Alpha protocol: worth playing?
- Thread starter Vault101
- Start date
The game is incredibly good. It got some bad reviews from some technical issues, but they've been blown way out of proportion. There is a little texture pop in and some weird collision issues but that's about it.
The story is your basic PMC trying to take over the world thing... not exactly a fantastic story or anything. But you meet lots of interesting characters, and your choices affect the rest of the story a lot more than any other game available (including the BioWare games.)
The gameplay is a ton of fun, and its where the game really shines. If you want to be a Jack Bauer type and go into every situation with an obnoxious pistol or assault rifle and beating the crap out of everybody and executing people after interrogations, you can. If you'd prefer to be the techie guy or the stealth guy, you can do those too.
I personally love being really really stealthy and choking/stabbing people to death. If I ever have to use a gun, its a suppressed pistol, and that's it.
It's likely pretty cheap for all platforms... I'd say take a chance and pick it up. Lots of fun.
The story is your basic PMC trying to take over the world thing... not exactly a fantastic story or anything. But you meet lots of interesting characters, and your choices affect the rest of the story a lot more than any other game available (including the BioWare games.)
The gameplay is a ton of fun, and its where the game really shines. If you want to be a Jack Bauer type and go into every situation with an obnoxious pistol or assault rifle and beating the crap out of everybody and executing people after interrogations, you can. If you'd prefer to be the techie guy or the stealth guy, you can do those too.
I personally love being really really stealthy and choking/stabbing people to death. If I ever have to use a gun, its a suppressed pistol, and that's it.
It's likely pretty cheap for all platforms... I'd say take a chance and pick it up. Lots of fun.
NO
I waited for the game for 8 months
And it was the biggest dissapointment ever. The combat was ME 2 clone (but in fairness not all 3rd person ARPG are ME 2 clones)
The RPG was pretty deep though, it wasn't you could be a sniper at lvl 1.
So heck maybe.....
BUT STILL NO
I waited for the game for 8 months
And it was the biggest dissapointment ever. The combat was ME 2 clone (but in fairness not all 3rd person ARPG are ME 2 clones)
The RPG was pretty deep though, it wasn't you could be a sniper at lvl 1.
So heck maybe.....
BUT STILL NO
First off, PC or Console version? If console, no don't bother.
If PC, read on:
1. An honest to god interactive story. Remember all those blurbs you read on the backs of other RPGs that claimed to have interactive stories and were bullshit? Yeah, AP don't play dat' shit. Your actions have consequences, change the story and the outcomes. This is super-duper true for the ending sequence. I won't spoil it though! Plus the game will tell you at the end of missions what your decisions were, and what effects might be. This makes it a bit easier in subsequent playthroughs to do things completely different.
2. The skill system is a bit wonky. You MUST specialize in some sort of gun, and at least 2 points into the tech tree (for added times on the minigames), otherwise there are points in the game that you will be F'd in the A.
3. Building off that, Stealth is broken. In the beginning it kinda sucks, near the end you are a nigh-unstoppable killing and stealth machine, except bosses, who dont care if you can stealth. Up to you whether this is good or bad.
4. The gameplay is like an odd cross between Splinter Cell, Mass Effect and an evolution of Deus Ex. Its primarily sneak oriented (though you can run and gun if you please), but you have activated abilities with cooldowns that allow you to do extra stuff either with your weapons or with special items like flashbangs or what have you.
PERSONALLY, I find it to be an excellent game and I've had a lot of fun with it (I've beaten it 3 times now), so if this sounds cool to you, I say pick it up.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
edit: Oops! Forgot to add, on the technical issues-
The reason why I ask console or PC in the beginning is because from everything I've read the console versions were marred by a lot of bugs and glitches, and Sega said no to Obsidian doing any patch support for them, so its probably still broken.
For PC, I played it on release day, and I only hit one bug, which is where if you wear certain kinds of hats with crazy hair, if you then take the hat off it will default you to the buzz cut hair, and you have to switch it back.
Only bug I hit in the whole damn thing, with 3 playthroughs.
So, keep that in mind.
If PC, read on:
1. An honest to god interactive story. Remember all those blurbs you read on the backs of other RPGs that claimed to have interactive stories and were bullshit? Yeah, AP don't play dat' shit. Your actions have consequences, change the story and the outcomes. This is super-duper true for the ending sequence. I won't spoil it though! Plus the game will tell you at the end of missions what your decisions were, and what effects might be. This makes it a bit easier in subsequent playthroughs to do things completely different.
2. The skill system is a bit wonky. You MUST specialize in some sort of gun, and at least 2 points into the tech tree (for added times on the minigames), otherwise there are points in the game that you will be F'd in the A.
