Review- Alpha Protocol [PS3]

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

Released: 28^th May 2010

Other Formats: Xbox 360, PC

Alpha Protocol is a strange release, for sure. Originally pushed back from an October 2009 release, you'd have thought that the developer, Obsidian Entertainment, would have devoted all their time to refining their game with the triple-A layer of polish that modern gamers now take for granted. As it is, I only have to question Obsidian's true level of intent in favouring the continuation of the Fallout license in this year's New Vegas rather than devoting all it's weight to make this spy espionage RPG anything but lacklustre.

In using the Unreal Engine 3, famed for its cover system- but let down in other departments- it's perhaps not surprising to see a poor graphical edge, low-res textures, texture pop-in and severe drops in frame rate when the going gets tough. Granted, other developers can give sufficient power to the engine (Epic, as creators no less, have excellent experience), but in perhaps devoting more time to other parts of the game, Obsidian seem to have forgotten that the HD crowd demand unquestionable graphical fidelity.

However, good games aren't made through great graphics and neither are bad graphics a decider of poor games. First off, I applaud Obsidian for trying something different in what can be a very staid RPG genre- the spy/ espionage take is certainly unique and interesting, and could have been a fertile ground to craft an almost Sam Fisher-like stealth actioner. As it is, however, playing as one of the most generic protagonists imaginable in Hollywood's most over-used of storyline- the government stitch-up, will give you little room for empathy with Obsidian's efforts. You play as Agent Michael Thorton whom is sent to Saudi Arabia to assassinate leader 'Shaheed'. It isn't giving too much away by informing you that a major plot twist occurs as Thorton is listed as a threat to his country, on a mission to track down those responsible for the cover-up. Extremely passable and throwaway, the poor dialogue and dull and wooden delivery do little to flesh out the character's at the centre of the game's story. Instead, the intended intent seems to amount to blasting from Intel message through to mission objectives, only so that the poor plot can be leaped through in the quickest way possible. Sadly very much passable with relation to its narrative thread, Alpha Protocol wishes to give me confidence in other aspects of its design...

The much vaunted cover system provides the ground at which AP's combat system plays out. Very much frustrating in its final form, the switch into cover is acceptable enough, although leaping from cover to cover (or over cover) isn't an option, which could have been a great design choice within its stealth-orientated game design where avoiding the gaze of onlookers is key. Elsewhere, weapons feel underpowered from the get go and are frustratingly underwhelming. This is slightly evened out however through the application of upgrades, additional perks and skills. The latter, skills, are a great addition and play a similar role to Mass Effect's 'powers'- giving a significant advantage when used, whether it be through slowing down time, or giving weapons an increased damage percentage. But whilst the skills go some way to alleviating the game's first problems, the guns on their own still feel severely lacklustre and poor. It makes me question the intent of Obsidian, whether they felt so inclined to push forward the stealth aspect of the game that they wanted the player to feel under-powered when forced into combat elswhere. Perhaps if the stealth mechanic wasn't utterly useless, then this might have been a good design choice. As it is, the cover mechanics and frustrating AI mean that stealth is very rarely a genuine option and thus, Alpha Protocol fails in its lofty ambition. It's almost as though the developer almost realised the poor implementation of their key mechanic, however, since the melee system is often the most powerful way to often dispatch your enemies- on more than one occasion I'd simply leg it to the nearest foe (in Thorton's hilarious 'slow-motion in fast-forward' running animation) and rapidly tapping 'Circle' to beat the clichéd enemy types to death- hardly the way Obsidian would have imagined it, surely. If you do decide to take the stealth option, you'll be tasked to avoid detection from camera's, monitoring enemy patterns and crouching to silently take out guards from behind. Fail to do so, and waves of enemies will be forced onto your position with the alarm blasting its way through the speakers, only deactivated through one of few mini-games, mentioned later. The way that weapons can be customised (such as adding a silencer, at the detriment of accuracy, for example) is a nice touch, giving player's the ability to try out a number of different tactics, suiting their style of play with what the game provides.

As much as I have trouble with the key fundamentals of the game design, however, I often found missions satisfying and enjoyable to play through, to which I have no idea why. Whether it have been through the quick switching of objectives, or the sense of reward when picking up upgrades or money (for some reason, people leave thousands of dollars around the place!), the game gets significantly better as the player gets more powerful- where experimenting with different skills and weapons is where the most fun can be had. It's hard not to question the sheer lack of ambition on behalf of the team nonetheless when every level feels like a carbon-copy of the one that came previously, corridor after corridor, office after office, that players rarely have the chance to escape the grey, dull omnipresence of corporate government office space. Yes, unfortunately, the game is poorly enveloped in a linear state of design, and extremely hackneyed in its attempt at anything different.

