Alpha Protocol for Xbox 360 Reviews by Gamers

If this game would have come out 5 years ago I might have said this game was awesome but with today's caliber of games this one quickly falls to the lower area of the list. The graphics and mechanics are just not there for a modern game. As a critic said some of the elements just don't work that well. The aspect of trying to be covert in your operations seems impossible unless you are willing to take 20 minutes for each person to come your way. It seemed nearly impossible to sneak up on people. My biggest complaint was that the game will seal you off from going back to areas once you have passed a certain point. I missed some objectives and items due to this. This game is not good enough to replay the game to get them. I can understand if there was an explosion that blocks you off but a door closing that will no longer open? That was a bad decision in my opinion. Overall I enjoyed the game if you could get past where it lacked. Story was interesting enough. My biggest complaint is this game could have been so much more.

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!

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.

I never write reviews but this game was such a sleeper pick I had to make a review. A Splinter Cell-eqsue style game (even though it can be completed without stealth) with a complex story that interlaces characters, much like Mass Effect, to really make you decide what you're going to do on a split-second's notice. I was very impressed with this game even being only twenty dollars now. Of course, it does not compare to M.E., it still has its perks. The game's boss battles are cheesy... but then again so are boss battles altogether. Alpha Protocol can also be played more than once because of its multiple endings and every choice you make matters, although all games seem to be doing this now. I absolutely love this game. If you're a fan of cut-scenes and interactive dialogue then be sure to check this game out.

While I had higher hopes for this game, I must concede it is a solid RPG. The characters and plot were compelling and held a few intriguing twists. The game play was a bit trite, something i would have expected from a game put out 5 years ago. Also, unless you have an HDTV, don't even bother. I subjected my poor eyes to hours of tedious tiny script before finally switching to the HDTV. The lock picking, computer hacking, and keypad bypass cuts were exceedingly frustrating as well. This game had the opportunity to be truly spectacular, unfortunately it looks like Obsidian decided not to put the extra effort to bring the game play and graphics up to date. Worth a rent, but I won't be adding it to my collection.

Summary
I played this at friends house who works at a game store .This game plays like old RPG'S use to play and would have received a 9 back in 2003 but its 2010 and things programmed in this game should have been fixed since the first delay.Another year of development or patches could possibly change this game from a 7 to a 8.5 easily. it would have been interesting if Sega chose Ubisoft to develop this game instead of Obsidian. JUST imagine Splinter cell engine/with obsidian dialogue tree/story this game would have sold at least 2 million copies. As of now unless they fix the bugs this is a rental otherwise wait for the sequel to improve upon this. Come into this game accepting the bugs.
The bad:
The game play mechanics sucks in a couple of way.1st there are action icons that you walk up to to climb a ladder and they sometimes do not respond.there no default auto targeting system and you have to unlock that as a perk.hacking a pc is hard to see sometimes because there is so much going on its hard to line up the codes.The stealth AI mechanic is broken and sometimes it either works or doesn't.For example you shoot an enemy with a silenced pistol and everyone responds and sounds an alarm.Shadows don't mask your character.Graphics are hit and miss.Texture loading like in the 1st mass effect happens sometimes.Objectives can be missed and cannot be accessed again when you cross a save point.Level designs need work and your route on how you travel is linear in most missions.

The good:
The cut scenes are up to par with today's standards. the dialogue trees have an impact on the story and the story is complex and well written. the combination of weapon upgrades are plentiful and have an impact on how you have to play the game. the music score is very dramatic.The location are varied enough.As far as stat upgrades there are plenty and if you follow the dialogue tree right you can upgrade points.

Ratings
graphic-6.5
game play-6.5
story-8.5
controls 7.0
sound-9.0
overall-7

When I first played AP I enjoyed it for the first hour then I played the first Boss battle which may be the hardest battle. I played as a spy so it may be easier to other classes but super ninja mode really ruins the slightest feeling of this game feeling real and its just silly when a boss has a ninja mode, to me it felt like an old last gen game like some have said . This game is OK, the story is fun but a little predictable, the game-play is fun when you level up, well on spy it is cant claim this about the other classes. But you should rent this game and have a little fun maybe even beat the game but do not buy this game maybe the second one if they make a second game and improve on it. Some of you may love this game but I can promise most of you wont.

