The more I play, the more I like it.
You have to forgive the technical state and weird clunky stuff - but once you do that, this is a true gem. I think only Deus Ex tops it for this particular genre.
The minigames are very good, in my opinion - and once you get used to the hacking, I think it fits with the sense of urgency and pressure very well. Sure, the mouse control is a mistake, but it's no big deal.
Only Fallout 3 has a better hacking minigame, and the lockpicking/security minigames are better in Alpha Protocol than I've seen anywhere else. The complaints regarding these things are blown WAY out of proportion.
Again, this remains the most polished Obsidian title I've played (and I've played them all) - and it's pretty close to feeling like an AAA level game. Sadly, it's not quite there - and animation quality is questionable - as well as the control scheme in certain ways, like how you deal with cover.
But - it's very well balanced so far, and the bitching I've heard regarding the pistol, for instance, is just wrong. Once you invest some points in that skill, it's incredibly powerful - both with the Chain Shot ability - but especially the lining up crits from behind cover is very strong.
The "behind-the-scenes" developer remarks are strange, and I think it says a lot about the people who left the project, that they have a guy severely badmouthing some of the lead people. I think that reeks of jealousy and a weak character, but we don't really know anything about its authenticity - so it might all be some weird attack on Obsidian. But that's my gut feeling, based on the fact that the game is not anywhere near as bad as it's made out to be.
It's a really, really good stealth shooter - if you ask me.
Having nearly done the 2nd hub, this game remains a strong 8/10 for me.
All that said, I'd have gladly done without Alpha Protocol for a decent Aliens-based game
But it's still pretty heartbreaking that my sad prediction is coming true to such an extent. I knew the non-enthusiast market wasn't ready for an Obsidian game of this nature, but I didn't know it would be criticised THIS unfairly.
