Alpha Protocol
Overview
Alpha Protocol is an espionage-themed action-RPG on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC released on May 28, 2010 in Europe and June 1 in North America. It combines standard RPG features with a third-person shooting system. The story follows Michael Thorton, a field agent for a secret program called Alpha Protocol. When things take a turn for the worse, Thorton decides to take it upon himself to uncover a conspiracy that could have worldwide implications. His journey takes place across a variety of cities, including Moscow, Rome, and Taipei. Many of the conversations and scenes have multiple outcomes, as reputations with other characters and key decisions made along the way shape the story. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Sega, the game was received with extremely mixed reviews. According to Metacritic, scores ranged from 10 to 90 out of 100 for the Xbox 360 version.
Story
Because certain story events can unfold in multiple ways, the below is a general overview of what happens in Alpha Protocol. Most of the game takes place in the past as protagonist Michael Thorton and Henry Leland, the boss of American defense contractor Halbech, are discussing the events of the previous three months from Thorton's perspective, just before the start of the final mission.
Thorton is a new field agent for Alpha Protocol, a secret agency that must deny all links to the US government due to the nature of the covert operations it performs. After training, Yancy Westridge, in charge of the program, assigns Thorton an assignment in Saudi Arabia: to find Ali Shaheed, a core member of the anti-American terrorist group Al-Samad, and recover the remaining missiles; one was recently used to devastatingly shoot down an airplane. After confronting Shaheed, Thorton learns that Halbech supplied the missiles. Moments later, having survived a missile strike, he is cut off from Alpha Protocol. Mina Tang, one of his handlers, tells him that there are people who are part of Alpha Protocol that also work for Halbech, and are trying to prevent Thorton from relaying what he learnt from Shaheed.
Thorton wants to report back to Alpha Protocol, but Mina says that would only end up in his capture. Alpha Protocol, distancing themselves from the operation, has branded him as a rogue agent; Thorton is now a wanted man. It becomes clear that Halbech are working with Alpha Protocol and using its resources to advance their plans to initiate a cold war for profit, but there is growing concern from Thorton and Mina that Halbech's projections are inaccurate and that they might actually incite a real war.
With Mina's assistance, Thorton chases leads around the world to uncover the whole truth about Halbech and to stop them from causing international conflict. Moscow sees Thorton try to determine who's been dealing with Halbech and distributing the missiles, and possibly allies himself with faction G22, led by Albatross, and SIE. When trying to reach Sergei Surkov, a businessman rumored to be collaborating with the Russian Mafia, he encounters resistance whose intention is to kill Surkov under Halbech's orders. Surkov tells him that Konstantin Brayko is responsible for the missiles, but as Thorton infiltrates Brayko's mansion, he can discover that Surkov may not have been entirely honest, and that he was previously working with Halbech.
Thorton initially investigates why an Al-Samad terrorist cell appears to have been activated in Rome, but Conrad Marburg, Halbech's former Chief of Security, soon becomes his main focus. Marburg warns him to stay away, but Thorton ignores his threats and learns with help from Marburg's personal assistant Madison Saint James that he plans to blow up the museum to harshen the anti-terrorist laws. However, Marburg kidnaps Madison, and gives him a choice: save Madison or deactivate the bombs.
Thorton's objective in Taipei is to prevent the assassination of President Ronald Sung. The assassination would incite massive riots and raise significant tension between China and the US. Help from photojournalist Scarlet Lake, local contact Steven Heck, and Triad boss Hong Shi leads Thorton to learn more about the plans as well as the mysterious Omen Deng. Thorton retrieves a flash drive of both the assassination and riot plans, but a self-deleting mechanism forces him to choose to save the data of only one set of plans. Omen appears to be the one who's set to snipe Sung, but when Thorton defeats Omen in a fight, Sung is still shot. Depending on what data Thorton chose to save earlier, either Sung dies from the bullet to the chest or large numbers of casualties happen in the proceeding riots, with the rioters believing that their president is dead.
After Thorton has finished up in Moscow, Rome, and Taipei, he reflects to determine his next move. In a conversation with Mina, he learns that despite his best efforts, Halbech is still confident that a cold war will happen between China and the US, but it becomes increasingly likely that they'll start World War III instead. This inspires Thorton to act urgently, and prepares to give himself up to Alpha Protocol to be transported to their headquarters for a final showdown with both Halbech and Alpha Protocol. Before doing so, he possibly speaks to Scarlet (to give her incriminating evidence of Halbech's crimes that he's accumulated during his travels), Albatross, and Shaheed.
Now in the present day, Thorton and Leland finish off their conversation in Alpha Protocol's interrogation room. Leland can then offer Thorton the opportunity to work for Halbech, as long as Thorton agrees to take down Alpha Protocol and its key employees to remove any trace of Halbech's association with them. Held in the medical bay, Thorton relies on an ally to free him from his restraints, and encounters many of his former colleagues before a final confrontation with either Westridge or Leland. By this point, he may have discovered that Mina was the one who cut him off from Alpha Protocol back in Saudi Arabia (she claims only a rogue agent could take down Halbech and Alpha Protocol together) and that Scarlet was Sung's sniper (she had a freelance contract with Leland). How Thorton deals with them has a possible effect on the final scene.
After taking down the final boss and putting an end to Halbech or Alpha Protocol (or both), Thorton rides off on a speedboat towards the sunset, either by himself or with Mina, Scarlet, or Heck. If he earlier agreed to work for Leland, Thorton accepts a cigar from his new boss, and they hop onto the speedboat to get away from the ruined Alpha Protocol.
Gameplay
Structure
After the opening tutorial and training sessions at the Alpha Protocol agency, missions are given, which are grouped by location. Thorton's initial batch of assignments are in Saudi Arabia. After completing the area, three more sets of missions are made available to Thorton in Moscow, Rome, and Taipei, which can be tackled in any order, before the final arc of the story. Each location sees Thorton stay at a luxurious safe house, where he can check his e-mail, buy new weapons from the Clearinghouse system, or customize his appearance before the start of a mission.
Combat
Thorton is controlled from an over-the-shoulder third-person perspective. Like most shooters, aiming down the sight provides greater accuracy. When aiming, a circle appears indicating how far off the center the shot may go. With pistols and assault rifles, a reticule is displayed when charging for a critical hit. When fully charged, the shot is guaranteed to hit the center. Thorton carries two weapons and up to several types of gadgets. Trained in the fighting art of Kenpo, he can engage in close-quarters combat if need be, while he can also take cover behind most solid objects and blind-fire, though blind-firing is considerably more inaccurate unless the shot is a critical hit.
Health is measured in two ways -- an endurance bar and a health bar. Damage is first dealt to endurance. When endurance is empty, damage harms the health bar. Endurance regenerates after a short wait when no hits are taken, but health does not, and must be replenished via first-aid boxes lying around during missions or first-aid kits, which can be carried around among the gadgets. Thorton dies when all of his health is gone. When an enemy is alert to Thorton's presence (the Awareness indicator will turn red), there is a high chance he will set off an alarm that makes the guards aggressively look for Thorton. The alarm must be deactivated if he wishes to switch to stealth. If an enemy spots someone dead or incapacitated or suspects someone is loitering around (the Awareness indicator will turn yellow), he will investigate and start looking around.