Alpha Protocol is one of the better games that have come out this year. I dont understand why its gotten such a low rating, despite some of the issues Ive found in certain parts of the game.
I find it amazing that, depending on your choices, even a familiar mission can take an unexpected turn. The games difficulty gives players an actual challenge, and the multiple choices throughout the game gives it a pretty high replay value. The characters are pretty likeable too....This game is highly under-rated. Most of the good ones are.
If you havent played this yet, then ignore some of the more critical reviews and try it out for yourself. I did, and I was pleasantly surprised.

What it does well:
-Multiple paths and choices that are not attached to the usual rewards. You really can go in a variety of directions in every choice you make, from killing/not killing in gameplay to conversation, and they will have a significant effect on your outcomes without automatically being right or wrong. I have not seen choice and consequence done like this in a voice acted game, ever.
-Integrates a variety of playstyles and builds into missions.
-Has meaningful upgrades and character development (in numbers). Being unskilled doesn't make you miss the broad side of a barn, but there is still a noticeable difference when you focus on an ability and unlock its special moves.
-Has gamey conventions to accommodate that Hollywood superspy thing. Rather than just scripting a quick time event, you have to combine abilities and tools to ensure that the two thugs get throat chopped before they know what hit them.
-Has a well crafted plot, in terms of successfully putting together a lot of interesting directions for a fantasy spy to take. The Pax East "But Thou Must" presentation by the AP crew does a great job of explaining the theory side of this, and it's pretty fascinating in its own right.
-Strikes a balance between "I can't do anything without the stat" approach of some RPGs and simply scaling damage like Borderlands.

Things some won't like:
Caters to long attention spans, not short ones. That doesn't mean you can't go ahead and judge it on the first impression, just be aware that looking like Splinter Cell or a third person shooter doesn't make it any less of an RPG, in terms of how things occur. It's not Mass Effect, and that's great...I like both games but they have different priorities. Graphics & animation are behind the curve, but the bugs in the xbox version are greatly exaggerated by internet shriek machine. Deus Ex is probably the closest thing to a predecessor this has, but it's far from direct.

I rented it, then I bought it

Don't believe the naysayers, they just had their expectations way too high. Alpha Protocol is actually kind of awesome but not without some flaws. The shooting feels weak, then again, shooting usually feels weak to me in most third-person games. If you just came from playing Splinter Cell: Conviction then keep your expectations low for this game.

The RPG elements are nice as you can customize your guy as you see fit. Perhaps it's just a girl thing but one of my favorite things about this game is that I can change my look periodically.

Graphics are okay, kind of dated looking though and my only real gripe is that the main character's voice annoys me but it's a minor complaint. I'm not very far into the game but so far I have enjoyed myself.

This is one of those games where you will either love it or hate it. There's not much middle ground.

Most of what critics have said is true. The graphics are not great. They aren't bad, but they definitely aren't up to par with many recent releases. The mechanics of the game are sometimes questionable and there are some glitches with clipping through walls or things just not working the way you would think they should.

The real beauty of this game is the story and the writing. The system used for conversations is similar to that of Mass Effect, but with slightly more options than just good or bad. This is a game where every decision you make, which door to go through, which characters to trust, all makes a difference, and you'll find yourself second guessing every action you take wondering what might have been. It's not enough to just complete a mission, it's how you complete the mission. Do you go in quiet and tranquilize anyone in your way? Or do you disregard the lives of everyone and just blast your way through the opposition. It makes a difference.

Very few (singleplayer) games have made me so interested in replaying them. Do you execute x bad guy, do you let him live? How will that effect the game later? It all matters.

