Alpha Protocol: trying to keep it nice.

RATING: 3/ 10
PLATFORM: PS3, XBOX 360
GENRE: Action RPG
RATED: Mature
PURCHASE RECOMMENDATION: Pass up (unless its on the bargain rack)

SUMMARY: I have the privilege of working in the game industry so I know first hand how hard it is to make a successful game. With that said I am going to try and be nice on Alpha Protocol. Alpha Protocol is a collection of great ideas wrapped in clunky gameplay and poor execution.

THE GOOD: Everyone enjoys being a spy so who would not enjoy playing a spy. Alpha Protocol places you in a typical spy situation with typical weapons and skills. At first typical might seem like a bad thing but in reality it helps with the immersion of the game. This combine with the amazing dialogue selection system leaves you really feeling like a spy during conversations. The satisfaction of being able to make choices that directly effect gameplay in a meaningful way is simply delightful. Also when the melee combat worked as designed it was loads of fun.

THE BAD: Bugs oh so many bugs. Ultimately I shipped the game back to gamefly after the game full on crashed my Ps3 for the second time in 30 minutes. I am not completely sure if Obsidian needed more time or what but overall the game simply was not ready to hit the market. Gameplay did not stand up to the concept of being a spy. With a poor camera and slow responding controls I felt like an average guy out of place not a super spy in his element. Enemies constantly got the jump on me and absorbed to many shoots. Name the last James Bond movie in which an average grunt got the jump on Bond or lasted beyond one shot. Alpha Protocol levels take everything away from customizing your character and making the game an actual RPG. If you are going to make a game that encourages customization in combat strategy you better make levels that support all possible strategies. Alpha Protocol forces stealth combatants to deal with alarms that are always trigger and brute combatants often must sneak around to stand a chance. In short Alpha Protocol just confuses the player by not being consistent in what they promised.

THE CONCLUSION: I give props to obsidian for creating an original IP that had potential. Unfortunately they just did not make the cut and with original IPs you rarely get a second chance. The main lesson to learn from Alpha Protocol is that level design must incorporate and follow your game philosophy.