Review RPGWatch Alpha Protocol Impressions

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: Alpha Protocol; Obsidian Entertainment

<p>Our good friends over at the Watch are <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/article?articleid=151&amp;ref=0&amp;id=314" target="_blank">sharing their impressions</a> about Obsidians Espionage "RPG".</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Beyond the obvious issues outlined, I feel <em>Alpha Protocol</em> is unsure of its own identity and this sends mixed messages to players, resulting in mixed reactions.&nbsp; The combat is affected by the RPG elements but the RPG systems don't quite stand on their own; I would have liked a deeper skill system and stronger stealth mechanics - including the boss fights.&nbsp; At a deeper conceptual level, <em>Alpha Protocol</em> presents a real-world setting but then uses skills that act like magic and exaggerated characters inspired by '80s Bond films.&nbsp; I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and writing but they seem an uncomfortable fit with the realism.&nbsp; Ultimately, I think <em>Alpha Protocol</em> would have been better with a more stylised, graphic-novel theme.</p>
<p>But <em>Alpha Protocol</em> is better than the sum of these parts.&nbsp; The intricate plot changes, character relationships and quick-fire choices with consequences are miles ahead of any other action/RPG - and many traditional RPGs for that matter.&nbsp; Despite the niggles and missed opportunities, I look forward to getting back to the game and uncovering the conspiracy.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Additionally, some more reviews surfaced.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.gamingshogun.com/Article/6782/Review_of_Alpha_Protocol_PC.html" target="_blank">Gaming Shogun:</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>In effect, Alpha Protocol feels like you are playing out an episode of the USA Network's television series, <em>Burn Notice</em> (<strong>ed. note:</strong> Can we get more <em>Psych</em>, USA Network? Come on!). There is even a handler who refers to you as 'Mikey' in the same style as the character Sam does on that show. Alpha Protocol is a popcorn spy-flick, and whether you choose to go as an ex-soldier, ex-field agent, or even mercenary skill-build you will have a great time playing it through should you look at it as such. There are just enough plot twists to keep things interesting and the interweaving aspects of the game make you want to replay it with different choices to see how things turn out. Those players looking to be Daniel Craig as James Bond, Matt Damon as Jason Bourne, or even Kiefer Sutherland as Jack Bauer will be disappointed.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="http://games.kitguru.net/playstation-3/ps3-reviews/zardon/alpha-protocol-x360-ps3-review/" target="_blank">Kit Guru Games:</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Alpha Protocol</strong> is far from a perfect game, but if you enjoy spy movies and the Mass Effect &rsquo;style&rsquo; of interacting with other NPC&rsquo;s then it will certainly be worth a look. Sadly for me, the dire A.I. and rather bland enemy characters marred the experience. I would recommend it, but only for those of you who like a rich story and sharp dialogue.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com/#15030">RPGWatch</a></p>

 

[Azrael the cat]

Have to say, I ''acquired' this game, very skeptical of it's chance to perform. and I've already just sent in my steam purchase. I'm having more flat-out FUN in this game than any shooter/rpg since Bloodlines (much more emphasis on the combat aspect, but also done far better than Bloodlines and with more C+C).

I'm not going into a big post why I enjoy it - and I'm not going to flame others for hating it. I've said many times that I've always been a sucker for games with good writing, and yes this is a game with great writing - sometimes lousy voice-acting, mind you, but great writing nonetheless. You do get multiple paths through maps, and sneaking past everyone is possible but very very difficult until you've invested heavily in the skill tree.

Frankly, most review complaiints remind me EXACTLY of the reviews that slammed Bloodlines (other than those that quite rightly slammedi it because their preview version was unplayably buggy. I.e. they either hate it because it's an rpg and hitting opponents is strongly governed by character skill (low-level melee is imbalanced at the moment - it's FAR too easy to take out characters with melee with little or even no points in it, but that's the imbalanced exception to the rule, and is not at all typical of general balance). The game is STRONGLY skill-governed: I'm going sabotage/stealth/martial arts/piistols, and the game plays exactly how you'd expect: I can stealth around a bit, bit with only a few points invested I can only really sneak through poorly giuarded areas. Mass fire-fights are utter suicide unless I can use some offensive gadgets (sabotage skill, with maybe some stealth to get in position to throw the grenade/firebomb) to soften the opposition up first. They're doing the old 'why am I targeting this guy and still not killing him with a headshot despite having zero points in that weapon skillll!!! complaint'

