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[Raithe]

So it will be one of those games like every other game?

 

A fair few games that solidly fit into a specific genre do get reviews that match with how they actually play... and can be competently judged against other games in the genre...

 

Crysis can be compared/contrasted with most other fps... Neverwinter could be compared/contrasted against most other fantasy rpgs...

[ginji]

Hm, I get the feeling that this is going to be one of those games where it'll be best to ignore the reviews and actually play the game yourself to get a feel for it.

 

So it will be one of those games like every other game?

 

You're right, reviews nowadays just seem to give super-high scores to hyped games and then vent their "repressed anger" to any non-AAA title. Being a reviewer for a big site must be the easiest job on earth!

 

Needless to say, I just didn't bother reading reviews for the last 2-3 years and enjoyed many bashed games (like Sonic The Hedgehog or Wartech: Senko No Ronde, for example), even if they have their flaws, of course (and I hated "great" ones like Fallout 3). But I would have missed many games I liked if I would have trusted these damn reviews.

 

 

(I hope the english in this post is good enough)

Edited April 29, 2010 by ginji

[Oner]

I don't know, I haven't played the game, so I can't make any comment on how vanilla the story is, but as long as there isn't a reveal of a cybernetic incredibly ancient menace that wants to destroy all that lives for the lulz I'm fine.

I'm a bit worried because of the character vignettes. Shaheed? Knows where the missiles are. Brayko? Knows where the missiles are. Marburg? Knows where the missiles are. I hope there's more to the main plot then Mike never finding those things.

 

 

Needless to say, I just didn't bother reading reviews for the last 2-3 years and enjoyed many bashed games (like Sonic The Hedgehog or Wartech: Senko No Ronde, for example), even if they have their flaws, of course (and I hated "great" ones like Fallout 3). But I would have missed many games I liked if I would have trusted these damn reviews.

I'm one of the few freaks who love Aquanox 2 despite the rollercoaster writing and -voice acting, the badly designed gameplay..

And awesome story.

 

(what's "vocal interruption" by the way?).

I guess when the talker is suddenly interrupted by the one s/he talks to. Edited April 30, 2010 by Oner

[WorstUsernameEver]

I don't know, I haven't played the game, so I can't make any comment on how vanilla the story is, but as long as there isn't a reveal of a cybernetic incredibly ancient menace that wants to destroy all that lives for the lulz I'm fine.

I'm a bit worried because of the character vignettes. Shaheed? Knows where the missiles are. Brayko? Knows where the missiles are. Marburg? Knows where the missiles are. I hope there's more to the main plot then Mike never finding those things.

 

Depends a lot on the execution. Remember, also, that they tried to don't spoiler the players, hey, we didn't know a whole lot about the plot 'till a couple of days ago.

So yeah, I'm expecting some good twists here and there, and, more than anything, I'm expecting a setting that enhances the roleplaying experience.

Not knowing who to trust doesn't have a lot of impact if the story is linear, IMHO, but it has the potential to be awesome in the framework of an rpg, even if a missile crisis isn't particularly original (then again, reality isn't particularly original either).

[Mirage]

I have concerns about the "vanilla" story as well, perhaps the reviewer didn't get that far into the story and didn't get to the point where it takes off the ground. It is also possible they don't want to reveal the interesting intricacies of the plot/characters to avoid spoiling great storytelling, who knows. I'll put my faith in Obsidian, hopefully it pays off.

 

Also, I fully support Obsidian making it's own IPs (or at least, not making sequels), the concept of AP was a bit risky, but I admire the courage of Obsidian.

[NitroMidgets]

After the great reviews Uncharted 2 got, MW2, BC2 and others only to see the final product lacking so much I don't give a damn what previews from some sites say. I think of them like the Today Show giving great reviews to crap movies only to overlook great movies simply because they aren't getting something out of it. Skate 3 was supposed to be great and the demo I played encouraged me to take it off pre-order as it was crap!

[Starwars]

Yet another preview, this one very positive: http://blog.zavvi.com/games/xbox-360-ps3-p...nds-on-preview/

[Oblarg]

There are allegedly more than 32 (vastly) different potential endings to the story

 

Holy ****, what?

[WorstUsernameEver]

There are allegedly more than 32 (vastly) different potential endings to the story

 

Holy ****, what?

 

I guess, going by the Avellone description, it'll be more like a combination of different endings rolled into one than 32 completely different endings.

 

Like you have Main ending A, B, C, D, E.

Then you have some vignettes that are A, B, C, D, E, etc., and the combinations are 32 in total.

 

P.S. : Also, remember that Fallout 3 allegedly had hundreds of endings. Really. Wow.

