Alpha Protocol E3 Preview

After two delays, it doesn’t look like Obsidian’s latest RPG release will be halted by another one. It has come a long way since the game was first revealed and it was in tip-top shape at the show floor. While it wasn’t playable, there were two displays with one player going for the clandestine route while the player next to him was going gung-ho commando.

 

Watching both play-throughs, the level design for the level that was shown seemed flexible for both playstyles, as the stealthy demonstrator was able to weave between patrols while taking down grunts discreetly when necessary, while the massively bearded commando practically screamed his way through everything with bullets and explosions.
 

     

 

Even with such un-RPG play mechanics, both the Sega and Obsidian reps emphasized that Alpha Protocol was first and foremost a RPG. Tough choices and impacting consequences are the key in any good RPG and even though this demo was largely demonstrating the mechanical side of the game, there were plenty of dialogue sequences that cropped up.

 

You can, for example, reroute a sketchy shipment and lie about what actually happened. The Sega rep did confirm that many of the major characters can be outright killed. Whether it’ll be the Fallout level of “you can kill every single dude ever” is up in the air. A dialogue choice included an option that was labeled as simply “Attack”. I begged and eventually demanded the Obsidian rep to punch that option before time was up, but he let off a wry chuckle and went on with his monotonous job of following the suave route for three straight days. Jerk. Even if he didn’t listen to my plea, there’s plenty of reasons to look forward to Alpha Protocol, with the biggest reason being the push-and-pull the game’s world has the potential to offer.