Alpha Protocol

I said I’d be returning… well at least trying to keep this blog a little more up to date. Life’s been busy but you’re not here to listen to what goes on in the life of  yet another random internet blogger guy who reviews video games as if his opinion of them is somehow important. You’re here to read what the hell I have to say about whatever it is I feel like giving an opinion on and this time it’s an opinion not shared by most. Oooh look at me, I’m a contrarian, always going against the popular opinion!

Anyway we’re talking “Alpha Protocol”, a game that most aren’t very fond of, especially the critics. Like “Deadly Premonition” it appears to have gained mild cult status and does have a pretty loyal fan-base; as of a month ago I count myself as one of those fans. You see the critics and the consumers who aren’t fond of the game have pretty good reason to dislike it. It’s glitchy, the graphics are severely outdated, the enemy AI is both incompetent and irritatingly competent at the same time, some of the RPG elements can cause major frustration –mostly involving the assault rifle-, cover is sticky and combat can be extremely irritating, considering you have to stand perfectly still in order to maintain accuracy. It’s got a good number of problems, but dammit if I didn’t have a blast playing it.

I’m on my third playthrough now and I’ve gotten used to its awkward mechanics. That’s not many points in its favor of course and there are glitches you’ll run into that’ll ruin the fun, but like 2008’s “Alone in the Dark” you eventually get used to it. Difference is “Alpha Protocol” actually has a serviceable control scheme. When you allow yourself to get used to how “Alpha Protocol” plays it can be a lot of fun, you can see what Obsidian was trying to do with this and you can tell that given a little more time, possibly a bigger budget and more polish that the game could’ve been something special. As it stands it’s entertaining, provided you’re willing to put up with its flaws. It’s never a good sign when you have to say “well if you play it for long enough it gets good.” but in “Alpha Protocol’s” case that’s what I’m saying. Once you pass the first two or so missions and get a feel for the way it plays you should be fine from there.

Usually I’m not fond of RPGs, especially most modern day ones (probably since most are JRPGs) as it doesn’t feel like you’re actually building your own personal character. With “Alpha Protocol” you get that option, no two Thorton’s are the same. I know it’s odd to make this sort of praise, considering the system is nothing new. But it is nice to finally put experience points into a character’s skill trees and see how the character changes based on your decisions. I think the biggest problem I’ve had with RPGs is everything is universal now, you don’t feel like you’re making any significant impact on your character’s performance. Then again I played “Skyrim” for all of three hours before wanting to shoot myself in the head so I can’t comment much on the skill tree in that one. There I go being contrarian again. And no “Skyrim” is not a bad game, but it suffers from my least favorite RPG trope, mindless level grinding. You know, when you aren’t a high enough level, so you run around for an hour or so fighting the same low class enemies, just so you can get into the fortress and fight the boss. It’s not fun, it’s just busy work.

Okay back to “Alpha Protocol.” The dialogue system -hate the game all you want the dialogue system is the best that there’s ever been, and I’m not exaggerating. Rather than the usual good or evil choices or exposition trees, the system in “Alpha Protocol” is simple yet complex. Instead of fumbling through the dialogue menu, reading each sentence and choosing which one you want to say, “Alpha Protocol” instead has you pick a stance and the characters react appropriately to each stance. You also don’t have to pick just one stance, you can be an asshole,  suave and professional all the in the same conversation and the best part… the dialogue continues to flow naturally. Thorton’s personality remains consistent no matter which stance you choose and again the character’s you’re talking to react appropriately. You also aren’t forced to choose between Paragon and Renegade, you can choose a middle ground if you want, not every choice is black and white. Choices and your attitude also have an actual impact on the story. If you’re an asshole to a character then said character will be an asshole back, they may turn against you or may not help you at all. And it's not always obvious what effects your choices will have, they may be immediate or they may have significant impact later in the game. 

You can turn enemies into friends or friends into enemies depending on your actions and what stances you take in a conversation. The story of course pretty much plays the same but it’s nice to see that the game actually recognizes the choices you make and the stances you’ve taken. And I think that’s really where “Alpha Protocol” is the most successful and why I enjoy it so much: the story feels tailored to the player. Obsidian promised this and they actually delivered. This is no “Mass Effect” or “The Walking Dead” where your choices only change a few things and choices with lasting consequences are: obvious, unavoidable and usually force the player to choose between good and evil.

It’s far from perfect and has a lot of problems, but in the end I thoroughly enjoyed it and I admire and appreciate what Obsidian were trying to do. It’s definitely a promising concept and I truly hope they get a chance to make a sequel that addresses the issues of the first.