[This is the second part of a three-part article, to start at the beginning, click here.]
After the entertaining ourselves with an impromptu demolition derby right outside the Police Department, we were informed by a pop-up message that we suddenly had an objective.
We followed the HUD indicator across town to a lock-up. Interacting with the scenery saw my character, LongBus, take some pictures of the door, which apparently revealed a clue. The location of our objective was revealed along with the announcement that a group of criminal PCs would now be working against us.
Hands Off Our Objective, Dirtbag
Suddenly, a glimmer of the genius of APB Reloaded was revealed.
As we rushed from objective to objective, with the knowledge a group of players from the opposing Criminal faction would be pursuing their objectives in direct opposition to us. Our team of three enforcers sped to the address indicated and a quick forced entry saw us obtain a bag of evidence which needed to be delivered to a third location. However it was the inbound criminal gang’s objective to intercept us.
My team-mate, LongJack, drove me across town to the drop-off point as I kept my eye out for incoming perps, but we arrived at our destination without trouble. I dashed from the car and hopped over a fence into the alley where my objective lay. Suddenly, there was a burst of gunfire and I was downed mere metres from fulfilling my purpose. The Criminals had been laying in wait.
What then took place was our repeated attempts to besiege the position but simply being gunned down at every turn. It was frustrating and eventually the time ticked down and we were informed we had failed the mission. Oh well, it was still an exhilarating experience, even if we’d been woeful. I politely offered a “gg” (good game) in local chat, only for one of the opposition to reply with a dismissive “lol, you sucked”. A harsh but fair assessment, I suppose.
Brutal Customs
Attempting several more such missions mostly found us meet with an equal lack of success. Although the car chases and gunfights were entertaining, there was an element of frustration to the experience too with a slightly awkward combat system, a degree of repetition and a lack of polish. It also felt as if there was little that could be done against entrenched opposition; In APB, he who defends wins, it seems.
We explored some other elements of APB Reloaded too, investigating the social district where an impressive level of customisation was evident. Personalised tattoos and decals for clothing and vehicles could be designed and there was even a music studio allowing the creation of your own theme tunes, which can apparently be heard by others playing on your car radio or when they have been killed by you.
Next Page: Part Three – On Parole
APB Reloaded Playtest Index:
BESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswy
BESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswy
BESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswy
BESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswy
BESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswy
BESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswyBESbswy
- APB Reloaded (Part One) – An MMO with a Bad Attitude
- APB Reloaded (Part Two) – Group PvP Genius
- Playtest: APB Reloaded (Part Three) – On Parole
