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| Preview - Alpha Black Zero: Intrepid Protocol |
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| by Jason "Rodzilla" Rodzik |
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| Posted on January 21, 2004 |
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Preview system: AMD Athlon 2600+ / nVidia GeForce 3 DDR / 512 MB PC2700 RAM / Sound Blaster Live! / Windows XP Pro
From the moment the first screenshots were released, back when the game was still just a mod with an unsure future known as nothing more than Living Sword, this game certainly stood out. Nearly two years later, I'm pleased to be able to say that Alpha Black Zero does indeed stand out from the crowd. Using Croteam's Serious Sam Engine, Khaeon has managed to develop what could turn out to be one of the more interesting, fun, and unexpected games of 2004, and is currently on track for a February/March release date.
The level I was able to play in the preview version was Part One of the Dark Citadel map, a map set about half-way through the full game which features a large outdoor landscape with a spherical building in the middle that needs to be infiltrated. Before being inserted into the mission, the game briefs you on your objectives and you are given a selection of three different weapons loadouts for your squad: stealth, standard, and heavy. These different loadouts allow you to play the game as you please, whether you choose to play it as a full-blown action game, a tactical shooter, or a stealth game.
The stealth loadout is, obviously, best suited to the mission plans of those who wish to sneak around the level, and outfits you and your squad with mostly silenced weapons. The standard loadout includes assault rifles, a sniper rifle, and some heavy weapons, a well-rounded selection of the weapons available to you. Also, as the name suggests, the heavy loadout outfits your squad with heavy assault weapons, including the powerful snub rifle. Once you have selected your weapons loadout, the game begins.
You play the role of Kyle Hardlaw, the commander of your five-man squad codenamed Alpha Black Zero, and you are charged with mass murder by a military court. As you play through the missions, you are playing through the events as they are being described to the court by Hardlaw. As the commander of your squad, you are able to issue various orders such as telling squadmates to hold their position or regroup. One of the more key aspects of commanding your squad is the ability to assign three different firing modes to squadmates. The return fire mode is the basic mode of fire in which as enemies are spotted and fire upon the Alpha Black Zero unit, your squad returns fire, while precision fire mode conserves ammo as your squad takes its time acquiring their targets, aiming, and firing.
If you select suppressive fire, however, your men will unleash hell on the enemies they encounter. This is one area where the AI implemented in the game comes in to play. Issuing the suppressive fire order to your squad can unleash such a firestorm on the enemy that they will actually turn tail and flee from your team. Were you to only have your squad return fire or fire with precision, a prolonged firefight in which your squad takes more damage would likely occur. In addition to issuing orders, you are also able to take control of any one of your five squadmates. Instead of being outfitted with five or so different guns on your player, you effectively switch guns by switching which team member you are currently controlling.
On the topic of the AI in the game, the actions of both the enemy troops and your own men are excellent. At the basic level, if an enemy grenade lands near your squad, your men will seek cover, as will the enemy should they encounter a grenade. Both sides use appropriate cover when firing, including taking advantage of any foliage in the vicinity. However, the AI goes beyond this, and even on the normal difficulty level, I was surprised on numerous occasions by enemy tactics. In one instance, I had my squad positioned on a hill overlooking a valley. We picked off a few enemy targets in the valley and on the other side, and proceeded onward. Right when we were at the lowest point, several enemy units opened fire from atop the cliffs surrounding the valley, and several more approached from in front of us.
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