Alpha Protocol Reviews

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Written by BuckGB on June 5th, 2010

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Few compliments aside, there's not much I can find in this game that warrants a recommendation. In fact, I advise you to avoid it all together. The only reason why I've completed it, is because I enjoyed taking various paths through an intriguing narrative, simultaneously shaping my own plot. Otherwise, the whole thing is a major downer, with flawed combat, dreadful AI and bugs of all sorts. It's a technical shambles, overshadowing an excellent concept pathetically executed.

It's a shame really, as personally, I really began to enjoy Alpha Protocol from the midpoint onwards. However, it doesn't take a silhouetted cigar-smoking, panther-stroking mastermind to deduce that this title has very limited appeal to those gamers who aren't with the realm of RPG enthusiasts. Sure, if you have a vast amount of patience or a passion of espionage, you may find your money's worth, but the more casual gamer should approach with moderate caution.

Alpha Protocol has the basic characteristics that make Western RPG's so appealing - character customization, branching storylines, and genre-bending combat. Its execution of these principles is very clumsy, though. It's shocking to see such a raw game from a studio as experienced in the genre as Obsidian.

It's all just ridiculous and the whole (espionage) faction of the game is a joke. I really wanted this game to be great, because I felt that it could've been like the next (Deus Ex) of this generation. Hopefully the developers will learn from this mistake and improve in the sequel. All in all, it'd be an OK rental, but the price tag is far too much for the quality and effort put into it.

If players can look past Alpha Protocol's imperfections, they'll discover a gratifying journey filled with double-crosses, outrageous conspiracies, and an intriguing cast of characters. Look past these weaknesses, and you'll uncover a title that begs for several playthroughs, as the game's beauty isn't found within its action or its visuals, but rather buried in its stunning intricacy.

Alpha Protocol features some innovative ideas that work really well and the (power of choice) is apparent throughout the whole game and the ability to decide the fate of the majority of the game's characters is a really nice touch and gives a real sense of immersion and importance to the player. The whole game is fairly customizable in terms of your character and you can choose whether to be a stealthy agent or a trigger happy gunman. On paper, the game seems like a winning formula for a great RPG experience but the shoddy combat mechanics and a less than interesting cast really hold the game back from greatness. I recommend skipping Alpha Protocol unless you can pick it up cheaply or rent the game.

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