Poll: Human Revolution or Alpha Protocol? (With a twist)

[RuralGamer]

As the line-up of worthy games this year seems rather limited (i.e. Mass Effect 3 and only Mass Effect 3... (and maybe Far Cry 3, if it doesn't share the game-breaking issues of 2)), I'm considering investing in an RPG I've not played.
So far, the two main contenders are those stated in the title, but I'm open to suggestions.

There are however, a few rules to this;
1) It can't be *too* old, i.e. it has to be less than five years old.
2) It can't be a Bioware or Bethesda game, because I've pretty much played their entire RPG back-catalogues to death.
3) You have to criticise it as much as possible, whilst simultaneously recommending it. (this is entirely for humour and discussion value)

To clarify, I have a PC and Xbox, so anything playable on either medium. Games that have replayability and take a while (i.e. can't be completed in a day first try) would be best.

 

[everythingbeeps]

Have you played all the JRPGs? Or do you not play those? I gotta believe that if you're even considering playing Alpha Protocol, it means you've already played literally everything else.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Why not both?

AP crops up constantly in sales for $2-5. There's no reason why you can't play both it AND Human Revolutions, unless you're horribly short on time.

 

[ParadiseOnceLost]

I'll go with HR becuase I just bought it off of amazon. I am still waiting to have it delivered, so I can't critisize it. I am really just looking for a way to justify my purchase hope it is not in vain (please don't suck)

 

[Iwata]

I LOVED the new Deus Ex, and it was easily my GotY for 2011.

That said, I am also of the opinion that Alpha Protocol is a vastly underrated game that is quite a lot of fun, and gives you plenty of options.

But in the end, if they're stacked against each other, it's always going to be Deus Ex.

 

[GiantRaven]

Alpha Protocol has a better story, and more interesting characters.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution has more engaging gameplay and a much nicer aesthetic.

Both have negative areas but overall both are fantastic games.

 

[octafish]

If you prefer your choices to actually mean something and a game you can replay many times, then Alpha Protocol. The protagonist can come across as an arsehole, but believe it or not he kind of grows on you. Combat is iffy and heavily skewed towards stealth which can be brutal at first.It is also one of those games where character skill affects ability and some people can't handle that. Apparently it is buggy, but I never had a problem on PC. It is frequently so cheap on Steam that I have bought it again just so I can play without discs.

The dialogue also represents the three JBs, no not Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, and Bootsy Collins, but James Bond (suave) Jason Bourne (professional) and Jack Bauer (aggressive). Is it any wonder that picking any option other than professional results in the protagonist being an arsehole?

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I haven't played either of them, so I can't choose. However, as an alternate suggestion, I'd say go last gen and grab Knights of the Old Republic 2 off of Amazon. Or just play New Vegas.

 

[The Madman]

Alpha Protocol does some things extremely well (choice and consequence, character development, dialogue, story) but other things terribly, terribly wrong (Gameplay is mediocre at best, stealth is stupid.) so if you're looking for an rpg to roleplay in and are willing to look past some flaws it's a good choice. Dirt cheap these days as well which is nice!

Deus Ex: Human Revolution does everything pretty well, but doesn't really excel in any way either. For all its talk of choice there really isn't much of a difference between one playthrough and the next and the story kinda falls apart near the end. Still the gameplay is surprisingly tight and it's certainly a fun play. Can't think of anything it really did badly other than the abysmal boss fights, but Alpha Protocol has those too, go figure!

Honestly I'd just say both. Human Revolution is still pretty expensive in most places but you can pick you Alpha Protocol for less than a helping of fries so why not give it a shot? That said if you want the best of these sorts of games that would be Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines in my opinion, which blows both of the above out of the water for a number of reasons.

 

[Smiley Face]

Most of the important things have already been said. Both are excellent, get both - I got Alpha Protocol, new, for $5. Worth so much more. Deus Ex is also totally worth what you pay for it.

I just (last week) played Alpha Protocol for the first time. The story was FUN, the dialogue is made even better by the addition of a timer. Deus Ex's story is a little obvious and at times just not all that good, and doesn't suck you in, and while dialogue is interesing, and challenging (one of the better systems I've seen), it crops up very occasionally and isn't integral to the gameplay.

The gameplay of the two is the biggest difference - AP is 3rd person, better for stealth, DE is first person, better for shooting. DE has lots of free-roam sections where you can discover sidequests, but you go from big mission to big mission linearly. Alpha Protocol's individual missions are linear, and without freeroam, but you can choose to do them in whatever order you like, pretty much. DE's combat is in line with your standard shooters, AP's takes some getting used to, but it isn't as essential to use as it is in DE - playing a stealth specialist is FUN.

So yeah, get both. And if you're playing AP, my advice is to avoid walkthroughs if you can for your first playthrough, because there are some plot twists and consequences of actions that it's better not to see coming. If you're playing DE stealthily, try and get your hands on a Revolver and Exploding Rounds to use for boss fights.

If you had to, had to, HAD TO pick only one, I'd say they're evenly matched and it depends on your own personal tastes.

EDIT: One thing I forgot - replay value. Alpha Protocol has it IN SPADES, because things can go so many different and interesting ways. Deus Ex does not, because the story and gameplay are pretty static throughout.