Alpha Protocol Review:

[Dirt Cheap Video Games]

For everything Alpha Protocol does right, it does an equal (or
greater) amount of things wrong. The oft-delayed "Espionage RPG," from
Obsidian Entertainment, was released on June 1st for the Xbox 360,
Playstation 3, and PC. According to the developer, the game was
completed over six months ago. It's safe to say, though, that this is
not the case. Cynics might see an entirely flawed game, but not I. In
my playthrough, I realized I was playing a game that could have been
great if it were done up to the standards many believed Obsidian had
already established.

In Alpha Protocol, you play as secret agent Michael Thorton, an
average-looking guy who is prone to badassery (I don't care if that
isn't a word). Due to unfortunate circumstances...and missiles...you
are forced to go rogue. The agency you had worked for, Alpha Protocol,
initially believes you had died, but launches a manhunt when informed
otherwise. You must travel to and from safehouses in Saudi Arabia,
Taipei, and Russia among others, and complete missions, to uncover a
worldwide conspiracy.

Many developers claim that their games involve choices that have true
consequences. Few actually make it a reality. I can safely say
Obsidian has succeeded in bring this to Alpha Protocol. To incorporate
this into the game, the developers chose to include a conversation
system similar to that found in the Mass Effect games. They included a
twist, though, by only listing the emotion or action you wish to
display, such as "Aggressive," "Suave," or even "Execute" on occasion.
Each character, you converse with, will always favor one type of
stance, and it is important to take this into account. If you want a
character to like you always choose that which they favor, or if you
want someone to hate you there is a stance that will help your cause.
The system works insanely well and contributes to the fantastic story
(a very short story). Being smart with how you talk can lead you into
bed with a character, or cause you to put a bullet into their head.
Converse wisely.



The many flaws of the game would stand out more to a gamer who
appreciate gameplay (run-and-gun shooting in this case) over story and
character development. I, on the other hand, believe myself to be an
RPG aficionado (my favorite being Star Wars: Knights of the Old
Republic). Perhaps then this review is biased, but aren't all reviews?
Sue me then for forgiving Alpha Protocol in the gameplay department.
If you aren't a lover of great role-playing, you will find this game
to be atrocious.

The gameplay is a complete mess. The guns are insanely inaccurate
(especially at the onset), and running over to enemies and showing off
your kung fu repertoire is sadly often more efficient then firearms.
Please, unless you intend to have multiple playthroughs to get all the
achievements or trophies, use only the assault rifle. It is the most
accurate gun, though not by much. But accuracy is not always
necessary, as the enemy AI is horrendous. They are stricken with the
new disorder that makes you oblivious to anything and everything
(Alert Dr. House). Can patches fix AI? I really hope so, but no
patches have been announced thus far.

There is a phrase that is used to label those who focus to much on the
quality of a game's graphics. "Graphics Whores" would not enjoy Alpha
Protocol. It is 2010, and the likes of Mass Effect 2 and Uncharted 2
have graced our televisions with shear beauty, but that's not to say
all recent games have great graphics. Alpha Protocol, for the most
part, is an ugly duckling. Although it runs on the Unreal Engine 3,
that has made many masterpieces, the graphics are terribly
inconsistent. When textures aren't taking an eternity to load, they
are still simply ugly. Character models are not terrible, but far from
the quality we have seen before. Some of the safehouses you are sent
to, during the story, are decent-looking, but the ugly duckling
syndrome always remains apparent.

Alpha Protocol Review

Anyone who plays Alpha Protocol is destined to either love or hate the
game, as there doesn't appear to be much gray area. Stay away if you
don't share my love of RPGs, but if you do, the game has the potential
to be very memorable for you. Alpha Protocol could have been an RPG
that anyone could enjoy, but unfortunately the developers didn't help
it reach that level.

Pros:

+Great Story (Sex, violence, and twists...what more can you ask for?)

+Conversation system works well

+Vast consequences to your actions

+Many playthroughs needed to see everything

Cons:

-Rather short for an RPG (about 15 hours)

-Generally lousy graphics

-Horrendous Enemy AI

-Guns are terribly inaccurate and unbalanced

-Overpowered (and overeffective) melee



7 /10