Niten_Ryu

Gametrailers review was good. Alpha Protocal with original Splinter Cell stealth and combat mechanics would have been one of the best games this year. Now it's like most of the Black Isle / Obsidian games. You struggle thru the bugs, bad graphics and filler combat, just to advance the great story. I've gone to full stealth in order to skip the combat but unfortunately from time to time, game just force those combat situations on you. That's another big negative for the combat design. If game allow different ways to deal with the enemies, developers shouldn't design encounters where there's only one solution.

Game seem to randomly crash when you load the saved game. I've never experienced this when I load the first time from the menu. When game crashes, it need to be stopped from the task manager (thankfully that's quick).

Got my first crash to desktop after 2nd SA mission. Few stupid design choices like instant respawns (for example when you move to the chopper). It's really annying especially when you try to use non-lethal takedowns on mobs. Other thing is that when you load the save (why the hell use checkpoint save system for PC? ), you'll start that standing pose, rather then crouched. If you start the mission from briefing, then you'll start at crouch pose. Also why do enemies bodies fade away really fast? Splinter Cell / Thief style hide the corpses / unconcious would have been perfect for the game like this. Other then those issues, dated graphics and stupid AI, I've had great time with Alpha Protocol so far. Writing is great as expected.

Pros (+) Excellent story Cool customizations and skills Nice dialogue system Interesting setting (-) Cons PS2 quality graphics Tons of bugs and glitches Sounds like most (all?) Black Isle / Obsidian games Maybe Obsidian should outsource graphics and programming

Here's my picks from that list. SHODAN ("Look at you, hacker. A pathetic creature of meat and bone, panting and sweating as you run through my corridors. How can you challenge a perfect, immortal machine?" with female Max Headroom style of voice) Prince Arthas / Lich King (only in context of the whole Warcraft saga, as per any single game he's rather boring) Andrew Ryan (thanks to my pure hatered towards objectivism) Nazis (now there's a easy target to hate ) GlaDOS (another great female robot)

Recruit with hard difficulty sound good. Stealth, MA, one weapon, tech skills. Going to select newbie dialogue choices when available.

Heh... After directing Wing Commander movie, Chris Roberts has worked as producer. How about "gems" like Who's Your Caddy? with amazing 1,7 / 10 in IMDB. Or Outlander... "epic" alien vs. highlander blockbuster! (estimated 50 million dollar budget and it only made about 200k in US). Even good cast don't seem to help him as even better scored (6-7) movies are complitely forgotable or box office bombs. Wing Commander games (and privateer) were great, despite the horrible FMV. Maybe it's good that Chris Roberts left the game biz. He certainly haven't improved a bit in the movie biz. It's like he's still stuck in storytelling that was acceptable in 90's action computer games.

Based on (lack of) activity on this board I find it hard to belive that this game is released in next few days

I agree. Actually I'd remove whole skill and let game mechanics handle the whole thing similar to FPS and let (few) perks to improve aiming, reloading speed and possible special attacks or aimbots (VATs, dead eye, whatever system new Splinter Cell use, bullet time ect ect).

Argh! I don't know what's more horrible - To watch 'em play like crap or the fact that AI seem to be complitely braindead.

Don't know how developers could connect those dots. Take2 tell us that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has sold over 21.5 million units and only for PS2 it has sold more then 17 million units. EVERYTHING in GTA: SA has been successful. Like Mkreku said, even the skill development system worked better then in most of the CRPGs. While I loved GTA 4 and especially Episodes from Liberty City, I think skill system (even optional) would have made 'em even better.

Game Informer gave 9,75 While I seriously doubt that game is worth high score like that, it's a real shame that Red Dead Redemption ain't comin out for PC. Just finished Episodes of the Liberty City 100% run and GTA - Wild West would have been perfect for me.

Bioshock was ok game, maybe even good for the first run but hardly worth full price. I plan to buy sequel from the Steam holiday sales or when it's price is bellow 15-10

Yes. And that's not a bad thing. It's not complite clone, but rather similar to what Fallout was to Arcanum. Obviously different games with different game mechanics, but still enough similarities so that latter game probably wouldn't exist in current form without the first game.

