Gamespot E3 First Look Preview

[Joseph Bulock]

It looks game using same engine *shrug*

 

Huh?

[Jorian Drake]

It looks game using same engine *shrug*

 

Huh?

I join this reaction aswell

[Xard]

It looks game using same engine *shrug*

 

Huh?

 

It looks like game using the same engine Mass Effect did

[Joseph Bulock]

It looks game using same engine *shrug*

 

Huh?

 

It looks like game using the same engine Mass Effect did

 

 

 

They do both use the Unreal Engine, but all of our modifications to the engine are done in house, and are completely separate from what Bioware has done.

[Xard]

Yes yes... that's what I was saying

 

I was merely pointing on similarity feel is due to engine mostly

[Meshugger]

That's all nonsense. Both ME and AP are based on UnrealTech.

Correct. Any modifications we've made to the engine have been done in-house.

 

Care to explain what those modifications are? It would be really appreciated

[Joseph Bulock]

That's all nonsense. Both ME and AP are based on UnrealTech.

Correct. Any modifications we've made to the engine have been done in-house.

 

Care to explain what those modifications are? It would be really appreciated

 

RPG systems. That's about all I think I can say at this point.

[J.E. Sawyer]

I think it's also safe to say that we added some stuff to support our hand-to-hand combat since UE3 focuses mostly on firearm mechanics.

[Pop]

Is it bone-crushing?

[funcroc]

IGN E3 Preview

 

Frankly, the game looks like it was revealed a bit too early. The textures and art design looks more than a bit bland, and the character detail isn't up to par with current games. Hopefully Obsidian can polish things up, but it also has some time, since Alpha Protocol won't ship till next year.

 

UGO Game Blog E3 preview

 

Combat unfolds in real time from a third-person perspective, though Thorton is able to complement standard gunplay with specialized skills which can be unlocked by spending earned Advancement Points. Skills such as the Chain Shot, which stops time momentarily while Thorton targets multiple opponents for rapid takedown, are selected via a pop-up radial menu which puts a halt to the action while players make their choice.

 

We also got a look at one of Thorton

Edited July 18, 2008 by funcroc

[Pop]

Then there are some special attacks that you can also queue up as well. One lets you basically go on a rampage with effectively unlimited ammunition

Gee, that sounds plenty special.

[Zoma]

Is it bone-crushing?

 

Do we get nut gropping too?

 

Gee, that sounds plenty special.

 

Sounds like the barrage ability in Stranglehold. Is this the Stranglehold Are pee gee?

Edited July 18, 2008 by Zoma

[funcroc]

RPGFan E3 preview

 

Obsidian showed us first one of the passive skills players gain when they toss some of their points into the pistol skill. While the targeting reticule is normally a large circle that provides a general area of fire, when Thorton's pistol skill is high enough, a cross shaped reticule will appear inside and slowly shrink so that players can make pinpoint shots, even while under cover. Players will also have active abilities that they'll have to pause and activate. Obsidian demonstrated two of these abilities - Chain Shot for the pistol and Bullet Storm for SMGs. Chain Shot allows players to pause the game, select targets for up to three shots, then watch Thorton take down the targets with amazing accuracy. Bullet Storm, on the other hand, makes Thorton seem more like Chow Yun Fat in a John Woo film, having infinite ammo with his SMG for a short amount of time as he mows down a wealth of enemies.

 

Players will also have quite a bit of freedom when they choose their path, but the game won't feature a good/evil option system like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Rather, Thorton, as a spy, sometimes must use different tactics to survive, and sometimes those might be thought of as evil. The game doesn't track good and evil like KotOR, but players will be able to gain favor with different factions based on their actions and this will affect story and options down the line. In Obsidian's demo, Thorton comes across a weapons dealer whom he has been ordered to arrest. Players will have the ability to arrest him as ordered, extort him, or simply murder him. Instead of seeing a screen informing them they've done good or evil, however, players will simply see how the action unfolds and will deal with the consequences later. Players can expect to see some great dialogue, as well, as Chris Avalon [sic], the writer of Planescape: Torment is on board, as well.