Skills and Abilities
Alpha Protocol implements a skill-based level-up system. Thorton gains experience by completing objectives, killing, evading, hacking, and lock-picking, amongst other things. When he accumulates enough experience to level up, he earns 10 Action Points (AP), which can be used to invest in various skills and in turn unlock passive and active abilities. Active ones come with cooldown times, so they cannot be continuously used. The following is a list of what Thorton can specialize in:
- Stealth: This skill helps Thorton in sneaking around, avoid alerting enemies to his presence, and allow him to perform silent takedowns or kills.
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concealment | Reduces the range at which you can be spotted while moving in cover or in a crouched position. Cameras and enemies alerted to your presence are not affected. Enemy Vision Reduced by 10%. |
| 2 | Awareness | Improves your ability to sense enemy placements and positions. The basic level of this skill greatly extends the duration Mike can sense enemies and reduces the downtime between uses of the ability.
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| 3 | Silent Running | Makes all walking and running completely silent during the duration of the ability.
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| 4 | Evasion | Provides a panic button for sneaking. If an enemy is about to spot you, Evasion will activate on its own accord and give you a brief moment of invisibility.
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| 5 | Awareness | At the master level, Mike no longer needs to activate this - his sense are always in a full state of alertness. |
| 6 | Shadow Operative | Allows an agent to move unseen. When activated you are invisible for the duration of the skill or until you run, fire a weapon, or throw an object. This has no effect on cameras and enemies can still hear you.
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| 7 | Silent Running |
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| 8 | Concealment | Enemy Vision Reduced by 10% (20% Total). |
| 9 | Evasion |
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| 10 | Shadow Operative |
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| 11 | Concealment | Enemy Vision Reduced by 10% (30% Total). |
| 12 | Shadow Operative |
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| 13 | Silent Running |
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| 14 | Evasion |
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| 15 | Shadow Operative | At the Master level you can run and remain unseen - though you still lose your invisibility if you fire a weapon, or throw an object.
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- Pistols: Weapon skill trees allow Thorton to become more effective at using that particular firearm, and usually includes faster criticals and reloads, and boosts to damage and accuracy.
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pistol Proficiency |
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| 2 | Improved Pistol Critical Hit | The pistol can be carefully aimed at a target to score a Critical Hit - a shot that does additional damage. A Critical Hit is readied by holding the reticule over an enemy while at relatively close range. A set of crosshairs will appear in your reticule to indicate your aim is being focused on the target. Once the crosshairs have closed completely, firing will result in a Critical Hit. Moving your aim off your target, reloading, moving, or taking any action that lowers your weapon will spoil your aim.
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| 3 | Chain Shot | Activating Chain Shot slows time down to a crawl. In this frozen moment, you may aim and fire using (R), L2, R2 -all other controls are temporarily restricted. Shots fired during this standstill aren't immediately fired but put into a queue. When all available shots have been queued up (or when the duration expires) time returns to its normal flow and all queued shots are fired in rapid succession. This ability can only be used when the pistol is equipped.
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| 4 | Armed and Dangerous | The Armed and Dangerous ability allows Mike to carry twice his normal allotment of pistol ammunition into the field. |
| 5 | Improved Pistol Critical Hit | At this level of competence, you may line up a Critical Hit while hiding in cover.
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| 6 | Pistol Proficiency |
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| 7 | Chain Shot |
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| 8 | Rapid Reload | With the Rapid Reload ability, Mike can swap out pistol clips (whether to switch ammo types or reload more of the same) in an instant. |
| 9 | Pistol Proficiency |
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| 10 | Chain Shot |
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| 11 | Improved Pistol Critical Hit |
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| 12 | Pistol Proficiency |
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| 13 | Improved Pistol Critical Hit |
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| 14 | Pistol Proficiency |
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| 15 | Chain Shot |
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- Submachine Guns: Submachine guns are dual wielded and excel at close range.
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Improved SMG Critical Hit | Successive hits with a submachine gun start a Critical Hit Streak. As more hits pile up, a growing damage multiplier adds some extra kick to successive shots. This damage bonus remains until Mike reloads or too much time passes since the last hit. This ability increases the damage multiplier and the time allowed to keep a Critical Hit Streak going.
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| 2 | SMG Proficiency |
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| 3 | Bullet Storm | Temporarily removes the need to reload - effectively setting the Magazine size to an infinite value for the ability's duration. When Bullet Storm expires, the Submachine Guns are emptied - regardless of how much ammunition was in them previously. This ability can only be used with the SMGs equipped.
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| 4 | SMG Proficiency |
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| 5 | Improved SMG Critical Hit |
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| 6 | Armed and Dangerous | This ability allows Mike to carry twice his normal allotment of submachine gun ammunition into the field. |
| 7 | Bullet Storm |
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| 8 | SMG Proficiency |
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| 9 | Rapid Reload | With the Rapid Reload ability, Mike can swap out submachine gun clips (whether to switch ammo types or reload more of the same) in a fraction of the time it would normally take. |
| 10 | Bullet Storm |
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| 11 | SMG Proficiency |
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| 12 | Improved SMG Critical Hit |
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| 13 | SMG Proficiency |
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| 14 | Improved SMG Critical Hit |
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| 15 | Bullet Storm |
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- Shotguns: Critical hits with shotguns come with a knockdown property; enemies fall to the ground and are vulnerable to being stomped as a result.
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shotgun Proficiency |
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| 2 | Improved Shotgun Critical Hit | Mike can brace the Shotgun for a knockdown shot. The time it takes to ready a knockdown shot decreases with each level of Improved Shotgun Critical Hit.
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| 3 | Room Sweep | Temporarily enhances the deadliness of the Shotgun - increasing the rate of fire and making every shot a Critical Hit knockdown shot. The ability can only be used when a shotgun is equipped.
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| 4 | Shotgun Proficiency |
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| 5 | Armed and Dangerous | This allows Mike to carry twice his normal allotment of shotgun ammunition into the field. |
| 6 | Rapid Reload | With this ability, Mike loads multiple cartridges into the shotgun magazine with each reloading action he takes.
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| 7 | Room Sweep |
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| 8 | Shotgun Proficiency |
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| 9 | Improved Shotgun Critical Hit |
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| 10 | Room Sweep |
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| 11 | Rapid Reload |
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| 12 | Shotgun Proficiency |
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| 13 | Improved Shotgun Critical Hit |
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| 14 | Shotgun Proficiency |
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| 15 | Room Sweep |
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- Assault Rifles: Assault rifles are strong at long range, but have low stability, meaning they are best used when standing still.
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Assault Rifle Proficiency |
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| 2 | Improved Rifle Critical Hit | The Assault Rifle can be steadied for a deadly Critical Hit attack. To ready a Critical Hit, remain stationary - a set of crosshairs will appear in the reticule indicating the lining up of a Critical Hit. Once the Crosshairs are in the dead center of the reticule, the next burst fired will have a perfect grouping down the reticule. Moving or releasing your aim will ruin the lining up of the Critical Hit. This ability reduces the time needed to line up a Critical Hit.
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| 3 | Focused Aim | Provides a brief period of lock-on capabilities. When aiming the crosshairs will automatically track to the enemy nearest the center of your aim. The ability can only be used when an assault rifle is equipped.
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| 4 | Armed and Dangerous | This allows Mike to carry twice his normal allotment of assault rifle ammunition into the field. |
| 5 | Assault Rifle Proficiency |
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| 6 | Improved Rifle Critical Hit |
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| 7 | Focused Aim |
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| 8 | Rapid Reload | With this ability, Mike can swap out Assault Rifle clips (whether to switch ammo types or reload more of the same) in an instant. |
| 9 | Assault Rifle Proficiency |
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| 10 | Focused Aim |
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| 11 | Improved Rifle Critical Hit |
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| 12 | Assault Rifle Proficiency |
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| 13 | Improved Rifle Critical Hit |
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| 14 | Assault Rifle Proficiency |
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| 15 | Focused Aim | At Master level, this ability provides an additional Recoil Control bonus while in effect.
