Alpha Protocol

Blog Post: Alpha Protocol review

Lancehead255 — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:19:00 GMT

Alpha Protocol is an Obsidian developed and Sega published game. Labelled as an espionage RPG, Alpha Protocol tries to blend skill based RPG system with a spy story. This is not the typical "AAA" game with sky high budgets. Which unfortunately means it is riddled with technical issues and lack of polish. But what lies underneath the rough edges is a genuinely good RPG. And a narrative that is one of the best I have come across in videogames since Planescape: Torment.

Players step into the role of agent Michael Thorton as he is recruited into Alpha Protocol, a clandestine organisation performing secret operations for the US Government. He is sent to investigate illegal rocket trafficking in the Middle East, in relation to a recent missile attack on a passenger plane. As Mike goes through the mission things take a turn for worse that leave him in dire straits. From that point he is forced to unravel convoluted conspiracies and businesses that might bring nations into another world war. While that proposition may sound unoriginal, the details and the execution are anything but.

The presentation

Presentation plays a crucial role in the Alpha Protocol experience. The story is told through an incredibly flexible interactive narrative. The conversation system in the game is executed not based on a morality scale but on various attitudes. The three primary types of reactions that Mike may give in the Dialogue Stance System are "Professional," "Suave" and "Aggressive". These choices are inspired by Jason Bourne, James Bond and Jack Bauer respectively. The choice system is not limited to these, however. Players can choose Mike, depending on the situation, to be persuasive, calm, sarcastic, flirtatious, businesslike, threaten, sympathetic, and many more. Sometimes Mike can even remain silent. All the conversations happen in real-time meaning players get a limited amount of time to choose their stance. The time available also varies depending on the situation. If the time runs out Mike's response defaults. This creates a narrative that flows and feels directed like a cut-scene while still presenting players with a high level of interactivity.

Because the conversation choices are not based on a morality meter, the narrative can take various twists and turns based on its several well written characters (including Mike) and their agendas, instead of whether Mike is being a paragon or a renegade. And indeed the narrative takes plenty of twists and turns. This is the most impressive feature of Alpha Protocol's presentation. The game is intelligent and remembers Mike's actions and Mike remembers what he learned about characters. And these play a role in how the conversations play out. The game employs a status system whereby Mike can establish relationships with many of the characters he meets. The relationship status can result in additional perks, access to new intel and weapons, and even direct help in some of the missions.

The mission structure stays true to a spy story. Like a true agent's day on field, the action involves proper amounts of stealth, sabotage, direct combat and dialogue. There are a few missions where the objective is getting the job done by talking to a person. Much like a Bond or a Bourne film, the story is convoluted where very little trust can be placed in any person. Relationships can be built with dangerous organisations or they can be antagonised. Mike many times finds himself in a position where he can execute or spare characters. Both the actions have meaningful impact on the narrative, and may affect Mike positively or negatively depending on subsequent actions that branch out from from his earlier actions. The innumerable decision points make this highly adaptive narrative very enjoyable and provides plenty of replayability.

When I said rough edges, they are mainly to do with the controls and the AI. The controls are odd with strafe button that also makes Mike. The control animations are not the best either. His move set is also limited, with certain controls such as jumps and vaulting being contextual. The cover system is also very limiting. Mike cannot take cover behind many objects that seem like plausible cover points. Changing directions while in cover moves Mike too much. As for the AI, it is very inconsistent and almost feels like it is not quite finished. Sometimes they recognise dead bodies and react, and sometimes they do not. Sometimes enemies (that were part of the previous checkpoint) respawned after I reloaded a checkpoint. Sometimes the bodies disappear meaning other enemies are not alerted. The save system is inadequate. There is no quicksave option and the manual save is limited to checkpoints. The autosave feature saves only one save, no access to previous autosaves. This can be problematic because many times the game goes through a sequence of events with no breaks, meaning each event overwrites the solitary autosave. While the writing and facial animations are well done, the voice acting is not always on par. Mike, for example, sounds very much the same regardless of the attitude.