Basically, they're complaining that they can't play it like mass effect. It isn't popamole - enemies can hit you if your head is sticking out, and if it isn't, they're smart enough to lob a grenade overand be done with it - usually while sending someone to flank the possible escape routes (ala the tactic the AI always used in FEAR if you tried camping - the 'grenade, one guy stays back with suppressing rifle fire and 2 shotgunners flank you as you run from the grenade - not as effectively executed as in FEAR, but the 'real' AI in FEAR wasn't actually that revolutionary, it was more a factor of desiigning an AI that worked brilliantly in a particularl kind of map setup - it's why FEAR has the same basic map structures the whole fucking game.

Basically it's morons yet again that think stat-driven crpgs have no place outside of fantasy. They want ME2 - some token stats and the abillity to instantly blast your way through everything without any skill points invested.

I, for one, am fucking glad that those bastards are disappointed. The game I'm playing is a fuckload better than the one they seem to be wantingl.

 

[Jora]

I'm having more flat-out FUN in this game than any shooter/rpg since Bloodlines (much more emphasis on the combat aspect, but also done far better than Bloodlines and with more C+C).

You've been reading my mind! That's exactly what I've been thinking. AP is like a more balanced Bloodlines but with no supernatural elements.

I, for one, am fucking glad that those bastards are disappointed. The game I'm playing is a fuckload better than the one they seem to be wantingl.

Indeed. Haven't had this much fun following a storyline since, uhm, when exactly?

 

[Konjad]

but with no supernatural elements.

Yes, it only has magic.

 

[Azrael the cat]

but with no supernatural elements.

Yes, it only has magic.

Yes, that's true and I'd rather that they went for either the blatant cheese of Deus Ex (which proved that cheese could be combined with serious thematic depth) or a Max Payne storybook (the storybook aspect, not the noir bit, though I love that genre too), which also gives you much more freedom to mix semi-magic skills with real-word setting.

Having said that, the 'magic skills' really aren't as bad as some folks have cracked it up to be. I can bypass locks with an emp grenade. Wow. I can run silently for a few seconds - no magic there (and if I'm seen I'm still fucked). I can 'overclock' my grenades to increase their blast power/radius - that's not too far-fetched for a tech-specialist.

The 'magicy' stuff doesn't even start to appear until you get WAY down the specialisation path (much of which you won't even reach if playing a generalist character. Yes, the worst offender is the high-level stealth skills that let you walk (and later run) for very short periods as though you're invisible. It isn't a matter of playing 'invisi-suit' from Crysis though - they only give you a few seconds and have a long cool-down, so they're for getting past one ordinarily impossibly tight spot. Even at that level, most stealthing is the oldfashioned sneaking around in shadows, keeping cover, making sure you're behind people and out of sight of guards (the game has an annoying but realistic habit of posting guards up in towers and at multiple heights, so you're having to watch up and down, as wel as left and right. It isn't thief 3, but it's 95% old-style stealth (if you're playing it that way), and at most (i.e. highest level with suitable equipment) 5% 'magic invis'. Most skills and equipment are about reducing noise or creating distrctions rather than making you invisible.

Combat-wise, I really haven't noticed any magic that goes beyond the norm for standard shooters these days. Yes, there's bullet-time skills, low-recoil skills, and so on, but that's par for shooters these days. There's one that's unnecessarily 'magic', where at ultra-high-level SMG (or is it automatic rfiles?) where you can keep on autofiring without having to reload.

So yeah, there is some silly stuff in the game. But nothing of the scale that some folks have been implying.

For clarification, I'm certainly not saying that this is a contender for the Codex's 'holy trinity' - it's not a 'GREAT' game. But I'm having FUN. And I haven't had FUN playing a new crpg since Bloodlines (pre the sewers). And my god it feels wonderful to play a new game wanting to complete it because I'm having so much fun I can't wait to try a different build, rather than because I've just run out of old games that I haven't played to death and want to kill some hours. I think I'd actually forgotten what it felt like to have FUN playing a game. Not that the game's amazing or great by the standards of old - perhaps if I found this in 2000 I'd think it was shit. Frankly it probably IS shit compared to the greats of old. Skyway could come up with his usual list and it may well be 70% right. But fuck....FUN!! Actual FUN!!!