It's roleplaying choice. I try to play at least first few runs without metagaming and in this case it means no quickloads if I fail some check. Obviously if failing check means that I'm dead, I'll use quickload but if game allow me to continue after failed check, I'll do that. But I do understand that I'm minority in this issue and it probably make more sense to use rigid checks.

Lotsa previews. I'm going to enjoy 'em with my finnish military issue spork

Ain't that just some fan made render? I hope Bioware is bit more creative with alien models then human with bad skin.

Just look when those movies were made (those days it was a really popular genre). These movies are also some of my favs but I only remember Unforgiven from recent years and even that movie was made in 1992. Bud Spencer and Terrance Hill probably destroyed Wild West for good Deadwood was great series on HBO but despite the awards and awesome cast, it only last 3 seasons.

A lot of people felt like GTA4 was a let down because previous installments had had a much quirkier sense of humor about them, and quite a few more activities to them than what we find in 4. Partially the cuts were due to the new engine, but I don't understand why it's so bipolar in tone, one minute you've got brucie being the idiot that he is, the next niko's griping about how hard life is and how he's killed people, sold people etc. That bipolar style is what GTA's are all about. Ok, Vice City is really over the top but it's because whole Scarface/Miami Vice thing is so ridiculous in the first place. And 80's is probably most campy decade in modern history and it's one of those reasons why I love it so much At first I hated GTA 4 driving physics but then I got used to 'em and now I love 'em. I rarely crash anymore, I can powerslide, drift and do all kinds of weird and wonderful things with different vehicles. Personally I think Rockstar overestimated the skill of the majority of the players but I'm damn happy that for once it's that way. Then again, GTA 4 is AAA+ game and pissing off numerous casual gamers can't be a good thing. Red Red Redemption might lose some sales because of that (among many other things like unpopular time frame for the setting and low quality IP ).

I've been playing Episodes from Liberty City (PC version) for the last week and it's excellent. Because of this, I started to seek info about Red Dead Redemption and I have to admit that videos are beautiful. Especially how they modeled horses and other animals. It's shame that they choose to release game only for consoles (at least for now). I love the open world mission based games and while I'm one of those who think that Wild West game is financial suicide, I hope that Rockstar will prove me wrong.

I loved both Syndicate and Syndicate Wars but I remember those days original Syndicate fans rarely liked the sequel. Syndicate characters are perfect for FPS as they are cyborgs who can take huge amount of punishment even in original games (epic minigun fights where 2 teams of Syndicates just stand there shooting each other and trying to overcome health renegation). After Syndicate, every time I used minigun in Wolfenstain 3d, all I could think how cool it would to have Syndicate FPS. Heh... I guess after 20 years might might be able to play it but unfortunately game industry and games have changed so much that I don't expect too much about it.

Yeah. I think Gollop bothers wanted to add some gameplay elements like base building, experience system and reaserch to their familar turn based game mechanics. They could have just as easily continued their Laser Squad (I played it originally with c64 in late 80's) brand and never even make X-Com. Maybe there were some copyright issues. Gollop brothers did Laser Squad remake(ish) in early 2000 but I didn't play that.

Last X-com FPS - the infamous X-Com Enforcer from 2001 was total garbage. This don't mean that new game will be just as bad but if you take out the base building and turn based strategy, you'll end up with generic alien FPS. NOLF 2 was a good game but developers who made spinoff sequel to it aka Contract J.A.C.K. should be shot and then dissolved with Body Remover Perfume

Probably true. Then again it's one of those things that no AAA developer want to test if it works or not nowadays. Kinda of like realistic simulators or turn based strategy games. I guess it was stupid of me to expect that multishot feature would be only thing Ubi changed in order to make it more easier to casual players.

IGN gave 93% I checked the review from youtube and Sam moves like the Predator. They've thrown the old style stealth gaming into trashcan and went with superhero physics. I guess moving slow just ain't option anymore I think I should be happy for the Ubi's new "always online" copy protection system because without it, I probably would have pre-ordered the game. Game is said to be only 5 hours long and there's just no way I'm going to pay full price. I'll wait for Steam holiday sales (if they patch the copy protection system out).