Alpha Protocol - Preview @ Kotaku

Kotaku writes an odd preview of Alpha Protocol based on Sega's recent demonstrations, offering praise for the wide-ranging consequences but saying it doesn't "look" like an RPG. Here's a bizarre rationalisation for why Mass Effect looks more RPG:

It Doesn't Look Like A Role-Playing Game: At least the Mass Effect games are science fiction, which makes it possible that someone might mistake one of them for being a role-playing game, even though they look like shooters. Obsidian's Alpha Protocol, built like Mass Effect in the Unreal Engine 3 but set in the modern world of a James Bond or Jason Bourne sort of spy, really does look like a third-person shooter. I watched a Sega producer play part of one of the game's early levels during a demo of the title in New York City last week and it sure looked like he was playing a third-person machine-gun raid of a Middle Eastern military complex. I needed the producer to tell me that the size of the gun's targeting reticule was affected by some of the player-character's gun-oriented stats. I needed him to remind me that he was activating various earned perks that would, for example, briefly display enemy positions on a mini-map before needing to shut off for a cool-down period. In other words, I needed him to remind me of the underlying stat-based, RPG-ness of this game. It's not obvious at a glance.

More information.

I don't get that. So ME is a RPG (I do agree here) but Alpha Protocol is not? But they look the same - except one is set in the future and the other one is a spy game set in…now.

Well, if I like playing through AP as much as I liked playing through ME1 & 2 I don't give a damn if it's a shooter. Or a RPG. Or a third person rpg shooter look-a-like.

While its a braindead argument once you think about it, its nevertheless a very real problem for this game, I think. People come with preconceived notions when they hear "RPG" and for most that means "Fantasy" (still the most popular setting) a few less will also stomach "Space Opera" and "Post apocalypse" but no one will expect "Modern day espionage thriller". The curse of being innovative…

Well i dont understand the reasoning in the article.

ME2 plays just like a shooter to me, a very shooter ight i add, so if the preview is saying that AP is even less RPG like than ME2 then i wont even bother purchasing it.

He then compounds the problem by using Crackdown (an open world shooter) as a reference point. It seems like this is a very shooter-focused gamer trying to wrap his head around the fact that RPGs can take place in non-traditional settings. I'm surprised he didn't know about AP's unique setting, going into the preview — he seems to really be wrestling with wrapping his brain around the idea for the whole article. You'd think that previewers would know a little bit about the game they are previewing.

just like ME, Alpha Protocol is a shooter, with a few elements borrowed from RPG games. Just like there are RPG games with a few elements borrowed from other genres.

Originally Posted by wolfing
just like ME, Alpha Protocol is a shooter, with a few elements borrowed from RPG games. Just like there are RPG games with a few elements borrowed from other genres.

I see it the other way around. I don't think it's just a few RPG elements. From what I've read, Obsidian is building a very solid RPG, except in a realistic setting, with guns, hand-to-hand combat, and various mechanical devices taking the place of swords and magic. I don't think the RPG elements will be half as "streamlined" as they were in ME2.

Genre confusion aside, I am still frothing about the potential for this one …

Originally Posted by wolfing
just like ME, Alpha Protocol is a shooter, with a few elements borrowed from RPG games..

I think it's a bit premature to draw a conclusion like that. From what I've seen, AP looks to be a lot heavier on the role-playing aspects than ME.

Originally Posted by JDR13
I think it's a bit premature to draw a conclusion like that. From what I've seen, AP looks to be a lot heavier on the role-playing aspects than ME.

It looks like the PC is very customisable as in clothes/armour and weapons, but that is not necessarily RP.

I've not seen any screens or footage of the stats, and how one develops a character.

What we do know is that the game goes with the slogan "choice is your weapon", and that choices/consequences will be a very important part of the game. Also, it's being developed by Obsidian (ex-Black Isle), who only develop RPGs. When was the last time Chris Avellone, Feargus Urquhart and those guys worked on anything that wasn't an RPG.. ? Not sure whether or not Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was an RPG, as I never played it, but that's the only game I can come up.

Originally Posted by Maylander
Not sure whether or not Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance was an RPG, as I never played it, but that's the only game I can come up.

It was a D&D based action-RPG … not much in terms of choices, and limited classes, but very much a typical action-RPG but in a D&D setting.