Ubisoft Paris

Get ready to tattoo the number XIII on your memory banks (preferably not on your collarbone) as Play Comics dives into the cel-shaded, amnesia-riddled world of XIII – the video game adaptation that brought Jean Van Hamme’s acclaimed French graphic novel series to life on PS2, Xbox, and GameCube. This first-person shooter might be the only game where waking up on a beach with complete memory loss is just the beginning of your problems, not the end result of a gaming convention afterparty.

This week, we’re joined by the phenomenally talented Rob Duenas from the Sketchcraft YouTube channel, whose artistic prowess has graced everything from the hellish battlegrounds of “Spawn Kills Every Spawn” to beloved video game franchises like Crash Bandicoot and Overwatch. When Rob isn’t busy making comic pages look absolutely stunning or designing characters for your favorite games, he’s dropping knowledge bombs about art and creativity on his channel that would make even the most amnesia-addled protagonist remember how to hold a pencil.

Together, we’ll untangle the conspiracy-laden plot that had gamers frantically searching for their own identity while taking down government agents with stylized comic book “BANG!” and “BOOM!” sound effects popping up on screen. Was this 2003 cel-shaded shooter as revolutionary as its artistic style suggested, or did it wash up on gaming shores only to be quickly forgotten? Does the console version you played actually matter, or were the loading time differences just another conspiracy to keep Xbox owners feeling superior? And most importantly, how does a game based on a graphic novel series about a character who can’t remember who he is manage to create such memorable gameplay?

Grab your favorite tattered map with cryptic clues, practice your best “I have no idea who I am but I can somehow expertly use military weapons” face, and join us for an episode more twisty-turny than XIII’s plot itself!Continue Reading