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GF Rating
7
Good
So Close
posted by GMBYGMR (RANCHO CORDOVA, CA) Jun 2, 2010
Member since Jun 2010
99 out of 114 gamers (87%) found this review helpful
Great concept,some nice features, could have been so much more. It suffers from having come out after the new Splinter Cell game which does the things this game does poorly with ease.
For my first play through I went stealth and hand to hand and focused on using non-combat gadgets.
Things I liked - buying distractions, having to understand the people you are interacting with, emails and intel, customizable weapons. Lots of decision means I get invested in the outcome. Martial arts as a viable first choice combat skill. Gadgets - I heart radio mimic. The missions made sense and I liked that while you could do it stealthy it wasn’t pass/fail. Controls were easy to learn - switching out weapons or choosing gadgets did not cause combat to grind to a halt. The HUD was unobtrusive. Voice acting well done.
Things I disliked- The mini-games were overly complicated and until I got high enough to buy pass them irritating. Character animation has been by-passed by other developers and feels old. His crouch walk looks more like colitis than sneak and half the time you can’t tell if you are in cover or not.
Things I hated - your ability to interact with your surroundings is very limited You can use a zip line and jump over some obstacles - but you can’t jump over a two foot pile of sandbags - because why? Lots of missed opportunities to make the environment more interactive. Not to harp on the Alpha vs. Splinter Cell differences but when Sam jumps a desk the coffee cups go flying. When Michael jumps a desk - oh yeah right - he can’t. It’s the details that increase the cool factor.
Unforgivable - interacting with the environment is glitchy - trying to stealth and I have to stand up and take four tries to get the ladder to interact makes me a grouchy gamer. Five years ago this would have been annoying - today - unforgivable for a game that wants to and could have played with the big dogs.
Replayability saves this from the rent only pile
For my first play through I went stealth and hand to hand and focused on using non-combat gadgets.
Things I liked - buying distractions, having to understand the people you are interacting with, emails and intel, customizable weapons. Lots of decision means I get invested in the outcome. Martial arts as a viable first choice combat skill. Gadgets - I heart radio mimic. The missions made sense and I liked that while you could do it stealthy it wasn’t pass/fail. Controls were easy to learn - switching out weapons or choosing gadgets did not cause combat to grind to a halt. The HUD was unobtrusive. Voice acting well done.
Things I disliked- The mini-games were overly complicated and until I got high enough to buy pass them irritating. Character animation has been by-passed by other developers and feels old. His crouch walk looks more like colitis than sneak and half the time you can’t tell if you are in cover or not.
Things I hated - your ability to interact with your surroundings is very limited You can use a zip line and jump over some obstacles - but you can’t jump over a two foot pile of sandbags - because why? Lots of missed opportunities to make the environment more interactive. Not to harp on the Alpha vs. Splinter Cell differences but when Sam jumps a desk the coffee cups go flying. When Michael jumps a desk - oh yeah right - he can’t. It’s the details that increase the cool factor.
Unforgivable - interacting with the environment is glitchy - trying to stealth and I have to stand up and take four tries to get the ladder to interact makes me a grouchy gamer. Five years ago this would have been annoying - today - unforgivable for a game that wants to and could have played with the big dogs.
Replayability saves this from the rent only pile
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GF Rating
7
Good
A solid RPG shooter that is not without its flaws.
posted by HrdcrGamr (HIGLEY, AZ) Jun 7, 2010
Member since May 2010
30 out of 35 gamers (86%) found this review helpful
The first thing you need to realize is that Alpha Protocol is a RPG first and a shooter second. At the beginning of the game, you are going to be inaccurate with your weapons and your footsteps are going to be loud making sneaking a little tougher then you may be used to. The game is designed this way so you can feel yourself improving as the game goes on. So, don't go into thinking that it plays like Gears of War or Splinter Cell because it doesn't.
For example, when I first started the game, my pistol could barely hit an enemy from 20 feet way and enemies spotted me very easily. But, by the end, I could slow down time and kill 6 enemies before they could turn around, kill entire rooms by going invisible, and I could blind fire enemies for 1 shot critical hits while behind cover. Be patient, specialize in a single weapon and specialize in a few abilities and you will improve greatly. By the end of the game, you are a super spy.
Secondly, if graphical or minor glitches annoy you. Stay clear! Because this game is full of them. Textures take a long time to pop in, characters will twitch randomly, doors will sometimes not open or close, clipping issues everywhere, etc. Nothing too bad, but they are there, and you will most likely run into them.
