Alpha Protocol

[FullAuto]

An espionage RPG? You what?

 

Working for the blacker-than-black Alpha Protocol agency, you are Mike Thorton (special agent, not estate agent, despite the name) and your job is to superspy the living shit out of naughty folk all over the world.

 

Like any RPG, it gives you the chance to build your individual character's capabilities. Stealth, Martial Arts, four different firearm skills, Sabotage, Tech, Toughness, etc. Now, because it's an RPG, your base skill level is crap. The reticule for pistols, for instance, is about the size of a car tyre, and only gets bigger when you shoot several round in quick succession. I went for Stealth/Martial Arts focus, proper sneaky beaky stuff, because I have no plans to get caught and engage in loud unrefined shootouts. Lock-picking? Piece of piss. Alarm disabling? Like a fiend. Computer hacking? Bit tricky, but I'm improving.

 

Every conversation contains a dialogue tree, with at least three responses open to you. Each option was inspired by a famous fictional spy; James Bond (suave), Jack Bauer (aggressive), and Jason Bourne (professional). Each response can affect your relationship with the person you are talking to, be it your weapons trainer, intel analyst, contact, informant, or enemy. The effects are displayed straight away, although after a few responses, you know what each person likes and dislikes, though there's always a little uncertainty, as there should be.

 

First mission was like a scene from a ninja film. I coasted up behind the first sentry. Broke his neck. Sailed under the security camera, into the first building, hacked the computer to open the gate, hacked another computer to turn off the security cameras. Soft-shoed it back outside, shadowed the second sentry into a corner, jerked his head back, chopped him in the throat. As he did his level best to breathe through his arse, I climbed a watchtower, only for the man at the top to sense me. I went for the melee attack as he spun and brought up his rifle, and punched him in the throat. That was a bit lucky, but it could have been skill. From the watchtower, I leapt onto the roof of a nearby building, and slipped inside, bypassing the locked door at ground level. God damn I am good. Enough of my excellence.

 

Some strong criticism has come from the fact that although you can play the game like a third-person shooter, with shotguns, assault rifles etc available from the start, your character needs the right skills to do so. Going in guns blazing, with only the base skill level, means missing a lot and getting killed. You can play it as violent as you like, there's a cover system, blind firing, grenades etc but you can't just put together a stealthy build and then expect to go John Woo and succeed when things go wrong. Which is where some reviewers have gone wrong.

 

Well worth a play!

[Matri]

What should best be said is that this game really doesn't have a "wrong way" to play. You can make all the wrong choices and shoot all the wrong people, but so long as you're still at least one bullethole away from being six feet under, you'll make it to the end of the game.

 

Of course, you'll get the most fun (as well as the highest score) by being a ghost. Get in, get out, watch as they realize someone got into their base. Six days later.

 

But then again, in some of the levels you'll have to go shooting in. Hint: Specialise in pistols for these parts. One-hit blindfire headshots. That is all.

[FullAuto]

What should best be said is that this game really doesn't have a "wrong way" to play. You can make all the wrong choices and shoot all the wrong people, but so long as you're still at least one bullethole away from being six feet under, you'll make it to the end of the game.

 

Absolutely. The game states it several times, there are no bad choices, only results. One set of results may certainly be more desirable, but you're never faced with game over because of your play style (unless as Matri says, it gets you killed).

 

I never tire of the silent takedowns. Leg sweep and throw, neck break, strangulation, throat punch, aaahhh, the variety. A virtual buffet of killing moves.

[Thorondor]

Don't know if this has any impact on gameplay, Mr. Assassin, but there's a new patch out for the game.

 

::

 

[FullAuto]

This season, I am mainly standing next to doorways and punching people in the throat when they walk through. It never gets old.

 

I was regretting bringing the shotgun on my latest mission, which started out as an open affair with long sight lines. However, after slipping through that with the aid of my suppressed pistol and the Silent Running skill, I found myself in a warren of tunnels. After an invariably fatal outbreak of Doorway Throat among the guards, I managed to find what I was after, only to be surprised by a quick reaction force of several mildly irritated enemies. Throat punching was not going to get me out of it (I only have one pair of hands, after all) so I took cover, whipped out the old pump-action (shotgun, perverts) and carried out a bit of room clearance, which ironically enough created a bigger mess. The close ranges and confined spaces meant my shotgun ruled supreme, with the only trouble provided by an elite guard who I promptly kung fu'd to death.