3. Building off that, Stealth is broken. In the beginning it kinda sucks, near the end you are a nigh-unstoppable killing and stealth machine, except bosses, who dont care if you can stealth. Up to you whether this is good or bad.
4. The gameplay is like an odd cross between Splinter Cell, Mass Effect and an evolution of Deus Ex. Its primarily sneak oriented (though you can run and gun if you please), but you have activated abilities with cooldowns that allow you to do extra stuff either with your weapons or with special items like flashbangs or what have you.
PERSONALLY, I find it to be an excellent game and I've had a lot of fun with it (I've beaten it 3 times now), so if this sounds cool to you, I say pick it up.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
edit: Oops! Forgot to add, on the technical issues-
The reason why I ask console or PC in the beginning is because from everything I've read the console versions were marred by a lot of bugs and glitches, and Sega said no to Obsidian doing any patch support for them, so its probably still broken.
For PC, I played it on release day, and I only hit one bug, which is where if you wear certain kinds of hats with crazy hair, if you then take the hat off it will default you to the buzz cut hair, and you have to switch it back.
Only bug I hit in the whole damn thing, with 3 playthroughs.
So, keep that in mind.
I rather liked it. The one great downside that I would like to mention would be that the game is fairly poorly balanced in regard to character progression. Some specialisations are going to make the game immensely easier than others, while some can make progression all but impossible at some points.
It was fun. Especially if you want to be a Ponce. It was a fun distraction, the action is better than ME2, the story was kinda convoluted, noot as good as ME2. Not sure why we're using ME2 as a example but that other guy did it. Its a good stealth shooter RPG kinda thing. Fun but not a "good" game, for polish reasons. And as you level there are balance issues, but thats just you winning all the time.
Yes it's worth it. The character is a dick, but a likable dick nonetheless.
The technical issues: Graphics, detection, AI are not as big a problem as the reviewers have suggested. In terms of gameplay breaking glitches it actually has none. (at least in my playthroughs)
The "stealth" upgrade chain does break the game near the end though. And some boss fights necessitate the use of guns, making fights much harder if you have no skill in them.
The story really reacts to your choices, way more than any game I've played before, and the dialogue system is pretty good too, I like the fact that it doesn't give you much time to choose, much like a real conversation.
I'd say do it, if you don't like it, then return it, but at least try it.
The technical issues: Graphics, detection, AI are not as big a problem as the reviewers have suggested. In terms of gameplay breaking glitches it actually has none. (at least in my playthroughs)
The "stealth" upgrade chain does break the game near the end though. And some boss fights necessitate the use of guns, making fights much harder if you have no skill in them.
The story really reacts to your choices, way more than any game I've played before, and the dialogue system is pretty good too, I like the fact that it doesn't give you much time to choose, much like a real conversation.
I'd say do it, if you don't like it, then return it, but at least try it.
Hell yeah you should. Remember how Bioware/Bethesda hype up their games as being shaped by your choices? Well unlike those games, Alpha Protocol actually delivers on this promise. Its ridiculous at how much you can influence the story. Only other game where I've been this impressed with how your choices influence stuff is The Witcher. And to a lesser extent Fallout New Vegas.
As for other features, read what MisterShine said.
As for other features, read what MisterShine said.
Worth playing.Vault101 said:
First rule, play it as a stealth RPG. Your Stealth is vital to the game, your RPG elements are vital to your stealth.
Second rule, be patient to learn the game. It can seem a bit clumsy at first, but on my second play through I could melee every enemy in the game including bosses.
Third rule, shotguns and SMGs are useless unless you want to mess around.
Most people will say no but I thought it was at least worth the twelve hours I put into it. The only problems were graphics based, but COME ON? They are just graphics. The story is pretty much a classic spy story. The combat was cool if you go stealth instead of combat. And you actually impact the story, unlike any other RPG. If it says kill, you shoot the dude in the head, simple as that. Well worth a rent, if not a buy.
Alpha Protocol is a fucking mess.The Dialog system is well done but that's fucking it
Avoid this game and don't waste your money please
Avoid this game and don't waste your money please
Actually I was wondering this also, but it's a bit late now since I've already bought it. Still, when play.com have it on sale for £8 I'm not going to say no - found a load of excellent bargains in Jan sales this year, very pleased with myself.
I supposed my experience will be dictated by how many technical isues I encounter. I have the PS3 version if anyone has any experience with that.
Don't mean to hijack your topic Vault101
I supposed my experience will be dictated by how many technical isues I encounter. I have the PS3 version if anyone has any experience with that.
Don't mean to hijack your topic Vault101