The role playing elements

Alpha Protocol employs an RPG system with skills and perks. The skill system reminds me of Deus Ex. The skills range from combat based (pistols, shotguns, assault rifles etc) to utility based (stealth, sabotage, technical aptitude etc). Each skill has linear progression and is independent of other skills. Three of the skills can be specialised to level them up to 15 instead of the normal level 10. This allows for a great customisation in character development. Perks award bonuses which are useful to weapons, explosives, gadgets, skills, skill cooldown times, item costs among other things. Perks are acquired based on how Mike interacts with characters and also based on actions in gameplay. Mike can carry two weapons, a set of armour and a number of gadgets and explosives; the effectiveness of all these are affected by skills and perks. The weapons and armour are fully customisable, including several mod attachments to each weapon and armour. The game encourages exploration as the intel collected on various characters and organisations provide benefits in relevant missions. The levels are mostly linear with many of them featuring open-level design. The shooting is also very akin to Deus Ex, that is the cross-hair takes a while to focus on the target, which means unloading cartridges is not necessarily the best option even if the ammo supplies are not scarce. This is not always for the better, however, because enemies have a tendency to run towards Mike and engage in close quarters while players are waiting for the cross-hair to focus so that the shooting is more accurate. The "feel" of the shooting is not the best, especially in fire fights. This becomes quite evident in boss fights, some of which can be frustrating on higher difficulty settings. The hacking and lockpicking minigames are done well enough to not become a grind.

Final thoughts

Alpha Protocol's strengths clearly lie in the excellent execution of a highly flexible and interactive narrative and the RPG mechanics. The game is full of technical issues and suffers from an under-developed AI. The controls and combat lack polish and some of the voice acting could be better. The save system should have been more adequate. There is some texture popping but not frequent. Despite the flaws the game is highly enjoyable thanks to a polished and interesting story and characters, and the RPG mechanics. The gameplay mechanics are versatile with diverse role playing elements and customisation, which have meaningful influence on gameplay. The intelligent and adaptive narrative makes the events in the story seamless without falling into the trap of good/bad morality extremities. Chris Avellone's wonderful execution of interactive narrative makes Alpha Protocol one of the best examples to illustrate the benefits of story-telling in videogames.

Blog Post: Alpha Protocol - A JV Superspy on a Thrilling Adventure

FinalFantasy1026 — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 06:27:00 GMT

Michael Thorton is not the most interesting secret agent of all time. Jason Bourne and Jack Bauer would run circles around him, and James Bond would simply make a snide remark his way while sipping a martini. Despite having a flawed protagonist, among other flaws, Alpha Protocol deserves a shot, mainly because it does have redeeming qualities.

The bad parts of Alpha Protocol are pretty obvious upon first booting up the game. The graphics are sadly sub-par, especially upon first loading the game, with missing textures and an odd fuzziness surrounding the player-character sometimes when he moves. The odd part is that the game uses Epic's Unreal Engine. It is hard for me to believe that this game is running on the same technology that gave gamers such visual masterpieces as Borderlands and Gears of War.

The moves available for Thorton are also a point of frustration. The game wants to play like Mass Effect, that much is obvious; the problem is, Obsidian forgot to give Thorton some essential moves that make Commander Shepard so mobile on the battlefield. For one thing, Thorton can not vault over cover. Thorton actually can not vault over much of anything, which severely hampers movement while in cover. Another movement problem for Thorton is that taking so much as one step while not crouched will alert any nearby guards; this sometimes even applies to guards that are behind doors in another room! Expect to spend a lot of time moving slowly if one wants to avoid detection.

Combat is very hit-or-miss as well. When the player gets involved in a firefight, the game relies on an RPG system of invisible dice rolls to determine whether a shot will hit, and for how much damage, so hardcore shooter fans may be disappointed to learn that their perfect headshots either dealt less than lethal damage or missed entirely. Watch out if an alarm sounds, as well, because the player's position will become a lethal hornet's nest of angry guards. When players do manage to pick out that perfect route through a room, however, and everything falls into place, the game really makes you feel like a superspy in the field, stealthily lining up critical hits and moving along with ease.

