By John Walker on July 23rd, 2009 at 3:00 pm.
Obsidian have released a new very detailed video guiding you through various aspects of Alpha Protocol‘s Safe Houses. Showing off how the Safe Houses work, with all their various character, weapon, etc modifications, it explains how important these locations are. There’s your email, which lets you catch up on relationships, find extra work, and keep up with colleagues. There’s access to the black market Clearing House, where you can pick up new equipment. You can also customise and upgrade weapons and armour, and all sorts. It’s all below.
It’s also good to see some clips of the game in slightly less blue-grey washed out locations. You’ll also find some glimpses of combat, both ranged and melee. Well, just watch it, now I’ve told you everything that happens.
And below is part 1 from April, showing how the dynamic conversations work.
Gee, this better be work in progress, the animations and the voice acting are so stiff, you could’ve replaced the poorly made models with cardboard cutouts and it would’ve worked!
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Obsidian > Bioware.
FACT!
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Oh Christ, did he have to Hulk out to use that Fury ability? That was cringeworthy.
It’d be nice if the range of clothes/appearances could be used to aid infiltration and such but I suspect they might just be cosmetic.
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And welcome to round three hundred and sixty seven of ‘criticising games that aren’t out yet based on tiny amounts of information no-one could ever garner a reasonable conclusion from’
Ding Ding, let the comments begin.
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I actually thought the animations looked much better than the first video that was shown. It’s also pretty cool to see how much customization there is in the game. Although I’m sure someone will find the “best” combo and throw it in an FAQ, I generally like to think of who my character will be without worrying about “best” builds.
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Looks extremly hot.
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Oh, I ought to say despite my slightly miserable previous comment I am still on the “looking forward to” side of things for this game.
As for builds, I will undoubtedly spunk everything into infiltration skills and then have to run like a girl every time somebody tries to engage me in combat.
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Obsidian really aren’t better than Bioware, they’ve pretty much just followed up Bioware. NWN to the sequal KOTOR to the sequal, and this combat and engine looks to have a distinct Mass Effect vibe.
Not to say they aren’t a great dev team, but Bioware trump them (and no you can’t say Obsidian are Black Isle so Fallout should be included, because they aren’t). Anyway, I’m not convinced about the dialogue system. For a number of reasons.
Firstly, if characters like certain approaches, surely its just a manner of taking each option until you find the one they like and then always using it thereafter?
I also don’t like RPG dialogue systems which don’t even tell you roughly what you’re going to say. The amount of times in Mass Effects system, I chose a choice and then character proceeded to say the line with a completely different reasoning than I thought of…….. Can’t even imagine what hes gonna say when the “Dialogue” choices are simple stances.
I mean you can hardly do multiple choice with them can you? So what are they there for? To choose the right option for specific characters? Well for the major characters you try until you find the “Right” one for their character type and for minor characters its just a game of Rock Paper Scissors as to how they’d react?
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It’s in the Mass Effect engine, but it’s clearly a very original idea. I think he’s reffering more to the depth and ambiguity of theit writing (which is certainly right in the case of the KOTORs)
I think the idea is that your choices won’t just affect the one character, so going completely schitzo and just choosing the ‘right’ option every time isn’t on, you’ll have to pick sides. Even if it isn’t, I will, otherwise it’d be like only picking the options that give you the best reward, regardless of ‘good’ or ‘evil’ in any other RPG.
Finally, I always knew what I was going to say in Mass Effect, it seemed pretty clear, I’m surprised you had trouble.
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“And welcome to round three hundred and sixty seven of ‘criticising games that aren’t out yet based on tiny amounts of information no-one could ever garner a reasonable conclusion from’”
And welcome to round three hundred and sixty seven of ‘blindly defending Obsidian despite them never having made anything but buggy messes’
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@Ian
They said things about armor and stuff being specific to what kind of role you play in the game, so I’m guessing some of that cosmetic stuff will play a part in stealth and things. It wouldn’t be a very hard concept to just start throwing stats on beards and turbans and stuff, the object is already there and created.