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- Sabotage: Sabotage is related to gadgets (such as grenades and mines) and electronics. Putting AP into this tree has several benefits, which include reducing the difficulty of electronic mini-games, increasing gadget damage and becoming momentarily invisible to surveillance cameras and auto-turrets.
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interference | Allows Mike to tune his EMP Charges to temporarily disable electronic keypads and computer systems without utterly destroying them, letting him take control of security systems with ease. |
| 2 | Breaking and Entering | Reduces the difficulty of lockpicking, electronic bypass, and hacking attempts. |
| 3 | Overclock | When activated, increases the effect of the next offensive gadget used. The effect radius, as well as any applicable stun or damage effects are increased.Effect Radius: +33%
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| 4 | Shaped Charge | Proper ordinance handling allows you to rig gadgets with directional blasts - preventing embarrassing and potentially fatal accidents from poorly planted devices. This ability renders Mike immune to all damage from his own gadgets. |
| 5 | Improved Data Theft | Increases the value of stolen files on a successful hack.
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| 6 | Binary Invisibility | This ability automatically triggers when a camera or auto-turret would normally spot Mike and affords a brief moment of invisibility from electronics sensors (but not human enemies) to either escape the sensor's notice or deal with in some other fashion.
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| 7 | Spy's Luck | This ability allows a second chance at lockpicking, electronics, and hacking attempts. If you fail while this skill is active, the pick/hack resets and you can make a second attempt - though failing a second time will have the usual consequences.
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| 8 | Improved Data Theft |
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| 9 | Binary Invisibility |
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| 10 | Overclock |
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| 11 | Remote Hack | This ability enables electronic bypass and computer hacking at long range. When active, your reticule will change and when targeting a computer console, camera, auto-turret, or alarm system you can initiate a bypass or hack.
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| 12 | Improved Data Theft |
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| 13 | Binary Invisibility |
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| 14 | Breaking and Entering | Reduces the difficulty of lockpicking, electronic bypass, and hacking attempts. |
| 15 | Overclock |
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- Technical Aptitude: This skill provides a variety of bonuses, such as increased healing, boosted weapon stats, and the ability Brilliance, which removes any existing cooldown.
| Rank | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medic | Increases the efficiency of Mike's healing. This can be from the use of a First Aid Kit carried into a mission, or from Medical Aid Stations found on-site
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| 2 | Weapon Rechambering | This automatically customizes all of Mike's weapons to store additional rounds in the chamber - allowing all of his weapons to store a few extra rounds above and beyond any rounds granted from magazine modifications.
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| 3 | Field Stripping | A trained agent can quickly strip ammunition out of a gun's chamber or magazine. This increases the amount of ammunition looted off of enemies or found in caches. |
| 4 | Medical Familiarity | Reduces the cooldown on using First Aid supplies - greatly improving the rate at which you can heal yourself from serious harm.
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| 5 | Weapon Balancing | Mike can meticulously adjust his firearms for the ideal recoil-to-weight ratio. This automatically improves the Recoil Control of every weapon Mike owns.
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| 6 | Medic |
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| 7 | Gadgeteer | Adds an additional inventory slot for carrying devices into missions. |
| 8 | Brilliance | When activated, the cooldown timers of all other abilities and gadgets instantly resolve and become available for use.
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| 9 | Armor Customization | This ability allows Mike to reconfigure his outfits (both armor suits and civilian clothing) with concealable, lightweight reinforcement that increase protection without hampering mobility or sound. This ability automatically increases the Endurance bonus of all outfits.
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| 10 | Weapon Customization | With this ability, Mike can streamline and re-engineer his firearms to maximize muzzle velocity and ballistic spin. This ability automatically increases the Damage of every weapon Mike owns.
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| 11 | Medical Familiarity |
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| 12 | Medic |
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| 13 | Armor Customization |
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| 14 | Gadgeteer | Adds an additional inventory slot for carrying devices into missions. |
| 15 | Brilliance |
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- Toughness: Toughness helps Thorton take plenty of hits from his enemies. Extra health and endurance are provided, as well as Iron Will -- an ability that grants a significant damage reduction bonus.
| Rank | Name | Description |
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| 1 | Improved Health | Increases the amount of punishment Mike can sustain before dying.
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| 2 | Resilience | Decreases the delay before Mike starts to recover Endurance.
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| 3 | Improved Health |
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| 4 | Resilience |
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| 5 | Iron Will | Provides Damage Resistance (a percent reduction of all incoming damage) and a temporary Health that can extend beyond your maximum Health. When this expires, the bonus Health is lost (to a minimum of 1 Health - you cannot die from losing the bonus Health).
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| 6 | Resilience |
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| 7 | Iron Will |
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| 8 | Improved Health |
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| 9 | Resilience |
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| 10 | Hard to Kill | If Mike is killed, this skill will trigger automatically and he will cling to life. Once back on his feet, Mike has a small reserve of health and a few seconds of invulnerability.
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| 11 | Improved Health |
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| 12 | Resilience |
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| 13 | Hard to Kill |
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| 14 | Improved Health |
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| 15 | Iron Will |
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- Martial Arts: Advancing Martial Arts makes Thorton lethal at close-quarters combat. Extra strike damage, combo hits, and attacks form the base of this skill tree.
| Rank | Name | Description |
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| 1 | CQC Proficiency | Increases the damage inflicted with all hand-to-hand attacks.
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| 2 | Strike Combo | Extends the number of quick strikes Mike can chain together. At the Basic level, Mike's basic 3 strike combo extends to 4 strikes. |
| 3 | Melee Defense | Reduces the damage received from enemy hand-to-hand attacks.
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| 4 | Knockdown Strike | A slower, but more powerful variant of the standard CQC attack. A successful Knockback will stagger your victim and push them out of your personal space. |
| 5 | Fury | Sends Mike into an adrenaline rush that increases hand-to-hand damage, reduces the effectiveness of enemy blocking attempts, and slows down the world for a brief period of time. While in effect, stealth movement is disabled and any aiming, shooting, or throwing will end the ability.
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| 6 | CQC Proficiency |
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| 7 | Jump Attack | Jump Attack adds a sprinting strike to your arsenal. Attacking while sprinting will perform a jumping knee strike - a successful impact will cause substantial injury and render your target prone.
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| 8 | Strike Combo | At the Master level, Mike's strike combo extends to 5 hits. |
| 9 | CQC Proficiency |
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| 10 | Fury |
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| 11 | Melee Defense |
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| 12 | CQC Proficiency |
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| 13 | Point Blank Shot | This ability gives Mike a deadly finishing move - the ability to quick-draw a weapon during a strike chain to deliver a brutal, close-range shot. Pull the trigger right after a successful quick strike to fire a Point Blank shot. |
| 14 | Melee Defense |
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| 15 | Fury | At the Master level, each enemy defeated by hand-to-hand attacks gives Mike a quick surge of adrenaline, providing a quick injection of Endurance recovery.
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Decision Stance System
One of the most notable features in Alpha Protocol is the Decision Stance System (DSS). When Thorton interacts with another character, he can take up one of (usually) three stances when responding. These three common stances are "professional", a by-the-book attitude, "suave", a more relaxed stance that sees Thorton smooth-talk, and "aggressive", where Thorton likes to get straight to the point without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Obsidian has likened these to the personalities of three fictional spies, the "three J.B."s: Jason Bourne, James Bond, and Jack Bauer respectively. From time to time, a fourth stance is available. For example, Thorton may be given the option to draw his gun or attacking the person he's speaking to instead of continuing the conversation.
