Customer Reviews

Alpha Protocol

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I love this game. It is the closest thing to a next gen Deus Ex we are going to get (and I'm not talking about Invisible War which was a huge letdown). The game does have flaws but the RPG aspects are handled very well. Do not expect a shooter with RPG elements. This is an RPG, period, although one that plays like a stealth shooter. The closest game with a similar style is the Splinter Cell series. Combat doesn't handle as well and your ability to hit is entirely dependent on your skills (gun accuracy, recoil, and stability have a huge impact on this). The story is very much like the TV series Burn Notice and I bet the developers were influenced by it.

Your character is completely customizable although you cannot choose your name or gender (you are Michael Thorton -- sounds like Michael Westen). You don't get a lot of appearance choices either but the rest of the game is customizable. You can choose between spy, engineer, or a combat career that will define your skill specializations. Or you can choose to be a recruit (starts with less but is customizable and you can choose your specializations if you choose to become an operative after your first mission) or after beating the game you can play as a veteran with more skill points to start. You get skill points every time you level which allows you to add 2-3 ranks in your skills. New ranks do give you some nice active or passive abilities and most don't seem like they are wasted. For example, after 5 ranks in stealth your active ability Awareness (allows you to know the direction and facing of nearby enemies - invaluable for stealth) becomes passive and is always active. Also, you gain perks during the game based on how you talk to certain people, how you use gadgets and solve problems, as well as your combat results. These perks can improve your stealth abilities, reduce active skill cooldowns, give you bonus skill points or xp, or even allow you to carry more items with you.

Equipment is very customizable as well. You can equip one armor, two weapons, and at least 4 different gadgets (first aid, grenades, bombs, shock traps, etc) during each mission. Each weapon has 4 customizable slots (barrel, grip, frame, and accessory) that improve the capabilities of the weapon (damage, accuracy, recoil, stability, and clip size). There are 4 classes of weapons, pistol, SMG, assault rifle, and shotgun. Note that both the pistol and SMG are wildly inaccurate, especially early on and until you increase your weapon ranks. I chose to specialize in pistol and once you get about 8-10 ranks it becomes quite effective, especially when silenced or using the Chain Shot ability (time slows down and allows you to paint targets - Dead Eye meter essentially). There are different classes of armor (stealth, tactical, combat) and can have up to 4 modifiable slots. Armor is rated on endurance (regenerating armor value), damage reduction, sound dampening (4-5 is usually for stealth armors), upgrade slots (modifiable armor slots), and inventory space (number of gadgets you can carry beyond 4).

Equipment is purchased at an equipment clearinghouse (like an online merchant). The equipment available is dependent on your relations with different factions. You can also buy intel from here to improve your capabilities in upcoming missions or buy additional dossier information on particular factions or persons (building good dossiers helps in future missions as well as gives perks and helps you in understanding how to communicate with particular targets).

Missions are quite varied and your actions within them affect future missions. For example, you can choose to save a terrorist and have him help you with intel and money in the future. Some missions you can choose a different handler or have additional operatives help you (some require purchase from the intel clearinghouse). When talking to other operatives or targets and you need to reply a screen will show up that will allow you to choose your stance (suave, aggressive, professional) by selecting a particular button. You only get like 5 seconds to change what is initially selected. Your conversations have a great impact on who you're talking to and how the story plays out.

During a mission you will get multiple objectives to complete as well as complete any bonus objectives you encounter (some must be bought as intel from the clearinghouse). Sometimes you will have to choose how to proceed and this will affect how factions view you and will affect future missions. There are three minigames associated with electronic bypass keypads, computer hacking, and lockpicking. For electronic bypass you have to connect circuits in the appropriate order. For hacking you have to match two codes on a screen with randomizing characters (the ones you need to match are static). For lockpicking you have you use the analog shoulder button to apply the proper pressure before you set the pick. All of these are affected by your skill in sabotage and you can even get another try at high enough ranks so you don't trip an alarm if you fail.

After a mission you are given a brief on what you did, what effect your decisions will have on future missions, and how factions that were involved view you. You also get access to safehouses where you can view trophies of your conquests (usually from bosses), check your email (you can even reply to some of them using the same conversation scheme), or buy new equipment.

I won't go into details on the story but you are a new member of a black ops group called Alpha Protocol (if it's exposed the US disavows knowledge of the group - plausible deniability). Eventually, after a few missions, you are cut off and are deemed a rogue agent (Burn Notice anyone?) and are forced to make your own way. If you like political intrigue and espionage the story will be interesting but you may get bored if you don't.

I think I am about 60% done and I'm really enjoying this. If you love RPGs and loved the original Deus Ex or espionage thrillers like Burn Notice, Bourne Trilogy, etc. you will probably like this. If you prefer action games to RPGs this game will frustrate you (you can still miss even if you have an enemy in the reticle).

