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I must have thought about Alpha Protocol 2 a hundred times, which is pretty good going for a sequel that doesn't exist. It's not even really a game in my mind, but an aspiration - a benchmark, really - of what so many games I love could be, if they'd only lower themselves to take a few design tips from an RPG that was effectively deemed a failure before it even hit the shelves.I suppose it's not too surprising that people haven't. Alpha Protocol is many things, but one of them is unquestionably a bit of a mess - a game of clunky shooting, appalling hacking mini-games and often poorly thought out RPG mechanics that could very easily lead to impossible situations. It annoyed the crap out of me many times while playing it.
Reinstalling it now, memories deadened by a year or so, time hasn't exactly been kind. It's far from a bad game, and it's one I'd still recommend checking out. But it is one you have to meet halfway - or at least, grit your teeth and endure the opening desert missions in all their awfulness. If there's one thing an action RPG with aspirations of shooterdom should never openly draw comparisons to, it's Call of Duty.
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