Alpha Protocol – And Then It Was All Over for Thorton

There's a lot to choose from when it comes to Alpha Protocol but the final section of the game seemed a little barren for me. It's all linked to going back to the main Alpha Protocol facility in order to stop the nefarious business started by Halbech (the name similarity to Halliburton is quite transparent) and Leland, its representative. The problem is that all the emotional connections built in close to 20 hours of game are reduced to a few limited choices in the endgame.

The only true feeling I experienced while taking out Alpha Protocol agents and military men aiming to escape the crumbling structure was when relating to Parker, the logical and cold analyst I managed to piss off quite a bit in the quick conversation we had before my Saudi mission. I chose to appeal to his humanity and the memories of his long lost daughter, Madison (whom I saved and loved), in order to convince him of how Halbech is manipulating the events and preparing a Second Cold War.

The old guy, despite knowing full well he would probably not live beyond the next five minutes, locked Halbech and Marburg out of the Alpha Protocol system and pulled a gun on the mercenary, dying in one of the most heart-wrenching scenes of the game.

Other than that, Alpha Protocol ends in a rushed fashion, with some pretty important characters having no part in the ending or very small cameos. The trademark choice and consequence pairs of the game are still there but it's mostly a shooting gallery that ended in a tough and unfair fight with fellow agent Darcy who kept spamming grenades as crazy.

The final cut scene also keeps an air of mystery but Alpha Protocol lacks the BioWare trademark screens showing what happens after the player controlled action concludes. A little more soul, more conversation and less fighting in the finale might have served the game better.