Alpha Protocol Reviews

[C2B]

To be honest. I wasn't swayed by NV too. It is cleary the better game but I got way more out of AP.

[Purkake]

Civil war?

[Wrath of Dagon]

last year's best RPG/shooter hybrid

Better than NV? I don't think so, precisely for the reason he stated, lack of a game world. But may be he doesn't consider NV a shooter hybrid.

He didn't like NV much in any case (mainly due to bugs, somewhat ironically).

AP was more buggy for me, because cover didn't work properly a lot of the time, and that was a major game mechanic. NV would just freeze once in a while, which was annoying but not that bad. I can forgive an RPG bugs so long as it gets other RPGish things right, unless the game is actually unplayable.

Edited January 13, 2011 by Wrath of Dagon

[Hassat Hunter]

Alpha Protocol over New Vegas for me.

 

And I didn't really like Invisible War.

[Hurlshort]

AP and NV were just so different. Sure, they both have great stories, characters, and C&C, but the scale and scope is different

[Starwars]

Agree with that. I prefer New Vegas by a fair amount, but it's also just a type of game that holds a lot more appeal to me personally. More player-driven, even though AP does a remarkable job of letting the player in on the interactions despite it being very story-heavy.

 

But yep, I'm damn sure that AP will garner retrospective articles similar to something like Bloodlines in the future. The whole overlooked, flawed gem, type of deal.

[Oblarg]

last year's best RPG/shooter hybrid

Better than NV? I don't think so, precisely for the reason he stated, lack of a game world. But may be he doesn't consider NV a shooter hybrid.

He didn't like NV much in any case (mainly due to bugs, somewhat ironically).

AP was more buggy for me, because cover didn't work properly a lot of the time, and that was a major game mechanic. NV would just freeze once in a while, which was annoying but not that bad. I can forgive an RPG bugs so long as it gets other RPGish things right, unless the game is actually unplayable.

 

I don't think the bad cover was a bug so much as just poor level design. It didn't really bug me that much, though - I only had a few instances of "why the hell can't I crouch behind this?"

[funcroc]

http://segaawakens.blogspot.com/2011/01/ug...f-business.html

[Bos_hybrid]

http://segaawakens.blogspot.com/2011/01/ug...f-business.html

 

Very interesting read and if true, very unfortunate and aggravating.

[Sannom]

I didn't really find it THAT interesting, except perhaps for giving us a 'picture' of the mentality of some execs who thinks that they can make 'everything better', something of which Chris Parker was accused of being if memory serves.

 

And I'm still a tad annoyed at Atari getting so much flak. Feargus said that the two companies made mistakes, and at least Atari gave them the resources to put forth patches and two expansions! They didn't completely let go of the game.

 

The ones that were really screwed over by Atari are the people from Ossian, with that DRM business that delayed the game for months even though it was ready to ship.

[Flouride]

http://segaawakens.blogspot.com/2011/01/ug...f-business.html

 

Very interesting read and if true, very unfortunate and aggravating.

 

Would be nice to hear about the Aliens game(s) from this guy as well....

[Flouride]

I didn't really find it THAT interesting, except perhaps for giving us a 'picture' of the mentality of some execs who thinks that they can make 'everything better', something of which Chris Parker was accused of being if memory serves.

 

And I'm still a tad annoyed at Atari getting so much flak. Feargus said that the two companies made mistakes, and at least Atari gave them the resources to put forth patches and two expansions! They didn't completely let go of the game.

 

Well at least it gives us the confirmation (if this source is actually trustworthy) that SEGA execs who know nothing about gaming pretty much ensured that the game wouldn't be finished in time etc...

 

Don't really know why Atari is getting flak on NWN2 though. Hasn't it been said multiple times already that the team lead by Ferret was overreaching by Obsidian staffers. Yeah, sure a month of bug killing wouldn't have hurt

[Labadal]

Interesting read and I am inclined to agree. Trustworthy source or not.

[WorstUsernameEver]

That blog post is so empty and generic I myself may have written it.

[Dabu]

I want to cry. I hate SEGA.

 

Btw. imo, AP is better than FNV because it has charismatic and memorable characters. FNV hasn't.