In all conversations, Thorton only has a few seconds to decide which stance to assume. Different characters react well and poorly to different responses, which is vital in determining whether they end up trusting or disliking Thorton. Each NPC has a number that indicates Thorton's reputation to them, ranging from -10 (animosity) to 10 (friendship). Reputation determines their attitude towards Thorton, and dialogue is often altered as a result of this. In some cases, having a certain reputation with a character opens up an extra option. Maybe they will offer a deal that they wouldn't normally make or welcome romantic advances. Another example sees an informant, if he doesn't trust Thorton, alert the local Embassy that he's in the city, resulting in extra armed men in a following mission. Having a negative reputation with a character is not necessarily a gameplay disadvantage however. All the mission handlers have a unique perk, only available by antagonising them and in the example above the the increased guard at the local embassy can be persuaded to work with Thorton, providing more backup than the lightly armed staff otherwise present.
Choices and Consequences
Throughout the game, Thorton is faced with plenty of key decisions that affect dialogue, alliances, reputation, and intel. In one example, by sparing a character, Thorton learns the real identity of the person responsible of a crime, and an additional mission is added to the city. These choices aren't necessarily moral decisions -- some are lose-lose situations where no matter what Thorton picks, a catastrophe is going to happen. The decisions made and reputation earnt plays a significant part in the story's finale, which has multiple endings and two possible different final boss fights, and allows for different fates for most of the major characters involved. In fact, all but one major character can be killed during the course of the game (one of the game's achievements requires Thorton to execute everyone possible in one playthrough).
Equipment
Weapons and armor are bought in the safe house before each mission and come with different stats. Weapons have damage, accuracy, recoil, stability, and ammunition, while armor have endurance, damage reduction, sound dampening, upgrade slots, and inventory space. Weapons and armor are open to be modified with attachments and upgrades, which in turn provides stat boosts and additional bonuses. By attaching a scope to a weapon, it becomes more accurate to use. A camouflage armor upgrade reduces an enemy's sight range, and arm guard upgrades increase strike damage.
Perks
Perks vary from extra endurance or experience to reduced cooldowns or discounts in the store. These are obtained by meeting certain requirements, which can range from relationship status with NPCs to accomplishing a certain number of deeds, such as lockpicking a pre-defined number of locks, etc.
Handler Perks
Perks that can only be gained through completing your handlers' missions.
| Name | Effect | Handler | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Constant Encouragement | Endurance +10 | Mina Tang | Mina's presence on your earpiece drives you forward - giving you an extra dose of willpower to shrug off pain and distraction. |
| Constant Encouragement II | Endurance +15 | Mina Tang | With Mina's reassuring presence on your earpiece, you feel like you could walk through a hail of bullets. |
| Too Busy to Play Nice | -5% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Mina Tang | Your dislike of Mina keeps you unconcerned with her judgments of your conduct - and more focused on getting things done. |
| Too Busy to Play Nice II | -10% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Mina Tang | Having completely divorced yourself from Mina's observations and judgment calls, you are completely focused on your work whenever she's handling your missions. |
| Tech Savvy | Gadget Damage +10% | Sean Darcy | Darcy may have an attitude, but he knows his tech. With him in charge of the mission, you'll get the most out of your ordnance. |
| Tech Savvy II | Gadget Damage +20% | Sean Darcy | With Darcy watching your back, you have the advice of a trained tech specialist at your disposal. His guidance will improve the effectiveness of your technological weapons. |
| Who's the Better Agent? | Endurance +5 | Sean Darcy | Knowing that your death would imply Darcy might have been a better choice to go on the mission, your resolve is strengthened. |
| Who's the Better Agent? II | Endurance +10 | Sean Darcy | Your will to live is strengthened by the knowledge that dying would make Darcy happy. That can't happen - not at any cost. |
| By the Book | 5% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Yancy Westridge | Knowing that Westridge is watching your back keeps you focused. |
| By the Book II | 10% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Yancy Westridge | Westridge's careful observations of your mission gives you a boost of confidence and keeps you focused. |
| Loose Cannon | Favored Weapon Damage +1 | Yancy Westridge | Westridge isn't exactly your number one fan, and knowing that makes you all the more eager to cause mayhem while he's listening in. |
| Loose Cannon II | Favored Weapon Damage +2 | Yancy Westridge | Westridge doesn't like you, and you don't much like Westridge. Listening to his voice over your earpiece fills you with the urge to cause bodily harm. |
| Death By Zoom Lens | Pistol and Assault Rifle Accuracy +1 | Scarlet Lake | Scarlet Lake's voice over your radio steadies your nerves (and your aim). |
| Death By Zoom Lens II | Pistol and Assault Rifle Accuracy +2 | Scarlet Lake | Hearing Scarlet Lake over your earpiece keeps you centered and aware - a state of mind that's quite useful for lining up a perfect shot. |
| Rivalry | -5% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Scarlet Lake | Your general dislike of Scarlet Lake provokes you into trying your best - to show her up, of course. |
| Rivalry II | -10% Cooldown Bonus on all abilities | Scarlet Lake | Being forced to work with Scarlet Lake is driving you nuts... fortunately, that anger keeps you focused. |
| Size Matters | SMG and Assault Rifle Recoil Control +1 | SIE | With SIE assisting you over the earpiece, you're picking up several pointers on how to properly lay down suppressive fire. |
| Size Matters II | SMG and Assault Rifle Recoil Control +2 | SIE | The German mercenary with the over-sized gun is helping you on this mission. She can pass on several pointers on handling large hardware, whatever that means. |
| Never Show Fear to a Cougar | Damage Resistance +5% | SIE | There's something about SIE's androgynous voice over your earpiece that makes you less inclined to die - it's probably the fear that if you were wounded on your mission, she'd rescue you and lick your wounds. |
| Never Show Fear to a Cougar II | Damage Resistance +10% | SIE | Like it or not, you're working with SIE for this mission. At least her annoying accent and awkward innuendos distract you from the pain of injury. |
| Due Caution | Enemy Sight Range -5% | Madison Saint James | She may not be an international woman of mystery, but Madison will do whatever she can to keep you safe. While she's helping you on this mission, she'll impart her cautious nature, giving you a slight edge in staying out of sight. |
| Redirected Frustration | Favored Weapon Damage +1 | Madison Saint James | Having a civilian handler like Madison makes you long for a competent agent feeding you information. This frustration is easily vented on anyone crossing your path. |
| Redirected Frustration II | Favored Weapon Damage +2 | Madison Saint James | Madison's irritating presence over your earpiece may be a distraction, but putting that extra bullet in someone's head sounds like a good way to overcome the annoyance. |
| Fighting Dirty | CQC Strike Damage +1 | Steven Heck | Heck is your handler on this mission, and he's imparting a fair bit of his know-how on the subject of hands-on violence. |
| Fighting Dirty II | CQC Strike Damage +2 | Steven Heck | Heck and you share a bizarre rapport - maybe it's because you're both men of mystery, or more likely because you both enjoy getting your hands dirty. Either way, having Heck as your Handler brings out your violent tendencies. |
| Ignore the Sociopath | Enemy Sight Range -5% | Steven Heck | Given the choice, Heck would solve most problems with cacophonous violence. As long as he's over your earpiece, you are more inclined to be subtle. |
| Ignore the Sociopath II | Enemy Sight Range -10% | Steven Heck | The more you hear Heck's voice over your earpiece, the more you want to kill him in his sleep. You can't help but feel the contrarian urge to ignore his ravings and exercise caution. |
| The Subtle Approach | Enemy Sight Range -5% | Albatross | Albatross is a veteran of countless covert operations. As your handler, he imparts some of his cautious methodology on you. |
| The Subtle Approach II | Enemy Sight Range -10% | Albatross | Though Albatross isn't a trusting man, he's grown to like you. With him as your handler, you have a master of infiltration watching over you and giving you pointers. |
| Competition | Endurance +5 | Albatross | You don't trust Albatross, and he doesn't trust you. This animosity keeps you going when pain might slow you down. |
| Competition II | Endurance +15 | Albatross | The only thing worse than Albatross' voice in your earpiece is the thought of his smug grin if you died. That thought alone leaves you unwilling to give up in the face of grievous harm. |
XP Perks
Perks that immediately reward you with one-time only XP bonus upon being achieved.