When Deus Ex was made by Ion Storm 10 years ago, Warren Specter created a new type of video game he titled "Immersive Sim". It uses RPG character creation and advancement and combines it with an action/adventure style gameplay. One of the main differences from regular action/adventure games being that your character's abilities play into how well you can perform a wide range of actions, even in combat. The System Shock series was a precursor to this type of game, but Deus Ex really perfected it. Additionally, you give the player multiple ways of advancing the story, not just through dialog options, but through where you go and what you do. Lastly, the story changes depending on your actions. Alpha Protocol is the first game I have seen this generation that continues the foundation that the Deus Ex series started. As a side note, it gives homage to Deus Ex with some allusions in the game.

The PS3 version of the game does lack the polish of AAA games like Uncharted 2 or Final Fantasy XIII. However, those games were or are PS3 developed exclusives that maximized use of the hardware. If this game were a PS3 exclusive I am sure it would be closer to that level of smoothness in texture rendering. Secondly, there are delays in some animations and screen load times which I imagine is because of a lack of time investment to utilize the PS3 hardware properly.

However, the successful execution of this type of gameplay has been sorely missed for many years, and the story and gameplay freedom you get from this game are top tier and overshadow any minor technical flaws. This game has a very high replay value as the story can change in so many substantial ways from how you initially build your character to the choices you make throughout. Your character may start out weak as in any game with skill progression, but by the second mission or so you will get the hang of the unique style of gameplay this game offers and you will experience an epiphany of how great this game is that will make it so you do not want to stop playing it.

i have played the game through and found it to be a lot of fun. i see at least three more runs on it to try and get everything. there are definitely issues with it .... the graphics are moderate at best ... the AI is limited .... but the dialogue choices and the effects of those choices is compelling. a friend played through it at the same time i did and we both got totally different endings. If you are on the fence i would say try it. it is NOT a fps .... nor is it a third person shooter (even thought it kind of feels like one) .... you have to remember that it is a RPG and you will have a lot of fun with it.

It's unbelievable as for what passes as great games these days. If it isn't pretty graphically, or doesn't allow you to just do what you want, it isn't good. I just recently purchase this game and to my delight, despite all the negativity that I have heard from it, I fell instantly in love with this game. I don't really write reviews but I wanted to share one for this game so here it is.

Graphics - I will say that I am not graphics junky like other people might be. When reading reveiws about these things from other websites, people kept comparing it to PS2 graphics. WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!!!!! Let's not forget that everything can't look like Uncharted. The graphics in this game are great. The cutscenes are well done. Your character's facial features really express the choices that you get to choose when in a conversation with someone. There is only 1 level that I can think of that things got a bit blurry, but no game is perfect. And people actually move their mouth to the words that they speak. One critique that was noted was how the animation looks when Mike (your character) is crouched. Please don't believe the hype. I have played games where the smallest details that should be looked at gets overlooked because of hype. It was not a detraction in all the hours that I spent playing this game.

Story - This is the most intricate part of the game and even most reviewers got it right. If you ever wanted to know what it was like to be a spy, this would be the game to play. Every decision you make, comes back at you full circle towards the end of the game regardless of the choice you make. Let me be clear and say that there is no Good/Evil choice in this game. When I say that, the lines are not clearly drawn in the sand. For example, and this is not a spoiler but an example, you can either choose to save a life, or save the lives of people in the area around you. It sounds easy but when you establish a relationship with the person, it becomes difficult. Those are the kind of choices that you have to make which turns the game into an instant replaable game. I just played through it for the first time and I was really upset due to the ending and what transpired. So I have to play again.

Gameplay - This is where it gets really interesting. The kind of upgrades, that the game gives you is really cool. It is still an RPG at heart in which you get to upgrade all of your spy skills. That means that hacking computers, using stealth, healing or using medicine, to being able to use handguns, rifles, and automatics weapons. The upgrades improve the play quality so much that it is up to how you played as to what you experience. If you are more about Splinter Cell stealth, it is possible. If you are about Call Of Duty balls to the wall, you can do that too. The game really makes strides to let you create your type of spy.

Overall I think that if you like RPG's and if you like the Spy genre, you should definitely check this game out. It has the pacing of 24, the grace of Jason Bourne, and the flow of a good spy thriller that rivals even the best Hollywood production. The only bad thing about this game is that Sega officially cancelled any further sequels regarding it. Hopefully, another studio can pick up the rights to it and continue it. Otherwise, you have one unique game that it going to be hard to find.

I am really confused as to why there are so many bad reviews for this game. It is fun, funny, and has good role playing. Most games with a choice system boil down to save the orphanage or burn the orphanage to the ground with the obvious repercussions. Alpha protocol has different options that result in a verity of outcomes. If it helps your understanding my two favorite games are Mass Effect and knights of the old Republic and I thought Alpha protocol was just as fun. Well worth the money.

