Am I really just allowed to post reviews here? Oh sweet. *digs up her Splinter Cell: Conviction review* Oh wait. Too old. How about this one then?
Anyone know what to do with something that you really want to be good, but you just can't get yourself convinced that it actually is? Well, the Taffer doesn't. There she was, riding the high of her Splinter Cell obse--err, enthusiasm, when she remembered the recently released (and pre-purchased by her) title: Alpha Protocol [http://www.sega.com/alphaprotocol/us/index.php].
It's tagline: Your Weapon is Choice.
This Taffer here loves RPGs. She's a devoted customer and ever-pleased fan of BioWare, and she does feel a certain amount of adoration for Obsidian Entertainment, the makers of Alpha Protocol. So, her first choice was to get the game and give it that so called whirl.
Let's start with the good things. The excellent one first, actually. Yes, in this Taffers opinion there was a tiny detail standing out that would benefit other RPGs. Namely the dialogue system.
It's basically the Mass Effect one; a radial menu presents you with short to the point descriptions on the nature of your reply. Aggressive, Suave, Professional, etc... Though unlike Mass Effect (sans the interrupts in ME2), Alpha Protocol does not give you infinite time with your choice. So you're not going to stand there staring at the screen trying to ponder over your next step, while your conversation partner is patiently shoving his finger up his nose. No, you'll be wanting to pick quickly as the timer ticks out--and the result is a much more appealing and natural flow to the dialogue.
It was all rather well written too. Bits and pieces even made the Taffer laugh. Laughing is good.
All in all the interaction with characters was fairly well done. Between the briefings, debriefings, and the once in a while odd eMail to reply to, it felt believable enough, considering the situation Mister Agent Michael Thorton [http://www.tafferscape.com/vault/blog/2010/ap-thorton.jpg] finds himself in.
Which brings us around to the next good thing about Alpha Protocol. Cliche!
Wait, what? You are probably thinking. How is cliche any good? At any other day this Taffer might just agree, but in Alpha Protocol's case it was what gave the game its certain flair. It had everything you would expect from an RPG dealing with the close up and personal espionage setting (one that leaves out all the grit and adds all the flash).
From bugging your own governments' secret servers, to other secret organizations and their colorfull cast [http://www.tafferscape.com/vault/blog/2010/sis.jpg], to the crazy (and for the Taffer rather loveable) guy that says he's a secret agent but none is quite sure, to big explosions, conspiracies left right middle and centre, plot 'twists' and, of course, the women.
The womeeeeeeeen. Now this Taffer hates spoilers, but she'll tell you one thing:
Bad thing though about cliche is that it's easily predictable. Now the story wasn't half bad (this Taffer would say better than SC:C, please don't shoot her), and it was fairly smoothly executed too, but there was little room for plot twists that actually set mouths agape.
Right. So, we covered the good things. Now let's move on to the bad.
Gameplay. Oh. Right. Wait. There's one more good thing the Taffer has to mention; and it's actually a part of the gameplay (or skill system, for that matter). Your choices do not only reflect upon the outcome of a dialogue or certain bits and pieces of the story. They also influence your skill advancement. Being straight to the point, or being a playful little spy, will both yield different skills/perks---and so will different approaches to missions. A stealthy taffer, for example, will net himself stealthy perks. Can't really say anything negative about that--and this Taffer would actually like to see more of it in future games.
A'right. Bad thing: Gameplay.
... can we just leave it at that? There's just so much this Taffer could rant about here that she doesn't know where to start or where to stop. The invisibility button, for example. Being stealthy is fun, really. Figuring out patrol routes and slipping by your enemy, that's a thrill (for this Taffer)--but being given a skill that renders one invisible to the point of being able to dance naked in front of the enemy before punching them in the face is just.. just.. wrong.
It's not hard to figure out where they were coming from with this, it is an RPG after all. And classical RPGs have skills that carry out certain functions. HIPS is one of them, apparently. Though why dead or incapacitated unfriendlies would be able to turn themselves invisible as well (read: despawn) this Taffer doesn't quite get. Sure, it makes the taffing easier as the patrol coming by wont throw a hissyfit upon seeing one of their friends face-down, but... wait, we don't actually want that, right?
Anyways. The gameplay was what broke Alpha Protocol for this Taffer. She enjoyed following the missions, getting to know the support cast and sneaking about (without the HIPS button), but it was no real fun to actually play the game. Truth be told, she'd rather just hit up Archer and go infiltrate peoples faces with conveniently placed walls.
Conclusion:
Obsidian Entertainment gets brownie points for trying. They might not have managed to create the blend of Splinter Cell and Mass Effect that this Taffer would have liked, but they pulled off an interesting enough espionage RPG in their own style. It's a clean style, lacking the grit this Taffer is such a friend of, and it gave the game its own personality. Now its time for them to learn from their experience and give it another shot.
