The game is awesome! it's a fun, engaging and addictive experience into the life of a fictitious and Hollywood vibe secret agent. 
 
Good story, believable and interesting relationships between the characters (much better than ME and ME2), glamour, guns, high-tech toys - a spy movies' fan wet dream.  
 
But then there is the technical mess that the game is. Bugs, poor gameplay at spots, unimpressive graphics, slowdowns, screen tearing, loading screens (even when loading things like your item list) are frequent, and while i don't give a particular importance to any of these factors (maybe a bit to the loading screens), a person has to be pretty uninterested in this aspects to fully enjoy the game, as they happen frequently, some more frequently than others. Still i haven't experience a game breaking bug.  
 
In the end it's one of the best games of the year for what it does right. But also one of the worse high profile games for what it does wrong. 
 
But i can't be indifferent. *wishing next Obsidian game won't have the issues that haunts this one* 

I still very much plan to play this game one day....christ I feel like I'm becoming a broken record when alpha protocol is concerned lol.

" I still very much plan to play this game one day....christ I feel like I'm becoming a broken record when alpha protocol is concerned lol. "

" *Jeff's*     *Alpha Protocol*     *review*      was.... *accurate*  "

Hearing all this makes me sad for what that game could have been.

" Hearing all this makes me sad for what that game could have been. "

" @HandsomeDead said:

" Hearing all this makes me sad for what that game could have been. "

Especially considering the delay. I wonder how they spent that time. "

So basically I should wait for a couple patches and/or for someone to make a module that makes the game either more of an RPG or more of a shooter.

" So basically I should wait for a couple patches and/or for someone to make a module that makes the game either more of an RPG or more of a shooter. "

"  @Jeust said: 

" *Jeff's*     *Alpha Protocol*     *review*      was.... *accurate*  "

Oh no oh no oh no..... this is Lost Planet 2 all over again....   FLEE GODDAMNIT FLEE ABANDON SHIP!!!! "

Jeff said in the podcast that he's playing through the game again, even though the game seems broken to him.   The game is good, people are just too scared of the technical issues.   If you are a person who likes plot twisting storyline with multiple endings then you will be pleasantly surprised by the game.

I've been playing for about 10 hours and fucking love it 
oddly I don't think the combat is that bad

" @HandsomeDead said:

" Hearing all this makes me sad for what that game could have been. "

Especially considering the delay. I wonder how they spent that time. "

" I've been playing for about 10 hours and fucking love it  oddly I don't think the combat is that bad "

Finished the game, it was friggin great.
 
The combat is bad though, somewhat. But it's not a third person shooter, it's a stealth action-spygame, and the stealth works pretty well. I had no problemems getting around using my silenced pistol and sneaking, even without the stealth-tree. (even if that made it go a helluva lot faster).
Didn't like the flashback presentation of the story though, but I guess they did that for dramatic effect. But all in all I'd say it deserves 4* and not 3 that Jeff gave it.
 
Gonna play it again some day for sure, but I felt that alot of the things I did in the game affected the storyline, and it gave me a real strong Deus Ex vibe thanks to that.

" @trophyhunter said:

" I've been playing for about 10 hours and fucking love it  oddly I don't think the combat is that bad "

I feel the exact same way. It's a cult hit. "

" @JustTheDoctor said:

" @trophyhunter said:

" I've been playing for about 10 hours and fucking love it  oddly I don't think the combat is that bad "

I feel the exact same way. It's a cult hit. "

I get really interested in all the conversations especially when  get the "fuck off" dialog option  and the voice acting is very well done "

Gotta say, I'm really enjoying it so far too.  Make no mistake, it's janky enough, and if you go in expecting / wanting a shooter you will be disappointed, because that isn't what it is or even what it's trying to be.  If you treat it as you would an RPG (which is what it says it is on the front of the box in big letters) then there's a lot to like.
 
I purposefully avoided Stealth, Martial Arts and Assault Rifles to see if that was really the only way to play it and enjoy it.  It isn't.  Not yet at least (I'm about 5 hours in at a guess).  That might be the only way to play it if your aim is to get through the mission as fast as possible.  You just have to think of your weapons as tools to solve the situation in front of you, rather than expecting them to behave like actual weapons - the gameplay is more abstract than that.  Kinda like Commandos in that sense - I mean, how stupid was it that the Sniper only took 4 bullets on a mission?  It didn't matter because it was only intended as an abstract representation.
 
 I've been speccing Pistols, Shotguns and Sabotage, basically trying to stay quiet for as long as possible and only using the shotgun if the shit hits the fan.  I've only died a couple of times so far and averaging about 1 alarm per mission (even if you get spotted, you can still often 'go loud' and kill everybody in sight before they manage to trigger an alarm - again, I don't think any of the gameplay is intended to be realistic like that).
 
My biggest issue with it is that they've been over-zealous with the response time on the conversations.  I appreciate what they're trying to do, but it often manages to feel even more rushed than an IRL conversation - often you don't know what the available answers are even alluding to until the very last second of whatever the person is saying, and by then it's too late to choose the one you want anyway.  They tried to solve the Mass Effect problem and took it too far.  A few seconds to consider your response after the person has finished speaking wouldn't have hurt what they were trying to do here - that's basically what "ummm...." exists for in real life after all.  It's kinda undermining my enjoyment of the story side of it a bit, because it's quite hard to pay attention to what they're saying and try and decipher the available answers at the same time.

I think that's personal preference though, I had no problems with the timer, actually felt it was pretty spot on.

It kinda sounds like the first Mass Effect.

