Grildon Tundy
Gold Member
Alpha Protocol is a 2010 action role-playing game set in a modern-day spy thriller. The game follows the protagonist, Michael Thorton, as he uncovers a global conspiracy while working for a covert agency. The gameplay is a mix of third-person shooting, stealth, and RPG elements, with a focus on player's impact on the narrative via the choices they make.
Playing it through for the first time this past week, it's not a masterpiece, but I'm glad I played it. The gameplay kind of blows. The movement and shooting feels clunky. The stealth feels too-unforgiving in the beginning before it becomes incredibly over-powered after maxing out the stealth skill tree and running silently at full-speed, taking out fools.
But that focus on player choice and it's impact on the narrative still holds up. It's in rare, royal company with Baldur's Gate 3 in that regard, in my opinion. At one point, I had to choose between
and I went with the former because my Thorton made a promise, knowing it was going to have shitty-feeling blowback. And the game isn't afraid to make you feel bad about it.
Reading up about different endings online, I was impressed at how different they can be, when the one I got felt fully fleshed-out and "canon". I'm guessing the others are, too.
Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. But that's a 9 out of 10 story/narrative experience with 4 out of 10 gameplay.
If anybody knows of any other "7 out of 10" games that try something interesting, let me know.
Playing it through for the first time this past week, it's not a masterpiece, but I'm glad I played it. The gameplay kind of blows. The movement and shooting feels clunky. The stealth feels too-unforgiving in the beginning before it becomes incredibly over-powered after maxing out the stealth skill tree and running silently at full-speed, taking out fools.
But that focus on player choice and it's impact on the narrative still holds up. It's in rare, royal company with Baldur's Gate 3 in that regard, in my opinion. At one point, I had to choose between
saving Madison St James, a woman who is in danger because of your actions and a bunch of innocent strangers about to be blown up in an art museum.
Reading up about different endings online, I was impressed at how different they can be, when the one I got felt fully fleshed-out and "canon". I'm guessing the others are, too.
Overall, I'd give it a 7 out of 10. But that's a 9 out of 10 story/narrative experience with 4 out of 10 gameplay.
If anybody knows of any other "7 out of 10" games that try something interesting, let me know.
