Decisions, Decisions

I'd noticed Alpha Protocol a few weeks ago while browsing a games shop, and it's box art proclaiming it as "The Espionage RPG" caught my attention.

See, while I like some aspects of RPG games, mainly the in-depth storylines and the need for more thought than action, I've never been all that into the more traditional elements such as non-human playable characters. Hence why I prefer Final Fantasy VII and VIII over IX.

That Alpha Protocol was set on Earth, in pretty much the modern age was an appeal. A quick check of some reviews showed that it had taken a right battering in some quarters on it's release back in Spring, but when I saw it going for £15, I elected to take a punt.

To start, the only element on RPG here is the fact you 'level up' your character and build his skills up over time, meaning that while you may not be able to hit the proverbial cow's arse with a banjo at the start, focus on your rifle skills and you'll soon by adding an extra hole in the head to terrorists at 500 yards, albeit at the expense of other skills such as stealth or hand-to-hand combat.

In theory, this allows the player to play to their strengths, but on my first run through, in which I built up my stealth/sneaking skills to such a level that I was essentially able to slice and dice my way through groups of enemies without raising an eyebrow.

Which brings me to the big criticisms of Alpha Protocol. The actual game engine is absolute tosh. It feels very previous generation and almost behind Metal Gear Solid 2, which came out around eight years ago. A case of point: sneaking in a hotel lobby area, I hid behind a reception desk and leaping over the obstacle would have enable me to get past a pesky guard. Yet the game didn't allow me the option of this. This may have been fine on a PS2 game, but Sega really need to buck their ideas up if this is the best they can do.

Where Alpha Protocol does succeed, for me, is the story. Despite having to play as a pillock of biblical proportions, the game does a good job of making it feel like your style of play is being noted. Characters will comment on your previous actions and the way you dealt with situations, which is always a satisfying touch.

The box art makes the comment that "Your weapon is choice" and it's true that throughout the game, you're forced into a large number of big calls. Do you save your friend, or disarm a bomb that will kill hundreds of innocent strangers? Execute a rival at the first chance or try to press them for information? It does make for an interesting storyline and this gamer at least found himself wanting to get through the next mission to see what would happen next. Which it turned out was a pretty typical fare of global conspiracy brought out by the greed of corporations.

Of course, the virtue of "choice" only holds up if my decisions have any real effect on the conclusion of the game. On my (just concluded) first run through, I attempted to take the most ethical stance possible (in my view, at least) by not ventilating anyone's body unless absolutely pushed. The true question of the game's mechanics is whether if I play as a complete homicidal maniac, I'll get a totally different experience. Only one way to find out...