A game released back in 2010, during the PS3 and Xbox 360 generation, made a surprise return this week with a new release. As many will remember, 2010 was a year that treated gamers to the likes of Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver, Bayonetta, Fallout: New Vegas, Halo: Reach, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Limbo, God of War III, Super Meat Boy, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, BioShock 2, Heavy Rain, Vanquish, Darksiders, Alan Wake, and of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops. It was one of the best years in gaming history. It was also a big year for Obsidian Entertainment.ย
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In 2021, not only did Obsidian Entertainment release what many consider its finest work to date, Fallout: New Vegas, but it managed to ship another RPG in the same year. Unfortunately, while the feat is impressive, the second game isn’t as impressive, though it is a bit of a cult classic. That game is of course, Alpha Protocol.ย
In 2024, what is notable about Alpha Protocol is that it has been very hard to play. It is not available on Steam, which means you need to dig out an Xbox 360 or PS3 to play it as it also not backward compatible with modern Xbox and PlayStation consoles. More than this, the game has been delisted since 2019 due to expiring licenses, so you have to either still have a physical copy or find a used one somewhere on the Internet.ย
This week though, playing it got a little easier as it has been released on GOG, a digital PC storefront and alternative to Steam. To buy it though, you will need to fork over $19.99, unless you cop before April 3, because until then it is 10 percent off, which means it is $17.99.ย
Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Sega, Alpha Protocol is a one-off RPG that upon release garnered Metacritic scores ranging from 63 to 72. While this was a disappointment at the time, a cult following has managed to keep alive a little bit of relevancy for the game.
“Loyalty carries a price and no one knows this more than agent Michael Thorton,” reads an official blurb about the game. “A talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending international catastrophe. To do so means he must cut himself off from the very people he is sworn to protect. As players determine how to accomplish different objectives, the decisions made and actions taken in each mission will ultimately transform the type of secret agent Michael Thorton will become. Every choice the player makes as Michael Thorton will carry consequences for his future and the fate of the world.”