Ultimately this game is an RPG and only a shooter/stealth title second. If you want a good story and good moral dilemmas, give it a try. If you can get past the texture pop-in and the slightly clunky shooting mechanics, you'll find a rough gem here.

After much deliberation I finally decided to add Alpha Protocol to my Q. I expected much of the well documented problems and was surprised by more that weren't. Heres the scoop:

Graphics 4/10: Not only were all the levels bland and uninspiring, there is an obvious problem with the engine. Textures on people walls the floor the screen itself, will render at different times with no apparent reason and some never correct themselves. Nothing original, felt old.

Story 5/10: You play as agent Mike Thorton, stealth, technical, and tactical specialist with all the social graces of a neon pink sandpaper dil.do. Funny to picture, less so in practice. A spy working for the US to thwart terrorism on a global level but is hung out to dry by his agency blah blah.. Nothing that hasn't been done 50 times over. Wouldn't be so bad if Mike had an ounce of originality in his character design. Throughout the conversations you're given 3 responses that reflect 3 different view points, sounds good right? Nah, each NPC you interact with has 1 preferred type of response that will warrant kudos, so there is no real choice because nothing you say matters in the end. And being a jerk has the same effect it has in real life: you curl up alone and die.

Gameplay 6/10: Here we go this is what we wanted to be impressed by, the RPG elements of being a spy. Well Ive got news for you, there really isnt much difference from one play through to the next. The only weapon that has a silencer is the pistol making any other weapon inferior unless you're in one of the many, many forced gunfight scenes. A few different trees, but none change how the game is played you either gun or stealth. Thats it. and you dont need a degree to use a rifle so stealth is the no brainer.

Overall the game suffers from low budget and poor creative direction, the missions are repetitive clear room-hack-repeat.
Good idea, wrong hands.

Instead of renting, go watch Bourne but mute it and try eating your ear, same effect.

I didn't read the reviews of others, but based on the current 5.3 rating I think this game was pretty much a disappointment for everyone. I had pretty much given up on the game after about an hour, but decided to stick with it a bit longer. I ended up playing the game as a 3rd person shooter and really started to enjoy myself doing it. It's not a bad game, but there was lots of room to make this a great game before release. It's buggy, but to be honest most of the bugs work in the players favor.

I may do another quick run through with different skills, but will probably change my mind and move on to the next game in line.

For us Gamerscore freaks, it's pretty easy to get 750 on a single playthrough. I think 1k would mean investing another 3x the original playtime to pick up the last 250 points.

I rented this game--and would have to say overall--this was a decent game.

If you love the spy genre--and Mass Effect/KOTOR type of games--you may actually end up buying this.

The story is decent--interesting--and the coversation choices you have to make does add some spice to the cutscenes.

As others have stated--it seems like focusing on combat makes the game much easier than trying the stealth route.

The auto saves helps alot. Especially when you are trying to actually sneak around somewhere--and get caught by some guard that in any other game--would not have seen you. I suggest you save often--this will allow you to replay a mission in case you missed some objectives--or you want to try a different route.

This is not as graphically advanced as Splitner Cell--but you do have many more customizable options. Including your appearance--gear--skills etc.

Overall--IMHO this is an enjoyable action RPG. I would recommend renting this before buying it. I was able to comkplete the game in a weekend--but am replaying it a second time as a veteran to try some different dialogues--and to actually try to use the stealth system.

I think that Alpha Protocal is a pretty decent game. I have noticed a few bugs and stuff, like my gun not pointing in the direction I'm aiming, but nothing game ruining. I think it is fun, after you get a good bit into the game. There are a lot of customisable weapons, armour, and a good leveling up system. Gameplay wise, it is a decent cover based third person shooter. Definately rent it.

I really enjoyed this game because it isn't some point and shoot game. You have to actually aim your shoots and just can't go in there guns a blazing.

The story line is great...I am on my fourth play through and I am finding new things and cut scenes every time...Its all about the choices and in this game the choices matter soooo much. It does suck if you make a wrong choice you can't go back and fix it.