Breaking and Entering - XP +100
- You successfully picked 10 locks.
Chain of Command - XP +250
- You completed Operation Desert Spear with the respect of all of your fellow agents. [Not active in-game]
Circuit Breaker - XP +100
- You successfully bypassed 20 electronic devices.
Perfect Pitch - XP +100
- You have thrown 50 gadgets with careful aim.
Transmission's Breaking Up - XP +100
- You have hung up on (or tried to hang up on) people twice. You're either busy, or kind of a jerk.
Last Word - XP +250
- You have hung up on (or at least tried to hang up on) people four times. Do you hate conversation in general, or telephones in specific?
Data Theft - XP +100
- You successfully hacked 10 computer systems.
Veteran Attitude - XP +500
- You've saved the world once, you'll do it again, and anyone who questions you can go fuck themselves. You've selected the Veteran stance in conversations 10 times.
Textaholic - XP +250
- You replied to 5 emails across your career.
Antisocial - XP +250
- You earned the antipathy of three people.
Behind the Lies - XP +250
- You uncovered the truth of the Triad defectors.
AP Perks
Perks that immediately reward you with a one-time only AP bonus upon being achieved.
Testing the Waters - AP +1
- To keep your target guessing, you've attempted being Suave, Professional, and Aggressive all in the same conversation.
Variable Approach - AP +2
- In 15 different conversations, you've varied up your approach instead of sticking to one attitude or posture.
Hard to Read - AP +3
- Over the course of numerous conversations, you have kept your demeanor in flux - using professional, suave, and aggressive approaches at least a quarter of the time each.
Green - AP +2
- While you may not have a lot of field experience, at least you aren't ashamed to admit it - you have used the Recruit stance 3 times.
Rookie Move - AP +8
- Rather than fake it, you chose the Recruit stance 10 times and let your rookie charm work its mojo.
Email Enhancement
AP +2
Just because you're saving the world doesn't mean you can't find time to write. You replied to 10 emails across your career.
Profiler - AP +1
- You have completed your 5th Dossier.
Intelligence Analyst - AP +1
- Always keeping tabs on the opposition, you have completed your 10th Dossier.
Psychological Warfare - AP +2
- Leaving no fact unearthed, you have completed your 15th Dossier.
Desert Spear - AP +2
- Operation Desert Spear is a success: you eliminated Sheik Shaheed as ordered.
Agent of Change - AP +5
- In a remarkable act of manipulation, you managed to sway Conrad Marburg's sense of duty.
Thorton, Inc. - AP +25
- By way of expert manipulation, you managed to turn all of your enemies into allies. [Does not appear in-game]
Lady's Man - AP +5
- The ladies cannot resist you, nor can you resist the need to romance them. You have seduced all the ladies of Alpha Protocol, well done.
Swiss Diplomacy - AP +5
- You made it to the final operation of the game bearing a neutral Reputation with everyone.
Discount Perks
Perks that give your character a discount on items from the Clearing House.
The Big Picture - 5% Weaponry discount from all sources
- Knowing full well what the ends justify the means, you let Nasri go - receiving a bribe, as well as a connection (albeit a reluctant one) to the underworld market.
On the Guestlist - 5% Intel Discount from all sources
- You exercised a thorough investigation of your target by identifying all operatives in the vicinity of Jibril Al-Bara
Well-Connected - 5% Intel discount from all sources.
- You have acquired Intel from 7 different sources. [Does not appear in-game]
Knowledge is Power - 5% Intel Discount from all vendors.
- You showed up Leland with your knowledge of Deus Vult.
Enemy of My Enemy - 10% Intel Discount from all sources
- In your career, you've made allies with terrorists, double agents, and Russian mobsters. [Does not appear in-game]
Friends in Low Places - 10% Armory Discount from Grigori
- You managed to win over Grigori with your good humor and charm. He'll provide you a significant discount with armor and armor modifications, as he never likes to see a friend get hurt.
Enough Chit-Chat - 5% Weaponry Discount from Grigori
- Your threatening demeanor made a lasting impression on Grigori. He'll sell you weapons for less, as he'd rather appease your belligerence than risk your temper over a few dollars.
Camaraderie - 5% Discount on all non-intel purchases from all sources
- Your words and actions have won over 10 people.
Social Butterfly - 5% Intel Discount from all sources
- You're a natural at making friends - you've gained a favorable reputation with 3 people
Snap Shot - 20% Ammunition discount from all sources
- During the Al-Bara mission, you seized the initiative and fired before wasting time identifying all the possible suspects.
Necessary Roughness - 5% Weaponry Discount from Rome vendors
- Showing no favoritism towards nationalities, you used lethal force against CIA operatives that stood in the way of your mission.
The Basics - 5% Discount on all purchases from Saudi vendors
- You completed all of the orientation tasks offered in your training mission.
Cage Match - 5% Weaponry Discount from Saudi vendors
- You completed Mina's request to one-up Darcy during your training exercises.
Betting Man - 5% Intel Discount for Saudi missions
- You completed Darcy's training challenge.
Custodial Work - 5% Intel Discount for Saudi missions
- You successfully completed Parker's challenge during your Alpha Protocol orientation.
News Conscious - 5% Intel Discount from Saudi vendors.
- You watched all of Shaheed's broadcast.
Speaking the Language - 25% Intel Discount from Heck Enterprises
- You played along with Heck's erratic persona and gained his trust.
Stick to Business - 5% discount on Armor, Armor Mod, and Gadget purchases from Heck Enterprises
- You remained mostly professional in light of Heck's insanity.
Everybody Loves Dry Cleaning Solution - 5% Weaponry Discount from Heck Enterprises
- You and Heck shared a mutual dislike for subtlety.
I Don't Hit Girls - 5% from all transactions with G22
- You let Sis escape with her life after you bested her in combat.
Always Listening - 5% Intel Discount from all sources
- You paid careful attention to Sung's speech during the rally in Memorial Park.
Keeping the Peace - 20% Intel Discount from anonymous sources
- You opted to prevent a deadly revolt from taking place, even if it means letting a plot on President Sung's life go undeterred.
Straight Talker - 5% Gadget discount from Grigori
- You dealt with Grigori in a straight-forward, professional tenor. He knows you mean business and will supply you with high-tech supplies at a discount, trusting you'll provide him with steady income.
Professional Courtesy - 10% Armory Discount from Rome Vendors
- When you encountered CIA operatives in Rome, you made sure to use non-lethal force in subduing them.
Endurance Perks
Perks that increase your character's Endurance.
