Alpha Protocol (Game Review)

ALPHA PROTOCOL REVIEW

Imagine being immersed in the world of international espionage, facing betrayal around every corner and even backstabbing others on occasion. Welcome to the web of intrigue that is the heart of Alpha Protocol. From game developer Obsidian, whose short but impressive portfolio includes “Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords” and “Neverwinter Nights 2”. Both are role playing games set in the galaxies and fantasy worlds that are far far away from the world we live in. However, Obsidian has always succeeded in immersing gamers into their games with interesting stories and fantastic character interaction and Alpha Protocol is no different.

Alpha Protocol takes place in the semi-fictional present world of international espionage and terrorism. With you playing a pivotal character in the power struggles between the multitude of powerful clandestine organisations that shape world events behind a veil of secrecy. As Agent Micael Thorton, you are tasked to use whatever resources at your disposal to uncover and stop a devious plot to destabilise world politics. Though it sounds simple enough, the myriad of twists and turns in the story, plus the need to forge or break alliances with the various organisations and the people running them can lead to different consequences that may aid or hinder your progress. Aiding the players to guage how their relations with other parties fare is a Relationship scale from intense hatred (-1) to friendship (10), with ''0'' denoting a character with neutral disposition.

Of course, all spy thrillers also require intense gunfights, wooing pretty, capable and dangerous women, and Alpha Protocol also attempts to fulfill these two prerequisites. Unfortunately, in its haste to produce the game, Obsidian created an incomplete product riddled with software bugs that causes game ending events to occur, like getting stuck in walls while seeking cover in a firefight, causing your character to literally die standing or worst, not being able to proceed to the next portion of the game; forcing players to reload a previous save game and replay entire portions of the game. Firefights, especially the larger ones are prone to occasional jerkiness and game slowdowns, even on powerful game rigs, further reducing the impact of the immersive spy thriller storyline that Alpha Protocol boasts.

Alpha Protocol is indeed a decent game with an excellent story that rivals some of Tom Clancy's best action/political thrillers but inconsistent gameplay led to poor sales that may have ended a potentially enjoyable and lucrative interactive spy thriller that the gaming industry currently lacks.