But I am really looking forward to Alpha Protcool 2...Because they know everything they need to fix to make the game better...I think the AP2 will be in competition with ME3.

Alpha protocol has some thing's that are great and some not so great. The game has a good story line it can be confusing to some but in the end it all comes together. The combat is where the game takes a hit. It just really wasent to fun to even go around shooting people. It wasent how your gun just misses alot there's just something else i cant explain it just wasent fun. The boss fight's were the really bad part. They are all really the same. They run around and then they charge and they feel like they have infinite health.The game has very good rpg elements like mass effect when it comes to raising your skills.The better you get the more damage you do with that weapon etc. The sneaking in this game is pretty terrible you can get spoted from a mile away its not like a splinter cell where shadows work. So be prepared to make some ppl mad when you kill the guards. Overall this game is a good rental about 20 hours long they say in reviews dident really feel like 20 you can beat it in about 2-4 days casually.

ONE OF THE BEST RPG'S I HAVE PLAYED....DONT RENT BUY IT

I like this game. The story line is pretty good. The acting for certain responses isn't the best. But the game is good as far as the story line goes. They should of taken more time polishing up the game. It feels rushed even though this game was held back a few times nothing really that unheard of in the day in age.

If the graphics had been up to par with Mass Effect 2. This game would been awesome for that particular look. However it certainly falls short.

There is a lot of area's where I would get stuck and the game would just plain freeze then come back again. A lot of hiccups in this game when it comes to bugs, your guy sinking through the solid floor is one.

The stealth mode is non existent and is quite difficult. Not to say its impossible just very difficult. (I played on the Recruit level so perhaps the stealth mode is easier.) Would been a lot easier had it been Splinter Cell style stealth rather then, whatever it tried to be and failed. The aiming is messed up with a huge circle and a little dot. It is one of the weirdest reticules I have ever seen playing games.

I highly recommend in renting the game first if you really want to try it out. Is it really worth the rent.. I think so. But you really have to look passed the bugs.

I loved this game, but not for the gameplay. The story was very enticing, and if you can look past the flaws in the actual mechanics of the game, it's very worth a playthrough. All the choices you can make make the game very engaging and I would recommend this game to anyone.

Yes this game has bugs. Yes this game has dated graphics, and yes all this can be frustrating. But C'mon only giving the game an hour or two and deciding that it's garbage is not fair at all. I felt the same way at first, then I decided to start over as a freelancer. I picked my skills and began again with a little bit more experience on how the game works. Now I'm about 3/4th's of the way through and really enjoying the game.

The conversation mini-game is cool because you can't sit there and think, should I say this or should I sat that. Instead you must make your decision within 5-10 sec it"s more realistic. As for stealth once you invest some points into it you will be pleasantly surprised on how effective it is. Evasion is cool, giving you a grace period if you are spotted at higher levels you have up to 4 seconds to hide before enemy's spot you and attack. In some cases you can creep right up and take them out in that 4 sec window. Shadow agent is even better at expert level you have 20 sec to creep through a group of baddies unnoticed, taking them all out or just bypassing them. All that being said some Missions are set up so stealth is impossible not much you can do in those cases so have a good shotgun ready when the people on your team trigger an alarm and firefights commence.

The hacking Mini-game was a pain in the but at first but it's really easy once you figure out how it works, look for the rows of numbers that aren't moving line up the numbers and thats it. If you are running low on time just exit out and try again this works for all of the hacking lock picking games. Oh yeah add a point to tech aptitude and you'll have more time to complete them.