Pros:
Good Voice Acting
Dialog system keeps you on your toes
Choices you make constantly change how the story plays out
Hilariously bad death animations
Perk system rewards you for your playstyle
Interesting hacking, lockpicking, and bypassing minigames
Cons:
Enemy AI is very basic
Bosses are poorly designed usually making you resort to cheap tactics.
Glitches
Wonky Animations
Submachine guns are a bit underpowered
No save anywhere feature, only last checkpoint
While a few characters are interesting, most are rather generic
Ending is a bit uneventful
If you always wanted to be Austin Powers and "JUDO CHOP!" your way to victory and you don't mind a few glitches, rent it, max out your martial arts stat and CHOP away!
For example, when I first started the game, my pistol could barely hit an enemy from 20 feet way and enemies spotted me very easily. But, by the end, I could slow down time and kill 6 enemies before they could turn around, kill entire rooms by going invisible, and I could blind fire enemies for 1 shot critical hits while behind cover. Be patient, specialize in a single weapon and specialize in a few abilities and you will improve greatly. By the end of the game, you are a super spy.
Secondly, if graphical or minor glitches annoy you. Stay clear! Because this game is full of them. Textures take a long time to pop in, characters will twitch randomly, doors will sometimes not open or close, clipping issues everywhere, etc. Nothing too bad, but they are there, and you will most likely run into them.
Pros:
Good Voice Acting
Dialog system keeps you on your toes
Choices you make constantly change how the story plays out
Hilariously bad death animations
Perk system rewards you for your playstyle
Interesting hacking, lockpicking, and bypassing minigames
Cons:
Enemy AI is very basic
Bosses are poorly designed usually making you resort to cheap tactics.
Glitches
Wonky Animations
Submachine guns are a bit underpowered
No save anywhere feature, only last checkpoint
While a few characters are interesting, most are rather generic
Ending is a bit uneventful
If you always wanted to be Austin Powers and "JUDO CHOP!" your way to victory and you don't mind a few glitches, rent it, max out your martial arts stat and CHOP away!
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GF Rating
8
Very Good
Don't listen to the bad reviews
posted by mathnerd (WINNETKA, CA) Jul 14, 2010
Member since Jun 2007
27 out of 32 gamers (84%) found this review helpful
I really do not understand why this game is getting so many bad reviews. X-play's review is even mean.
Sure this game isn't perfect. The graphics are not spectacular and there are a few glitches. The fighting mechanics can be a little clunky and some of the mini games are frustrating.
BUT hidden behind these minor flaws is a pretty great game. And these are minor flaws. The graphics are better than Dragon Age's. The fighting mechanics are a lot less clunky than GTA 4. It's no more glitchy than the first Assassins Creed. And the mini games are far better than those in the first Bioshock. And all of these games I've mentioned are great.
AND what Alpha Protocol does well it does really well. And that is choice and consequence. Your actions in the game have far reaching and deeply felt effects throughout the game. Nearly every NPC can be turned into a friend or a foe or simply killed. Game companies have been attempting to make a game where the consequences of your actions have this much effect for years. The only game that comes this close that I can think of is Heavy Rain and I'm not sure that is even a game.
I highly recommend this game to any RPG lover. I enjoyed it very much and was glad I rented it. If you are the kind of person that likes to see every ending or get every achievement I recommend buying it. The Keep It price on gamefly is VERY reasonable.
Sure this game isn't perfect. The graphics are not spectacular and there are a few glitches. The fighting mechanics can be a little clunky and some of the mini games are frustrating.
BUT hidden behind these minor flaws is a pretty great game. And these are minor flaws. The graphics are better than Dragon Age's. The fighting mechanics are a lot less clunky than GTA 4. It's no more glitchy than the first Assassins Creed. And the mini games are far better than those in the first Bioshock. And all of these games I've mentioned are great.
AND what Alpha Protocol does well it does really well. And that is choice and consequence. Your actions in the game have far reaching and deeply felt effects throughout the game. Nearly every NPC can be turned into a friend or a foe or simply killed. Game companies have been attempting to make a game where the consequences of your actions have this much effect for years. The only game that comes this close that I can think of is Heavy Rain and I'm not sure that is even a game.
I highly recommend this game to any RPG lover. I enjoyed it very much and was glad I rented it. If you are the kind of person that likes to see every ending or get every achievement I recommend buying it. The Keep It price on gamefly is VERY reasonable.
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