Alpha Protocol Reviews

[Bos_hybrid]

Probably not. But good (or even average) scores on some games are due to "bribery".

 

So Sega bribed the European reviewers? I knew it.

[Cogar66]

"My bitch slap hand is trembling right now..."

 

Threatening violence over video games. That's the internet in the nutshell.

 

OMGZ Someone doesn't agree with me about soemthing... I MUST HURT HIM HORRIBLY!

 

Really?

[Hassat Hunter]

Might want to pick some buggier examples next time.

I picked these titles because I know them to be bugnests.

 

Though I have yet to find a reviewer complain about the little pesks there, while doing so on AP.

And yes, like Flouride I encountered more (gamebreaking) bugs in my single ME2 run than 4 AP runs (and that's with the first patch).

Edited July 19, 2010 by Hassat Hunter

[Oblarg]

"My bitch slap hand is trembling right now..."

 

Threatening violence over video games. That's the internet in the nutshell.

 

OMGZ Someone doesn't agree with me about soemthing... I MUST HURT HIM HORRIBLY!

 

Really?

 

Oh come on, everyone should know by now that Volourn is just a troll. Don't waste your time.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Oblarg

[Flouride]

So Sega bribed the European reviewers? I knew it.

 

Was expecting that, thanks :D

[Orchomene]

I remember playing Fallout 3 with so much game breaking bugs that I had to use the console every hour just to avoid a crash. I had the "Jefferson Memorial" bug. It was solved way after I completed the game two or three times.

I had also more bugs (not game breaking, I was lucky) in ME1/2 than in AP. Also DAO was as glitchy as a game could be. They solved only part of the bugs. Now, patch 1.04 that solved the game breaking bugs of DAA is just out. After how many time after the release of DAA ?

All those games got reviews between 90% and 95% (except ME).

So ? Are there game breaking bugs that are acceptable in one side and game breaking bugs that are not on the other side ?

 

I don't really pay attention to reviews, but I think that less informed gamers may just read a review on some internet site and decide with just that if the game is good or not seeing the number of time I just see people posting information about a game they didn't play by just paraphrasing reviews they read. So, even if game reviews are as jokes as fox news, those reviews may have some impact (maybe just a small one) on the market and it's a bit worrying to see the level of subjectivity and lack of professionalism you can see on internet.

Like reviews before a game is launched or just the day it's launched. Those reviews are the worst in terms of subjectivity and are based on either half an hour of gaming or worse are just made by people that got the game before others (that is, people that received graciously the game before others which may appear as some kind of agreement with the editor of the game).

 

Of course, I don't say AP is the best game ever (like ME2 fan say so often), just that despite its flaws it delivers a better game experience to me than ME2. People may agree or not with this, but if you think that AP deserves the 70% of reviews, then ME2 is overrated and shouldn't be above 80%. On the other hand, you could consider AP underrated and having more than 80% and having ME2 at more than 90%.

 

I feel a bit disgusted to hear that ME2 is the rpg of the year for some group of people. That says a lot about the video game market.

[Akka]

Meh.

 

I was glued to my screen by AP, despite several flaws that were EXTREMELY irritating. I found it to be a "flawed jewel", with lots of awesomeness tainted by lots of bad design desicision, but still a very enjoyable game.

I ALSO was glued to my screen by ME2, I found that the bad parts blended in the background and were not that much annoying, I liked a lot the character interactions and the cinematic story.

 

In the end, I liked AP and I liked even more ME2. AP was deeper and more complex, ME2 was more visceral and epic. ME2 is not the benchmark of bad RPG, despite what some would say, and it's far to be the worst choice for the "RPG of the year" title.

[Volourn]

"Was expecting that, thanks :D"

 

Yeah, well, you walked into it. Heh.

 

 

"Oh come on, everyone should know by now that Volourn is just a troll. Don't waste your time."

 

Having an opinion isn't trolling. Continuing bashing someone eprsonally is. It's also flaming.

 

 

 

"Of course, I don't say AP is the best game ever (like ME2 fan say so often), just that despite its flaws it delivers a better game experience to me than ME2. People may agree or not with this, but if you think that AP deserves the 70% of reviews, then ME2 is overrated and shouldn't be above 80%. On the other hand, you could consider AP underrated and having more than 80% and having ME2 at more than 90%."

