APB Reloaded (Part One)

Editor's Note:
Even though my PC is currently wrecked, my HDD isn't...and thus there's still some captured game data from the time before it died on me left in the comp.

And since there's data, I reckon why not just tie up the loose ends and have some sort of a closure, right? Therefore, I've decided to push on with whatever I have left and will leave the decision of what to do next till after this.

This next game that I'm gonna feature is a slightly old one...probably about four years old...called "APB Reloaded" (currently still found on GamersFirst).

It is sort of a "free and easy" third person shooter kind of game...so much so that you can just create your character, join in a battle and start running around shooting.

But you won't get good at it unless you learn the game and its mechanics though.

And from what I could tell playing it, the game feels a tad bit like when I was playing those "open-ended" games, such as "Grand Theft Auto", where you get to run around a cityscape filled with NPCs walking and driving all over the place.

However, its not exactly all the same though. APB Reloaded appears to have more of an emphasis on the ability to customize your character and what you own/use. To express your own uniqueness and style (I believe).

So if your interested in this type of gameplay, why not follow me and see what this game's all about?

The Download
Downloading of the game client is a bit quirky I must say.

Initially, upon first starting the GamersFirst's download manager, I was prompted to download some client about the size of 4.5 GB or so.

Which was fine and seems typical, right?

However, after just getting to around merely 400 to 500 MB of client data retrieved, I was suddenly hit with an installation window of some sort.

And as I follow through with the installation, I encountered some kind of "error"...but was strangely enough...yet still allowed to continue with the game's installation.

It was only after I've tried running the game instead...that I found out about the huge follow-up "update" worth around 5.32 GB in filesize.

Thankfully though, by just forcibly continuing with the patch, things will eventually sort itself out and the game appears to run just fine thereafter.

As of this post, the entire game folder currently sits at about 6.3 GB.

Character Creation
Overall, the creation of a character is quite simple, I believe.

There's only three stages to it.

However, the part on the customization of how your character looks may be a little bit overwhelming for a first-timer though (owing to the many choices/options that you are being provided with).

Faction

This stage of character creation allows you to choose between being a "Criminal" or an "Enforcer" in the city of San Paro.

Upon the (temporary) selection of either, you will be given a general idea behind the "story" of this game as well as a "faction propaganda" video clip to watch.

But as far as this is concerned, your faction choice here will only affect the kind of activities that you will be taking part in whilst in the game.

Criminal

• Ram-raid shops and mug pedestrians for quick cash
  
• Make a big noise or try to stay below the radar
  
• Cause mayhem in the city through vandalism, arson, robbery and bombings
  

Enforcer

• Patrol the streets and apprehend criminals (caught in the act) for cash bounties
  
• Go after criminal celebrities or track down those who hide in the shadows
  
• Bring criminals to justice through investigations, raids and arrests
  

And perhaps some minor "restrictions" to clothing and weapons.

Surely you shouldn't expect that a criminal be allowed to wear a deputy's or sheriff's badge right?

Likewise, being a criminal, would you even need or want to use non-lethal "stun guns"?

Character Customization
For this stage of character creation, players are given two ways to make their in-game avatar.

The "Quick Mode", which is there to give impatient players a rapid way of creating some character for themselves...just to enter the game as fast as possible.

And an "Advanced Mode", that offers you more features and options to tweak your character and make it more individualized...and in the way that you would want it to be.

I would suggest that you spend more time to get your avatar right the first time...rather than waste precious in-game money to alter it later on.

You can use the quick mode as a stepping board or template first to get the rough features of your character right...and then enter the advanced mode to customize it further.

For the "Advanced Mode", though it might seem complex at first...actually becomes surprisingly easy (to grasp) if you'ld just break it up into individual sections (like as shown above).

The main category gives you a list of features that you can customize (for your avatar). The sub category goes into the finer details for each of the main category's.

The options provide the overall "variety" for the selected main and sub category...stuff that you can't quite control...like different hairstyles, shape of eyebrows, iris colors and makeup patterns.

And finally, the variable hand allows for more subtle control over those features...such as the length of your hair (which side is longer and which side is shorter), the relative position of your facial features (eyes, nose, mouth, ears) as well as their sizes, your character's weight and height, your skin tone and the amount of freckles that you have.

This variable hand, if active, can be moved like a slider either vertically, horizontally or in both (but can never move outside the confines of those four brackets).

If you'ld only just take the time to explore, there is definitely plenty of stuff that you can do to your character here.

Do note that at this stage, your customizations only involve your character's overall physical appearance and not the clothings or accessories that you will be wearing.

Those needs to be unlocked by playing the game and can be performed by visiting the social district (which will be dealt with in a later article).

Naming And World Selection

As far as this stage of character creation goes, all you need is to name your character and choose a server that has the least ping for you (to ensure best lagless enjoyment).

Next: APB Reloaded (Part Two)

Posted in: APB Reloaded