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That house doesn’t look very safe to me.
Sorry.
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EBass: I sorta agree. I like the idea of those dialogue systems but sometimes it really jars you with what the option they gave you equates to.
It’s like, you see what a character said and think you don’t like it much so you select “I disagree” and then your guy threatens to kick their head in and shit in their hat.
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Back you pardon DK but KOTOR 2 altough messsy and buggy is still one of the best rpgs out there!
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“we also have a variety of beard options here” D:
the player character’s personality seems severely bland – but most likely it feels a lot better when you’re at the wheel. or maybe i’m taking issue with having to play as someone else’s character. Hmm.
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Eh, it sure doesn’t look like the next step in RPG evolution or something, but you gotta cut Obsidian some slack. I’ll wait till the game is out before crapping on the game, Obsidian have devolped some great games in the past.
…That said, I gotta agree with Ian: the fury ability was BAD.
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Why does he have what appears to be a gazillion inch lcd/plasma tv as a phone?
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Headslam!
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Third-person ……….
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The only thing I liked about this was the option to skill for shotguns. Shotguns are awesome. Always. Apart from that, who’d want to play as that babyface, even with the beard he looked like a fake tanned frat boy…
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I am mildly excited by this game. KOTOR 2 is buggy and ugly, but I love it anyway, and I expect this will be the case with AP. I am enjoying this trend of Role Playing Games that actually involve some degree of Role Playing.
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@ DK
“And welcome to round three hundred and sixty seven of ‘blindly defending Obsidian despite them never having made anything but buggy messes”
I wasn’t actualy defending anything specific here, just pointing out the pointlessness of judging anything before you get a real look at it, the cheif occupation of more than a few RPS commenters.
But since you bring it up, you’re wrong. KOTOR 2 is far, far better written than KOTOR 1, which makes up for the bug problems caused by the insanely rushed release schedule.
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The “Lets Play KOTOR2″ has changed my opinion about KOTOR2 and Obvisian. Now I really think “Obvisidian > Bioware” that Tworak comment.
The Mass Effect dialog system is a streamlined one, is slighty worst for historytelling, but since it make overal more sense, is slighty better. Obvisian could have used both, really, and make something great.
I am looking forward for this game because is Obvsidian. I am somewhat unconvinced about the graphics, but who cares.. this one will be awesome.
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i like the look of it but some of it still looks patchy
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I love the Fury hulk-out. That looks like a fun thing to do. For some reason I think I might play this game as SOMETHING other than my standard “highly charismatic thiefy-type.” Running towards my enemies as a bare-fisted howling bearded lout somehow tickles my fancy here where it hasn’t before.
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I’ll take obsidian’s bugginess over bioware’s blandness any day of the week including weekends
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@ Ebass:
I believe I read somewhere that dialogue will be timed, and that you can’t just keep going around and around the dialogue tree until you get all of the information you want. Granted, you could probably save before you engage a character or something, and go back if you don’t get the result you want, but what fun is that?
This is actually the thing that really peaked (piqued?) my interest in the game—the idea of quick, irreversible decisions that can result in allies or enemies.
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First time I saw trailers for this I thought it looked like a dog turd
Seocnd time I thought it looked amazing
Recently at E3 I cringed
And now it looks pretty damn sweet again
What the hell : /
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Also, in regard to the semi-supernatural things and Hulking out: I like it
This game is pretty silly and cheesy concept wise. I think those abilities suit it better.
Plus they look fun.
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Ah RPGs: for every million you put into making your game more believable, you throw in an option to make Jason Bourne wear a lumberjack beard, Ray Bans, and a cowboy hat.
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EBass says:
That’s assuming that your first encounter doesn’t change the way they react to you for the rest of the game. :P Anyway, in another narrated video, they said that pissing a handler off can be just as rewarding as being friendly.
It sounds like they’re actually trying to make it a Role Playing game instead of a Dialogue Tree Gaming game. I hope they’re successful.
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From Mr Sawyer himself: “Lumberjack beard + Fidel Castro hat + aviators is the best combo IMO.”