Whilst being stat-heavy and driven by upgradeable skill points, specialization integration and the like, Alpha Protocol still feels very subdued in delivering a full RPG game. The mission hubs or 'safe houses' are dull and lifeless, with little justification for their use. In fact, there is so little to do in the game outside of the unnervingly clunky and irksome menus that it surprised me how comparisons to the likes of Mass Effect came up regularly on its arrival. Other than the “complex dialogue system” that requires the player to push a button based on a specific input towards the conversation in timed circumstances (such as “aggressive” or “suave”), there is actually little to invite such comparisons. You won't be getting the swanky camera angles and cinematic flair that Mass Effect boasted, for example. It's also a shame to point out that the 'choices' that Alpha Protocol pushes at the player have neither the weight or impact or similar choices within Bioware's brilliant sci-fi epic. It's something that Obsidian have failed to achieve, giving player's so little character and personality to draw from that you'll instead be oh-so-tempted to skip entire cut-scenes with a press of the right trigger, than actually sit through the drawl.

The extension of gadgets and unique abilities propels it into the spy/espionage world nicely, with gadgets ranging from flash grenades to EMP blasts that hack through security terminals (otherwise unlocked through brief mini-games). Although I didn't use gadgets nearly as much as I would have expected too, they can be used in a sufficient manner- if you really thought about it that is, where tactical use of which would probably allow smooth transitions through levels. The aforementioned mini-games comprise of a “computer hack”- finding static code within a matrix, turning off alarms and security doors (a kind of 'match the wire to the number' mini-game) and lock picking (holding the left trigger until the lock glows and fixing the position). Awarding XP on successful attempts, I felt all were simple enough and nicely integrated.

I feel a responsibility to also mention the frustrating technical issues that severely detriment the game as a whole, breaking any thrilling action that can be given on rare occasions within the experience. Regularly fluctuated by graphical glitches, irritating bugs and poor AI design, in one mission I was lambasted all at once with a whole courtyard of dumb AI opponents (re spawning upon dying, no less), bugs every which way I looked, with a mission objective to save a government official who kept walking straight into the middle of said yard, right into the line of fire. Sufficient to say, my controller was lucky to see the light of another day, as I retried time and time and time again.

As it is, I really can not recommend Alpha Protocol, which is a shame because, as you can tell in my preview, I was justifiably optimistic at what such a game could have given. Here's hoping that Obsidian give the excellent Fallout license just deserve and deliver on New Vegas where Alpha Protocol failed to shine. Hopefully, this was a blip in what ought to be a great year for Obsidian as a developer, please let that be the case.

Review- Bayonetta [PS3]

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Platinum Games

Released: 8^th January 2010

Other Formats: Xbox 360

There are few games that boast such over-the-top action and outlandish characters than Bayonetta, an action brawler with a sexed up, shape-shifting witch as protagonist that kills with her hair- right then... From its opening moments of awe-inspiring action, the pace simply never lets up. This is a game with set piece after glorious, gruesome set piece, and enough boss iteration and flair to sink some of the best that the combo-action brawler genre has to deliver.

The vivid, colourful art style and natural beauty that irradiates from every nuance of its design lend a suitable platform to the visuals- a deft mix of motion blurred colour swipes and beautiful back-drops with more visual flourishes than a Zack Snyder movie. From the stark purple hue that overlays the screen as the “bullet time” mechanic is introduced (a result of a last-minute dodge that reduces time to a stand-still, giving apt time for combo glory!) to the ferocious, kinetic cinematics present within its cut scenes. The comic book aesthetic, with the use of still film cells, helping to further propel its narrative and character interaction- amongst which, love interest “Luka”, rival “Jeanne”, and distinct arch-enemy “Balder”, all adding gravitas to the somewhat confusing and largely ignorable story. The music also does its utmost best to match the gorgeous visuals- a blend of arcade-inspired musical twangs and synth-pop backing tracks laying foundations to the brutal, yet sassy action on display.

