1213 is an engrossing game with a solid plot, surprises in just the right places and well-produced cutscenes, which makes you wonder why most action-adventure games aren't made with such attention to detail.

1213 is about a man (known by the titular numeral) who cannot remember anything about his past earlier than seven days ago. He is trapped in a cell and forced to run an obstacle course every day by a strange silhouette, whose glasses become the central visual theme of the game. One day, his cell door opens for no reason, and he escapes, trying to discover why he was held in the cell, and why he does not know his real name.

Let me get the bad stuff out of the way first, as there isn't much of it. First, although the music is great during cutscenes and the like, it would have been nice if there was any music at all throughout the game itself. Most of the game has no music; only bosses, cutscenes, and some tense parts get music, which is comprised of a few tracks you'll hear over and over again. Although there is not much variation, the timing of the music in the cutscenes is very good. The rest of the game, however, you'll spend listening to 1213's beating heart, which brings me to my next point.

There is a health meter in the upper left corner of the screen; it is a heart that beats faster as you take damage, and which will finally puncture (and obviously stop) when 1213 dies. I did not really mind the sound it makes (although it does get rather repetitive), but the real difficulty lies in telling whether 1213 is about to die or not. Personally, the only damage states I could recognise (there are about five) were the last one, when the heart is beating fast and erratically, and the first, when the heart is beating slowly. It is hard to tell how much damage 1213 has taken, and when you can tell, it is too late to do something about it (like in boss battles).

Now that that is over, on to the good stuff (of which there is plenty). The opening cutscene grips you and promises a ride like no other, and the mood is not lost throughout the entire game. The tutorial is seamlessly blended into the game and even becomes a part of the storyline. The plot progresses wonderfully, making use of cryptic hints and foreshadowings as the tension builds to a crescendo - its delivery will satisfy every player.

1213 has a decent movement system and controls, which you will soon become familiar with after making 1213 run and jump off a platform, grab hold of another, pull himself up and shoot the guard taking potshots at him. As with an adventure game, there is a fair amount of the "go get this" and "get that" to open doors and get to the end of the level, but it is all intertwined with bits of the plot to keep you going. The only real part where this becomes an issue is in the first episode, where 1213 is unable to run. All I can say is, just be patient and hang in there; he'll run eventually.

The graphics are done very well for a game with such a small screen resolution. Although it appears bland at first, the white sterility of the first episode fits in beautifully with the surroundings, and the blood splatters on the walls also add to the mood. The later levels also have color and furnishings that fit their function (although taking a shower in the middle of a residential hallway is somewhat odd). Cutscene graphics are good as well, with darkness over most of the characters' features to increase the dark mood (and to keep the identity of the glasses' owner secret).

All in all, it is a shame 1213 is so short; I clocked in at around an hour and a half for all three episodes. The last episode does have some added replayability through an alternate ending, but that does not make the game any longer, really. I give the game a 4.5, taking into account its length and a few bugs that need to be fixed.

UPDATE APRIL 2010

Yatzee has now released a Special Edition for this game, free of charge.  The Special Edition includes all 3 episdoes in one handy package, 1213 Immunity (all new playable scenario exclusive to the Special Edition), author commentary, and reference texts.  You can download it from the same page as the regular version.