 

Nah. AP doesn't deserve 70% for reviews. It deserves lower. And, ME2 may not be the best RPG ever, but it's worthy of high scores. Though, technically they're both Action RPGs.

 

 

"I feel a bit disgusted to hear that ME2 is the rpg of the year for some group of people."

 

Except, it is. Action RPG or not, it is the best rpg of the year. Of coruse, it's only real competition so far is an expansion (DAA) and a SOZZY game like AP with a few alsorans thrown in. Not hard to be the 'best' in that group.

 

 

"AP was deeper and more complex"

 

No, it wasn't. There was nothing deep or complex about AP. It plays out like anys eason of 24. Same 'ol same 'ol. Not saying ME2 is the height of depth or complexity (after, ME2 is a dumbed down version of ME1); but AP is as shallow as a fly.

 

 

P.S. I do agree that AP was less buggy than DAO but that's not surprising because DA is a, releatively spekaing, deep and complex game in comparison.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Volourn

[Thorton_AP]

AP is as shallow as a fly

 

Wrong.

[Cogar66]

I found Mass Effect 2 to be extremely boring, that said I played it until I beat it without touching anything else, but it was more of a "What is everyone bragging about? I don't see any amazing awesomeness yet." And then I fought the Terminator and all I could think was "What?".

[Cogar66]

"AP was deeper and more complex"

 

No, it wasn't. There was nothing deep or complex about AP. It plays out like anys eason of 24. Same 'ol same 'ol. Not saying ME2 is the height of depth or complexity (after, ME2 is a dumbed down version of ME1); but AP is as shallow as a fly.

 

I'm not surprised you'd say that without beating it.

[Volourn]

Well.. if the game was more fun and exciting, maybe I would have. 5 or so hours was enough to drive me bananies. Believe me, i tried to. It's why I didn't rush to share my opinion on the game right away.

 

But, I knwo, every game gets better according to the fans of it the momemebnt one quits it. I played 5 hours so i'm sure I'd have started enjoying it if I just stuck with it for 6 hours.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Volourn

[Cogar66]

Well.. if the game was more fun and exciting, maybe I would have. 5 or so hours was enough to drive me bananies. Believe me, i tried to. It's why I didn't rush to share my opinion on the game right away.

 

But, I knwo, every game gets better according to the fans of it the momemebnt one quits it. I played 5 hours so i'm sure I'd have started enjoying it if I just stuck with it for 6 hours.

5 or so hours must mean you've either not gotten passed SA or you just did, no wonder you think the plot is ****.

[Achilles]

Unfortunately, no title is going to please everyone.

 

With that said, it seems to me that anyone that doesn't follow politics is going to miss much of the story. I can't help but feel that the target audience is not the plurality of the gaming public. As such, it doesn't surprise me that some people really don't like it. The reasons for not liking it seem to miss the mark quite a bit, IMO. It's like giving a screwdriver a bad butter knife score because you saw someone using butter knife as a screwdriver once. I don't think we have to look any further than the positive reviews from the people that "get it" (and vice versa) to see that this is probably the case.

[Volourn]

"With that said, it seems to me that anyone that doesn't follow politics is going to miss much of the story."

 

False.

[Anarchosyn]

For what little it might be worth, I just picked up a copy of Alpha Protocol and though the animations might be a little stilted and the environmental level of interactivity might be a little regressive by modern standards, I like the game.

 

Granted, I'm still hyper early in the story and I was initially dismayed (despite knowing what to expect; I came from playing Red Dead which is a title whose excellence thoroughly surprised me since I can't stand GTA IV anymore). However, by the end of the tutorial element I was happy.

 

My only criticisms? I wish there were more customization options for Thorton's look (clothing would be nice, perhaps with a disguise element) and, more importantly, I really (really) wish the dialog system was more conventional (i.e. text and not voiced). I actually like the timer and respect the fact full text would inhibit this a bit but often Michael will go off and say something snarky that I wasn't expecting, or -- worse yet -- say something I was expected and then follow it up with something that seemed ancillary to the choice description. It seems, at least in the early portions I've played, Thorton has an annoying propensity to say things I don't want him to (like, for example, when talking to the espionage trainer he automatically takes a kind of thickheaded stance with his expository dialog). Again, I've yet to really even go on my first mission so I'm sure my criticism list will grow but, for an early impression, it's worth the cash I spent (retail, not used.. I love Obsidian).

