My favorite spy game is unquestionably Alpha Protocol. Now, even I have to admit that technically, this one is a bit of a mess – but that in no way should take away from the beauty of its branching story and in-depth conversation systems.
Taking the role of Agent Michael Thornton, you are cut off by your government and left to try and prevent catastrophe by yourself – a plot that will no doubt be familiar to anyone who has seen any James Bond film made in the last 30 years. Where it sets itself apart, however, is how you go about doing this.
You have a huge depth of options available to you as you build your Michael, allowing you to create the spy you want as you move through the game. You can choose to be a master spy, specializing in hand to hand combat and stealth, allowing you to silently take out or evade all in your path, fight like a commando with a range of weapons, or use espionage to overcome locks and security to avoid dangers in your path.
But while all of these elements will affect how you face combat, it is really how you handle your interactions with people that truly sets Alpha Protocol apart. Every conversation is meet by three or four options, and any one of them can ingratiate or sour them to you. It isn’t limited to the conversation though, as your acts in battle will also impact their reactions – or if you will see them at all.
As I said earlier, it’s a bit of a mess technically, with bad some character builds making combat trivial while other made it near impossible, but it allows for such a rich tapestry of interactions I can’t help but give it an 8/10.
Taking the role of Agent Michael Thornton, you are cut off by your government and left to try and prevent catastrophe by yourself – a plot that will no doubt be familiar to anyone who has seen any James Bond film made in the last 30 years. Where it sets itself apart, however, is how you go about doing this.
You have a huge depth of options available to you as you build your Michael, allowing you to create the spy you want as you move through the game. You can choose to be a master spy, specializing in hand to hand combat and stealth, allowing you to silently take out or evade all in your path, fight like a commando with a range of weapons, or use espionage to overcome locks and security to avoid dangers in your path.
But while all of these elements will affect how you face combat, it is really how you handle your interactions with people that truly sets Alpha Protocol apart. Every conversation is meet by three or four options, and any one of them can ingratiate or sour them to you. It isn’t limited to the conversation though, as your acts in battle will also impact their reactions – or if you will see them at all.
As I said earlier, it’s a bit of a mess technically, with bad some character builds making combat trivial while other made it near impossible, but it allows for such a rich tapestry of interactions I can’t help but give it an 8/10.
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Tech