSOGaming, apparently not. – Yes, it seems that the original XIII Remake was so bad that it’s actually going to get a full-blown remake…. Again!

XIII Remake to be Remade (Again)

Firstly let me clarify that this is not a fan project attempting to correct the mistakes of the past. This is a full-blown, publisher-backed, remake that will attempt to bring it more in line with what were clearly the initial expectations of fans. More so, we should also point out that while this will get a new stand-alone release, owners of the original will be able to play this new version as a 100% free download (I guess as a means of apology).

As part of the announcement, publisher Microids has said:

“We are fully aware and terribly sorry that the initial launch of XIII Remake on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. The game did not reach players’ expected quality standards. A bit more than a year ago we took the decision to hire the studio Tower Five to finish the development of the game. Tower Five worked with us in the past, notably on the great port of Agatha Christie: The ABC Murders on Nintendo Switch. We really wanted to take the time to fix the game and offer owners of XIII Remake a free update paying the best possible tribute 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 put their hands on this improved version of the game and (re)discover the classic adventures of Agent XIII, as soon as it’s released after the Summer.”

When is it Out?

The remake update for XIII is currently scheduled for release on September 13th, and, all going well, this will hopefully help not only restore fresh interest in the franchise but all going well, fix the pretty huge problems that the last co-called remake created (both in terms of its presentation and overall total lack of being nothing like what fans wanted and/or expected).

If anything, it’s honestly very refreshing to see a publisher own its mistake and go to these lengths to try and remedy it! – Just don’t expect a similar announcement from Rockstar Games regarding their own toilet-worthy ‘GTA Definitive Edition’ trilogy.

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!