Alpha Protocol: A Review

Posted in Off Topic

I don't really know if anyone here has tried it, but it's going on my all star list of obscure games right next to Rising Zan and Deadly Premonition. I picked it up on the PS3 a week ago and beat it over my rental.

Graphics: 3/5
I'd like to say they're a 4 out of 5 because of personal taste, but the game look like a launch title in terms of current gen. They are very old school and colorful, I have to say that made me really happy and it felt like a game... not a sim, but man, it felt like I'd popped in a good old fashioned fictional lump of fun. The faces are well animated, the enviroments are fun to look at, and there's only a few issues of polygonal tearing. It does however look dated, so firmly a 3 out of 5.

Gameplay: 4/5
This is where I really wanted to just go, WTF?! Not because of my points, but what reviewers said. They called it a glitchy fest of shooting with crappy AI. Well you know what, it is! Just really not as much so as reviewers would say. The AI can be sluggish, but at times they're very effective, more so than I liked, at killing me senseless. Now you will fun into the occassional retard AI, but it's forgiveable. As for the shooting, that's where this proves it's an RPG and not a shooter. It's very very stat based when it comes to the damage you do, and that can be really satisfying if you liked KOTOR 1 and 2.

Story: 5/5
I don't want to spoil this, but the game has a great story, at least the 2 I played. I did a "good" playthrough and a "bad" playthrough. I put it in quotes because it really feels morally gray, you don't truly know how your choices will play out, and in fact the game can take HUGE deviations depending on your choices. It's really the shining point of this game.

Overall: 4/5

It's fun, it's different, and by jove it feels like a game. It's selling kinda mediocre right now though, so I'm advising you to wait like I am for the price drop.