 

Thundetbolt - E3 2008: Sega

 

In the first room was an early demo of Alpha Protocol, developed by Obsidian Entertainment. The game is a third-person action game with RPG elements similar to their work on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II. Two producers walked us through one of the stages, which takes place in an American embassy in Russia. Michael Thorton is a badass agent that looks like he may have trained at the same place as Jason Bourne. While Bourne is a good guy, Michael Thorton can have a nasty streak. Or he can be an honest agent. It

Edited July 18, 2008 by funcroc

[Xard]

While the targeting reticule is normally a large circle that provides a general area of fire, when Thorton's pistol skill is high enough, a cross shaped reticule will appear inside and slowly shrink so that players can make pinpoint shots, even while under cover

 

Nice, sounds like big improvement over Deus Ex model while being essentially same

[Xard]

RPS-ish At-ish E3: Day 3, Part 1: Sega

 

Thankfully I

[H]

The textures and art design looks more than a bit bland, and the character detail isn't up to par with current games.

Excuse me?

Edited July 18, 2008 by H

[Xard]

yeah, that made me go WTF as well *shrug*

 

What's even more WTF is the fact how previewers swoon over Fallout 3 graphics which are clearly worse

 

It's great to see some previewers are all gaga over this and others are more skeptical (yet acknowledging the interesting concept). No "bribes" by SEGA in other words

[Xard]

More previews woohoo

[Starwars]

I agree that it's nice to see that previewers can provide criticism, but at the time it just pisses me off since they're more than happy to look past flaws in other games that are made by the gaming industry big companies like Bioware and Bethesda. The sad truth right now seems to be that many mags/sites are more than happy to lend their support to the bigger companies, and the more obscure and small a company gets (not to imply that Obsidian is small, but it's not a superforce like the biggest companies around), the more they can kick them around. A sad state of affairs.

 

Like I've said before, I don't think this will be a game for me (though I'm quite sure I will enjoy it more than something like Mass Effect), but I really hope for Obsidians sake that this lukewarm feel of many previews doesn't continue. Obsidian already has a bit of a wonky reputation, producing buggy and incomplete games that ride on Biowares successes. Now, I prefer Obsidians games by far, but it would be a real shame if this reputation continues.

[Xard]

Yeah, that ****ing annoys me too.

 

(what's the problem with AP for you SW?)

 

I've concluded long ago smaller the company more you can trust the reviews. Same with european reviewers, simply because finnish or swedish or french magazine doesn't cover as big amount of readers as english media do. Meaning not enough reason to pump tons of money for them.

 

Well, it's not like I trust reviews completely unless they come from Pelit

 

(and even Pelit should change the guy who nowadays reviews RPG's. He's such a Bio-fan it is sickening. Other reviewers are ace though)

 

And let's face it...Americans are obsessed with success. Esp. financial one.

Edited July 18, 2008 by Xard

[Gorth]

More previews woohoo

Anyway, you play as Michael Thornton...

 

They might as well give it up, people will keep mentally substituting the missing 'n'.

 

Maybe it is his sekrat identity name? His real name is Thornton and his undercover name is Thorton which he uses when he doesn't want to be recognised?

[Starwars]

(what's the problem with AP for you SW?)

 

Mostly the whole action-RPG bit which has never worked for me in the past (though I've still been able to enjoy such games on other merits). There are also some other things that I don't like. I love the way that we only get one chance for a dialogue, and no repeating. But I don't think I'll like the realtime part of it, nor the stance stuff.

 

And I for one would've loved if it had a more realistic tone to it, and none of the "superpowers" so to speak. I'm glad that we're seeing a fresh setting for RPGs though.

 

Don't think it'll be a bad game, just that some of the design decisions are not my cup of tea.

[funcroc]

Kotaku E3 preview: Alpha Protocol - Mass Effect For The Solo Spy Set

[Xard]

All of these similarities are simply coincidence though, as the folks at Obsidian - who have worked closely with BioWare in the past - assured me that they had started work on Alpha Protocol before Mass Effect was being developed.

 

How can company have so bad luck?

[Meshugger]

That's all nonsense. Both ME and AP are based on UnrealTech.

Correct. Any modifications we've made to the engine have been done in-house.

 

Care to explain what those modifications are? It would be really appreciated

 

RPG systems. That's about all I think I can say at this point.

 

Can you promise a functional, and not cumbersome UI/inventory?

 

*cough* ME *cough*

Edited July 18, 2008 by Meshugger