themadhatter114 Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I have been scoping around for some news about this game and there are a lot of random gaming sites throwing up previews of this and they can't stop mentioning Mass Effect. It's like Mass Effect is the only game they've ever played. "3rd person RPG, Unreal 3.0, aha Mass Effect 2!" "Bioware junior makes another sequel but with spies!" "Cinematic dialogue and similar fonts, zomg Mass Effect!" Apparently this game looks exactly like Mass Effect, right down to the stealth, jumping, zip-lining, and close-quarters combat. But then there are actually lots of posts in the comments sections that say stuff like: "Wow, you mentioned this game and Mass Effect in the same sentence! Must buy!" I mean, geesh, Mass Effect was pretty good, but there were a ton of things they could have done a whole lot better. And I really don't expect the things that I very much didn't like from Mass Effect (a bad and story-wise out of place exploration system, terrible loot system, level scaling, having humanity's last, best hope start out very weak) to be an issue or as much of an issue in Alpha Protocol. Do these gaming sites think that Oblivion and Mass Effect are the only RPGs ever, so every game must be compared to them even if, beyond some standard RPG fare, there is little in common? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whipporwill Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 I can think of two explanations: 1: These sites are written for fourteen-year-old kids, so anything older than two years is before their time. 2: These sites are written by fourteen-year-old kids, so anything older than two years is before their time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick K Mills Posted July 19, 2008 Share Posted July 19, 2008 If AP does well some other developer can wail and gnash their teeth that everything they are doing is being compared to Alpha Protocol. For now, that's our cross to bear. It's cool. ME did really well for good reason and the games do look similar in gameplay and graphics, so it's an easy point of reference. I have a lot more fun shooting guys in our game than in ME, though. I hope that after we start doing hands-on previews that will be the next comparison: "It's a lot like ME except that combat is fun." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pidesco Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 ME did really well for good reason Years of expert marketing and brand recognition? "My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian touristI am Dan Quayle of the Romans.I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.Heja Sverige!!Everyone should cuffawkle more.The wrench is your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell Kitty Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 As much as folks like to bring out the old "lololol marketing" non-argument every now and then, well, you can't polish a turd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoma Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 I have a lot more fun shooting guys in our game than in ME, though. I hope that after we start doing hands-on previews that will be the next comparison: "It's a lot like ME except that combat is fun." I hope the usage of cover system is far more responsive than one used in ME. It will be great if AP's cover system is along the lines of GoW or Rainbow Six Vegas which I thought the handling of it were terrific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moatilliatta Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 As much as folks like to bring out the old "lololol marketing" non-argument every now and then, well, you can't polish a turd. This guy would beg to differ with this. You are right in that Pidesco's argument is rather stale, as it would follow that everyone who had bought Mass Effect because of marketing would dislike it, and I haven't met anyone like that nor seen anything that would point to that demographic being of significant numbers. Alos, I don't see the similarity between AP and ME, but I'm not a game reviewer so that might be it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.E. Sawyer Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 RPGs with guns = the same. twitter tyme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c00lizz Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 Why so suprised? Before some more fleshed out info gets released all reviewers have to go on is what this game reminds them of. As the poster above me puts it, RPG with guns. This happens with every single game ever released. Until enough info is released so it can stand on it's own, it'll get compered to whatever was last released in the genre. Just wait a whille. Once some more screenshots, trailers and previews get out there I am sure we can all revel as it gets compered to a bunch of other games that has even remotely the same features. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pidesco Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 As much as folks like to bring out the old "lololol marketing" non-argument every now and then, well, you can't polish a turd. I wasn't saying ME wasn't good, just that I think its success depended a lot more on marketing than on the game's inherent qualities. "My hovercraft is full of eels!" - Hungarian touristI am Dan Quayle of the Romans.I want to tattoo a map of the Netherlands on my nether lands.Heja Sverige!!Everyone should cuffawkle more.The wrench is your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sand Posted July 20, 2008 Share Posted July 20, 2008 (edited) RPGs with guns = the same. Need to amend that... Action RPGs with Guns = Same. Besides, there is no jumping in ME. Bioware has a Z Axis phobia. Edited July 20, 2008 by Sand Murphy's Law of Computer Gaming: The listed minimum specifications written on the box by the publisher are not the minimum specifications of