Anyone know what to do with something that you really want to be good, but you just can't get yourself convinced that it actually is? Well, the Taffer doesn't. There she was, riding the high of her Splinter Cell obse--err, enthusiasm, when she remembered the recently released (and pre-purchased by her) title: Alpha Protocol [http://www.sega.com/alphaprotocol/us/index.php].
It's tagline: Your Weapon is Choice.
This Taffer here loves RPGs. She's a devoted customer and ever-pleased fan of BioWare, and she does feel a certain amount of adoration for Obsidian Entertainment, the makers of Alpha Protocol. So, her first choice was to get the game and give it that so called whirl.
Let's start with the good things. The excellent one first, actually. Yes, in this Taffers opinion there was a tiny detail standing out that would benefit other RPGs. Namely the dialogue system.
It's basically the Mass Effect one; a radial menu presents you with short to the point descriptions on the nature of your reply. Aggressive, Suave, Professional, etc... Though unlike Mass Effect (sans the interrupts in ME2), Alpha Protocol does not give you infinite time with your choice. So you're not going to stand there staring at the screen trying to ponder over your next step, while your conversation partner is patiently shoving his finger up his nose. No, you'll be wanting to pick quickly as the timer ticks out--and the result is a much more appealing and natural flow to the dialogue.
It was all rather well written too. Bits and pieces even made the Taffer laugh. Laughing is good.
All in all the interaction with characters was fairly well done. Between the briefings, debriefings, and the once in a while odd eMail to reply to, it felt believable enough, considering the situation Mister Agent Michael Thorton [http://www.tafferscape.com/vault/blog/2010/ap-thorton.jpg] finds himself in.
Which brings us around to the next good thing about Alpha Protocol. Cliche!
Wait, what? You are probably thinking. How is cliche any good? At any other day this Taffer might just agree, but in Alpha Protocol's case it was what gave the game its certain flair. It had everything you would expect from an RPG dealing with the close up and personal espionage setting (one that leaves out all the grit and adds all the flash).
From bugging your own governments' secret servers, to other secret organizations and their colorfull cast [http://www.tafferscape.com/vault/blog/2010/sis.jpg], to the crazy (and for the Taffer rather loveable) guy that says he's a secret agent but none is quite sure, to big explosions, conspiracies left right middle and centre, plot 'twists' and, of course, the women.
The womeeeeeeeen. Now this Taffer hates spoilers, but she'll tell you one thing:
If you work the right angles Michael Thorton will be bedding most of the female support crew.
Bad thing though about cliche is that it's easily predictable. Now the story wasn't half bad (this Taffer would say better than SC:C, please don't shoot her), and it was fairly smoothly executed too, but there was little room for plot twists that actually set mouths agape.
Right. So, we covered the good things. Now let's move on to the bad.
Gameplay. Oh. Right. Wait. There's one more good thing the Taffer has to mention; and it's actually a part of the gameplay (or skill system, for that matter). Your choices do not only reflect upon the outcome of a dialogue or certain bits and pieces of the story. They also influence your skill advancement. Being straight to the point, or being a playful little spy, will both yield different skills/perks---and so will different approaches to missions. A stealthy taffer, for example, will net himself stealthy perks. Can't really say anything negative about that--and this Taffer would actually like to see more of it in future games.
A'right. Bad thing: Gameplay.
... can we just leave it at that? There's just so much this Taffer could rant about here that she doesn't know where to start or where to stop. The invisibility button, for example. Being stealthy is fun, really. Figuring out patrol routes and slipping by your enemy, that's a thrill (for this Taffer)--but being given a skill that renders one invisible to the point of being able to dance naked in front of the enemy before punching them in the face is just.. just.. wrong.
It's not hard to figure out where they were coming from with this, it is an RPG after all. And classical RPGs have skills that carry out certain functions. HIPS is one of them, apparently. Though why dead or incapacitated unfriendlies would be able to turn themselves invisible as well (read: despawn) this Taffer doesn't quite get. Sure, it makes the taffing easier as the patrol coming by wont throw a hissyfit upon seeing one of their friends face-down, but... wait, we don't actually want that, right?
Anyways. The gameplay was what broke Alpha Protocol for this Taffer. She enjoyed following the missions, getting to know the support cast and sneaking about (without the HIPS button), but it was no real fun to actually play the game. Truth be told, she'd rather just hit up Archer and go infiltrate peoples faces with conveniently placed walls.
Conclusion:
Obsidian Entertainment gets brownie points for trying. They might not have managed to create the blend of Splinter Cell and Mass Effect that this Taffer would have liked, but they pulled off an interesting enough espionage RPG in their own style. It's a clean style, lacking the grit this Taffer is such a friend of, and it gave the game its own personality. Now its time for them to learn from their experience and give it another shot.
