Alpha Protocol Review

Alpha Protocol is an espionage RPG where the only weapon that players have is choice. Similar to games like Mass Effect, the decisions that players make throughout have a huge impact on how the story turns out. It’s all up to the player whether the characters in the game will be your friend or foe. After facing many delays, Alpha Protocol is finally here, but the real question is: was it worth the wait?

Alpha Protocol was originally scheduled to be released on October 27, 2009. Due to unexpected circumstances—namely glitches and bugs—the developer pushed the game back several months. Did the delay allow the developer to handle the game’s problems and make it a superb title? Although Alpha Protocol plays like Mass Effect, is it right to compare them? Let’s take a look at the HOTs and NOTs of the game.

HOT

Rookie Agent Gone Rogue
For players familiar with the Jason Bourne movies or the recently concluded series 24, Alpha Protocol’s story will seem similar. Both Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer go rogue at a certain point in their respective roles. In Alpha Protocol, Agent Michael Thorton goes rogue after a failed mission that led to a jetliner being shot down by a terrorist. It is now the mission of Agent Thorton to find out the mysteries that surround the terrorist attack and uncover the conspiracy that will clear his name. With the help of another agent from the undercover agency called Alpha Protocol, Agent Thorton travels the globe—from Rome and Moscow to Taipei, and Saudi Arabia—in order to clear his name and save the world before bedtime.

RPG Elements in the Game
Alpha Protocol is a third-person action RPG. Throughout his mission, Agent Thorton will travel the world and uncover the conspiracy behind the attack on the jetliner. The base of operations is a series of safe houses scattered across the globe, each of which allows players to purchase equipment, armor, and weaponry. In every mission, players will be given several objectives. Completing any of the objectives will reward players with experience points that allow Agent Thorton to level-up. Every time a player gains a level, an AP will be rewarded where skills can be bought. Similar to Mass Effect, players can use active skills that will prove advantageous to Agent Thorton in his quest to thwart the terrorist. There are a lot of skills that players can teach Thorton, from expertise with assault rifles, health increase, a bullet-time skill when using pistols, and many more.

In addition in obtaining experience after a mission objective is completed, there is also another way to obtain more experience points. Before starting a mission, players can go through the shop terminal in the safe house and buy Intel. The Intel that is bought will unlock a bonus objective that gives a decent amount of experience points when completed. Purchasing weapons requires money, and the only way to obtain money is by finding it in every mission that the player goes through. An icon will be displayed indicating that it’s something to pick up. Another way to obtain money is to sell the items that you acquire on a mission.

Make Choices
The big thing about Alpha Protocol is how every decision the player makes will have consequences that will effect h9w the rest of the game is played. Although this is not a new feature, Alpha Protocol utilizes it very well and players can expect a lot of different endings based on their decisions. Killing one guy from the previous mission will have an effect on the next mission. Players will have to go through the game at least twice to see all of the possibilities. Similar to Mass Effect, there are characters that Thorton will fall in love with. It is possible for Thorton to have a romantic scene in the game, although good choices are necessary in order for love to bloom.

Fun Mini-Games
In Alpha Protocol, expect to encounter lots of fun mini games. Although picking locks and hacking computers can sometimes be a pain if a player doesn’t know what they’re doing, these sequences can be enjoyable with patience and composure. When it comes to picking locks, a player must put the right pressure on the left trigger to pick the lock. Failing to do so will cause an alarm to go off and enemies will try to flank you. In addition to lock picking, players can also hack computers, which involves searching for a specific set of numbers and letters to match a list of scrambled images. These kinds of mini-games add to the challenge of the game and make it that much more enjoyable.

Multiple Playthroughs
Alpha Protocol is not a game where you can be satisfied by just playing it one time. To fully experience the game, I recommend playing through it twice. There are a lot of possible endings available. Players can kill a terrorist and see what the outcome will be or let them escape to see the consequences. I myself have played the game twice and this is where the game truly shines. Alpha Protocol can be finished in 12 hours under normal difficulty. Although it is short, the multiple endings and solid game play will have players returning for more.

NOT

Horrible Presentation & Bad AI
The worst thing about Alpha Protocol is the graphical glitches that the game has. Players should expect to experience screen-tearing, enemies flying off in the air, lagging graphics. Remember how Mass Effect had a pop-in problem in terms of graphics? Expect the same in Alpha Protocol. The graphics of the game are somewhat dated. If Alpha had been released a couple of years ago, it might have been said that it had the best graphics to date. However, comparing it to the graphics of RPGs released this year—e.g. Final Fantasy XIII, Mass Effect 2, and Dragon Age Origins—Alpha Protocol comes up short. At times the game appears unfinished due to its many glitches and technical issues.

To make a successful and challenging action game, it must have decent AI. In Alpha Protocol, oftentimes the enemy AI is bad. Players can see enemies shooting at nothing and sometimes they will just go right through you without even firing a shot. For people that are playing on normal mode, expect to breeze through the game without any worries of getting killed.

Lame Battle System
Another complaint that I have for Alpha Protocol is the mediocre battle system. It is obvious that the battle system of Alpha Protocol is heavily influenced by Mass Effect. Shooting enemies in Alpha Protocol can be a pain in the ass because when a player shoots, there are times that the shot doesn’t hit enemies for some reason. There is a skill that can stop time and allow the player’s pistol to shoot twice while aiming it at an enemy’s weakest point, which is the head. Since this is an RPG, players can’t use the same pistol from the very beginning. A player must keep on upgrading their weapons if they want to be powerful enough during a firefight. Unfortunately, this means that players will end up spending precious dollars to upgrade a weapon, only to find it inadequate in the next mission.

In times that there is no ammunition to be found, a player has no choice but to do melee attacks. When Thorton does Melee, players will notice that he is only limited to one combo. Expect to see Thorton do the same combination of punches and kicks over and over again. Another way to execute attacks is through a stealth kill. It is advisable that a player do this if possible, as it will not raise any alarms. But since the AI and the battle system are both flawed, it is almost impossible to perform a stealth kill.

VERDICT

Obsidian’s Alpha Protocol is mediocre at best. It could have been good if the issues found in the game, such as the horrible AI and technical problems, were fixed. As a reviewer, I believe that the game is still in the beta stage. It is flawed and unpolished and I wonder why the game was released this way. If players can get past the horrible technical difficulties and poor enemy AI, it can be a fun game. Just remember that the only weapon that you will have is CHOICE. Make a choice that you will not regret, as this game is $60. If a player decides to buy it, play it twice or else the gem of the game won’t be seen. It’s not as good as Mass Effect 2 but it’s good enough for anyone who wants a story similar to the spy action movies that you’ve been watching.

[Editor’s Note:Alpha Protocol was reviewed on a PlayStation 3 platform. The game was played to completion and was provided by the publisher. Played the game on Recruit and Veteran mode under Hard difficulty.]