This game is truly a diamond in the dirt. I think people paid to trash this game. It was obvious from the first minute of gameplay that the review experts were unfairly rating the game. This game is a beauty; it's no Heavenly Sword but it is graphically stunning and polished. I am a really hard person to please and it takes more than a flashy commercial and a bunch of fanboys to make me buy a game. Alpha Protocol is everything you thought it would be minus the haters. It's a conspiracy. - Ritchie " King of Ypsilanti" Knox

I can't possibly explain why this game is getting such mixed reviews, it is one of the best I've played in years. A perfect balance between Socom-type stealth/weaponry and very creative espionage missions. The computer hacking/lock picking/alarm deactivating in this game were very well thought out and very rewarding when done properly. The variety of weapons is amazing, and each one has advantages and disadvantages depending on the mission type. There are some levels that you can run and gun your way through, but some where you will be killed in seconds if you try that approach.

Your decisions during conversations impact the game play more than on just a superficial level, and the decisions are never obvious as in games like Fallout III. Overall, I believe any gamer should give this one a rental. If you're not caught up within ten minutes you may never be, so it's a quick assessment. I was swept away after the first mission. The only reason I didn't award five stars was due to some AI stupidity (I played on normal though, not difficult). Some enemy soldiers are very intelligent and some are mindless zombies, it's nice to keep you on your toes but the stupid ones sometimes run right passed you and not see you standing there. I imagine on the difficult setting this wouldn't happen. But it really evens out b/c the intelligent guards will sometimes shoot at you and sometimes bum rush you and beat the heck out of you.

Overall, great game and definitely a huge step forward in espionage gaming.

I always try and read why people either love or hate a game. The complaints about the game seem a little to negative. I bought the game from a recommendation from a friend and found myself truly loving this game. The bad guys do know where you are and aiming your gun can be a little difficult if you are far away from your enemy. I think the graphics are good and the voice acting is very well done. In the game you meet up with a lot of characters and must choose what to say during the cinema scenes to make the person either like you or hate you. Once you get used to the hacking and lock picking tasks, then the game becomes that much more enjoyable. It's a great game from start to finish. In my opinion Sega has done a much better job making games ever since they stop making consoles. Great game overall. Hopefully there will be a sequel.

First, this game is neither an RPG or a shooter, but it is closer to an RPG.

PROS:
Fun game to play and your dialog choices DO actually make a difference.
There typically isn't a "wrong" answer. Many RPG's punish you harshly for the "wrong" answer. With AP, you get good and bad things happen to you with most any answer, so there actually isn't a right or wrong answer. This was my problem with Mass Effect. Sure, you could play it how you wanted, but if you didn't play it the "intended" way, you were severely punished.
To the complaints about stealth and poor shooting. Like an RPG, you need to spend skill points on stealth and shooting to be better at it. Also, what you wear makes a HUGE difference in stealth. It is very hard to sneak up on someone wearing combat armor, but in street clothes, you can practically run around all you want. I will say, I had to upgrade the pistol pretty much all the way before it became truly useful.
The mini-games were frustrating at first (actually just the hacking), but once you figure out that you can see the letters not moving and then move to it, it is easy. I got almost all of them on the first try after I figured it out.

CONS:
His crouched walk is just awful. Luckily, you get immersed in the game enough that you don't notice it all that much, but it is still annoying.
Glitchy - You can walk down an empty corridor only to have a guy pop up behind you, start shooting you, and then an alarm goes off. I played one level over, and the first 5 guards were not even there.
The main character's voice could have been better. He was very monotone through most of it. There were differences, although I thought they were too subtle.
Cover - The cover system is a bit broke in the game. Many times, I was in cover and could still be hit.
I also think that using gadgets from cover was too difficult. I should at least be able to got a vague idea of where I am throwing something without having to stand straight up like an idiot from cover.
I do agree with the one reviewer that what you choose for a mission doesn't make a big difference. I went through with ease with a silenced pistol the entire game.
You can't sell your old gear even though there is a sell button. So, you end up just eating a couple hundred thousand dollars.
The levels do tend to be a bit small and a bit linear, although not completely linear. You do have some options.


Overall, this game is close to a beta when it comes to its lack of polish, but they did spend time on the gameplay, and it is a very fun game if you enjoy stealth and RPG's.
It is one of those games that when you play it, you are very excited about what they will do on the next one because of all the potential.

I am enjoying this game so far.At first I found the mini-games a pain but got used to them.
I like the dialouge choices and found the graphics to be good.I like this game better than the Splinter Cell series.
The AI could be a little smarter but all in all not a bad game so far.Just be patient with the mini-games and other controls and you should enjoy the game.
Gun play is fun and I like being able to configure my gear for the mission.