[Purkake]

I hope you're not talking about Mike. He's three versions are by-the-book douche, douchy douche and pushy douche.

[Wrath of Dagon]

Most publishers push developers around because they can. Obsidian must've been treated better than most since at least they're still around.

 

Edit: Here's what Sawyer had to say about developer/publisher relationship:

You've been deeply involved in several canned projects in your career. How do you creatively and mentally move on from such a massive unfulfilled investment? Do you bring elements with you, or bury them and start over? [ps.Loved the original G:SS world.]

 

First, I don't believe any project will be signed until the ink is drying. A publisher's word is effectively worthless until a contract is finalized. Second, I don't believe any project will be completed until it's actually shipped.

 

I don't invest as much into projects as I used to because I eventually realized a simple fact: these projects are not ours. They belong to the publishers. If they want to change mechanics, cut the budget, chop half of the areas, demand a story re-write, push it out a quarter too early, or simply cancel the game -- they can.

 

What the publisher cares about is often not what the developer cares about, what what the publisher wants or needs is the bottom line. We are professional contractors doing work for hire, and forgetting that can lead to terrible burn out and disappointment

http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/100982-je-...-continued.html Edited January 24, 2011 by Wrath of Dagon

[C2B]

I hope you're not talking about Mike. He's three versions are by-the-book douche, douchy douche and pushy douche.

 

And all these three are what makes him memorable. Douchy/sociopath have never been done better.

[Dabu]

I hope you're not talking about Mike. He's three versions are by-the-book douche, douchy douche and pushy douche.

Ok, maybe. He's still (as C2B said) a very memorable and charismatic character, no daubt, but I wasn't talking about him. Look at the Mina, Steven, Scarlet, Albatross, Marburg, Leland - everyone was a PERSON, not just a character if you know what I'm saying. Those were so cool, that you could make a movie/game/book about each of them. In Fallout New Vegas there we only... eee... Benny? Yes Man? Maybe Mr. House or Veronica. That's it. And they haven't a big role in a game...

[Purkake]

I agree that there were some interesting characters, but I wasn't a fan of Mike.

[Oblarg]

That blog post was almost irrefutably worthless. Completely bereft of any evidence or even believable anecdotes - just a bunch of lame generalizations about "publishers stink and Obsidian got screwed."

[Dabu]

@UP: But Obsidian got screwed...

 

I agree that there were some interesting characters, but I wasn't a fan of Mike.

Ok, but he's still better than "Im-a-hero-and-Im-only-standing-here-to-do-quest" type of main character in Fallout. Only way to actually make an opinion was in speech challanges and in a quests, where you have to decide who you'll be supporting - but not in all. You're just asking about Mojave, fractions and quests. In AP you can be sarcastic, you can joke, you can insult other NPCs and you can choose your personality. :') No harm to Fallout New Vegas, it's a different type of RPG, I'm just saying that I prefer Alpha Protocol. :')

Edited January 24, 2011 by Dabu

[Purkake]

Can't comment on that as I haven't played New Vegas.

[kirottu]

@UP: But Obsidian got screwed...

 

I don

[Wrath of Dagon]

@UP: But Obsidian got screwed...

 

I agree that there were some interesting characters, but I wasn't a fan of Mike.

Ok, but he's still better than "Im-a-hero-and-Im-only-standing-here-to-do-quest" type of main character in Fallout. Only way to actually make an opinion was in speech challanges and in a quests, where you have to decide who you'll be supporting - but not in all. You're just asking about Mojave, fractions and quests. In AP you can be sarcastic, you can joke, you can insult other NPCs and you can choose your personality. :') No harm to Fallout New Vegas, it's a different type of RPG, I'm just saying that I prefer Alpha Protocol. :')

You probably just prefer a third person voiced PC. Which is the way to go if you want to give PC an identity separate from the player.

 

Edit: Speaking of characters, the old crazy guy in NV was even better than Hecht in AP, so I think you could come up with equal quality counterparts in both games, although AP character tended to be more over the top, and also there were fewer of them, so some got more attention.

Edited January 25, 2011 by Wrath of Dagon