Tour of Duty - Endurance +5
- You survived Operation Desert Spear.
Seasoned - Endurance +5
- You completed your first operation as a lone agent. You're starting to make a name for yourself.
Experienced - Endurance +5
- You completed two successful operations without the backing of the agency. Congratulations are in order.
World Traveler - Endurance +5
- Defying the odds (and countless attempts on your life), your solo career as a rogue agent has lasted three successful operations.
Difficult Break-Up - Endurance +5
- Your uncanny ability to annoy and enrage Madison Saint James culminated in her physically attacking you.
Real Men Don't Hide - Endurance +5
- You completed 15 missions wherein you have raised an alarm and lived to tell about it. Unabated violence is a perfectly acceptable alternative to stealth.
Limited Bloodshed - Endurance +10
- You subdued 50 opponents with non-lethal (though certainly violent and entirely painful) methods.
Lone Wolf - Endurance +10
- Alienating most everyone who crosses your path, you have gained the dislike of 10 people. Friendship just makes it harder to pull the trigger when the time comes.
Merciful - Endurance +25
- Proving yourself reluctant to take a human life, you subdued 250 enemies with non-lethal means.
Ready for Anything - Endurance +25
- You have purchased the overwhelming majority of Intel available in your career.
Tough as Nails - Endurance +5
- You have sustained 1000 points of damage across your career without dying.
Professional - Endurance +5
- You have tried the Professional approach in your first few conversations.
Office Romance - Endurance +5
- You turned your working relationship with Mina Tang into romance.
Exclusive Interview - Endurance +5
- Scarlet Lake granted you a behind-closed-doors interview.
Rome-ance - Endurance +5
- You turned your Friendship with Madison Saint James into something much more.
Honest - Endurance +5
- Apparently the lying aspect of espionage isn't your thing - you were Honest 10 times in conversations across your career.
Due Process - Endurance Recharge Rate +20%
- Eschewing bribes and pragmatism, you opted to arrest Nasri. Your conviction to act within the law has strengthened your resolve.
No One Left Behind - Endurance Recharge Rate +20%
- You rescued your ally from Brayko's mansion.
Hand of Al-Samad - Endurance Recharge Rate +20%
- Once your target, now your ally, you have made peace with Shaheed and his organization.
Gentleman - Endurance Recharge Rate +20%
- When given the chance to reciprocate Madison's affections, you politely turned her down.
No Time for Love - Endurance Recharge Rate +20%, Endurance +20
- The promise of romance failed to distract you from your mission. You avoided any and all entangling affairs in Alpha Protocol.
New Sheriff in Town - Endurance Recharge Delay: -1 Second
- When faced with the opportunity to set a criminal free or kill them in cold blood, you instead chose the lawful route and brought turned them over to authorities.
Ability Perks
Perks that directly modify the behavior of certain features within any of the given ability sets.
The Better Part of Valor - Increased Duration: Shadow Operative
- Not every situation calls for violence. You have evaded 75 enemies.
Suave - Reduced Cooldown: All Abilities
- You have shown your Suave side in your earliest conversations.
Impatient - Reduced Cooldown: Fury, Iron Will
- Maybe if people realized your time was valuable, you wouldn't have had to adopt an Impatient demeanor 10 times across your career.
Sororicide - Reduced Cooldown: Chain Shot
- Being an equal opportunity witness killer, you finished off Sis when she was defeated and defenseless.
Trigger Happy - Reduced Cooldown: Room Sweep
- While gunning for Al-Bara, you "accidentally" killed some other people at the party... these things happen.
Cull the Weak - Reduced Cooldown: Room Sweep, Bullet Storm
- Not one to suffer weakness, you finished the job that Brayko started, and killed your former ally.
Thanks but No Thanks - Reduced Cooldown: Evasion, Iron Will
- As tempting as it may have been, you refused SIE's amorous advances.
Faith Killer - Reduced Cooldown: Focused Aim
- When given the opportunity, you pulled the trigger on Jibril Al-Bara - the academician with financial and spiritual ties to Al-Samad terrorist network.
Birds of a Feather - Reduced Cooldown: Chain Shot, Shadow Operative
- Working with Albatross on a pivotal mission reinforced your understanding of covert tactics.
Secret Service - Reduced Cooldown: Iron Will, Hard to Kill
- You chose to protect the life of President Ronald Sung, even at the expense of letting a dangerous revolt be set into motion.
Under the Radar - Reduced Cooldown: Evasion, Shadow Operative
- When you encountered CIA personnel, you avoided taking out fellow American agents - abstaining even from non-lethal methods and taking a minimal violence approach.
These Aren't the Agents You're Looking for - Reduced Cooldown: Evasion, Shadow Operative
- Twice in your career, you manipulated armed guards into letting you stroll right past them.
Any Last Words...? - Reduced Cooldown: Chain Shot, Room Sweep, Bullet Storm, Focused Aim
- Rather than letting a known weapons dealer roam free or languish in jail, you gave Nasri a taste of his own merchandise.
Savage Love - Reduced Cooldown: Fury, Room Sweep, Iron Will, Hard to Kill
- You successfully romanced the enigmatic mercenary SIE. Assuming that being ravaged while strapped to a table counts as romance...
Verbal Ménage a Trois - Reduced Cooldown: Bullet Storm, Focused Aim
- On a pivotal mission, you had SIE and Mina guiding you over the radio.
Logical Deduction - Reduced Cooldown: Overclock, Remote Hack, Binary Invisibility, Brilliance
- You defied improbable odds by reasoning with Alan Parker and actually convincing him that he's genuinely wrong.
Who, Me? - Reduced Cooldown: Shadow Operative
- Facts just get in the way of the truth. You've tried to bluff your way (successful or not) in dialogues 5 times across your career.
Razor Wit - Reduced Cooldown: Chain Shot, Bullet Storm, Room Sweep, Focused Aim
- In an effort to amuse (or sometimes annoy), you took a joking approach to conversations 10 times across your career.
Composed - Reduced Cooldown: Iron Will, Evasion, Binary Invisibility
- You employed a Calm disposition 5 times during conversations.
Evasive - Reduced Cooldown: Evasion, Binary Invisibility
- You have adopted an Evasive response to questions 5 times during your career.
Practical - Reduced Cooldown: Overclock, Brilliance, Remote Hack
- You have selected the Practical stance in conversations 10 times across your career.
Unfinished Business - Reduced Cooldown: Iron Will, Chain Shot, Bullet Storm, Room Sweep, Fury, Focused Aim
- You resolved an outstanding issue and put an end to Sheikh Ali Shaheed.
You Talking to Me? - Reduced Cooldown: Fury
- You exploited Conrad Marburg's temper, and baited him into a fight to the death.
Stealth Perks
Perks that affect your sneaking ability.
Unseen Presence - Enemy Sight Range -5%
- You completed 5 missions wherein you killed less than 5 enemies, and no alarms were raised.
One with the Shadows - Enemy Sight Range -5%
- In an impressive act of covert action, you completed 3 missions wherein less than 5 enemies were killed and no hostiles became alerted to your presence.
Lurker - Movement Noise -20%
- You took a stealthy approach to conflict resolution by evading 75 enemies or silently dispatching them with martial art takedowns.
Weapon Perks
Perks that increase the performance of any given weapon or to the close-quarters-combat ability.
Pistol Proficiency - Pistol Accuracy +1
- You have a passion for precision perforation. You scored 50 Critical Hits with the pistol during your career.
