Interview: XIII?s Julien Bares

The producer of XIII offers insight into the creation of the world?s first cel-shaded shooter.

For those of you who haven?t seen it yet, Ubi Soft?s XIII is a unique sort of animal?a cel-shaded first person shooter. GamePro recently had a chance to sit down with the Ubi Soft producer Julien Bares to talk about the game, its inherent Frenchness, and the unity between comic books and video games.

GamePro: For readers in the States who are unfamiliar with it, can you give us the background on the French comic? What's its overall story? How popular is it?

Julien Bares: XIII is the story of a man with complete amnesia, who?s been accused of assassinating the president of the United States. Players must figure out who XIII is, why he is accused of killing the president, and uncover a deep conspiracy against himself and the government.

The author, Jean Van Hamme, is well known in Europe for his deep, compelling plotlines and is one of the pioneers of the graphic novel genre. The comic series is very popular in France and several European countries, and is one of top selling in comics in Europe.

GP: What makes XIII a good basis for a video game?

JB: XIII makes a great video game on many different levels. First, it?s a terrific story with a very interesting main character. The deep storyline provided us with many different environments and exciting scenarios throughout the game. Additionally, XIII encounters many compelling secondary characters throughout the game, both enemies and allies. These characters are well developed as well, and players will be drawn into who these characters are and what is behind their motivations.

So, we have a great character, multiple exciting environments and a lot of characters and enemies ? I think that makes a pretty good game.

GP: Does the story in the game follow the stories in the comic, or is it a new adventure? If it's based on the original story, have any elements changed along the way?

JB: The game is based on the first 5 volumes of the comic (14 volumes have already been written). It keeps the major storyline of the comic with some minor variations. By the way, those variations were approved by Van Hamme himself.

GP: Do you think the fact that the comic is relatively unknown in the US will be a challenge or a benefit to the game in this market? Why?

JB: We never thought the obscurity of the comic in the US posed a challenge. We think that XIII appeals to American gamers because at the heart of the game?s story is a very American-centric conspiracy plot. The story is loosely inspired by the JFK assassination, which was the start of America?s fascination with conspiracy theories. Everyone enjoys a compelling story with a lot of twists and turns.

The style is closer to that of American graphic novels, like 100 Bullets and Sin City ? this style is more recognizable to American comic fans than to European style comics.

GP: Will American readers ever be able to read the comic series translated into English? Will they be missing out on subtleties in the game without knowing the comic universe ahead of time?

JB: The editor of XIII expects the comics will soon be released in the US. Players won?t need any background from the comic to enjoy the game. The XIII game acts as a stand alone story, where the scenarios in the game let players understand the original comic?s history; you don?t need any background to understand why certain events happen. Since XIII has amnesia, he will discover who certain characters are and why they do certain things, in a way not knowing anything will offer a more exciting playing experience. Players will have the opportunity to discover the story that French players may already know from the comic.

GP: XIII is the first cel-shaded FPS, correct? Any challenges or difficulties in making that style work in an FPS? Or rewards?

JB: Since this was the first time we tried cel shading, technically it was a learning experience. Sure, we encountered some difficulties during certain steps of production, but I think the final result is our best reward.

GP: Cel-shading is an awesome visual hook...but what sets this game apart from other shooters?

JB: The story is very strong. This is the first FPS to integrate such a deep storyline into its gameplay. How the story unfolds actually dictate a lot of the gameplay elements. For example, the player must first discover his past, to do so he must escape numerous assailants, including the FBI. Since he cannot necessarily kill the FBI agents because they are innocent, he must rely on stealth and use objects as weapons to escape. It?s not just about shooting enemies; the action and stealth gameplay are seamlessly integrated into the story. We live a story, like in the best adventures games. Additionally, XIII features collaborative gameplay, where players will work cooperatively with NPC characters, Major Jones and General Carrington.

GP: Is the gameplay designed to be a straight-out shooter, or are stealth elements incorporated as well? If so, how do the two blend?

JB: Some missions in the game are stealth missions. A lot of time, the player will have the choice to do the missions utilizing stealth or all-out action. We wanted to stop the clich? that ?FPS means straight-out shooter,? so we incorporated different gameplay scenarios, and players decide how they want to play the game.

GP: Aside from the cel-shaded graphics, what other kinds of 'comic book' elements did you incorporate into the game?

JB: We use a lot of pop-up windows in many ways: when players kill enemies with a headshot, to spot enemies in the distance or around corners, etc? We also use comic text to show dialogue between characters and as onomatopoeia when enemies are killed.

The violence in the game is also in a very comic book style, as in American comics. Our biggest inspirations were thrillers from the 70?s like Bullit, the Getaway and French Connection. They were very inspirational for us as they showcased intense, fierce action without using over the top gore. Similarly, in XIII, you can really feel the threatening, menacing nature of the bad guys, but the game?s style is not overly gory.

GP: Are the comic book panels that pop up when you shoot enemies in the head going to be used for other purposes in the game?

JB: Yes, those pop-up windows will also help the player when he faces hidden dangers. We use it also to reward the player for major actions.

GP: Can you explain how the player's 'sixth sense' works?

JB: The sixth sense is here to help the player in tricky situations. XIII, is a well-trained commando who can turn any situation to his advantage. He possesses a Sixth Sense, which is like radar, alerting him to locations of enemies, etc.

For example, a pop-up will appear to signal a hidden sniper, or a guard walking behind a close door. The sixth sense is also illustrated with onomatopoeia, where players will see a ?tap tap tap? behind closed doors, signaling guards walking in the room.

GP: What makes a good first person shooter?

JB: The gameplay and the enemy AI are major elements for any first-person shooter game.

A large part of the team is working on these elements of course, but moreover, we wanted to create a special style for our game. Besides our great technical qualities, I think our story and graphic style will separate XIII from all the other FPSs on the market.

GP: Are you comic fans? What other comic book artists/writers/series do you enjoy?

JB: I?m a real comic fan. Actually I?m reading ?The Authority? from Mark Millar. I particularly like the work of Joseph Loeb and Tim Sale.

GP: Are there any other comic books you'd want to turn into a game?

JB: We haven?t really thought about this opportunity. If XIII turns out to be a success, then we can start thinking about bringing others comics to the game world.

GP: Did XIII's comic team, Jean van Hamme and William Vance, work with the developers or have any input on the game?

JB: Jean van Hamme worked a lot with our writers. At several important points during the development, he offered his opinions and recommendations to the plot.

GP: What other games have the development team worked on?

JB: A lot of people on XIII worked for other Ubi Soft products like the Rayman series and Splinter cell.

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