Preview Team Xbox Does A Decent Alpha Protocol Preview

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Tags: Alpha Protocol; Obsidian Entertainment

It's still based off the same E3 demo, but Team Xbox got some extra info out of Obsidian. Some of it was bad, but there were more promising things said <a href="http://previews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/2360/Alpha-Protocol/p1/">in the preview</a> than I've seen in other coverage.<blockquote>The game’s combat is as versatile. In our viewing of the game, we saw extensive use of cover as a way to avoid enemy gunfire, but also to catch your breath (<b>and gain back some health</b>) while formulating a strategy for what you’re going to do next.</blockquote>Paging skyway.<blockquote>And the game’s “perk system” will add to your abilities as well. Ernst noted that it’s not like Fallout 3’s perks, because you don’t just get them when you level up. Instead, you’ll earn them on the fly as you play, pulling them down for certain things you accomplish.</blockquote>So it's like what a lot of Fallout 2 and Arcanum perks were like? Hopefully there will also be "reputation" perks.<blockquote>The game is structured into three acts, so there’ll be plenty of storyline to work your way through. Ernst stated that Alpha Protocol will not only have multiple endings, depending on the various decisions you make throughout, but that it’ll also have “multiple middles,” which makes it sound like a broad RPG with loads of things to experience—which lends itself to a lot of replayability. If there’s truly a lot of branching off that can happen depending on the direction you take at a crossroads—either at a physical intersection or just a dilemma where you have numerous options for how to proceed—it’ll be fun to see how the story evolves and characters react when the circumstances are changed.</blockquote>This is a tall order. If Obsidian actually accomplishes this, it would be very impressive and make for quite a game.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://gamebanshee.com/">Gamebanshee</A>

 

[Black]

I'm not really interested but I hope it sells well. Maybe then Obsi has enough $$$ they'll start making their own original RPGs

 

[skyway]

I have been paged?
The people who believe that this will actually turn out great are brain-dead or naive. Same with Vegas.

I'm not really interested but I hope it sells well. Maybe when Obsi has enough $$$ they'll start making their own original RPGs

Not IP related but a while ago I read an article in a prolific financial journal about the psychology behind human "greed" behavior and how it is unique in the animal world. It is an exception when money does make good games.

 

[MetalCraze]

Obsidian is here for 5 years. They produce 3 games at once just like some EA studio. Just how much more money do you think is enough for them? And they make nothing but mods for more successful (and fun) games. They got no talent - that's the reality.

The game’s combat is as versatile. In our viewing of the game, we saw extensive use of cover as a way to avoid enemy gunfire, but also to catch your breath (and gain back some health) while formulating a strategy for what you’re going to do next.

Fucking cover system is one of the worst things to ever happen to shooter genre. Instead of the crazy action where you run and gun enemies in a dynamic combat you are forced to sit behind the cover and wait while enemies' heads will sloooowly pop up to slooooowly shoot them.
I understand that it was invented to ironically cover the shittiest action gameplay imaginable met in a typical console shooter. Except instead of standing in one place and shooting static enemies you do the same from behind specially placed box.

As for the regenerating health - well, coupled with constant Obsidian hints that this is just a clone of casual Ass Effect - only the most dumbest fanboys won't get the message. It isn't a RPG but a straightforward console shooter for little children with inane writing and cliche characters.

 

[Black]

Not IP related but a while ago I read an article in a prolific financial journal about the psychology behind human "greed" behavior and how it is unique in the animal world. It is an exception when money does make good games.

Well I read about you in Admiral Blowjob's comic and it turns out you're GOD OF WHINE

 

[denizsi]

multiple middles

We would've long heard about this and Obsidian would surely have made it a point of hyping. Certainly a misinterpretation by the moron at Team XBox.

 

[Pseudofool]

multiple middles

We would've long heard about this and Obsidian would surely have made it a point of hyping. Certainly a misinterpretation by the moron at Team XBox.