Right here, right now, I feel like a former millionaire turned homeless bum, who just plucked a diamong ring out of the sewerage and thought 'wow, I remember when I would have thought it not even worth getting my hands dirty for - but right now, it's Christmas in fucking June!'

 

[Freelance Henchman]

Looks like you have succumbed to THE NEW SHIT.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Yes, that's true and I'd rather that they went for either the blatant cheese of Deus Ex (which proved that cheese could be combined with serious thematic depth) or a Max Payne storybook (the storybook aspect, not the noir bit, though I love that genre too), which also gives you much more freedom to mix semi-magic skills with real-word setting.

Having said that, the 'magic skills' really aren't as bad as some folks have cracked it up to be. I can bypass locks with an emp grenade. Wow. I can run silently for a few seconds - no magic there (and if I'm seen I'm still fucked). I can 'overclock' my grenades to increase their blast power/radius - that's not too far-fetched for a tech-specialist.

The 'magicy' stuff doesn't even start to appear until you get WAY down the specialisation path (much of which you won't even reach if playing a generalist character. Yes, the worst offender is the high-level stealth skills that let you walk (and later run) for very short periods as though you're invisible. It isn't a matter of playing 'invisi-suit' from Crysis though - they only give you a few seconds and have a long cool-down, so they're for getting past one ordinarily impossibly tight spot. Even at that level, most stealthing is the oldfashioned sneaking around in shadows, keeping cover, making sure you're behind people and out of sight of guards (the game has an annoying but realistic habit of posting guards up in towers and at multiple heights, so you're having to watch up and down, as wel as left and right. It isn't thief 3, but it's 95% old-style stealth (if you're playing it that way), and at most (i.e. highest level with suitable equipment) 5% 'magic invis'. Most skills and equipment are about reducing noise or creating distrctions rather than making you invisible.

Combat-wise, I really haven't noticed any magic that goes beyond the norm for standard shooters these days. Yes, there's bullet-time skills, low-recoil skills, and so on, but that's par for shooters these days. There's one that's unnecessarily 'magic', where at ultra-high-level SMG (or is it automatic rfiles?) where you can keep on autofiring without having to reload.

So yeah, there is some silly stuff in the game. But nothing of the scale that some folks have been implying.

For clarification, I'm certainly not saying that this is a contender for the Codex's 'holy trinity' - it's not a 'GREAT' game. But I'm having FUN. And I haven't had FUN playing a new crpg since Bloodlines (pre the sewers). And my god it feels wonderful to play a new game wanting to complete it because I'm having so much fun I can't wait to try a different build, rather than because I've just run out of old games that I haven't played to death and want to kill some hours. I think I'd actually forgotten what it felt like to have FUN playing a game. Not that the game's amazing or great by the standards of old - perhaps if I found this in 2000 I'd think it was shit. Frankly it probably IS shit compared to the greats of old. Skyway could come up with his usual list and it may well be 70% right. But fuck....FUN!! Actual FUN!!!

Right here, right now, I feel like a former millionaire turned homeless bum, who just plucked a diamong ring out of the sewerage and thought 'wow, I remember when I would have thought it not even worth getting my hands dirty for - but right now, it's Christmas in fucking June!'

well said, brother.

 

[Jaedar]

To be totally honest, the invisi-skill gets completely ridiculous at the highest level: 30 seconds of invisibility, during which you can run(not sprint) and do as many melee "stealth kills" as you want to. You can easily clear an entire room or two without any fear of repercussion.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

To be totally honest, the invisi-skill gets completely ridiculous at the highest level: 30 seconds of invisibility, during which you can run(not sprint) and do as many melee "stealth kills" as you want to. You can easily clear an entire room or two without any fear of repercussion.

isn't it 20 seconds with a 90 second refresh time? and running still alerts enemies via sound if you're not using silent running.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

Counting bonus duration from perks maybe? Though I'm not sure how much difference those make since it doesn't say exactly how much they improve power durations.

 

[Jaedar]

To be totally honest, the invisi-skill gets completely ridiculous at the highest level: 30 seconds of invisibility, during which you can run(not sprint) and do as many melee "stealth kills" as you want to. You can easily clear an entire room or two without any fear of repercussion.

isn't it 20 seconds with a 90 second refresh time? and running still alerts enemies via sound if you're not using silent running.

Yeah, but it doesn't alert them enough to trigger the alarm afaik. And I'm pretty sure its more than 20 seconds, but as Henchman said, I think I have some perks that improve it.