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With anything there is the chance to “game” the system. Every RPG ever has the ability to just choose the obvious best answer for good and evil, this seems like it might be a little more fluid. Also, maybe I’m just naive or an idealist, but I try to actually follow the RP in the RPG and choose the answers I might normally choose, as if I were playing the role. Role playing you might even call it.
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the game look ok but i think im going to hate the conversations, is that timer really necessary ? they better put an option to turn it off
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This conversation system reminds me of Fahrenheit, it worked quite well there. It sure did add a bit of tension.
Anyhow, not a big fan of the standard RPG conversation tree, so I understand why they are trying something new. At least it is not mass effect where the only real reason for “gut feeling” dialogue options was having less text to read, everything else was same old “pick all dialogue options till done”.
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I would probably try to game the system by finding out how each handler wants to be treated, and then whenever I talk to them I choose every option in that category. That way, no one will dislike me all that much.
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I imagine the tact you take with characters affects your standing with other characters, and not just that one. Besides, having certain handlers love you may not actually have the most favourable consequences in the long term.
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“Gaming the system” is surely missing the point of playing an RPG innit. I know I’ll aim firstly to make the decisions I’d like/chose the way I’d want to play, rather than aiming to please some non-existing ai entities. Aside from that, I’m not even sure I’ll get it – I haven’t been overly impressed..
When mr. walkthrough said “Your weapon is choice”, I pessimistically added “insofar those choices are related to how you outfit your weapons, neh.” Those are my thoughts on the matter, but I hope for the best anyways.
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Why does this remind me of Mass Effect in modern day? The skills window looks similar, dialogue wheel similar, graphics…
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I am looking forwards to this game for sure.
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Mass Effect!
Looks so incredibly similar.
I’m excited now.
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This is one game whose hype is assuredly unwarranted and a more cautious appraisal is necessary, but what’s that? Chris Avellone is working on this game?! {in best Clay Davis voice} Shiiiiiiiiiit, all sins are forgiven! Seriously though, this has promising and odious elements, sure the choice seems nice but the game will insult your intelligence (the wholly immersion breaking visual pointers that were in Mass Effect -and seem to be replicated here- to highlight the spare usable objects/containers, which appear from 20 metres away is one such thing). Also the magical powers your secret agent can receive seem highly arcade-y.
Also Chris Allevone seems kind of desperate for big studio dollars, that or Sega booth babes.
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I’m sooooooooooooooo excited. Chris Avellone’s presence gave me faith at first, and with each walkthrough video I increasingly get the feeling my faith will be rewarded.
Also, KOTOR II was the best story ever told in the Star Wars Expanded Universe, period. It matches the mythic storytelling of the original trilogy, albeit with a more mature (truly mature, not just DARKER AND EDGIER) twist.
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Mythic as in style-wise, not in terms of quality — I think we all know that we didn’t watch Star Wars for the originality of its plot, but its execution.
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That “Fury” animation just hurt my brain. That lameness alone could stop me from using a martial arts-based character.
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I hate it when a character approaches an interactable object and “press X” pops up on my face.
Can’t a reticule around the item or the name of the object appear on screen? Why are players treated like dorks?
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This is looking pretty damn good, as others here have said. They might want to reconsider the shoulder-shaking animation the character does in the video all the time, though. It looks like he’s sobbing. AND MAYBE HE IS, INSIDE?
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Can’t say this was on my gaming radar, but after watching this its in the vault.
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I imagined him as going “HEH HEH HEH” the first time I saw it and ended up laughing my ass off every time he did it.
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Spy safe houses… LOOK AT THEM!
Seriously boys if any of you find one and you live in Rome or… Barcelona; you’ll let me know right?
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Maybe he’s chuckling to himself? Spoiler: The spy has schizophrenia .
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I’ll bring beer?
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I might get this instead of Mass Effect 2 actually, Mass Effect doesn’t look that appealing to me at the moment, I don’t know why, I’m in a “I want to customise everything!” mood at the moment
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Guys. Stop bashing a game that’s not even out yet. You don’t know what it will play like.