Yeah, proselytizing "multiple middles" (or choice and consequence) are what pop those console games off the shelves. Let's face it, hardcore gamers are hardly ever the target for previews; there's plenty of reason why it wouldn't be mentioned or plugged. No one but us cares, and we are few.

 

[denizsi]

You obviously haven't read or seen any Mass Effect 2 interviews or videos. Light and insignificant branching is the new shit.

 

[Forest Dweller]

They produce 3 games at once just like some EA studio.

ITS is producing four games at once.

 

[Elhoim]

They produce 3 games at once just like some EA studio.

ITS is producing four games at once.

Lazy fucktards should finish one first.

 

[DriacKin]

multiple middles

We would've long heard about this and Obsidian would surely have made it a point of hyping. Certainly a misinterpretation by the moron at Team XBox.

Well, they are hyping the c&c in the game. At least, I've heard Obsidian give us the tagline "Choice is your weapon" several times.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

multiple middles

We would've long heard about this and Obsidian would surely have made it a point of hyping. Certainly a misinterpretation by the moron at Team XBox.

 

[Azrael the cat]

(a) I remember them talking about multiple middles ages ago, at least 12months back. You guys have short memories.

(b) Anyone else notice how the cover system is actually a step BACK to the old arcade cover/shooters? The ones where you'd have a motion-sensor gun in your hands and a pedal near your foot (or occasionally a button on the side of the gun) that would enable you to alternate from behind cover to out of cover? The 'invulnerability' of the cover system would be mitigated by grenades that you'd have to shoot and opponents that would come in and melee you if you didn't get them first, and most importantly a really nasty timelimit for each area.

The whole reason for the cover system was that you didn't have the means to move around while also maintaining a FP view in the arcade system. At the time that Doom came out, cover-system shooters were the norm at arcades. Doom made them obsolete, because the player could move, dodge and hide behind objects for cover, which was far more fun and immersive than a 'push button to hide / push button to return to gameplay' feature.

Funny how things come around.

 

[MetalCraze]

They produce 3 games at once just like some EA studio.

ITS is producing four games at once.

Yes in their imagination.

At least, I've heard Obsidian give us the tagline "Choice is your weapon" several times.

No. It was "Your weapon is choice" meaning that you can choose weapon obviously. And after those taglines video showed nothing but combat.
Also I'm beginning to understand Jasede here - C&C is a new fucking bloom - even if every single other part of the game is shit - as long as it has casual non-punishing C&C, a C&C that doesn't change a story a bit, but C&C - it's a great game and a RPG.

 

[kris]

Fucking cover system is one of the worst things to ever happen to shooter genre. Instead of the crazy action where you run and gun enemies in a dynamic combat you are forced to sit behind the cover and wait while enemies' heads will sloooowly pop up to slooooowly shoot them.

If they didn't have cover you would complain that it was "not realistic". Would have been a terribly spy not to use cover.

 

[MetalCraze]

I must admit, I tried really hard to find any logical connection between your response and my post - I simply don't know what to comment back - the strawman is so stupid. Do you even know what cover system is or what I was talking about? What does it have to do with "spy" who will kill hordes of enemies anyway except now from behind the box while not moving at all?

 

[Rosh]

The game’s combat is as versatile. In our viewing of the game, we saw extensive use of cover as a way to avoid enemy gunfire, but also to catch your breath (<b>and gain back some health</b>) while formulating a strategy for what you’re going to do next.

Hooray! Another game of Whack-A-Mole with bullets. How about options of versatile combat that include being able to split the team to flank a position? You know, like you could in most places with X-Com or JA? I find it cute that developers make these kinds of shooters, but don't know dick for actual squad combat.

If the concept of cover is the best they could talk about, I'd hate to break it to them - it's not even close to being new. But they'll certainly put enough spin on it to make it sound new!

I find it funny that supposed CRPG developers are trying to clone Full Spectrum Warrior, only to do a half-ass job of it.