The minigames tied to hacking, lockpicking, and bypassing will surely anger those gamers who have grown tired of such concepts. For my part, such minigames exist in masterpieces like Mass Effect 2, so I think I can tolerate them here. Besides, with practice they lose some element of their frustration, and completing them often nets rewards such as XP and money.

Now, onto the good parts. Alpha Protocol constructs a pretty intriguing premise. As Agent Michael Thorton, the game begins by prompting the player to select from a number of backgrounds for their specific agent, determining the skills at which that agent will excel. The choices focus on combat, stealth, or tech, while also providing an option for a custom agent, as well as a "recruit' option that leaves players with a green agent and simply average skills (for an additional challenge). From there, Thorton is recruited into Alpha Protocol, the eponymous clandestine government agency the needs help tracking down stolen missiles from a Saudi Sheik. The plot of the game is actually a high point, providing political intrigue, double-crosses, good allies, and shady enemies. All the elements of a strong international espionage tale are in place here.

The missions are also pretty well set-up. There is a nice variety of environments for missions to take place in, while still managing to adhere to the theme of the country where they take place. Bonus mission objectives can also be purchased through the in-game shop, which net bonus that can ripple over into later missions. For example, taking out a VIP's elite guard in one early mission causes his security detail to be much lighter when you attempt to bring him in later on. This continuity also applies to nearly every action the player takes. Prior decisions, alignments, and mistakes are referenced down the road, and the player must deal with the consequences of their actions (and the order in which they took them). This fact creates a fluid, dynamic world not seen often enough in gaming.

The character progressions is detailed and easy to follow. The progression chart is based on Ability Points, ten of which are awarded at each level gained. Each ability set costs a certain amount of AP to unlock the next ability, some cost six points, some five, four, and three; the strategy comes in knowing when to spend and when to save. The weapon customization is also pretty deep, with each weapon having a slot for a barrel, scope, magazine, and accessory attachment that is represented cosmetically on the gun in the field. Like pimping out a blade in a fantasy RPG, this system is well-executed and sometimes awesomely ridiculous in terms of the end results.

Alpha Protocol is a game that must be approached with the knowledge of its B-level status. It has its flaws, but the game is not without merit. If one is able to overlook the rough edges and sub-par protagonist there is an exciting tale to be told with some pretty innovative features. Fans of Mass Effect will dig this as long as they keep that fact in mind, as will anyone who enjoys RPGs and 3rd-Person Shooters.

Blog Post: what happened?

Iason conyers — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 17:37:00 GMT

Good story, and good concept, but what was the delay for? The gameplay was crap, and the graphics was ps one. I really wanted to play the game, but I guess i was wrong.

Blog Post: A nice spy tale...

Sampson — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:23:00 GMT

This was a great game right from the start that has some small flaws but they can be overlooked if you stay with the awesome story. You choose everything, right from the get go and everything you will do you'll see later on if it was the right call or not? Top-notch RPG elements made me keep thinking about what i need to best complete the mission but the bad guys don't really know whats going on sometimes. I will be playing it a 2nd time but this time i will play it like Jack Bauer season 5 there!

Wiki: Alpha Protocol Guides

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:26:00 GMT

Guides for Alpha Protocol

Wiki Page: Alpha Protocol

MASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICER JOHN SPARTAN -117 — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:26:00 GMT

Increasing Your Bonus

If the handler likes you your bonus will rise, the opposite is true as well: if the handler dislikes you your bonus will drop.

Refill Your Endurance Bar

Inventory Screen

Go to the inventory screen and re-equip your armor highlight armor, and press A this will give yourself a full endurance bar. This works an infinite amount of times.

