Alpha Protocol Reviews

Just when I started to think that I had rounded up all of the weekend’s new Alpha Protocol reviews, I found another batch to sift through…

The Escapist gives it a 2/5:

Any enjoyment you get from indulging in the RPG aspects of Alpha Protocol is utterly ruined by the pointlessness of its action. You can customize your weaponry all day long, but it doesn’t really matter what you actually bring with you into a fight. The entire point of playing a spy game is to feel like you’re overcoming insurmountable odds by being smarter, better equipped, or just plain more skilled than those opposing you, but you never really get that chance in Alpha Protocol. Assuming you don’t run face-first into a glitch, you’ll still be bored and frustrated by combat that should be exciting and challenging.

PopMatters gives it an 8/10:

In some sense, Alpha Protocol seems like the game that Heavy Rain wanted to be. However, the game is not just a web of choices, like a high tech reinvention of a Choose Your Own Adventure book. It also has some familiar gameplay elements like combat, stealth, and mini-games built on top of this more complicated narrative structure. While the game suffers at times from some balancing issues (boss fights are wickedly difficult at lower levels, then become laughably simple as Thorton grows in power), these elements become more enjoyable as new skills are added through the character development system and you begin getting a sense of the type of agent you are playing. Ultimately though, Alpha Protocol’˜s strength is in its approach to conversation. As a simulation of artful political rhetoric and the complexities of the outcome of personal and political interaction, it feels truly fresh and innovative.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun doesn’t hand out a score:

It’s not a game about being a spy. It’s a game about being an international mercenary, who single-handedly cleans out cities of their baddies, while sometimes placing a bug. It’s not a brilliant game, but it’s one packed with imagination and inspired ideas.

Telegraph.co.uk gives it a 4/10:

So Alpha Protocol is a game about choices and consequences. It’s also a vehicle for ropy combat, infuriating minigames and seducing every woman who glances your way. It’s a harrowing tale of ambition which far exceeds its boundaries, of broken promises and broken game mechanics. Characters drift in and out of Thorton’s story as swiftly as enemies drift in and out of the scenery. It’s a fleeting glimpse of something great, mired in frustration and disappointment. It’s a game in which you’re free to choose your own path, as long as you’re prepared for an arduous hike and don’t stray too far off the safety of the trail. And in the end, just as all paths lead to the same destination, my thoughts always arrive at the same conclusion: This deserved to be so much better.

And The Koalition gives it a 6/10:

When it comes down to it, I applaud Obsidian for trying something new. They had a fantastic vision that could have been a masterpiece. But it is clear that Obsidian was unable to deliver in the end. Lately details have emerged that there were some internal issues during the development of this title, which is likely the reason the game fell short of reaching its true potential. At any rate, Alpha Protocol is an acceptable game to pick up for someone for a different type of shooter. With so much competition, Alpha Protocol will find its way into the bargain bin in no time. If there was ever a game I want to be taken off of the shelves and taken back to the developers to be completely re-made, it would be Alpha Protocol. I feel that Obsidian would undeniably do the game justice the second time around, but for now Alpha Protocol will serve as a reminder of what could have been.