Alpha Protocol Interview

Alpha Protocol executive producer Chris Parker and lead designer Chris Avellone answer two pages of questions about the spy-themed RPG in a new interview on 1UP.

1UP: Can you talk a bit about the combat system — what does it feel like moment to moment?

CP: You play in a third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, running around behind [protagonist agent Mike Thorton]. Your most direct form of combat is with guns, and there are four different gun types, each with their own unique upgrades and so forth. Each of the gun types has a different “personality” that complements different play styles; the pistol is an elegant weapon that can be very quiet, the shotgun would be a room-clearing weapon, while the sub-machinegun is also a room-clearer, and the assault rifle is more of a soldier’s weapon. The gunplay works a lot like other shooters.

Or you can use close-quarters combat; you can stealth up to someone and do a silent kill like in a Splinter Cell, or just pummel people in hand-to-hand combat. Or use traps and grenades — there’s a lot of different options available to you. On top of those basic options, you gain special abilities, which are basically modern-day versions of spells. For example, with the submachinegun you can do a Bullet Storm, which basically does a ton of extra damage for a limited time. You don’t even have to worry about reloading, so that’d be one way to quickly clear a room of guys by using an ability. You have a lot of options for the player, but at its base, you have a traditional third-person over-the-shoulder action game where you have a choice as to how you take on most of your enemies.