 

[Vaarna_Aarne]

To be totally honest, the invisi-skill gets completely ridiculous at the highest level: 30 seconds of invisibility, during which you can run(not sprint) and do as many melee "stealth kills" as you want to. You can easily clear an entire room or two without any fear of repercussion.

isn't it 20 seconds with a 90 second refresh time? and running still alerts enemies via sound if you're not using silent running.

The last level allows you to run, which is the part that makes it OP. Previous levels of Shadow Operative are just fine, since they're essentially just "can't figure this one guy out, gotta use Shadow Operative" for sneaking.

Then again, it's a slippery slope there, since Master Shadow Operative is the most expensive skill in the game, so you can't really make it any less than ridiculously OP.

 

[Trash]

Told you it was good. In fact, I found the 'demo' so much fun I bought the game on the same day I got firefight. I've yet to play firefight seriously.

 

[Mr. Teatime]

So how long, roughly, will it take me to finish the game? Is it comparable to Deus Ex, which even with its multiple-ways-to-play lasted a long time from beginning to end?

Cheers.

 

[Jaedar]

So how long, roughly, will it take me to finish the game? Is it comparable to Deus Ex, which even with its multiple-ways-to-play lasted a long time from beginning to end?

10-20 hours seems to be the consensus, but I'd say you're looking at the upper part of that unless you skip some missions(which you can do, free of penalty, but it affects C&C).

The multiple ways to play isn't really true for the most part, the level design really isn't comparable to DX. Many times you are forced into a firefight. Some missions are designed for combat(mainly the final ones in each location) some are designed for stealth, but can be combated.

 

[Mr. Teatime]

Cool, a decent play-length then. I'm not really the sort of person who plays through games multiple times (FO and PST being the exceptions).

I reckon I'll pick AP up in a few weeks once I'm finished with Red Dead Redemption. Probably it'll drop in price pretty quickly too... :/

 

[Pseudofool]

I got the Bloodlines feel right away. From the loading icon to the gameplay.

I'm also just having a lot of fun. I imagine you'll get a lot more hours from the game if you read the dossiers (which are informative) and optimize your inventory.

 

[Jaedar]

Dossiers are a good example of extracurricular reading done right, compared to the codex in recent BioWare titles, it is a godsend. Y'know, cus Dossiers actually are relevant to the game, they tell you stuff about characters so it becomes easier to manipulate them and predict what effects it will have.

 

[Pseudofool]

Dossiers are a good example of extracurricular reading done right, compared to the codex in recent BioWare titles, it is a godsend. Y'know, cus Dossiers actually are relevant to the game, they tell you stuff about characters so it becomes easier to manipulate them and predict what effects it will have.

Yeah, I'm really impressed to. It's not quite as well done as Witcher's dossier system (which I think was just excellent, I could get lost in that codex.) But you're so right about the Bioware codex being absolutely horsecrap--a poorly written minihistory with voice over does not make the game more immersive or the more real; if I'm going to read something (or listen to it) I want to be able to use that information in some way.

 

[Volourn]

10-20 hours for AP, and Codex and others aren't crying about it? It's funny that when a BIO game is considered 'short' people whine non stop about it but when an Obsidian game is as short as 10 hours people think it's cool? WTF?

AS long as the game is good is the main thing; but still FFS.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

The last level allows you to run, which is the part that makes it OP. Previous levels of Shadow Operative are just fine, since they're essentially just "can't figure this one guy out, gotta use Shadow Operative" for sneaking.

Then again, it's a slippery slope there, since Master Shadow Operative is the most expensive skill in the game, so you can't really make it any less than ridiculously OP.

yes, well...by the time i reached that skill level i was at the very end of the game and the only time i used it was during that helicopter assfuck and by fucking god i was glad i had it. build your character up that much you better get some reward for it.

Dossiers are a good example of extracurricular reading done right, compared to the codex in recent BioWare titles, it is a godsend. Y'know, cus Dossiers actually are relevant to the game, they tell you stuff about characters so it becomes easier to manipulate them and predict what effects it will have.

Yep, same thoughts. i read every single email in this game. i can't remember the last game i did this with (except FO3 where the green-screen computers were the only decent writing in the game).

