RandomNPC – Video Game RPG Reviews, Editorials, and Features

It has been said – by me, using that phrase to mask that it was me saying it – that the gaming industry is where good dreams go to die horrible deaths. Less hyperbolic (and more true) is that sometimes a developer’s pet idea just had to go if the game was to see the light of day; at times, the game had to become something else entirely. Come on in and let us discuss some rather noteworthy examples, and see what they say about our hobby-slash-industry. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll find out someone was in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky that you were not expecting. I bet you can’t guess! Continue reading ‘NPCast 17: Cut Content – Keeping the Dream Alive’ »

Choice is a popular gaming buzzword, typically code for “you can save the village or burn it down.” Rare is the game that gets a handle on the important part of choice, that being consequences; your actions mattering in the long run. Enter Alpha Protocol, Obsidian’s espionage-themed action RPG that boldly declares choice to be your weapon in the murky depths of modern geopolitics. Let’s make one thing very clear at the onset: there is something genuinely compelling about how the story here unfolds, and in that Obsidian has definitely succeeded where so many others failed. However, the cost appears to be a sense of identity, as if the game got so wrapped up in varying sources of spy fiction that it never really decided what it wanted to be. Continue reading ‘Alpha Protocol – Staff Review’ »

SEGA announced a new release date for Alpha Protocol today via its blog. The espionage RPG will be released on June 1 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. SEGA also announced that anyone who pre-orders the game from Gamestop will receive the Exclusive Assault Pack, which includes special weapons and ammo.

Spy RPG Alpha Protocol has chosen to remain in hiding for a while longer. Though the game was originally supposed to be released this fall, the release date listed on its official site has been changed to Spring 2010.

In an interview with VideoGamer.com, Obsidian programming producer Nathan Davis revealed that the developer’s upcoming spy RPG Alpha Protocol will have “tasteful” and “satisfying” sex scenes. The player will be able to choose between a number of possible romantic partners with each having an effect on the game’s ending. Davis emphasized that there will be no interactivity or frontal nudity.

North American players will see for themselves when they get their hands on Alpha Protocol this fall.

Source: VideoGamer.com

Sega had a big booth, full of shiny games, and among them was Alpha Protocol. While I didn’t get to see much of the plot, I definitely saw the battle system. It plays much like a mixture of Mass Effect and Metal Gear Solid, with stealth playing a major role in combat. Players can also utilize a number of special abilities, including offensive, defensive, and passive skills. Two were highlighted on the show floor. One cloaked your player, and the other allowed for multiple enemies to be killed in rapid succession. Continue reading ‘Alpha Protocol Impression’ »

Got a big hearty media update for you all. Part of this balanced breakfast and a good source of calcium (with milk). This time around: Blood of Bahamut, Alpha Protocol, Crimson Gem Saga, Disgaea 2 PSP, Dokapon Journey, Dragon Quest IX, Lord of Vermillion, A Witch’s Tale, and Ys Online: Call of Solum. Continue reading ‘Mass Screenshots, Artwork, Boxart’ »

Sega’s taken the plunge this week and announced release dates for two upcoming RPGs. Valkyria Chronicles for the PlayStation 3 will be landing on North American shores in November while Alpha Protocol, announced for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, is expected in February 2009.
Continue reading ‘Sega Goes Wild With Release Dates’ »