Is it a true stealth operative game?

[timmy123]

Is it a true stealth operative game? It seems to look more like an action shooter than say something like sneaking around stealthy with night vision goggles as a special agent in Splinter Cell Double Agent.

[Hathur]

Well, if you invest enough in stealth skill (and have the patience + personal skill), you can quite literally sneak past almost every enemy in the entire game.. virtually never having to pull the trigger, except for a few rare fights where you're required to kill a boss or specific enemy.

 

So yes, you can sneak through the entire game... in many ways it's like splinter cell when played in a stealthy way.. you can sneak up to an enemy and choke him unconscious... or stick a knife through his throat.. depending whether you want to kill or just subdue.... or you can just sneak past them completely and not bother to even take them out (you get experience even for doing this).

 

You can use stealth and take advantage of the terrain to help you get through the area quietly and unseen.. just like in splinter cell (the old splinter cell games.. not the new action one that just came out).

 

It's a decent stealth game... though it becomes too easy if you go pure stealth skill... the higher tier stealth skills are insanely good and completely remove any challenge.. you'll practically never be spotted or seen (that's why I usually don't put more than 5-6 boxes into stealth.. otherwise the game becomes boringly easy).

Edited June 5, 2010 by Hathur

[thufirhawat333]

No night vision googles, that's for sure, but the game is completely capable to approach from an infiltrator vantage point.

There are some boss fights that require direct action, but other than that, you can complete it using only sneaking, electronics (padlocks, computer hacking, picking locks), gadgets (if you'd like), and occasionally, a silenced pistol.

[blackwolfe]

Its a shame the game doesn't take shadows into account. While I can understand G22 soldiers being able to see in the dark, with their goggles and all, the rest shouldnt be able to. But thats the way they made the game.. design flaw if you ask me.

[Alpha]

Great stealth game , i enjoyed it more than SC games. Just to remind you , this isn't a TPS is a RPG with gunplay/stealth mechanic based in skills.

[Tagaziel]

Its a shame the game doesn't take shadows into account. While I can understand G22 soldiers being able to see in the dark, with their goggles and all, the rest shouldnt be able to. But thats the way they made the game.. design flaw if you ask me.

 

I prefer it as it is - this isn't Thief, where pitch black shadows can be excused, this is a game set in the modern world, where illumination is cheap and ever present. Stealth based on LOS is more realistic and in keeping with the general aesthetic of spy fiction, more than magical pitch black shadows that consume all light and perfectly hide you, even though in reality, it's pretty easy to see what's in shadows. Especially an animal as big as Mikhail Thorton.

[Cl_Flushentityhero]

What's a true stealth operative game?

[Nightshape]

Is it a true stealth operative game? It seems to look more like an action shooter than say something like sneaking around stealthy with night vision goggles as a special agent in Splinter Cell Double Agent.

 

Quick answer: NO!

[Wombat]

To the OP. If you are accustomed to shooting and/or stealth action games, it would be suitable for you to read some reviews from different sources before buying the game.

 

I feel the designers of Alpha Protocol seem to have forgotten about the fact that graphic/physics engines have already been there to play a role in dictating "the world". This ends up with, IMO, some gameplays being counterintuitive to the "shooter"/"stealth action" players, who are accustomed to gathering information from the graphics.

 

This is just my "theory" but I think there might be a loose relationship with dominance of D&D rule-set. For I've gotten an impression that the dominance may be making some people less conscious of the fact, combined with content (data), the rules (ways to process the data) are designed to dictate imaginary worlds. Employing supernatural/magical powers in a modern graphic engine is like implementing two rules based on different design philosophies to one game...IMHO.

[Hassat Hunter]

^

Could you repeat that in a way I have any idea what you're talking about?

[Wombat]

^

Could you repeat that in a way I have any idea what you're talking about?

If you are addressing my post, could you be more specific?

[SpiderMan1217]

Is it a true stealth operative game? It seems to look more like an action shooter than say something like sneaking around stealthy with night vision goggles as a special agent in Splinter Cell Double Agent.

 

The game is not meant to be just a stealth game. If a player wants to go in guns blazing they can build a Thorton that is capable of doing that. At the same time if you like stealth, you can go stealth.

[Wombat]

@Hassat Hunter You haven't replied but I'd give it a wild shot while I have time to do that.

 

In the world presented by the modern TPS view, it's quite odd to see a character can "hide" himself in the line of the sight of the enemies, for example. This may be acceptable for some people who are familiar with rogue game-play of D&D rule set but it is rather careless for the designers to expect the same line of thought to those who bought it as a third person stealth action game, who probably rely on what they see rather than imagining abstract rules behind it. In fact, nowadays, it is even hard to expect gamers to read manuals. It is very easy to disdain these people with rather irrational "geeky pride" but Obsidian have to sell their games with more wider ranges of the players. Personally, I'd rather like Obsidians to lower the hurdle to various types of players but keep the quality of the content for more than just mild entertainment. For, IMO, bigger game developers are good at offering polished game-plays but I don't think most of them are successful in the latter.

[Hassat Hunter]

Ah, that I understand.