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A lot of that game looks more polished than ever before, especially the skill system/armour having a noise value (squee), and some of it manages to look less so – I don’t mind games with silly action-shooter stylism, but the hulk-out just didn’t gel. I mean the whole fury ability might be just fine, but ditch the activation animation! Or at least stick it in somewhere where it makes sense, like if there’s an ability that activates when you’re at like 30% health that turns you into an unstoppable death machine. At least the scene would have the necessary tension, to accomodate such an OTT animation, and I’d be spared the “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE! *opens door calmly* *RAGEPUNCH GUARD*” scene of dramatic fail.
Also, customisation options totally win, I just wish they went for a ‘commander shepard’ approach so I could poop around with my characters gender.
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So you have to be that mongoloid fellow then? I agree with others, that’s a huge step backwards from Mass Effect, which had a decent, though not amazing, character generator.
Why, why, why are developers not courting female customers more effectively. Games are becoming pretty mainstream, and you ignore that demographic at your peril
Boo.
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@Tariqone: agreed. If this game had a gender switch available, my gf would be begging me to buy it. Now, I’ll be buying it, but will have to beg her to play.
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Interesting, looks the game is going to have some of these obligatory sex scenes… cue the Angry Internet Men in 3, 2…
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/93387-Alpha-Protocol-Sex-Scenes-Tasteful-Yet-Satisfying
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It’ll be more fun than Dragon Age, and less fun than having sex.
Exclusive fact point.
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Also could the main character look any more generic? I mean yes, you can attach a ridiculous beard to his face, but what’s the harm in an interesting or idiosyncratic facial structure, something with at least some character.
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Definitely looking forward to this. Things can go in one of two directions:
Fail – Create a trailer with Marilyn Manson music.
Win – Create a trailer with the Hawaii Five-O theme.
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Chainshot looks like the Mark & Execute from the new Splinter Cell.
And wot’s with the Hulk Smash Fury? They should’ve done a Bruce Lee furious glare closeup thing.
Cautiously optimistic of Mass Protocol.
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Looks fun. Not deep, but fun. Nice touch with the email contact bit.
Yeah, the Fury bit is wank though.
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Yeaargh: Thumbs up for making 3 special agent game puns in one single joke. I’d have said something like alpha effect and completely missed out the untapped vein of splinter cell.
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It’s cg Jason Bourne, basically. Rather fitting for game about greenhorn special agent. And not unlike pretty much any other game that goes for semi-realistic rather than stylized graphics.
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There’s enough there for something good to come out of it, but these previews convince me that marketing people are driving the development.
Trophies? “Shooting people in the kneecaps and KEWL STUFFS like that”? And the hulk thing w/ bullet time – hopefully this can all be avoided and the stealth/technician game play work and be compelling.
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I don’t see any problem with your safe house filling up with mementos as you progress through the game. Unless you’re also insulting Aquaria now? >:I
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Tariq: what’s to say the gender of the lead character effects the buying demographic? Did more women play Mass Effect than Splinter Cell?
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to be fair, i *think* that the timed-dialogue-response thing (or something similar) was actually something they originally intended to put into Mass Effect, but for whatever reason didnt make it into the final product. which better explains why they made that extremely abbreviated response circle that they used in Mass Effect. my memory is hazy, but i vaguely recall that there were a number of promises they made about that game which, in the end, didnt make the cut.
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If people don’t stop having an opinion on videos the internet thought police will tell them off.
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@Alex:
I guess my beef with mementos (almost wrote mentos) is you’re character’s a spy – he wouldn’t stack a room full of stuff that can be used to trace his past activities. He’d try to be in cognitus, as peter griffin would say.
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Damn, this is looking really good.
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It’s kind of reminding me of Deus Ex. Which is a good thing. If it plays like a modern update of Deus Ex then I will be a happy purchaser.
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Meh no female protagonist, and I wonder why, didn’t seem to had a whole lot of extra work for the Mass Effect team and I doubt it would here.
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