Alpha Protocol
Greetings, Alpha Protocol is a spy RPG by Obsidian Entertainment and follows the customizable protagonist Michael Thorton. Despite a rough start for a few reasons including the save system and the timed conversations, I did eventually grow to like it. The player can often choose if they plan to get passed the level with stealth or combat. There are plenty of NPCs to interact with but most have small roles in the game or little in the way of personality. However, there are some characters that are memorable including Stephen Heck, Albatross, Brayko and several others.
The story is relatively simple with a few twists and turns to keep the atmosphere fresh. It begins in the training grounds of Alpha Protocol, a secret intelligence agency which does not officially exist. After completing a series of tests for three separate specialists named Mina, Parker and Sean Darcy, Michael is then assigned his mission. Thornton is assigned to kill terrorist leader, Shaheed who was accused of destroying a plane full of civilians. However once he reaches his target, the terrorist claims that he had bought the missiles from the US military corporation Halbech.
Michael is warned by a fellow member of Alpha Protocol, Mina, that Halbech is in control of the agency and that a missile strike is bound for his location. Shaheed and the field agent survive the attack, but Thorton is believed to have been killed in the incident. After this, Michael begins on his mission as a rouge spy by building up alliances with various factions and people to prevent Halbech president Leland from creating another Cold War and accidently igniting a real one. The plot is mainly set in four different locations including Moscow, Rome, Taipei and in Saudi Arabia.
The problems I had with the timed conversations include that there isn’t a long enough period to make a decision and think about the consequences it will have on the plot or your allies. A different concern I had is when Thorton acts in a certain way to receive trust and approval from the range of people. This means that Michael doesn’t have a consistent character but is suave with one NPC and by the book with the next. All in all despite its problems I did enjoy it and would encourage you to give it a go if you haven’t already.
Plot=7/10
Characters=8/10
Graphics=7/10
Overall=7/10
Quote of the day
Firstly, any worker that so much murmurs another complaint will be shot. Secondly, Any worker who takes more than a three second break, Will be shot. Lastly, any worker who breaks any other rules I have yet to formulate, Yes you guessed it. Will be shot.
Reaver
Fable 3
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