1213 | |
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screenshot | |
Developers |
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Released |
2006 |
Genre |
Adventure |
Modes |
Single player |
Platforms |
Windows |
Input |
Keyboard |
Website |
1213 is a three-part adventure game by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw and was made with Adventure Game Studio (AGS).
Gameplay[]
In 1213, the player controls a brain damaged man covered in bandages that appears to be a prisoner. The man is referred to by his cell number: Block 12, Cell 13. 1213 is also monitored by a mysterious man with glasses who frees him from his cell. 1213 is able to jump up to ledges, jump over gaps, and kill aggressive guards and mutants with his gun. The game primarily consists of finding keypad combinations, control consoles, or items to help you progress through the game, uncover the game's story, and escape.
The game appears to be a 'cinematic platformer', similar to old titles like Another World, Flashback: The Quest for Identity, Prince of Persia and Blackthorne, as it's a platformer with more realistic controls, focus on climbing and a discrete tile-based grid. The story also seems to be inspired by these games, since you break out of a prison, like in Prince of Persia, and search for your lost memories like in Flashback. Similarly to these games, you can carry around items to solve puzzles, but you can carry only one item at the time. However, you can drop excess items on the floor and return for them later - if you remember where you left them.
Despite using the framework of a cinematic action-platformer, action elements are rare and basic. Most jumps aren't challenging at all and can't be missed as long as player is careful and paying attention, there is never any need for running jumps - there are maybe three sections in the entire game that require real dexterity when moving - and gunfights are extremely simplistic and involve simply holding the fire button until the enemies die, with no way to avoid taking damage from them in return (necessitating frequent backtracks to the nearest shower, as showers heal you). The only exceptions are bossfights, which will truly test both your ability to climb and jump under pressure, and serve as actually challenging combat encounters.
The focus of the game is clearly on the story, atmosphere and puzzle solving, while whether the gameplay is fun was clearly secondary to the designer.
Story[]
In episode 1, 1213 sits in his cell with bandages on his face and a bloodstained shirt, unable to retain any memories longer than several days old. He is made to run his daily obstacle course by the man watching him before being returned to his cell, but this time is given a gun. Sometime after going back to his cell, the door is opened and 1213 wanders outside into the hallway. From here 1213 must get past guards and violent mutants to make his escape.
In episode 2 after defeating 0916, 1213 stumbles from the elevator to discover he is in space, looking at the Earth down below. 1213 discovers that what is going on has something to do with experiments on children and himself and something called the "Yellow Death" plague on board the station. There is also evidence that the man watching 1213, Westbury, may be mentally unstable and dangerous. A scientist, O'Hagan, requests a meeting with 1213 and 1213 must find his way to her.
In episode 3, 1213 has just woken up from a hallucination. He rides a tram to the cloning facility, which has been converted from cloning the rich and powerful for spare body parts into the GFG project by Westbury, who seems to grow more and more impatient with his peers. At this point, it appears that the problems may extend farther than the mutants and Westbury's plans. 1213 prepares for a final confrontation with Westbury and the revelation of the truth.
Trivia[]
Spoilers: 100% completion |
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Upon beating the game, you will be given a code for the keypad at the beginning of Episode 3 in the food court. This will drop a Golden Ticket in the next room before the tram. If you bring with you to the Earth's surface, you get a different ending where an accident has turned the Earth into a candy land and that everyone has died from eating themselves to death or diabetes. |