 

Funnily enough, the stats screen reckons my deadliest weapon: Hands.

[Pete]

Strong wrists from hours of... training?

[Matri]

You should have brought phosphorus shells. They make short work of armoured mooks. Well, easier work at least.

[FullAuto]

Strong wrists from hours of... training?

 

International superspies don't have to train their wrists. They have lovely ladies to do it for them. Incidentally, I just pulled a certain Madison St. James (not a porn star, despite the name) after about five minutes. Unstoppable! A bit blonde for my taste, but still.

 

You should have brought phosphorus shells. They make short work of armoured mooks. Well, easier work at least.

 

I hadn't found any, and the only ones for sale were damn expensive. Got some now though.

 

I've moved on from bare hands to mostly knifing people now. Exact same MO, though, I just prefer the bloodletting unless I've got some reason to merely knock them out.

 

The Perks system is a fine one. Unlike Skills, you earn them by playing the game. E.g. if you intimidate someone in a conversation, you'll get a perk giving you an advantage with dealings with them in the future. Set fire to 20 idiots and you'll get +25% carrying capacity on your incendiary bombs. Beat up 50 people and you get +1 to your melee attack damage. This is a good system because it amplifies how you play, it reacts to what you want.

 

Speaking of beating people up, I had a meeting with someone but I pissed him off, and was promptly tasered, robbed of all my possessions, and left alone with two guards who had instructions to beat me up. Oh, how I laughed. I had to pause the game to get a grip. After giving them a shoeing in record time, I escaped and retrieved all my gear in short order. Thank God I didn't have to go hunting everything individually. Hate that mechanic, it's designed by sadists.

 

Still specialising in Stealth, with a side order of Martial Arts. Got basic Pistol, Shotgun and Rifle, not bothered with SMG. I'm also getting a bit of Sabotage in with spare accumulated Ability Points, as hacking, lock picking and electronics-frigging is growing steadily more difficult. Technical Aptitude is also looking attractive, as it boosts your equipment/inventory.

 

The range of gear grows ever more, and my finances have kept me in good kit, if not cutting edge. Upgraded my body armour to one with two expansion slots (taken up by integrated circuitry and digital camo, helping out my hacking and stealth respectively), but I have plenty of other expansions I'd love to use, so I need armour with more slots. Increased stealth versus cameras, double ammo capacity, etc etc. Must save my pennies.

 

Weapon customisation is a must, and I've had a suppressor on my pistol since day one. Assisted by sights, a balanced magazine, composite parts and some steel-core ammo, it's my main solution to problems I can't solve with my knife. The assault rifle has a scope, improved rifling, a bigger magazine and plenty of subsonic ammo for the silent removal of obstacles at range. The shotgun has been firepower-maximised, so the accuracy and stability are rock-bottom, but it hits crushingly hard.

 

So far, I've killed and incapacitated 372 enemies. 220 of those have been with my hands. I'm not allowed to walk around with my hands in my pockets, for fear of being charged with carrying concealed weapons. Hai yah!

[Matri]

Speaking of beating people up, I had a meeting with someone but I pissed him off, and was promptly tasered, robbed of all my possessions, and left alone with two guards who had instructions to beat me up. Oh, how I laughed. I had to pause the game to get a grip. After giving them a shoeing in record time, I escaped and retrieved all my gear in short order. Thank God I didn't have to go hunting everything individually. Hate that mechanic, it's designed by sadists.

So, this is a spoiler but, there is absolutely no way to avoid that. Believe me, I've tried.

 

And yes, that did involve a heck of a lot of reloading.

[FullAuto]

Worst things about it are:

 

1) Boss battles. They aren't too bad really, but in a game like this they feel totally unnecessary and completely tacked on. God knows who insisted they be included, but I hope he's still waking up in the night screaming with guilt.

 

2) Nolan bloody North is in it. He's in everything!

[Matri]

If you know how to get Conrad to fight to the death in the museum, it's really satisfying.