Rumor: Obsidian unveils 'Alpha Protocol,' a spy-focused action RPG
by Scott Jon Siegel 
{ Mar 12th 2008 at 3:30PM }
Players take on the role of Michael Thorton, an inexperienced secret agent who has to deal with the ramifications of a mission gone haywire. An open-ended approach to objective-based gameplay seems to be at the core, with skill trees allowing players to build up particular play-styles. It all sounds nice on paper, but we'll have to see if Obsidian is up to the task of melding Mass Effect with 24.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NoHitHair @ Mar 12th 2008 3:42PM
"We haven't managed to snag a copy yet of the latest Game Informer to confirm it."
I have and they do preview it. However, given that it's G.I. and therefore the most pandering garbage in video gaming media, you're not missing much.
Even better, G.I. has now resorted to editorializing NEWS previews, with gems such as: "This shift in the landscape means that it is time to move past what RPGs have been and start shaping their future."
Hey, thanks G.I.!! I hate thinking for myself and formulating my own opinions based on my individual preferences. Thank god we have you guys to do that for us.
Their April Fool's gag, however, was unbelievable irony. Their "joke" involved a newly installed editor-in-chief who writes: "Other publicans, and I won't name names here, hates games and wants to decieve you; they intentionally tell it like it isn't. Not us! If we think a game sucks, we'll say so - even it (sic) doesn't even come out for a year or more. Some companies don't liek the fact that we judge their games that far in advance, but like-it-is-telling isn't an easy job."
It's as if G.I. is subtlely letting us know that they're bigger whores than Gamespot.
NoHitHair @ Mar 12th 2008 3:42PM
Wow, I don't know how I wrote "publicans" - that was supposed to be "publications". Thank god I don't edit for a living.
Nicholas @ Mar 12th 2008 3:42PM
As long as the vehicle sections don't suck like the mako and that the side-quests (if there are any) don't suck as well they got me, because despite these glaring flaws, the Mass Effect overall game design was great.
Yuccadude @ Mar 12th 2008 3:48PM
They did a really nice job with KotOR II, even though it didn't seem like anyone actually wrote them a plot, the gameplay itself was what was awesome about II. I played KotOR II 6-7 times just to see how awesome I could make my character with the prestige classes they give you to play with. They are really good with in-depth character trees by giving you things that will actually help you in your class, such as in KotOR II, Sith Assassins got extra sneak attack, Sith Marauders got Rage with extra damage, etc.
NoHitHair @ Mar 12th 2008 3:50PM
I agree - I loved the gameplay to KoTOR II. It was the story that was such an enormous letdown.
NATO_Duke @ Mar 12th 2008 3:52PM
What they should do is make a 24 game instead! Oh, yeah, thats right....
Ronshatmycarl @ Mar 12th 2008 5:02PM
Wow is Obsidian's tag line "riding on the coattails of Bioware"?
GMonkey @ Mar 12th 2008 5:34PM
Wow was your comment pointless and beside the point, or what?
Dr. Stabbingworth @ Mar 12th 2008 5:57PM
Dammit!
ssuk @ Mar 12th 2008 7:33PM
Sounds kinda cool, I'm a big fan of spy stories and action RPGs. The mixture should be interesting.
ScallionN @ Mar 13th 2008 4:43AM
The big question I have is whether or not you'll be able to be in a fun, government-sanctioned torture minigame in a secret prison in the Caribbean.
"Press the right and left triggers to half-drown your victim until he confesses! But don't drown him too much or kill him, or you might get a finger wagged at you back home in the states!"
Ben Karl @ Mar 13th 2008 7:53PM
We got our Game Informers today and the mag is totally missing the cover feature story. Seriously, the page numbers jump from like 24 to 46. And pages 8-24 are repeated - major printing error! Has anyone else had this problem?