Alpha Protocol Preview

NowGamer attended a recent Alpha Protocol press event and has kicked up a preview based on their impressions – complete with commentary from associate producer Nathan Davis.

The most important thing that Davis wanted us to note is that Alpha Protocol is, despite the user-friendly interface, an RPG at heart, with mechanics of this genre governing every aspect on screen at all times. Before shooting at a target, for example, the reticule starts out quite large, showing that the chances of hitting an enemy are low. Hold the target in the scope, though, and the crosshair shrinks, increasing the chance you’ll hit the enemy. This doesn’t sound very exciting on paper, so, to put it another way, patience pays off. Still doesn’t do it for you? Shooting stuff is fun in Alpha Protocol, to liquefy it a smidge.

Should the moronic approach to delicate situations not really be your bag, however, the game is perfectly accustomed to stealth play. Whenever you level up, you get a total of 10 Advance Points to spend on Thorton, levelling up separate abilities like martial arts, machine gun usage and so on in blocks along a line, à la Mass Effect. Level up each skill enough, and an active skill becomes unlocked. One of the active skills for the machine gun is Bullet Storm, for example, where Mike unleashes a maelstrom of fire without having to reload.