Special weapons

Gold Plated Assault Rifle: Sneak up on Al Samad Lieutenant without any alarms being sounded

Gold Plated Sub Machinegun: Assassinate Brajka

Achievements

Operation True Heirs (75 points): Complete Operation True Heirs.

Basic Training (50 points): Complete the Training Mission.

Alpha Protocol (75 points): Complete Operation Desert Spear.

Operation Blood Feud (75 points): Complete Operation Blood Feud.

Operation Deus Vult (75 points): Complete Operation Deus Vult.

Full Circle (125 points): Complete Alpha Protocol.

Hardcore (25 points): Complete Alpha Protocol on Hard difficulty setting.

Evolution of an Action Hero (10 points): Complete the Alpha Protocol using the Recruit background.

Desert Spear (25 points): Assassinate Sheikh Shaheed.

Ask Questions First, Shoot Later (15 points): Refrain from killing in cold blood.

Judge, Jury, and Executioner (15 points): Let your gun do the talking.

Thorton, Inc. (10 points): Turn all your enemies into allies in one single career.

Ladies' Man (10 points): Romance all the ladies in Alpha Protocol in a single career.

No Time For Love (20 points): Complete the game without being seduced.

Hard to Read (10 points): Use each stance at least 25% across 90 dialogue stance choices.

Social Butterfly (10 points): Gain Liked reputation status of 3 people (who must all Like you at the same time):.

Antisocial (10 points): Get 3 people to hate you (who must all hate you at the same time):.

Ready For Anything (5 points): Acquire the vast majority of Intel available in the game.

Pistol Mastery (5 points): Score 100 Critical Hits with the Pistol.

SMG Havoc (5 points): Achieve the maximum SMG Critical Hit Multiplier 7 times in your career.

Shotgun Crowd Control (5 points): Score 100 Critical Hits with the Shotgun.

Assault Rifle Marksmanship (5 points): Score 100 head shots with the Assault Rifle.

Black Belt (5 points): Defeat 50 enemies with CQC.

Lurker (5 points): Evade or Takedown 75 enemies across your career.

One With The Shadows (5 points): Complete 3 missions with less than 5 kills and with no enemies alerted to your presence.

Technophile (5 points): Complete 5 missions wherein 6 different gadgets are used.

Building a Deadlier Mousetrap (5 points): Have 100 placed devices detonate.

Breaking and Entering (5 points): Pick 10 locks.

Circuit Breaker (5 points): Bypass 20 electronic devices.

Data Theft (5 points): Hack 10 computers.

Secret Achievements

Friends Before Strangers (25 points): You saved Madison Saint James from certain death.

Hard Choices (25 points): The Roman History Museum is safe, thanks to your efforts.

Keeping the Peace (25 points): You prevented a riot from killing hundreds in Taipei.

Secret Service (25 points): You prevented the assassination of President Ronald Sung.

Stay of Execution (25 points): You allowed Sheikh Shaheed to live.

No Compromise, No Mercy (25 points): Choosing your own path, you put an end to Halbech and Alpha Protocol.

Savage Love (5 points): You gained the affection of SIE and allowed her to consummate her lust.

Exclusive Interview (5 points): You and Scarlet Lake had a romantic trist.

Crime Buster (25 points): You reconciled with Alpha Protocol and put Halbech out of business.

Rising Star (25 points): You joined Halbech and put an end to Alpha Protocol.

Price For Lying (5 points): You killed Surkov for lying to you.

Russian Alliance (5 points): You forged a partnership with Sergei Surkov.

A Price On Mercy (25 points): You spared Konstantin Brayko.

One Less Gangster (25 points): Konstantin Brayko is dead by your hand.

Youth Trumps Experience (5 points): By carefully pushing his buttons, you provoked Marburg into fighting to the death.

Respected Enemies (5 points): You gained Marburg's respect and bested him in battle.

Never Trust A Sociopath (5 points): You successfully alienated "secret agent" Steven Heck.

A Plot Uncovered (5 points): You discovered the identity of Sung's assassin.