Edited July 19, 2010 by Anarchosyn

[Achilles]

"With that said, it seems to me that anyone that doesn't follow politics is going to miss much of the story."

 

False.

Really, so you're going to get the Valeria Plame references, the allusions to Haliburton/KBR, and the historical tie-in to Operation Northwoods without knowing who/what any of those things are? Without looking, can you tell me what the Military Industrial Complex is?

 

You're right. I clearly have no idea what I'm talking about.

[Oner]

I know Halbech is supposed to be a reference to Halli-Burton(?). I don't feel poorer for not knowing this on my first playthrough.

[Achilles]

I know Halbech is supposed to be a reference to Halli-Burton(?). I don't feel poorer for not knowing this on my first playthrough.

And my point is that people that don't know about Haliburton/KBR (and their role in the Middle-East) aren't going to get the references/significance.

 

Obviously the game can be played without this knowledge. My point was that there is a lot of this and people who don't know about it are going to miss it. So, again, it doesn't surprise me that someone without this background might find it boring while someone who does is going to be impressed by the amount of research that went into the story.

 

I get to experience the game on a level that others might not. I love that they went the direction that they did with it. Someone with politics that differ from mine (or without any politics to speak of) isn't going to play the same game I did.

[Oner]

Mmm, I see.

[Volourn]

"Really, so you're going to get the Valeria Plame references, the allusions to Haliburton/KBR, and the historical tie-in to Operation Northwoods without knowing who/what any of those things are? Without looking, can you tell me what the Military Industrial Complex is?"

 

the shades of Haliburtin in the game is just evidence of how shallow, empty, and souless AP really is. It's mimicing the usual thing you here in politics about how big bad comapnies are evil. That's the problem with AP - even with all the political innuendo it is as shallow as a puddle that everything is simplified.

 

Government is evil.

 

Big companies are evil.

 

No depth. No room to actually think. Just plain telling you what you should feel.

 

Etc., etc.

 

P.S. I don't know full details about the military industrial complex but I do believe its the theory that the military is what pushes industry forward . ie the military finances a lot of the big research products for weapons and the like and that often leads to other dsicoveries being found.

 

I may be off based. Who knows. Either way, like I sadi above, not getting the connection between stuff in the game and the real world is irreleavnmt because even when you do (see haliburtin) it's just plain fluff with no real thought put into it. No deeper than say the connection between the FR's Maztica Trilogy, and the discovery of thhe Amerikas in the real world.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Volourn

[Zoraptor]

Halliburton/ Bechtel. They are separate companies, in real life.

 

I don't really see how much political knowledge is necessary, though it does help with spotting references and allusions/ setting the background. Halbech is pretty obviously The Bad Guys and all the real world knowledge gives you is that suspicion a little before it's confirmed.

 

".."

False.

Edited July 19, 2010 by Zoraptor

[Volourn]

I knmew they were the bad the momemnt the game mentions to them. It's obvious from the get go they were up to no good. Even the very doc update about them pretty much tells you that.

[Achilles]

I love that a "real world" RPG is "shallow and soul-less" because the story draws references from...wait for it..."real world" companies and situations.

 

Careful, V. Your troll is showing.

[Cogar66]

"Really, so you're going to get the Valeria Plame references, the allusions to Haliburton/KBR, and the historical tie-in to Operation Northwoods without knowing who/what any of those things are? Without looking, can you tell me what the Military Industrial Complex is?"

 

the shades of Haliburtin in the game is just evidence of how shallow, empty, and souless AP really is. It's mimicing the usual thing you here in politics about how big bad comapnies are evil. That's the problem with AP - even with all the political innuendo it is as shallow as a puddle that everything is simplified.

 

Government is evil.

 

Big companies are evil.

 

No depth. No room to actually think. Just plain telling you what you should feel.

 

Etc., etc.

This screams "I didn't play the whole game!".

Edited July 19, 2010 by Cogar66