Just to add my 2cents, I agree with the 3 star on this one. I'm having a lot of fun, but I also know that this is pretty much exactly the kind of game I Love, so it's easy to overlook some of the shortcomings. I really hope that they do well enough with this, or make enough bank from New Vegas that they can go back and make the game that this could have been.

I rented this game. And you know what...it's not as terrible as the reviews would have led me to believe. I'm playing it like an old school Splinter Cell/Metal Gear game and just trying to be entirely stealth and I'm actually kind of enjoying it. Sure, it all fall apart when you're forced to use your guns, but I'm enjoying the stealth elements, at least much more than I expected to. 

TC: Please specifically list some examples of what you describe as 'poor gameplay'.  Are you putting skill points into any certain skill or many?  What platform u playing it on?  Thanks for any feedback.

I'm about 8 hours in and absolutely love this game. It feels like a dead-on sequel to the original Deus Ex, just set in another universe. If you liked that game and others like System Shock, you more than likely will find a lot to like in AP. It's one of those 3-stars for everyone, but 5-stars if this is your kind of game game. Seems like it has a huge amount of re-playability as well.

" @snide: I recently bought Deux Ex during a Steam sale and have been wondering if I should play it.  Does it still hold up as a good game?  With number 3 coming out and looking pretty awesome is it worth it to catch up on the story? "

after watching the quick-look for this, seeing Jeff's review and the 2/10 Jim Sterling gave the game I was really upset that Alpha Protocol turned out to be not so great. However, despite any ambivalence I went out and plunked 60 dollars down at Gamestop where the nerd behind the counter told me "you get an achievement for having sex with all the women". Took it home, plopped it in and since have been having trouble putting the controller down. As soon as I get home from work this is seriously all I've been doing. I love this game, it has a shit-ton of problems but at the end of the day, I have a ton of fun playing it.

" after watching the quick-look for this, seeing Jeff's review and the 2/10 Jim Sterling gave the game I was really upset that Alpha Protocol turned out to be not so great. However, despite any ambivalence I went out and plunked 60 dollars down at Gamestop where the nerd behind the counter told me "you get an achievement for having sex with all the women". Took it home, plopped it in and since have been having trouble putting the controller down. As soon as I get home from work this is seriously all I've been doing. I love this game, it has a shit-ton of problems but at the end of the day, I have a ton of fun playing it. "

Why would you even pay attention to a Jim Sterling review.

Well his AP review was basically a big long troll and he never bothered giving the game a chance. I don't know, after playing a few hours of this, do you feel a 2/10 score is fair?

As for bugs - I've had less issues with this game in 40 hours than say, 3 hours of RDR, but RDR gets a free pass for all the game-breaking craziness for whatever reason. This game is such a milestone in getting the RP in RPG right, but the venom coming from the American press is really perplexing.

"

As for bugs - I've had less issues with this game in 40 hours than say, 3 hours of RDR, but RDR gets a free pass for all the game-breaking craziness for whatever reason. This game is such a milestone in getting the RP in RPG right, but the venom coming from the American press is really perplexing.

"

" Bugs, poor gameplay at spots, unimpressive graphics, slowdowns, screen tearing, loading screens (even when loading things like your item list) are frequent "

" @Jeust said:

" Bugs, poor gameplay at spots, unimpressive graphics, slowdowns, screen tearing, loading screens (even when loading things like your item list) are frequent "

Funny, never experienced any of these issues in the PC version. "

" The game is awesome! it's a fun, engaging and addictive experience into the life of a fictitious and Hollywood vibe secret agent.  Good story, believable and interesting relationships between the characters (much better than ME and ME2), glamour, guns, high-tech toys - a spy movies' fan wet dream.   But then there is the technical mess that the game is. Bugs, poor gameplay at spots, unimpressive graphics, slowdowns, screen tearing, loading screens (even when loading things like your item list) are frequent, and while i don't give a particular importance to any of these factors (maybe a bit to the loading screens), a person has to be pretty uninterested in this aspects to fully enjoy the game, as they happen frequently, some more frequently than others. Still i haven't experience a game breaking bug.   In the end it's one of the best games of the year for what it does right. But also one of the worse high profile games for what it does wrong.  But i can't be indifferent. *wishing next Obsidian game won't have the issues that haunts this one*  "

" @Jeust said:

" The game is awesome! it's a fun, engaging and addictive experience into the life of a fictitious and Hollywood vibe secret agent.  Good story, believable and interesting relationships between the characters (much better than ME and ME2), glamour, guns, high-tech toys - a spy movies' fan wet dream.   But then there is the technical mess that the game is. Bugs, poor gameplay at spots, unimpressive graphics, slowdowns, screen tearing, loading screens (even when loading things like your item list) are frequent, and while i don't give a particular importance to any of these factors (maybe a bit to the loading screens), a person has to be pretty uninterested in this aspects to fully enjoy the game, as they happen frequently, some more frequently than others. Still i haven't experience a game breaking bug.   In the end it's one of the best games of the year for what it does right. But also one of the worse high profile games for what it does wrong.  But i can't be indifferent. *wishing next Obsidian game won't have the issues that haunts this one*  "

I have a feeling that Fallout will be better. Someone who worked for Obsidian has stated that Alpha Protocol needed to be canceled a long time ago and that's why it is the way it is. "

This is sort of the story of Obsidian, isn't it?  Great games that are also extremely janky.  The deja vu is slapping me in the face.

I just beat it and loved it. I hate stealth games, but I didn't have a problem playing this like one. Going invisible and stabbing guys didn't really bother me because it just was a means to an end of getting to the next dialog scene, which is the best part of the game.