Office Romance (5 points): Your working relationship with Mina Tang turned into something more.

Rome-ance (5 points): You became more than friends with Madison Saint James.

Blog Post: Beta Protocol

Austin Jones — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:05:00 GMT

I would disagree with most by saying that this was a good game. I would agree by saying that it had alot of wasted potential.

Blog Post: Some issues but amazing

Taten — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:59:00 GMT

This is by far one of my favorite games of 2010! The RPG elements are absolutely amazing!! There are some things that could have been changed to make it better (Graphics, Some issues with shooting, and bugs) But it is an over all amazing and very satisfying game!

I do hope that Fallout New Vegas is going to be better though!

Blog Post: Why can't games we wait so long for live up to the hype?

graniticgneiss — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:19:00 GMT

Ok. Let's start with the good parts of the game. It's got an interesting premise and the prospect of something new caused me to give this game a chance, even in spite of the negative reviews that it received. Well it turns out that the game did not fail to impress with the innovation, but it failed to impress with virtually everything else. The graphics were not as good as they could have been, the gameplay is glitchy and frustrating, and the enemy AI is weak and predictable. Combine that with the fact that if you are a master of melee combat and have high enough durabilty, the game basically plays itself since you can kill most enemies and bosses by beating them to death in a matter of a few punches. The character appearance customization is lame and most of the guns in the game are terrible (hence the melee master comment from earlier). Also, you have to play a mini game when you want to hack/pick a lock (which you must do frequently unless you purchase an inordinate number of EMP charges...) and you can only take crouching cover against the wall in a select few places that the game allows it. Some of the characters are amusing and entertaining and the story is above average, but even in spite of these things, the flaws are simply too many to be overcome. If they make any more of these, lets cross our fingers and hope that they correct these obnoxious (and easily rectified) glitches and flaws that mar a game with some serious potential.

Blog Post: A new hardcore CRPG

McL0v1N 42 — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 14:27:00 GMT

There are probably two different kinds of people who will approach Alpha Protocol. The first is hardcore RPG fans who are coming for the expansive dialogue and story alteration elements, and then there are the shooter fans who think that they are getting a great shooter with some RPG elements. The first group will be very happy while the latter will probably want to shatter their disc into many little pieces

Obsidian's game is an RPG fan's dream. Your character and his load-out is almost infinitely customizable, no two Michael Thortons will turn out the same by the end of the story line. For character modification, following standard RPG conventions, you place skill points into various categories every few levels. Gun and armor customization follows a Rainbow Six: Vegas style system. The gun and armor modules are purchased through an online black market type store that also lets you purchase intel on characters or hire mercenaries to assist you on missions in various ways. The story itself is also extremely malleable. Major and minor details change with every play through depending on your interactions with different characters. If you killed an arms merchant in the first mission you will be in the dark about various shady interactions that occur throughout the game, making you take a very different approach to the story than if you had let him live and tracked his movements or taken him into custody for questioning. This variability lends a vast replay ability as no play through should turn out the same. The shooting mechanics, while looking like standard third person gunplay is also very reliant on your stats. Its almost as if Obsidian took an isometric RPG and converted it into a third person game. For instance, if you have your cursor over an opponents head and you shoot, normally you would think that it would hit, but in Alpha Protocol your shot percentage is entirely based on your skill with the type of gun you are using, a perfectly aimed shot cold miss based on a calculated percentage. This will probably be a deal breaker for some people but if you accept that the actions taking place on screen reflect your characters abilities and not your own, then the gunplay is not too much of a problem.

Alpha Protocol's graphics, while not being at the forefront of technology, do not detract from the experience in any way. The locals you visit are nicely varied and have there own distinct look. The texture work does not show any of the usual Unreal Engine pop in, which is nice. The only two problems I have seen with the graphics are the lip syncing, which isn't well matched to what people are saying, and how Thorton walks when crouched, which looks like he is sliding along the ground rather than walking.