Pistol Mastery - Pistol Damage +1
- You scored 100 Critical Hits with your pistol over your career, marking you as a handgun savant.
SMG Fury - SMG Recoil Control +1
- You have managed to achieve the highest possible Critical Hit Streak with your SMGs four times across your career.
SMG Havoc - SMG Damage +1
- You have managed to achieve the highest possible Critical Hit Streak with your SMGs seven times across your career.
Shotgun Rampage - Shotgun Recoil Control +1
- Having shown a fondness for brute force, you scored 50 Critical Hits with your shotgun across your career.
Shotgun Crowd Control - Shotgun Damage +1
- In an impressive show of ballistic mayhem, you scored 100 Critical Hits with your shotgun across your career.
Assault Rifle Precision - Assault Rifle Accuracy +1
- Your aim is true - you have scored 50 head shots with your Assault Rifle over your career.
Assault Rifle Marksmanship - Assault Rifle Recoil Control +1
- In an impressive display of homicide, you scored 100 head shots with your Assault Rifle over your career.
Surprise Attack - Favored Weapon Damage +1
- You have launched surprise attacks on unaware enemies 150 times.
No Witnesses - Favored Weapon Damage +1
- You killed 4 major characters in cold blood.
Trail of the Dead - All Weapon Damage +1
- You have left a trail of cold-blooded murders throughout your career. Your mother would be proud of you... though it's possible you murdered her too.
Stay of Execution - Favored Weapon Recoil Control +1
- After listening to Shaheed, you exercised restraint and allowed him to live.
Be Prepared - Increased Ammo Capacity with all weapons.
- Always planning ahead, you have acquired a great deal of Intel on your missions.
Black Belt - CQC Strike Damage +1
- You have defeated 50 enemies with hand-to-hand attacks.
Fistful of Diplomacy - CQC Strike Damage +1
- When words fail, fists succeed. Three times now, you have resolved a conversation with non-lethal (though extremely brutal) violence.
Aggressive - CQC Strike Damage +5
- You have shown your Aggressive side in your earliest conversations.
Deadeye - Favored Weapon Recoil Control +1
- You completed 5 missions with 90% or greater accuracy with all of your firearms.
Intimidating - Non-Favored Weapon Damage +1
- A big believer in the American tradition of negotiating with the promise of wonton violence, you've been Intimidating in coversations 5 times in your career.
Enemy Perks
Perks that increase the damage dealt to any of the region bosses.
Know Your Enemy - Damage Bonus: 5% vs. Konstantin Brayko
- Your research on Konstantin Brayko is complete, giving you a better chance of stopping him in a firefight.
Know Your Rival - Damage Bonus: 5% vs. Conrad Marburg
- You worked up a complete dossier on Conrad Marburg. Your through knowledge of his characteristics and flaws will serve you well should the two of you battle.
Know Your Competition - Damage Bonus: 5% vs. Omen Deng
- Having completed your research on Omen Deng, you have an advantage over him should the two of you come into direct conflict.
Gadget Perks
Perks that directly affect your gadgets' effectiveness.
Plan B: Kill it with Fire - Incendiary Bomb Carrying Capacity +1
- Pyromania does not disqualify you from black ops employment. You set 25 people of fire by use of Incendiary Bombs.
Impersonation Artist - Radio Mimic Carrying Capacity +1
- You put your technology and language talent to work by calling in false all-clear messages 5 times using Radio Mimic gadgets.
Self-Made Medic - First Aid Bonus +10%, +1 First Aid Kit Carrying Capacity
- You patched up 2000 points of damage by way of First Aid. You could pry bullets from your spleen in your sleep.
Demolitions Expert - Explosive Grenade Carrying Capacity +1
- With over 50 lives claimed by your Explosive Grenades, you have become a veritable master of ordnance.
Orchestrated Carnage - Remote Mine Carrying Capacity +1
- You killed or injured three or more enemies with a single Remote Mine in three different missions. Your planning, timing, and flair for killing are to be commended.
Shock and Awe - Shock Trap Carrying Capacity +1
- You violently incapacitated 50 enemies with Shock Trap, making you an expert
Art of Incapacitation - Flashbang Carrying Capacity +1
- Having rendered 50 enemies languishing in a state of partial blindness and bleeding ears, you have proven yourself a master of flashbang tactics.
Electronic Warfare - EMP Charge Carrying Capacity +1
- You disabled 25 devices with EMP Charges and learned quite a bit about stumping electronic sentries.
Major League Edge - Epinephrine Spikes give +10% Damage Resistance
- You completed 10 Missions with an extra dose of strength from Epinephrine Spikes. Fortunately for you, the side effects of epinephrine do not include shrunken genitals.
Taxpayer Money at Work - Reduced Cooldown: Noise Maker
- You completed 5 missions wherein you've activated your Sound Generator gadget at someone's head or crotch. Really, the Sound Generator was just asking to be used for juvenile amusement...
Technophile - 10% Gadget discount from all sources
- You completed 5 missions where you employed at least 6 different gadgets.
Building a Deadlier Mouse Trap - XP +100
- 100 of your placed devices have been detonated - either by unsuspecting foes or by remote detonation.
Perfect Pitch - XP +100
- You have thrown 50 gadgets with careful aim. [i.e., throw 50 Gadgets using the preview arc; blind throws don't count.]
Misc Perks
Perks that don't really fit within any of the other categories.
One-Track Mind - Damage Resistance +5%
- While entirely capable of using different approaches to best manipulate people, you instead used the same approach to dialogue over, and over, and over again... 30 times as of earning this perk, to be exact.
Insurance Liability - Damage Resistance +10%
- In an impressive feat of perseverance (or an inability to duck), you have sustained 5000 points of damage across your career without dying. Now seriously, find some cover - you've made your point.
Furious - CQC Strike Damage +1, Reduced Cooldown: Fury
- Not one to hide your wrath, you got Angry 10 times in conversations across your career.
Conspiracy Theorist - Endurance +5, Reduced Cooldown: Epinephrine Spike
- Speaking the language of insanity, you catered to Heck's delusions.
Dossiers
Dossiers provide information on the characters of Alpha Protocol. Each is divided into several parts, and these are scattered across the game. They can be picked up on missions, purchased or given as intel, or added as Thorton learns through a conversation. Some are dependent on the decisions you make. Killing someone, for example, may mean you'll lose the chance to finish their dossier, while one mission gives Thorton the chance to blackmail someone for intel at the cost of losing a potential ally.
Acquiring a full dossier on a subject can be tricky, but can have certain benefits other than reading up on their background. Extra damage can be dealt to boss characters, and further dialogue options and -- at a few rare points in the game -- revelations can be given. There are 22 character and 13 faction dossiers to collect, though it is impossible to fully complete every single dossier in one playthrough. This is because during two e-mail correspondences with Mina Tang, Thorton can only request one person to be researched out of a group of three individuals.
Customization
Alpha Protocol offers little in terms of customizing Thorton's appearance. A few eye colors, hair styles, and facial hair styles are available to use, and Thorton can wear an assortment of eyewear and headwear, but that is the full extent of what can be customized. His name and gender cannot be altered.
Romances
Thorton can romance up to four women:
- Mina Tang
- Madison Saint James
- Scarlet Lake
- SIE
There is only one opportunity to romance each one, during a specific conversation in the game. Whether they happen or not depends on dialogue options and Thorton's reputation with them. Madison can only be romanced before the final Rome mission, Mina and Scarlet just before Thorton begins the finale, and SIE during the last mission. The romance cutscenes are low-key and show no nudity.