the game set by the developer. @\NightandtheShape/@ - "Because you're a bizzare strange deranged human?" Walsingham- "Sand - always rushing around, stirring up apathy." Joseph Bulock - "Another headache, courtesy of Sand" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moatilliatta Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Besides, there is no jumping in ME. Bioware has a Z Axis phobia. No. Bioware has a focus on party RPGs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WILL THE ALMIGHTY Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Besides, there is no jumping in ME. Bioware has a Z Axis phobia. No. Bioware has a focus on party RPGs. No, it has a serious z-axis phobia. Like they didn't want to implement decent vertical physics and controls. "Alright, I've been thinking. When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade - make life take the lemons back! Get mad! I don't want your damn lemons, what am I supposed to do with these? Demand to see life's manager. Make life rue the day it thought it could give Cave Johnson lemons. Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's gonna burn your house down! With the lemons. I'm going to to get my engineers to invent a combustible lemon that burns your house down!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostofAnakin Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I've found that, often times, any reviewers who use comparisons of other games to describe to the audience what the current game they're reviewing is like, tends to lack an overall ability to convey original thoughts. It's so much easier, and so much less work, to simply state that a game with similar graphics, in the same genre, is comparable to another game, rather than actually describing to the audience the strengths and weaknesses found in that game, alone. "Console exclusive is such a harsh word." - Darque"Console exclusive is two words Darque." - Nartwak (in response to Darque's observation) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrath of Dagon Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 ME did really well for good reason Name one. It's true, AP does look similar to ME both in concept and graphics. I'm hoping Obsidian knows how to do it right though. "Moral indignation is a standard strategy for endowing the idiot with dignity." Marshall McLuhan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirPetrakus Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 I don't think that just because it is an action RPG with guns people should think *wham* ME! Sure the game shares the shame engine as ME, but it is an Espionage Thriller, the closest to it as a setting should be the Bourne Consp ... on second thought, let's just stick to ME, yeah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 No, let's not do that. Bloodlines would be a better reference point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xard Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 By the horrible storytelling and weak combat wouldn't - or at least shouldn't - be reference point As for other aspects of game, yeah, Bloodlines would be good How can it be a no ob build. It has PROVEN effective. I dare you to show your builds and I will tear you apart in an arugment about how these builds will won them. - OverPowered Godzilla (OPG) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick K Mills Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Name one. Because it was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xard Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 And nothing more How can it be a no ob build. It has PROVEN effective. I dare you to show your builds and I will tear you apart in an arugment about how these builds will won them. - OverPowered Godzilla (OPG) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick K Mills Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 And nothing more Considering how rare good games are, that's saying a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrath of Dagon Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 That's like saying "Because I liked it!" What was good about it? If that's considered good, AP better be 10 times better, because honestly ME completely fails as an RPG, is mostly on rails, is shallow and half-baked, and features some extremely amateurish design. "Moral indignation is a standard strategy for endowing the idiot with dignity." Marshall McLuhan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xard Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Well, ME definetly is RPG. Not paragon of RPG playing but it features nice amount of C&C and even major ones. Plus it has character building and all the RPG trademarks Ergo it is RPG, like it or not How can it be a no ob build. It has PROVEN effective. I dare you to show your builds and I will tear you apart in an arugment about how these builds will won them. - OverPowered Godzilla (OPG) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moatilliatta Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Besides, there is no jumping in ME. Bioware has a Z Axis phobia. No. Bioware has a focus on party RPGs. No, it has a serious z-axis phobia. Like they didn't want to implement decent vertical physics and controls. No you! Bioware has never included jumping in their games because that would ramp up the amount of work that they need to do on implementing proper AI pathfinding so that the NPCs can actually manouvre. It has nothing to do with any phobias. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xard Posted July 21, 2008 Share Posted July 21, 2008 Problem is Bioware has never even done that Ha! How can it be a no ob build. It has PROVEN effective. I dare you to show your builds and I will tear you apart in an arugment about how these builds will won them. - OverPowered Godzilla (OPG) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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