The AI shows some weird tendencies, like charging you when they have a perfectly good gun in their hands, or climbing up a ladder when you are right next to them, but occasions like this happen infrequently and generally your opponents provide a challenge.

I haven't experienced any game breaking glitches my several playthroughs. I have several times been in cover and risen off the ground slightly but I always settle back down quickly and glitches are easily addressed through patches.

In closing, Alpha Protocol is a really good purchase for anyone who misses the hardcore CRPG's like the original Fallout's. The gameplay is very stat driven and the story is amazingly adaptive to the players actions. Any one who is interested in an action RPG with some mild player input should look elsewhere.

A side note: I played this on the PC, so I can't comment on if the console versions are drastically different or glitchier than the PC version.

Blog Post: Oh my god, you tested this on the con-fail-soles didn't you?

Evilknight — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:15:00 GMT

It's sad that this game was obviously tested on consoles. I have this game on the PC I have completed it twice, and have experienced very VERY few glitches of any kind, all of which were light missing textures. The characters are very engaging and the conversation system is fun and innovative. The only problems are some terrible fake-accents and graphics from 2007, but I could care less about things that don't effect the gameplay.

The levels have come in for a little criticism due to their small size, clutter and linearity. To be honest though it's actually a good thing. Missions are, in my opinion, long enough to be satisfying without getting dull or repetative, and the clutter is there for a reason. There's a couple of set pieces in the longer missions to keep things going, and the checkpoint save system sensibly chops them up to minimise having to repeat what you've already played.

This game, in many respects, feels like a spiritual successor to Deus Ex. This is partly because the phrase Deus Volt becomes prominent at one point.

All in all, a good game. Just Remember folks, the PC port of a game will always be more fun, long-lasting, and less buggy than it's cheap-300$-lol-ghetto console counterparts.

I almost think that GI never played past the tutorial or that they failed to realize that weapon points add accuracy not just damage. And that, of course, they played on the consoles.

Blog Post: It's better than bad but worse than great.

Thomas Johnston — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 01:17:00 GMT

After a few days of playing this game, I can say that it is fairly solid. Yes, there are technical hiccups that are simply uncalled for in the modern video game landscape and yes, there are some issues with combat.

But the story and characters are engaging enough that I will probably play through this game at least twice. There are simply so many choices to make... and every choice has consequences across the game.

If you like RPGs, check it out.

Blog Post: am i the only person who likes this game?

pharoahkrakfeet — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:28:00 GMT

first i wanna say, if i see great reviews for a game, no matter how good it is i play it and say to myself "eh, it was pretty good" if they give bad reviews while playing it i say "now thats pretty good, whats their beef w/ it". that being said i have seen their complaints first hand and i can only think that they dwell on the negatives more than the positives. now the game isnt as well polished as ME2, but i personally think its better than Dragon Age; Origins, and everyone loved that game. frankly i think the games diverse enough in terms of choices and combat, well worth playing but buying that is better left found out by trying it rented or such first, i just wouldnt say to count it out to quickly

Blog Post: Diamonds in the rough

Sammy — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:38:00 GMT

I recently picked up Alpha Protocol even though skeptical due to fairly low scores...and I found myself pretty impressed in all honesty. Behind all the technical hiccups such as texture popups,Shoddy AI(but to be fair it seemed pretty responsive for the most part),and a really annoying aiming reticule Alpha Protocol is a textbook
definition of a Diamond in the rough.

This game has quite a few strong points though. the plot is intricate and it's twist and turns will keep you wondering whats going to happen next. While not genre defining the characters all have their own flair and personalities and are more than enough to keep the story going. The combat can be kind of frustrating but after a few hours in I got a feel for it. The firearms feel pretty underpowered at first but that's where the RPG elements come in. By level 8 or 9 you'll be crackin skulls with roundhouse kicks,cutting some unsuspecting chumps throat,or blasting russians to hell with dual smgs.

After spending all day yesterday with this game I think it's safe to say this game is worth checking out for anyone who loves old school spy movies and likes a good solid plot. While it's not going to be a life changing experience I think you'll be happy with your purchase or rental.

