New IGN preview

[funcroc]

You have nine different skills to upgrade to level 10. Eventually you choose a specialization, which allows three associated skills to be raised to level 15. Each skill, at different levels, offers up some extra abilities through perks. You can get the Chain Shot, for example, which slows time so you can paint multiple targets for a barrage of rapid-fire shots. The Tech Aptitude skill boosts the power of your gadgets and eventually earns you the Field Stripping perk, which enables you to change your weapon customizations on the fly. How you progress your character is going to affect how you approach missions, simply because of your skill set...

 

...Of course, there's a lot that happens between these moments. The gameplay is, to be honest, a little underwhelming on first viewing. This is a fairly standard looking third-person cover shooter. The main hook is that you have gadgets and perks that assist along the way. The Fury perk, for example, temporarily turns you into a raging badass, able to crush enemies in hand-to-hand combat. Use your gun or really do anything but beat people to a pulp and you instantly exit Fury mode. So keep your rage on by punching every enemy in sight, or load up your shotgun with phosphorous rounds and set enemies ablaze.

 

To break up the combat, there are opportunities to hack into computers and secured doors. The minigame shows a circuit board with several different nodes that need to be lit up. To light the nodes you need to scan the complex circuitry and pinpoint the correct electrical path to each node. Light all the nodes in time and you've hacked successfully. Fail and an alarm goes off and more goons come a-running.

 

 

 

 

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/988/988435p1.html

Edited May 31, 2009 by funcroc

[WILL THE ALMIGHTY]

Sounds pretty awesome.

[Oner]

The E3 demo involves a mission in Moscow. A weapons shipment is coming through a train station and you've been tasked with its destruction. But in the crazy spy world of Alpha Protocol, things are never so straightforward. You could "pretend" to have destroyed the shipment and reroute it to the highest bidder.

*evil laughter*

[Zoma]

The gameplay is, to be honest, a little underwhelming on first viewing. This is a fairly standard looking third-person cover shooter. . .Alpha Protocol's gunplay and cover system are pretty standard . . .

 

Its got more than ME's gameplay. Wondering if ME2 would even have more dynamics in its combat system.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

Is that an NPC that dual wields pistols? Why must you taunt me Obsidian?

 

Also, in the second screenshot Thornton looks like he's sitting on an invisible stool.

 

Otherwise sounds good.

 

I'm curious about the prestige classes -err "specializations." Are they predetermined or three skills of your choice? Does the 10-15 range include new uber badass abilities, or just make you more powerful in general?

 

And yeah, I think Mass Effect has proved that the generic cover shooter + RPG elements formula can be successful. Since AP looks to have a lot more depth to the RPG aspects, it bodes well for standing out somewhat.

[Oblarg]

AP is looking better with every update. Keep em coming.

[Fearless_Jedi]

Is that an NPC that dual wields pistols? Why must you taunt me Obsidian?

 

Maybe they are fully(SMG) automatic revolvers...

 

 

 

Anyway, the Rage skill sounds interesting but if you can specialize in three different areas then what are the best martial arts skills I wonder...maybe a good chance to add disarms in the game Obsidian.

 

On another note: Does anyone happen to know how many skill points you can get in the game? or even if there is a cap?

Edited May 31, 2009 by Fearless_Jedi

[Gorth]

On another note: Does anyone happen to know how many skill points you can get in the game? or even if there is a cap?

By the sounds of it, there is a cap of 10 points for non specialisation skills and 15 for specialisation (if I understood the article correctly).

[Fearless_Jedi]

On another note: Does anyone happen to know how many skill points you can get in the game? or even if there is a cap?

By the sounds of it, there is a cap of 10 points for non specialization skills and 15 for specialization (if I understood the article correctly).

 

I meant how many we can get overall throughout the game, not how many per skill group.

[Cycloneman]

Pretty sure there's a cap, I remember them saying there was early on (so that everyone's Mike is different).

[Sannom]

I'm going to be a little HS, but you know some people think "VATS" when they hear about the Chain Shot ability, even game journalists? Did they never hear of Desperados? In that game (a Commandos-like), in order to represent the superior skills with pistols of one character, they gave him an ability that is very much like the Chain Shot : you freeze time and have three "free" shots that are delivered in one "action".

[Oner]

I'm going to be a little HS, but you know some people think "VATS" when they hear about the Chain Shot ability, even game journalists? Did they never hear of Desperados? In that game (a Commandos-like), in order to represent the superior skills with pistols of one character, they gave him an ability that is very much like the Chain Shot : you freeze time and have three "free" shots that are delivered in one "action".

Since when do we care for the opinion of fools and imbeciles?

On a bit more serious note, if their oldest memory is 1-2 years old, then that says more about them than AP.

[Cycloneman]

When people talk about the Chain Shot ability, I think of Red Steel.

[HoonDing]

That's it, I'm getting this instead of Dragon Age.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

I'm going to be a little HS, but you know some people think "VATS" when they hear about the Chain Shot ability, even game journalists? Did they never hear of Desperados? In that game (a Commandos-like), in order to represent the superior skills with pistols of one character, they gave him an ability that is very much like the Chain Shot : you freeze time and have three "free" shots that are delivered in one "action".

 

I never played it :-o

 

VATS is what is freshest in the collective consciousness of gamers. FO3 was wildly popular, and so if a journalist mentions "VATS," any RPG gamer who wasn't hiding under a rock probably knows what they're talking about. It's not like they're going to drop obscure references just to see how far back people can remember.

 

Also, I think making that comparison paints AP in a favorable light, since VATS was basically *the* combat ability in FO3 and chain shot is one of many (as was pointed out in the GTTV interview).

[H]

I just hope you can't exploit Chain Shot the way you could VATS and use it to almost competely negate damage from rockets/grenades/shotgun rounds and other slow weapons.