 

However, this isn't a stealthgame perse, it's an RPG. So expecting it to be like the early Splinter Cells is kind of deceiving yourself, even if you can play it totally stealthy.

[Kasabian]

It is a great stealth game, if you choose to play it that way, if you go around shooting first, then do not expect your game to play out like a stealth game.

 

The point of this RPG part is that you can pick how Mikey approaches each mission. Skill up stealth, and you can get through every mission without being seen, if you wish. You can even complete the game without killing a single foe including bosses, if you choose.

 

If you like stealth, then you will like the game, if you hate stealth, then you will still like the game as you can go gun crazy too.

[edgarcuk]

It is a great stealth game, if you choose to play it that way, if you go around shooting first, then do not expect your game to play out like a stealth game.

 

The point of this RPG part is that you can pick how Mikey approaches each mission. Skill up stealth, and you can get through every mission without being seen, if you wish. You can even complete the game without killing a single foe including bosses, if you choose.

 

If you like stealth, then you will like the game, if you hate stealth, then you will still like the game as you can go gun crazy too.

 

Agree, I'm playing my 3rd playthrou with the Rambo approach... not good, here is when you see the combat not as good as ME2. Well, Shepard comes firing and making explosions ("Things explode around you Shepard"). That rambo approach simply is not well implemented (reason of many complains), which makes sense, Mike is a "secret" agent and should be stealth and discreet, following the same logic, the less kills, mess and hassle, the better. Besides, evading enemies gives you the same points as killing them...

[Bos_hybrid]

It is a great stealth game, if you choose to play it that way, if you go around shooting first, then do not expect your game to play out like a stealth game.

 

If you like stealth, then you will like the game, if you hate stealth, then you will still like the game as you can go gun crazy too.

 

No. If you like RPGs you will enjoy this game. If stealth action is your main interest, you will not enjoy it.

[Flouride]

No. If you like RPGs you will enjoy this game. If stealth action is your main interest, you will not enjoy it.

 

The stealth is good enough for a rpg. It's not even trying to be Hitman or Thief. People looking for stealth as good as in Thief series will be seriously disappointed. Haven't played Splinter Cells so can't really comment how it compares to those.

Then again no other game has ever implemented stealth as well as Thief.

[Alpha]

Agree, I'm playing my 3rd playthrou with the Rambo approach... not good, here is when you see the combat not as good as ME2.

did you know that the gunplay is based in stats ? to weapons be effective you need invest skill in them. That's why you can't compare the gunplay with ME or others TPS/RPG whatever ; because AP was made that way to be strictly different. Once you get used to it , you will find that both ways stealth/rambo are amazing.

[Kasabian]

No. If you like RPGs you will enjoy this game. If stealth action is your main interest, you will not enjoy it.

 

The game has been sold as a "espionage rpg" does one even need to mention that you should like rpg's before buying it?

 

I think that is one of the reasons people do not rate the game correctly, they go in without thinking that it is an RPG and as such, should be played as one.

 

Normal guns blazing combat is possible, but you have to make your character revolve around that method of attack in missions. Toughness, good armor, high shotgun/rifle and of course use the damn skills! Which reviewers do not seem to realise are there.

[Jackalmonkey]

The stealth gameplay is not as fully realized or integral as in Thief (no comparison to Splinter Cell, since I've never played it). But what no one here has yet mentioned - and no reviews seem to mention - is that this may be the best stealth gameplay seen in an RPG. Offhand I can't think of an RPG that has more intuitive, responsive and rewarding stealth mechanics.

[Zoraptor]

Yeah, the stealth is fine, though I think the interface between the RPG system and the graphical system may throw some. If you hide behind something fully and stay still you're pretty much undetectable, which is how it should be even in a straight 3ps. Stay out of the enemy's vision cones (ie stay behind them) and you're fine so long as you're reasonably careful. Get caught out of cover, run, shoot etc and you're likely to get caught. If you want to do stealth habitually then you need to invest a lot in the stealth skill, and that's fine too.

 

There are some minor issues, largely to do with the 3rd person perspective where you can have bits poking out of cover without being aware of it, perhaps somewhat overlong vision on some enemies where you cannot tell their facing easily-largely solvable by using awareness- and the (apparent) lack of lighting modifiers on visibility, which I believe is a general UE3 issue and would require some significant coding to fix.

 

It requires some patience and care, but I've stealthed levels even with my 1 stealth skill Thorton.

[mrots]

Well after two playthroughs as Sneaky Mike, I was ready for a change and tried Rambo Mike.

Clearly sneaky is the way it's supposed to be played, but for laughs, I'd really go for Rambo.

 

Kicking in every door even when you could open it gently is wonderfull after all that pussyfooting in stealth mode.

However it does bring out the flaws in the AI. Guard are not quite up to dealing with all that agression I'm pooring out over them.

Furtermore it turns out something as simple as a door or a corner is enough to get them completly confused.

 

Mind you, I'm not talking run and gun Stupid Mike here, I"m talking tactical, line-up-those-crusshairs Mike. Given that most guard can see across a room at best as posted above, using your AR for long distance sniping is a bit of an exploit.