Edited April 30, 2010 by WorstUsernameEver

[Tigranes]

If real, awesome. If they mean combinations, poo.

 

FO3 had "hundreds" of endings like Pete Hines originally claimed, if you take into account every single combination. i.e. in reality there were about 5 or 6. Maybe the success of that claim (which achieved remarkable longevity despite some fierce criticism) has made it the 'norm' now.

[WorstUsernameEver]

If real, awesome. If they mean combinations, poo.

 

FO3 had "hundreds" of endings like Pete Hines originally claimed, if you take into account every single combination. i.e. in reality there were about 5 or 6. Maybe the success of that claim (which achieved remarkable longevity despite some fierce criticism) has made it the 'norm' now.

 

Even if you think of all the combinations Fallout 3 has JUST 5 or 6 endings.

[Ausir]

Well, it's more if you take into account things that only change the visuals, like your gender, race etc.

[Starwars]

After the so called 200 endings of Fallout 3, there is no way I'm ever gonna take a number like that seriously again when it comes to endings. However, I will put my trust in Obsidian as far as this goes. Chris Avellone said somewhere that there were a number of big endings, say 1, 2, 3 and 4 (just for speculation, no clue on how many there actually are). And then a number of permutations of them depending on allies, people you've killed etc etc.

 

We also don't know exactly how the endings will look and play out. I expect it will be something like a long cutscene for the main endings and then something more akin to the classic RPG ending slide.

[Oner]

Well, it's more if you take into account things that only change the visuals, like your gender, race etc.

Lend me your copy of FO 3 please, mine didn't have cool stuff like that.

[ginji]

Even if you think of all the combinations Fallout 3 has JUST 5 or 6 endings.

 

Even if I hated that game, 5 or 6 different endings seem like a great amount to me!

Yes, they claimed 200, but now we're used to this fake statements....

 

Even if 32 endings end up being like 4 or 5 different ones... hell, I can play the game 5 times just for the ending! How can they be too few?! Most games have just one ending, and many don't even have one!

Edited April 30, 2010 by ginji

[funcroc]

1up preview

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3179066

[Baeus]

Spiffy! That poor fellow on the boat looks rather surprised

[Tigranes]

I only played FO3 once so I can't be sure, but you know, if you have 2 or 3 different endings for each major settlement (and there were, what, 7? more? in FO3), plus the final decision (2 choices, prior to Broken Steel?), then permutations should break a hundred easily?

[jokerwoker]

I only played FO3 once so I can't be sure, but you know, if you have 2 or 3 different endings for each major settlement (and there were, what, 7? more? in FO3), plus the final decision (2 choices, prior to Broken Steel?), then permutations should break a hundred easily?

 

Maybe... fallout 3 wasn't that good...

Edited May 1, 2010 by jokerwoker

[Tigranes]

I'm not sure what your point is?

 

The point here is that the number of 'endings' in the media these days can mean anything.

[Oner]

I only played FO3 once so I can't be sure, but you know, if you have 2 or 3 different endings for each major settlement (and there were, what, 7? more? in FO3), plus the final decision (2 choices, prior to Broken Steel?), then permutations should break a hundred easily?

Good/bad karma, you pushed the button/Lyons pushed the button. Maybe there was a "you walked away" ending too.

That's it, no settlement slideshows.

[WorstUsernameEver]

I only played FO3 once so I can't be sure, but you know, if you have 2 or 3 different endings for each major settlement (and there were, what, 7? more? in FO3), plus the final decision (2 choices, prior to Broken Steel?), then permutations should break a hundred easily?

 

There aren't different ending for the settlements.

There are basically 2 different endings depending if you have good or bad karma, 2 different endings for the 'coward'/'heroic' decision in the end and 2 different endings depending if you put or didn't put the FEV in the purifier.

It's all about these permutations.

Edited May 1, 2010 by WorstUsernameEver

[Starwars]

Another fairly small and overall quite positive preview: http://www.fragland.net/previews/Alpha-Protocol/198/

 

It seems like, even during these last months, work has been made on the game.

[Starwars]

And yet another preview, this one feels the game is a bit unpolished in some places, an example given is that the cover system can feel awkward at times. But overall it's very positive, and confirms that different playthroughs will feel very different: http://www.xxlgaming.com/newspage.asp?which=616

[Ausir]

I only played FO3 once so I can't be sure, but you know, if you have 2 or 3 different endings for each major settlement (and there were, what, 7? more? in FO3), plus the final decision (2 choices, prior to Broken Steel?), then permutations should break a hundred easily?

 

Thing is, only your Karma and the final decision influence the ending narration. There is no slideshow for settlements. See:

 

http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Fallout_3_endings