Alpha Protocol Reviews

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Written by BuckGB on June 9th, 2010

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he game lasts as long as any self-respecting action RPG and even though there is no multiplayer option there is enough replay value thanks to the different character classes and the choices offered by the plot. Overall, Alpha Protocol is a fairly solid game; however there are certain areas where the developers could have done a lot better. Hacking mini-games can be a bit frustrating at times due to iffy controls, and enemy AI is seldom challenging. The game is also strewn with graphical artifacts that are even more common during cut-scenes. The cover system is inconsistent and even when it works it takes some getting used to. If I have to compare Alpha Protocol game-play with other games, I would say it's a mix of Mass Effect and Splinter Cell games. I feel than on the balance of things, there are enough points in the game to make up for the shortcomings.

Obsidian has clearly got the ability to produce really superb AAA titles but seems to lack the clout of their rival Bioware in terms of being able to say when a game is ready or not. The tragedy of Alpha Protocol is that, hidden behind the mass of technical failings is a superb action RPG bristling with choice and driven by some inspired storytelling. Each glimmer of hope that you see through the cracked venir of graphical glitches and all to regular system crashes will spur you to play your way through the game and maybe even try it again to explore some alternative character choices. Still, you will be haunted all the way by the game that could have been had Obsidian been given more time.

The way I see Alpha Protocol, is that it held a lot of promise and delivered it in spots. If you find this game in a bargain bin (you most likely will soon), you might want to give it a try. Don't expect a brilliant experience, but it stills delivers a mix of elements you won't find in any other game. And for that Obsidian should be commended, unfortunately I just didn't enjoy myself enough to issue this game a better score.

From a critical standpoint, I find myself returning to the aforementioned essay test allusion in so much as Alpha Protocol gets points from having its name on the box and some sort of data on the disc. The dialogue sequences may shift seamlessly as you make your choices, leading to somewhat different outcomes (one faction may ally with you while another becomes your adversary, and vice versa), but any skillful design qualities are muddled beneath a slog of shortcomings too many to list and too exasperating to warrant a suggestion of try-it-for-yourself.

The final word is that Alpha Protocol is a beautiful, but flawed, RPG title with insane amounts of choice. It is one of the best markers for replay value that I have seen in sometime. Especially if you consider the fact that this isn't just multiplayer with your friends replay, it's a desire to see how drastically different you can play out the story each time.

If there's one thing that is certain about Alpha Protocol, it's that you're going to have an opinion on it that at least one-third of gamers will disagree with. Ignore the RPG part and you might trade in the game after two hours; ignore the third-person shooter part and you might replay the game three times over. In short, it needs a sequel to get everything right. Look beyond its obvious faults and Alpha Protocol isn't frustratingly bad, but frustratingly good; that is, if you care to look that hard.

Alpha Protocol deserves a sequel to realise its potential and it could be the start if a great series, but as it stands it's a great idea let down by much of its basic mechanics and technical flaws, it's certainly not a bad game and it's one that should be considered when the price drops, all of this leads to its score which is decent enough, it may not go down as one of the greatest but it certainly has an addictive quality to it.

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