And the game’s “perk system” will add to your abilities as well. Ernst noted that it’s not like Fallout 3’s perks, because you don’t just get them when you level up. Instead, you’ll earn them on the fly as you play, pulling them down for certain things you accomplish.

So it's like what a lot of Fallout 2 and Arcanum perks were like? Hopefully there will also be "reputation" perks.

I doubt that. It probably means getting X-Box style achievements is REQUIRED for gameplay. "Hur, hur, we made Achievements mean something in-game! We are INNOVATIVE!"

The game is structured into three acts, so there’ll be plenty of storyline to work your way through.

Expect the last act to be mostly introduced via fan patch.

 

[Barrow_Bug]

Wow, tell em' Rosh.

 

[Andhaira]

So it's like what a lot of Fallout 2 and Arcanum perks were like? Hopefully there will also be "reputation" perks

Arcanum didn't have any 'perks' Only backgrounds.

 

[kris]

I must admit, I tried really hard to find any logical connection between your response and my post - I simply don't know what to comment back - the strawman is so stupid. Do you even know what cover system is or what I was talking about? What does it have to do with "spy" who will kill hordes of enemies anyway except now from behind the box while not moving at all?

Must say I got hesitant here. Are we talking about a system were you mostly use cover in fights or were you use specified covers? If it is the first then that is clearly how it is IRL, but otherwise it is like cover mini-games.

If I find anything retarded in movies/games then it is people battling it out with each other without the use of cover. Only morons don't use cover.

 

[M_I_C_K_E_Y_M_O_U_S_E]

OMG AN RPG DEV CAN MAKE FPS SPY GAEMS THAT ALSO GIVE VIOLENT KILLING OPTIONS /WRIST/WRIST /WRIST

HUR HURRRR HUR DURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRP

 

[Kraszu]

If I find anything retarded in movies/games then it is people battling it out with each other without the use of cover. Only morons don't use cover.

That is not about system being realistic or not it is about gameplay. Gameplay>realism.

 

[MetalCraze]

If it is the first then that is clearly how it is IRL, but otherwise it is like cover mini-games.

Think Gears Of War/Mass Effect where every fight basically turned into hide-shoot-hide-shoot-hide-shoot-hide-shoot-...
This kills action in action games turning them into those boring minigames. Not to mention that all those boxes looked so artificially placed which also hurts visual design.

If I find anything retarded in movies/games then it is people battling it out with each other without the use of cover. Only morons don't use cover.

I thought it was me who should've bitched about realism eh?
The thing is - we are talking about action-y shooters here and AP is obviously one - and cool shooters are full of fast action, like Max Payne f.e. The only reason the cover system was invented in the first place is because of what you can see in that video I posted above - to cover the terrible slow console gameplay, not to add realism which is the word that will never be known on consoles.

 

[Chateaubryan]

Was I the only one, playing Doom, hiding behind walls and pillars like a sissy, waiting for Cacodemons to come by the corner to minigunstun them ? Cover system is not that much different...and can get quite interesting if you add a grenade or two in the ennemies hands.

Playing the wretched Ass Effect these days, I feel that the problem in FPS-with-a-cover comes more or less from the space managing rather than the gameplay itself. No room to strafe, no big corridors, only those god-fucking-damn crates.

 

[1eyedking]

They produce 3 games at once just like some EA studio.

ITS is producing four games at once.

Lazy fucktards should finish one first.

Gotta love sarcasm.

Was I the only one, playing Doom, hiding behind walls and pillars like a sissy, waiting for Cacodemons to come by the corner to minigunstun them ? Cover system is not that much different...and can get quite interesting if you add a grenade or two in the ennemies hands.

Playing the wretched Ass Effect these days, I feel that the problem in FPS-with-a-cover comes more or less from the space managing rather than the gameplay itself. No room to strafe, no big corridors, only those god-fucking-damn crates.

Except when you were hiding no longer you were still at 30 health.

Dear Lord! You had to restart the level because you made a mistake! Preposterous...

Or as the kids nowadays would say: ANTIMERSHUUNNN!!1