In Alpha Protocol, which is marketed as an “espionage role-playing game,” you play the part of Michael Thorton, a covert agent who is about to embark on a series of worldwide operations that will take place in Rome, Moscow, Tai Pei, Saudi Arabia, and other exotic locations. You will converse with your handlers, gather intelligence, study dossiers, and be given new assignments. At the same time, you are hidden away in safe homes worldwide equipped with computers. The degree of control you have over the appearance of your character and the variety of options available to you while engaging with other players are two aspects that set Alpha Protocol apart from more conventional action games. The package includes essential role-playing features such as dialogue trees, skill points, and equipment upgrades.
Additionally, characters will respond in various ways depending on how you approach them and their reputation. The action is seen from a third-person perspective, and you can choose to lead your character in whichever way you like while completing goals. How you do this will depend on the path your character follows. Spies focusing on stealth can finish the game without taking life from their foes, while those with a destructive mindset can equip themselves with body armor and heavy artillery. Action points can be allocated to various attributes, such as stealth and firearms, sabotage and technical aptitude, and so on; each trait leads to a unique set of skills. The money that may be acquired by completing missions can be spent in a variety of different ways, including buying potent weapons on the black market, employing mercenaries, and purchasing a variety of gun upgrades that can improve a weapon’s statistics in areas such as damage, accuracy, recoil, stability, and magazine capacity.
