The skills did remind me of Mass Effect, assuming those little marks in some of the boxes are where you open up other skills. I guess the dialog choices list looks a bit ME'ish but was ME the first to do that??
No, of course not. Mine was a mere ironic remark, in that I am hardly the first to point out the undeniably similar design elements of Mass Effect and Alpha Protocol.
Still, the tacking on of the whole skill-upgrade UI is taking it a bit far. With a side-by-side comparison, the derivation is glaringly obvious and does not bode well. After all, imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, but it also denotes a basic lack of originality.
That character screen style has been used in any number of games. The wheel is something BioWare-specific, although earlier games (like Deus Ex and Indigo Prophecy) did of course have (different looking) interfaces for "pick this and character will say something."
True, but the same could be said of almost any game featuring a dialogue-tree. That's akin to defending the difference in any GUI element: it's relatively useless.
Now, when it comes to elements such as the dialogue-wheel and specific aspects of the UI, such as the skill screen above, it's clear where the "inspiration" is coming from.
This may sound strange, but I'm actually more worried about the actual gameplay than RPG elements/writing...
Honestly, I could not agree more. Of course, where I am concerned, each of those are pivotal aspects of the "gameplay" itself. I don't mean to begin a debate concerning the semantic definition of "gameplay," now, just stating my perspective, and...
...Still, I'll certainly buy the game as soon as it's out and give it a spin. Hopefully, the gameplay turns out allright.
...I was with you up until this. For me, it's turned out to be a game I will demo/rent before making a decision.
Do it come as a suprise, that it look a little as mass effect, then they probely has bought the engien from Bioware? The thing that is intersting in this game are the setting, not the engien. Further, I personal liked Mass Effect alot, so that only a good thing in my book.
Not at all, mate. The engine has nothing to do with the GUI at all. Not a thing. For that matter, Bioware does not own the licensing rights to the engine utilized in both ME and AP (the Unreal Engine 3), that would be Epic Games.
If the engine played any part in this, you'd see a similar appearance cropping up in every UE3 game, which includes, well,
all of these. That you don't only makes this worse.
I'm generally not negative
I just don't often like what developers put out these days, and I don't mind talking about it.
I think that sort of thing suits the Watch just fine.
Seconded, in every respect.
They're seemingly aping Mass Effect, and that's especially sad given this is Obsidian - which is one of the very last enthusiast semi-AAA houses left.
Now this is where my negativity stems from, at least in regards to Obsidian Entertainment. It can best be summed up in one phrase:
where do they get off?
Honestly, where does this fan-frenzy of adoration stem from? Thus far they have delivered a slew of buggy sub-par games, nothing more. What's worse, EVERY SINGLE ONE has been a rip-off of an earlier Bioware title. I don't know about you, mates, but I was hoping for more than "Bioware Junior" from these guys.
Take a moment to evaluate their track-record of released titles thus far and see what I mean:
* Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II ---
A buggy and unfinished followup to Bioware's KotoR.
* Neverwinter Nights 2 et al ---
A buggy followup to Bioware's NWN.
...wow, a little underwhelming isn't it? Hence comments in their defense, such as DArtagnan stating that they are "one of the very last enthusiast semi-AAA houses left" tends to raise my ire.
Enthusiast houses?
HOW?
What's more, their in-development projects only go further to prove my point:
* Alpha Protocol ---
Appears to be shaping up as a FPS/RPG-esque title, with emphasis on the action (which appears poorly implemented) and a "cinematic" feel, utilizing the UE3 engine and similar aesthetically to...you guessed it! Bioware's Mass Effect.
Then, adding insult to injury, we get their latest "major announcement" product:
* Fallout: New Vegas
Need I say more? ...yes.
No longer content to mimic one "major" studio any longer, are we, Obsidian? Must you sink so low as to dig through the relics of Bethesda's mainstream success as well?
[/RANT ENDS]
And that's my take on the whole sordid affair.
In short: I do not like Obsidian, as they have yet to produce anything truly unique, something that defines them as a studio. I have high-hopes, what with the caliber of their staff, but until they release something that is indistinguishably their own, something that screams "Proud Product of Original Thought, Courtesy of Obsidian Studios!" I just don't care.