It's rare to see such backlash towards a game- but in this case, it's absolutely warranted.
I didn't expect much because I obtained it in a bundle and wanted to play it out of nostalgia. I do remember the classic game fondly, I played it in an area when paper magazines were still thriving, and some were offering complete PC games- that's how I got XIII.
I was so taken in that I later read the source material- the ending was such a cliffhanger...

We're sill in a period where you can see many remakes and remasters, XII certainly deserver one- but not this... Product. I wouldn't be as critical as others regarding the graphics, but the gameplay, oh my. Normal difficulty is much easier than in the original and the upper difficulty doesn't make the AI smarter, which the big problem.
Ennemies like to reload out in the open, fire at non-destructible pieces of the environment or line up in your scope like lemmings. Even playing without too much effort or focus, I mowed them down easily.

Bosses are the most pitiful specimens of the bunch : each of them is a non-challenge, charging you mindlessly, getting stuck in nothing, getting dazed too easily. The game itself is quite playable but the few additions - like the waypoints - are plainly not needed.
I didn't double check by replaying the original, but I'm almost positive they've also skipped several sections, in the levels or narratively-wise, some transitions between levels are more than abrupt.
The barebone multiplayer mode is, of course, completely dead.

Even with the lowered price, wether you are a veteran or new to XII, don't bother. Play the original instead.

It's rare to see such backlash towards a game- but in this case, it's absolutely warranted. I didn't expect much because I obtained it in a bundle and wanted to play it out of nostalgia. I do remember the classic game fondly, I played it in an area when paper magazines were still thriving, and some were offering complete PC games- that's how I got XIII. I was so taken in that I later read the source material- the ending was such a cliffhanger... We're sill in a period where you can see many remakes and remasters, XII certainly deserver one- but not this... Product. I wouldn't be as critical as others regarding the graphics, but the gameplay, oh my. Normal difficulty is much easier than in the original and the upper difficulty doesn't make the AI smarter, which the big problem. Ennemies like to reload out in the open, fire at non-destructible pieces of the environment or line up in your scope like lemmings. Even playing without too much effort or focus, I mowed them down easily. Bosses are the most pitiful specimens of the bunch : each of them is a non-challenge, charging you mindlessly, getting stuck in nothing, getting dazed too easily. The game itself is quite playable but the few additions - like the waypoints - are plainly not needed. I didn't double check by replaying the original, but I'm almost positive they've also skipped several sections, in the levels or narratively-wise, some transitions between levels are more than abrupt. The barebone multiplayer mode is, of course, completely dead. Even with the lowered price, wether you are a veteran or new to XII, don't bother. Play the original instead.