I really could go on and on, but my main point remains this game may have some minor issues but over-all it's a good game just need to give it a chance and shrug off the little annoyances.

i've read some of the reviews on the game so i'd figure i'd post mine since i've been playing the game for over 10hrs and have a better feel for it than people who played it for 2hrs and sent it back.

this game is pretty much the love child of mass effect and splinter cell. you've got the cover system , although it has it's issues at times, the conversation options and rpg elements of mass effect and the sneakiness of conviction without the hiding in shadows.

the rpg elements are pretty cool, u level up and unlock special abilities such as chain shot, which is like mark and execute in conviction, and others that allow u to turn invisible, run silently and take more damage.

the three mini games for hacking computers, disarming alarms and picking locks are pretty easy once u figure them out. the hacking computers one is probably the hardest at 1st. its a matrix of numbers and letters chains that changes every 1/4 second, and u have to find two combinations that are stationary and line them up with the 2 alphanumeric chains u r given within a given amount of time.

the graphics do look about 3yrs old but graphics don't make a good game, they enhance it.

your character moves kinda funny, especially when he's crouched over. the camera at times seems too close, one time i was aiming to take a shot and the camera was blocked by my guys head. one time it went through the wall. but these were rare.

some ppl mention that its too hard to sneak around. well, if u get caught, start shooting. i've only died a few times in a fire fight and it was because i wasnt paying attention to my health, not because i was overwelmed or had trouble aiming. ppl complaining about convictions being less stealth and more action need to stay away from this game.

the ai is kinda dumb at times. i was cornered in a room, they were coming after me then suddenly turned away.

i give this game an 8 for enjoyment, and a 7.5 because of gameplay issues and ai

I didn't want to believe it. The reviews were horrible. Surprising when you consider the lowest score high profile games get these days is around a 7. But I've seen AP rated pretty badly.

But, sadly, it is true. AP is a horrible gaming experience. The conversations are long and drawn out. The interactions are vague and repetitive. "This person likes a "professional" flow of talk. Ok. So I press B and flip to sportscenter while they blah blah it out, seeing as it will stay on Professional throughout the conversation unless I change it for no reason.

The level designs are bland and unoriginal. Worse yet, you can climb over box A, but not box B, because there's no icon over the box. The game shows you where to go, what to climb, and how to do it. It's actually worse than linear.

It wants to be an "espionage rpg." So they took a shooter with bad gunplay mechanics, added seemingly endless and pointless conversation, and integrated a poorly designed skill tree.

Want to throw a grenade? pause the game with the inventory selection button, select the gadget you want, unpause, throw. Want to switch weapons? Pause the game, pick a weapon, rinse, repeat.

Enemy AI is laughable. Simply crouch and run around and they'll never spot you. Stand up and make one step, and they see you instantly. Then the comedy begins. If they're in a doorway, just most out of eyesight. They know you're there, but don't know how to get to you. Walking through the door is a nonoption apparently. If you walk back and they make it to your area, hide behind an obstacle. Again, they know you're there, just don't know how to get to you. But their grenades do. Good lord do they throw those silly grenades.

Want to hack a computer? Hope you don't have epilepsy. A security lock? Same repeated pattern. A door lock? Easy peasy.

4/10. Four because it has potential, I just don't care enough to find it. The weapon upgrades are nice enough. Oh and the graphics are last gen..

Don't be disuaded by the negative ratings here. The negative ratings here seem to reflect the gameplay. I don't think the gameplay was that bad. It's not a FPS, never claimed to be, yet many seem to measure the game by that. I felt it was comprable to Fallout 3 or Mass Effect - once you get used to the system, its fun.

But where this stands out is the story. The plot here is terrific. You have LOTS of choices, and not just in terms of dialogue and action. The choices you have significant impact on the story, including the order you tackle missions. Given that its also an RPG, you have choices on your skills to develop, equipment to upgrade, and "special help" to purchase.

The other thing I liked was that each mission you really didn't know what you were getting into. It might be a two minute conversation with somoene and leave. It might be a long series of investigations and firefights. Someone might show up and help. Someone might show up and try to kill you. It is largely unpredictable.

If I had a complaint about the plot, it's that only one mission had an element of time constraint, and that left the element of a thriller out of it. I wish it had it.

If you like the espionage genre of books/movies, you will love this game. After finishing it, I will be playing it again with different choices to see how it unfolds.