Alpha Protocol Retrospective Review

It has only been a little more than a year since Alpha Protocol’s release, but it’s apparently been enough time for GoozerNation to offer a look back at Obsidian Entertainment’s not-so-warmly-received espionage action-RPG, and they end up recommending the title for its current budget price. Here’s a sampling:

The easiest and most obvious comparison to Alpha Protocol is the Mass Effect series, and unfortunately that’s not the most fair comparison as the two games are unique enough.

Instead of taking place in the far-flung future in depths of outer space, or in a fantasy world filled with monsters and dragons, or the irradiated Nevada desert, Alpha Protocol takes place in a much more modern setting with spies.

Like most role-playing games, when crafting your character you can choose from a variety of different skills, as well as unlock new ones as you progress through the game.

One of the most notable features is the way your decisions are handled during conversations. Like most games that were influenced by Mass Effect, each answer has a certain tone and attitude behind it. For the most part, you’ll have your aggressive, neutral, and passive style responses. But unlike other games, where you can sit and contemplate which response is needed, Alpha Protocol gives you a short time to act, or will have you answer with a defaulted, pre-chosen response.

I really liked having a time limit, because it really made the game feel more natural and free-flowing. Instead of playing the game one-sided, as a boy scout or an aggressive jerk, I instead chose my quick responses based on the situation. If somebody needed a swift smackdown, I’d give it to them, and if the situation started getting heated, I sometimes chose to step back and cool it down.

Based on your responses and the actions that you do, how you choose to resolve the mission alter the events of the rest of the game.