Before Alpha Protocol's release, Obsidian Entertainment programming producer Nathan Davis described the scenes as "tasteful" and "satisfying" to VideoGamer.com.
Characters
Alpha Protocol features a large cast of characters, most of whom come with their own dossier in the game.
Michael Thorton
Thorton is the game's protagonist and Alpha Protocol's newest recruit when the story starts. When he is declared a rogue agent by the agency, Thorton begins to unravel the intricate plans of Halbech, and wishes to stop the ongoing conspiracy.
Mina Tang
Initially one of Thorton's handlers during Alpha Protocol missions, Mina soon works behind Alpha Protocol's back to support Thorton, and provides invaluable intelligence and analysis as she helps him in finding out more about Halbech.
Henry Leland
Leland is the man in charge of defense contractor Halbech. Once he learnt about Alpha Protocol, he used its resources to further his own plans.
Yancy Westridge
The Chief of Operations at Alpha Protocol, Westridge is Thorton's boss at the beginning of the game. With more than two decades' worth of experience with the CIA and a further five years at Alpha Protocol, he's an experienced no-nonsense man, who is proud to serve his country.
Alan Parker
Parker is a Senior Intelligence Analyst at Alpha Protocol, having worked up the career ladder over the years. His wife died in a drunk-driving accident, and his daughter has severed all ties with him.
Sean Darcy
Darcy is an Alpha Protocol agent, but a slightly frustrated one due to limited opportunities to be involved on the field in missions. He harbors a romantic interest in co-worker Mina Tang, and specializes in using gadgets.
Ali Shaheed
Sheikh Ali Shaheed is part of Al-Samad, an anti-American terrorist organization, who has his hands on numerous missiles.
Omar Nasri
Nasri is an illegal weapons dealer in the black market. He has been monitored for a long time by the CIA and Interpol.
Albatross
Albatross is the leader of the G22 faction. Rumored to be once a CIA analyst, he prefers a stealthy approach when tackling missions. Albatross can be a useful ally for Thornton; he and G22 can be involved in several missions in the game.
Sis
Sis is Albatross' young and mute bodyguard. She sports a goth look and has a preference for dual-wielding revolvers.
SIE
A high-ranking member of the Veteran Combat Iniative, SIE is an experienced German mercenary who despises Marburg, despite his association with the VCI.
Grigori
Grigori is an unemployed informant that can often be found drinking in his local bar.
Sergei Surkov
Having previously worked with the KCB, Surkov is now a successful businessman who is said to have ties with the Russian Mafia.
Konstantin Brayko
A former protegé of Surkov, Brayko is an enforcer with a penchant for cocaine and a questionable taste in clothes and decorum. His theme tune is Autograph's "Turn Up the Radio".
Championchik
Championchik, bodyguard for Surkov, is a former Olympic heavyweight boxer. In a fight, he relies on his fists.
Conrad Marburg
Marburg formerly worked for Leland at Halbech, but has since left to take up a position in the Veteran Combat Initiative. He is said to always wear gloves to cover his hands from blood when he executes someone. In Rome, Marburg is trying to enact a plan that could cost the lives of hundreds.
Madison Saint James
Madison is Marburg's personal assistant, who finds herself involved when she contacts Thorton, concerned for his life. She also has an interesting family connection.
Jibril Al-Bara
A professor of Arab studies, Al-Bara is said to be working for the terrorist organization Al-Samad.
Scarlet Lake
Scarlet first meets Thorton on a plane shortly after the events in Saudi Arabia. A young award-winning photojournalist, she is in Taipei to find her latest story, and accepts Thorton's request for help in one mission.
Steven Heck
Heck is an eccentric contact in Taipei, who is rather territorial. He is voiced by the popular voice actor Nolan North.
Hong Shi
The leader of the White Mountain Oak Triads, Hong Shi is having trouble with three of his defecting lieutenants, who are threatening to create a separate faction. He provides Thorton with information regarding the assassination plot on Ronald Sung in return for a favor dealing with, as he calls it, a "family matter".
Omen Deng
Working for the Chinese Secret Police, Omen is suspected of planning to assassinate Ronald Sung.
Ronald Sung
Sung is the president of Taiwan and the target of an assassination plot.
Voice Talents
- Josh Gilman ... Michael Thorton
- Adrienne Wilkinson ... Mina Tang
- Gary Anthony Williams ... Yancy Westridge
- André Sogliuzzo ... Sean Darcy
- Michael Bell ... Alan Parker
- Fred Tatasciore ... Henry Leland / Ali Shaheed
- Mary Elizabeth McGlynn ... SIE
- Courtenay Taylor ... Scarlet Lake
- Colleen O'Shaughnessey ... Madison St. James
- Robert Clotworthy ... Albatross
- Jim Cummings ... Conrad Marburg / Gelato Man
- Kristoffer Tabori ... Grigori
- James Hong ... Hong Shi
- Matthew Yang King ... Konstantin Brayko
- Ron Yuan ... Omen Deng
- Chris Edgerly ... Sergei Surkov
- Nolan North ... Steven Heck
- Keone Young ... Ronald Sung
- Grey DeLisle ... Uli Booi
Reception
Reception for Alpha Protocol was extremely mixed. Aspects such as the story, the characters, and the dialogue system received the most praise. Scott Sharkey of 1UP gave a positive B-plus review and said, "so much of the dialogue and story changes depend on your choices that it's absolutely worth revisiting at least once after the credits roll". Many outlets also praised its RPG features and character advancement, while criticizing the shooting mechanics. GameRevolution's Nick Tan awarded the game a B-minus grade, saying, "ignore the RPG part and you might trade in the game after two hours; ignore the third-person shooter part and you might replay the game three times over". Giant Bomb's own Jeff Gerstmann, who gave Alpha Protocol three stars out of five, commented that "it's a good thing that the dialogue and alternate paths in Alpha Protocol can be so interesting, because the action is really deflating".
Nearly all of the critics agreed that the graphics were sub-par or worse, and that it had its fair share of bugs. The most exaggerated reviews accused Alpha Protocol of being "unplayable" and even "broken". However, some of the gaming public were more receptive of Alpha Protocol. While the game earned a 63 metascore for official reviews of the Xbox 360 version, the Metacritic average user rating for the same platform is 71.
Post-Release
On July 2, 2010, in an interview with GameBanshee, Obsidian Entertainment CEO Feargus Urquhart said that he felt "Alpha Protocol delivered on the character story and all the RPG stuff" but admitted that the "action elements were always a concern to a point, because it's something we had not done as a studio before". Regarding a possible patch, Urquhart commented, "we wanted to release something fairly quickly...I think [Sega] want to take a different approach -- they want to gather more information over a longer period of time and provide a patch then". When asked about whether downloadable content was likely in the future, he responded that "we'd love to, but we're not [working on any right now]".
On July 6, 2010, Giant Bomb reported that Sega dismissed any chance of Alpha Protocol getting a sequel, with Sega president Mike Hayes telling CVG, "the game hasn't sold what we've expected; therefore, we won't be doing a sequel". He blamed the low sales on a poor metascore.
PC System Requirements
The minimum system requirements for the PC version of Alpha Protocol are as follows:
- OS: Windows XP (Service Pack 2)
- Processor: 2.66 GHz Intel or Athlon XP 2400 AMD
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Hard Drive: 12 GB free space
- Video Card: DirectX 9.1, Pixel Shader 3.0, and 256 MB (e.g. GeForce 7900, ATI 1800)
- Sound Card: DirectX 9.1 compatible
- Peripherals: Keyboard, mouse
