PC/X360/PS3 Game Alpha Protocol Gets A Cool Launch Trailer … and Some Lousy Early Reviews

For those of us waiting for the launch of Obsidian Entertainments highly anticipated and multiply delayed Alpha Protocol, today is a bit of a mixed bag. On the one hand there is a cool new launch trailer … but on the other hand some early reviews have sprung up, and none are particularly positive.

Let’s start with the good stuff! Here is the launch trailer:

Now on the bad side, here are some quotes from early reviews that GameBanshee has assembled:

Eurogamer gives it a 7/10:
Obsidian can’t really compete with the bigger boys in the RPG field, then, but it’s carved out a little space to call its own. With ambition instead of budget, and integrity instead of polish, in the end the choice of whether to persevere or not is pretty easy to make.

Joystiq doesn’t hand out a score:
Alpha Protocol is structurally flawed, but perhaps most damning — considering the thing was apparently done six months ago — it’s a technical nightmare. Textures take forever to pop-in (and sometimes even pop back out!); enemies hover 10 feet above platforms; there are frequent, seemingly random load times that can range from 3 to 15 seconds, and even occur right in the middle of dialog. Trust me, I could go on.

CVG/Games Master gives it an 8.4/10:
Alpha Protocol’s a technical turkey but it’s also a gripping, innovative and deserving of both success and a sequel. It might look like a dog, but dig deep and you’re in for an undercover treat – it’s a stonking feeling when a game we were expecting to stink turns out to be a revelation. If you’ve any interest in RPGs that also deliver explosive action, don’t let this double agent slip through the net.

VideoGamer gives it a 6/10:
On paper, Alpha Protocol sounds incredibly alluring, combining the best elements of the role-playing and action genres with a refreshing concept. In executing that concept, however, the game falls apart at the seams. Ignoring the dialogue system, Obsidian’s latest plays like a substandard third-person shooter. Despite its myriad of shortcomings there’s a moderate amount of fun to be had with Alpha Protocol. It’s a game that’s more enjoyable than it probably should be, a game that’s better than the sum of its parts. There’s a lot of potential hiding under the flawed shell, and although Obsidian has failed to coax it out this time around, I hope somebody does the concept justice in the future.

SPOnG gives it a 51%:
If you openly wept at the news of 24′s cancellation, you might get something out of Alpha Protocol. The RPG elements are largely functional and there’s a genuine sense that you can impact the storyline. That storyline is pretty dry, however, and the characters are wooden and lifeless like a big, dead, boring tree. Add in sub-par shooter elements and there’s not a lot to recommend Alpha Protocol.

PlayStation Lifestyle gives it a 7/10:
Alpha Protocol does have its flaws in almost every corner, with its frustrating mini-games to the way the game handles combat as well as pretty poor AI. However, this game is a fresh take and face on a new franchise which includes an involving storyline paired with a new twist on character interaction making Alpha Protocol a fairly enjoyable game. Obsidian Entertainment has succeeded in some aspects with blending a healthy dose of 3rd person action and complex RPG elements into one immersive and intriguing experience along with a high degree of freedom – something which should be experienced by anyone remotely interested in RPGs or stealth games.

Gladriel gives it a 7.5/10:
Still, there are some saving graces in this game: the role-playing and storyline are both excellent. We can level up our spy the way we want, just like in Mass Effect, or other good RPGs. There’s a plethora of specializations and special skills to develop and it’s really fun to use the latter on the missions. The story is top-notch, with well-drawn characters, exciting missions, double crossings, back stabbings, and many other surprises as well. So should we buy Alpha Protocol? Well, if you are itching for a good spy thriller with tons of customizations and a cool story, and if you can pass by its glaring design faults, then this game is clearly for you.

And TheGamersHub gives it a 3.5/5:
The game has a lot to immerse into. Some of the missions can be repetitive, but the overall story can be fulfilling and the ability to choose what you want to do next and not be on rails and forced to do certain things in a set order is great. The leveling system is superb for a first time effort. The action and RPG elements blend very well together. There are some glitches but if you can overlook the AI and the graphical hiccups you will be able to enjoy this game. Your initial play-through will take roughly 15 hours depending on how deep you want to experiment with the options given to you. The high replay value in this title makes for an easy bargain bin game. If you’re into RPG’s than you will pick this up upon release. So go out there, and save the world.

While it seems pretty clear this isn’t going to be the top-rated blockbuster hit many had hoped, nor be the game that finally breaks the image of Obsidian as a developer with tons of talent but a penchant for delivering buggy games, there is actually some good news in all of those reviews.

Perhaps the most comforting thing is that the areas Obsidian focused on – role-playing, depth, choice, and replayability – are highlighted as major positives across the board. Also, since the aim wasn’t to deliver a ‘shooter with RPG-lite elements’ as was done with Mass Effect, it isn’t clear from some of the reviews that these folks really had correct expectations.

What *IS* clear is that the game is a technical mess, despite supposedly being ready for release six months ago. For PC gamers, RPG fans in particular, that has become the norm rather than the exception … so we can only hope they sort this out in short order.

Personally I am still greatly anticipating the release next week, as I saw much to look forward to based on those reviews – and they have tempered my expectations of the technical aspects.

Source: GameBanshee

Tags: Games & Gaming