Revisiting Alpha Protocol

After slapping Alpha Protocol with a score of 4/10 at the end of their review in May, Bit-tech has returned to Alpha Protocol to find that Obsidian’s espionage RPG is a better experience than they originally thought. That’s not to say that they suddenly think it’s a masterpiece, though:

So, I have to tell you that Alpha Protocol is awful. It’s buggy, it’s broken, it’s not something I feel I, as a critic, can ever recommend that anybody ever play. That’s why this isn’t an apology I still agree with my original assessment.

Then again, I’ve been enjoying it an awful lot and, just as I originally hated Deus Ex because of it’s bastard first levels, I’ve come to love Alpha Protocol too. It’s smart, cool and interesting, with enough non-linearity built into it that I already know I’m going to play it again and again. I’ll probably play it straight again after I finished it next and, while I can’t recommend anyone ever play it, it surely won’t be too long until it shows up on some Steam sale or as some part of some ‘˜Pre-order X, get Alpha Protocol free!’ bundle, in which case I’d suggest you pick it up. You might, like me, be pleasantly surprised.