Blog Post: eh

Joe Larsen — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:35:00 GMT

the game is alrgiht not the best the constant loading is a little off putting but nothing too off putting my biggest pet peeve is the horrible lock picking

Blog Post: Great

Codie Kiser — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:08:00 GMT

This is easily one of the best games of the year thusfar. This game blends a Splinter Cell sort of stealth and RPG elements that are in the form of building charecters and levling up, somewhat like Fallout 3, and the conversations look kind of like ive seen in Mass Effect 2, though ive never played Mass Effect 1 or 2. The thing is though is that it blends these perfectly, you have desicions yes, but they are on a timer so you cant sit around weighing your choices, you must make them in a reasonable time limit as you would in a real conversation, you wouldnt sit and pause for 2 minutes trying to think of how to say goodbye. This game has a great aiming system, a lot of weapons, and great customability. There is no fault to be had with this game, it is a must-buy. If you love either shooters or RPGs this is a no brainer. You can go through any mission however you want, whether it be guns blazing or a more subtle and silent approach. It is all up to you, and all the charecters react to you based on every desicion, it is not just based upon one large desicion. You have full control of the story, and the story is very engaging and interesting. The Main charecter is a guy that is easy to like and the cast is great. There has been some people and sites that say that the textures, and hi res graphics arent half there most of the time, but this is an outright lie. Straight out of the box, no patches these are not issues that exist. Yes, sometimes you might have a 2-3 second delay in the textures fully loading but that is nothing, because its not like your waiting at all, by the time you move everything is in place, and glitches are non existant, this is a great game and a must buy as ive already said.

Forum Post: The Review

Codie Kiser — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 04:20:00 GMT

and to end it, i guess i shouldnt be arguing with a website that gives a horrible game like Grand Theft Auto a good score.

Blog Post: Really bad...

PersonaFan87 — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:11:00 GMT

There is no need to further illustrate the horribleness of this game than what the GI review has already stated. I only wish to add that there is but one word that can describe this tragedy of a game and that is GARBAGE! Yes the whole game is sheer garbage the graphics make me want to puke in fact i feel that puke has better graphics than this trash then again it's made by Sega who aren't exactly adept at making graphical wonders. In fact the mere fact that this game is made by Sega should have been a red flag from the get go (they can't even make a decent Sonic game for god sakes). The game play is horrible and the controls are so bad I literally wanted to take the game out and use it as a frisbee with my dog as that would have been more fun. Overall I think i could have programmed a better game myself! It's just that bad and if you were so unlucky as to have thought that this game could have been good (as i did) and bought it today for freaking $60 then do yourself a favor and sell it on Ebay immediatly before people start catching on to how bad it is you may still get $55 bucks for it! (I know i did from some poor unsuspecting sap).

Blog Post: /sigh

Satyricon — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 00:47:00 GMT

You guys nailed it. The AI is all but retarded (I fired off akimbo SMG rounds into a palace guard and no more than 10 feet away another guard just continued on his rounds) The cover mechanic is often unresponsive requiring multiple button presses sometimes to take, and the targeting is almost purposely frustrating. The main character is bland as cream of wheat in a retirement home. A total disappointment from a fantastic development house. In a time when triple A titles are fast becoming the norm there is really no excuse for this train wreck.

Blog Post: Alpha Protocol

Anondorf — Mon, 31 May 2010 01:50:00 GMT

Alpha Protocol seemed like it would be an awesome game. It was one of those games that looked like it would either blow you away, or make you want to throw it into a trash compacter. Now, I rank it as a game that you give to your least favorite friend that you owe money to. Unless you want a game for the concept only , try to avoid this game until you find it next to AvP in the bargain section at Gamestop. Maybe youll really like the spy theme, but most people will not enjoy the unresponsive controls, sub-par voice acting, and cliche story. It reminds me of a Steven Seagal movie nowadays. Give this game a year, and THEN purchase it.