It may lack polish, but Alpha Protocol is one of the most underrated games of 2010.
User Rating: 8.5 | Alpha Protocol PC
Besides Splinter Cell, not many games have really dealt with the spy genre. Yes, there's James Bond games but those are licensed, not original. Now Obsidian Entertainment brings us Alpha Protocol for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Unfortunately, the game received mediocre reviews and a sequel is now out of the question. Sad really because this game is a diamond in the rough. There are polish and technical issues but underneath, it's an excellent, engrossing role playing experience. You are Michael Thorton, a new recruit of a shadowy covert ops organization known as Alpha Protocol who's sent in to deal with a terrorist group known as Al-Samad in the Middle East. However, he is betrayed by his own government and forced to go rogue. Now, with the help of his handler Mina Tang inside Alpha Protocol, he has to get to the bottom of this conspiracy and stop World War III. The story takes all the best elements of Jason Bourne, James Bond, and Jack Bauer and meshes them into one amazing tale. You'll travel the world, meet numerous characters with hidden agendas and make decisions that will have untold consequences. The dialogue system is inspired by Mass Effect in that you choose the tone of your answer and Thorton takes it from there. However, there's a twist, instead of sitting there thinking about what to say, you'll have a timer (about 6 seconds) to choose your answer, reflecting the real world where you'll have to think on your feet given the situation. It certainly creates some tense moments because a conversation could go anywhere. I think most reviewers made the mistake of believing this is an ACTION game with role-playing elements, when it's the other way around. It'll play like a third person shooter but the effectiveness of your weapons depends on what gear you have, the attachments, your current level, your perks, and what abilities you've chosen to focused on. So yea, even if you aim at the head when you're a level 2 character, you'll miss unless you're quite close. Customization in terms of appearance is limited but leveling up has plenty of options and you choose 3 pre-set specializations or go your own way and choose the ones you want to focus. Fulfilling certain tasks gains you perks like Fallout; they may provide discounts, net you XP, or make you more adept at stealth. This is Obsidian doing what they do best and it was really fun decking out my character. Mission structure is largely linear but you can buy intel using your funds that will either add a bonus objective or leave more ammo lying around. They may even leave only the weaker enemies for you to fight. However, enemy AI leaves a lot to be desired. Often times they may run in circles, rush you, and just stop dead in their tracks. Bosses amount to just having large health bars and feels imbalanced toward stealth characters. The visuals are rendered with Unreal Engine 3 though it offers mixed results. The graphics are adequate but the animations sometimes feel stiff or awkward. Audio is excellent and the voice acting, while not approaching Mass Effect, is still engaging. Originally, Alpha Protocol shipped with online activation with a CD-Key as DRM but this is now removed as of Patch 1.01. You won't need the disc to play but the install is pretty big as the game comes on 2 DVDs. Alpha Protocol has its flaws but it is an amazing role-playing experience. It may lack BioWare's polish but if you're an RPG lover, you owe it to yourself to try this game and it will be the ONLY game in the series thanks to low sales. And I was all looking forward to romancing Sis in the sequel....