10-20 hours for AP, and Codex and others aren't crying about it? It's funny that when a BIO game is considered 'short' people whine non stop about it but when an Obsidian game is as short as 10 hours people think it's cool? WTF?

actually, while i don't think i "whined" i have stated how i feel the ending felt rushed and AP really would have benefited from one more city in order to tie things up. i would have liked to see:

* Moscow, Rome, Teipei in whatever order you want
* final city which ties everything together
* final mission

 

[fastpunk]

but with no supernatural elements.

Yes, it only has magic.

Yes, that's true and I'd rather that they went for either the blatant cheese of Deus Ex (which proved that cheese could be combined with serious thematic depth) or a Max Payne storybook (the storybook aspect, not the noir bit, though I love that genre too), which also gives you much more freedom to mix semi-magic skills with real-word setting.

Having said that, the 'magic skills' really aren't as bad as some folks have cracked it up to be. I can bypass locks with an emp grenade. Wow. I can run silently for a few seconds - no magic there (and if I'm seen I'm still fucked). I can 'overclock' my grenades to increase their blast power/radius - that's not too far-fetched for a tech-specialist.

The 'magicy' stuff doesn't even start to appear until you get WAY down the specialisation path (much of which you won't even reach if playing a generalist character. Yes, the worst offender is the high-level stealth skills that let you walk (and later run) for very short periods as though you're invisible. It isn't a matter of playing 'invisi-suit' from Crysis though - they only give you a few seconds and have a long cool-down, so they're for getting past one ordinarily impossibly tight spot. Even at that level, most stealthing is the oldfashioned sneaking around in shadows, keeping cover, making sure you're behind people and out of sight of guards (the game has an annoying but realistic habit of posting guards up in towers and at multiple heights, so you're having to watch up and down, as wel as left and right. It isn't thief 3, but it's 95% old-style stealth (if you're playing it that way), and at most (i.e. highest level with suitable equipment) 5% 'magic invis'. Most skills and equipment are about reducing noise or creating distrctions rather than making you invisible.

Combat-wise, I really haven't noticed any magic that goes beyond the norm for standard shooters these days. Yes, there's bullet-time skills, low-recoil skills, and so on, but that's par for shooters these days. There's one that's unnecessarily 'magic', where at ultra-high-level SMG (or is it automatic rfiles?) where you can keep on autofiring without having to reload.

So yeah, there is some silly stuff in the game. But nothing of the scale that some folks have been implying.

For clarification, I'm certainly not saying that this is a contender for the Codex's 'holy trinity' - it's not a 'GREAT' game. But I'm having FUN. And I haven't had FUN playing a new crpg since Bloodlines (pre the sewers). And my god it feels wonderful to play a new game wanting to complete it because I'm having so much fun I can't wait to try a different build, rather than because I've just run out of old games that I haven't played to death and want to kill some hours. I think I'd actually forgotten what it felt like to have FUN playing a game. Not that the game's amazing or great by the standards of old - perhaps if I found this in 2000 I'd think it was shit. Frankly it probably IS shit compared to the greats of old. Skyway could come up with his usual list and it may well be 70% right. But fuck....FUN!! Actual FUN!!!

Right here, right now, I feel like a former millionaire turned homeless bum, who just plucked a diamong ring out of the sewerage and thought 'wow, I remember when I would have thought it not even worth getting my hands dirty for - but right now, it's Christmas in fucking June!'

Amin to that! I pretty much agree. Although I found the voice acting constantly good so far. But then again I'm the guy who found Risen's voice acting mostly good, so yeah...

One thing I'd like to mention about gameplay is that the stealth part is fucking pulse raising. Seriously, I haven't felt this tense when sneaking about since Thief, or Deus Ex. What a good feeling! I just replayed the Nasri mission and made it through all of with one kill only. It was fucking awesome.

 

[Melcar]

Bullshit.

 

[Lexx]

I agree on the wall of text above.

AP is cool.

 

[Konjad]

Good you guys like it. I don't.

 

[WhiskeyWolf]

Good you guys like it. I don't.

 

[CrimHead]

10-20 hours for AP, and Codex and others aren't crying about it? It's funny that when a BIO game is considered 'short' people whine non stop about it but when an Obsidian game is as short as 10 hours people think it's cool? WTF?

AS long as the game is good is the main thing; but still FFS.

Choices and consequences (which are completely absent in Bioware games) greatly increase the replayability factor of AP, thus making up for its comparative shortness, or so I've heard from an actually respectable poster (Azrael).