The team at Platinum Games can be applauded in crafting a dynamic assault on the 3D action brawler of old, delivering enough variety to keep the pace of the game consistent within its 10-hour or so play through. The suitably stunning and epic boss battles (each of which are memorable and differentiated from each other to keep things feeling fresh and exciting and finished in the suitably titled “Climax” QTE), have been dealt in accordance in bringing a grandiose template to the experience that could otherwise have felt disparagingly alike to others within the crowded genre. Sublime in both scale and design, Bayonetta's bountiful grace juxtaposes the vicious bestial creatures at her behest perfectly. The Devil May Cry- like combo action that forms the might of the game is some of the most fluid and intense I have ever played, with Bayonetta's agility ensuring game play feels smooth, frantic and undeniably fun whilst also providing enough complexity for the most hardcore of gamers to enjoy. The many different combos, mixing ranged (from Bayonetta's choice of angelic-slaughtering guns) to close-quarters melee, each complex in their own right, requiring players to hold buttons for longer amounts of time in different combo nuances. The action is also rich in variety, in the addition of the short animated trinkets of “brutal moves” that deliver a devilish blow to enemy forces. The ability to test your mettle in the over-long loading screens, (in which button presses relay into a presenting of a specified combo), means such extended lulls from the main game are a suitable proving ground in refining technique or learning new attacks and is a brilliant addition, showing the developer is more than willing to put in that little extra effort for a slight digression from what could have been the usual 'Did you Know?' screens we've all seen time and time again. It's a promise also shown in the game's variety of design- the changing environments, from the urban city of Vigrid, to the volcanic catacombs that infuse the religious imagery at the center of the game and the combo action infused with puzzles and explosive vehicular sections, ensuring the pace never lets its foot of the accelerator- only helped by the smooth curve of new abilities provided, and in-game combat choices available (a variety of weapons unlocked with collectible, golden LP's).

In what feels at times like an arcade game, only helped along by its musical influences and multiplier, score-based design (awards are given on the completion of each “verse” within each chapter, ranging from stone to the highs of “pure platinum”), Bayonetta boasts sex, style and an abundance in opportunities to show off (delivered in Bayonetta's seductive poses to camera). The breathtaking set piece sequences are also some of the best that the genre has to offer players. It's a shame then, that the ability to control the camera is slow and sluggish, and at times frustrating in controlling the action. The story is also distinctly poor and underwhelming, led along by brilliant personalities and stylish action, nonetheless. It's a game I can't help but recommend for all the right reasons- a combat system that is refined and effective, explosive action, and an intriguing and fresh angle to the post of protagonist, worthy of its plaudits that was greeted upon its arrival.

Preview- Alpha Protocol

Released: 28^th May 2010

Format: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment

Publisher: Sega

In the surrounding hype of Rockstar's wild west epic Red Dead Redemption, its easy to forget that other games are indeed also laid out for us on the release calendar, vying for a 'dead-eye' split second of our attention. In one of the busiest months of releases thus far in the year, Obsidian Entertainment's Alpha Protocol has, rightly or wrongly, been struggling to get us gamer's just as excited for this spy/espionage RPG that they would perhaps crave.

In a genre that seems more strongly attached to fantasy from the likes of Fable and Oblivion, but with the likes of Bethesda (Fallout 3) and Bioware (Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2) showing in abundance that this needn't be the case, it's with high hopes that I look towards the latest game from the developer that brought us KOTOR II and Neverwinter Nights 2, along with the 'is it/isn't it' sequel Fallout: New Vegas- out later this year.

Originally announced way back in 2006, Alpha Protocol, which was initially destined for a late October 2009 release, but since pushed back to the current 28^th May 2010, is a third-person action RPG set in the murky world of CIA operative Michael Thorton who is on the run from the US government following a botched mission, and on the road to uncover a secret conspiracy...

OK, the set-up is straight from Hollywood and yes, we've seen it played out from the Jason Bourne's and Jack Bauer's of the world time and time again, but as a game, it provides ample ground for guns, gadgets and sophisticated game play. In addition to the expected gun-play, hand to hand combat and use of advanced gadgetry, the player will also have use of added “action elements”- 10 skills that can be upgraded throughout the game in traditional role-playing fashion, that can range from improving accuracy to a 'slow-down' action, akin to Splinter Cell's “mark and execute”. The dialogue system (or DSS- “dialogue stance system”) is also at the forefront of the experience, with all conversations happening in real-time and requiring timed player input at key “decision points” that will no doubt alter progression throughout your investigation. Choosing from any one of three “stances” (that are effectively different attitudes taken towards the conversation; suave, professional or aggressive), players will also have the Mass Effect 2 ability to end the conversation abruptly in an “action” choice that are available at specific moments. Such conversation's will shape the game differently for each player, and choices made here will have effects that may or may not be immediately apparent, but ultimately having a dynamic impact on the rest of the plot-line. Combat is also given the same freedom of choice; load-outs are selected before each mission from the vast array of weaponry and gadgetry on offer which means stealth is just as much an option for more reserved players than the all-out 'run-and-gun' type! Weapons can also be customised to suit such encounters as well as appearance of the main character if you believe a gruff moustache will somehow give extra bravado to your actions!

With real-world hub cities including Rome, Taipei and Moscow to enjoy and the world of spy espionage to uncover, I'm eager to escape the dusty plains of the wild west for a few days to soak in this very different experience. The name's Bon...Oh, wait. Alpha Protocol.

Click here for my review of the game.