The remake of the cult FPS XIII was a bit of a mess when it launched back in 2020, offering up poor performance, wonky AI, and a lack of visual style. Surprisingly, rather than just sheepishly moving on, publisher Microids has committed to a full revamp of the remake under new developer Tower Five (original dev PlayMagic have apparently been given their walking papers).

　　Microids and Tower Magic are promising improved AI, a refined art style, reworked HUD, 60fps on next-gen consoles, online multiplayer, and more. So, have they delivered? Well, you can start to judge for yourself, as some new gameplay of the remake of the remake has been released. Check it out, below.

　　Well, the gameplay definitely looks more competent, and the 60fps is a welcome addition, but the thing that really set the originally XIII apart – it’s super-stylized comic book art style – is still largely MIA. Sure, this new version has added some stronger outlines to things for more of a cell-shaded look, but it’s a far cry from the stylish original game. Microids’ CEO had the following to say about the original botched remake of XIII and their plans to improve it earlier this summer…

　　“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.”

　　The XIII Remake is available on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, and can be played via backward compatibility on Xbox Series X/S and PS5. The free update to the game, along with the Nintendo Switch version, arrives on September 13.