While the past two weeks were packed with big named titles, this week is a little more on the sparse side. There are expansions for Tropico 3 and The Sims, as well as “off-brand” sports games Backbreaker and Pure Futbol. Of everything that hits store shelves after Memorial Day weekend, Alpha Protocol is easily the most advertised.
The full title of the game is Alpha Protocol: The Espionage RPG. This is a compelling idea with a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the early reviews seem to indicate that Alpha Protocol fell short of that potential. Like other RPG/Shooters as of late, decisions made through Alpha Protocol will affect the way the game plays out in its later stages. A sound mechanic, but one that won’t hold up well if the writing isn’t there. While the plot is deep and complicated, it apparently lacks heart and can leave players disinterested.
Plenty of games have gotten away with sub par stories and still captured an audience through game play. For example, look at the old Hitman games, Alpha Protocol lets you choose to either run in guns blazing or take the stealthy approach. Depending on your approach, you are able to put points into various skills. These could help you sneak around or improve your proficiency with a specific weapon.
If this sounds like your kind of game, I encourage you to do some more research first to see if the shortcomings are small enough to look over. Otherwise, there were plenty of fantastic games released in May that are well worth your time. Alpha Protocol is probably best to wait on for a price drop and some patches.
Popularity: unranked [?]
