XIII Multiplayer Details
September 10, 2003

Ubisoft announced the details concerning the multiplayer aspects of its upcoming multiplatform title XIII. While each version will have classic Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag modes, the individual versions will have exclusive modes only available to that format.

The PlayStation 2 version of XIII will feature a two-player splitscreen mode as well as an online mode that supports up to four players. The Playstation 2 version also has the three standard multiplayer modes as well as two new ones.

The PlayStation 2 exclusive mode is called “Power Up.” This mode is a custom deathmatch mode that involves pick-up items. While this may sound standard, the effects range anywhere from deforming your character to killing opponents with one shot. Pickups are also determined by the player’s position on the scoreboard. The top players get the worst pickups and the worst players get the best pickups. This feature will help prevent games from getting too lopsided, unless certain players become that skilled.

The other mode featured in the PlayStation 2 version of XIII is called Hunt. In this mode, players chase a running target through the map. Points are scored based on the damage dealt to the target each time it is hit, so if you’ll get more points with a direct hit from a powerful weapon than if you barely hit the target with a weak weapon. However, the target shrinks with each hit, making it harder to score more points. Players also get extra points for killing the target, but actually touching the target will kill the offending player.

XIII by Ubisoft is scheduled for a Fall 2003 release.