Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 63 | 6 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 64 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 81% | 75 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 76 | 2 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 100% | 97 | 3 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 8 reviews sampled · 7 total reviews in window · weighted 6.8 up / 0 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (66)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 40
“To release a game that's just plain not finished and to expect people -- to expect your fans -- to pay the full $60 for it? That's where you lose me.”
read full review ↗ - 75
“Alpha Protocol is actually a very good game deep down, but perhaps a little too ambitious in its execution.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“The tragedy of Alpha Protocol is that, hidden behind the mass of technical failings is a superb action RPG bristling with choice and driven by some inspired storytelling.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Alpha Protocol could have been a really good game, easily on par with Mass Effect, but it fails in almost every way.”
read full review ↗ - 65
“Alpha Protocol is not a terrible game by any stretch of the imagination. Instead it is a collection of truly next-generation ideas wrapped in a last generation package.”
read full review ↗ - 81
“Rarely a game has been so varied and profound. Even if the graphics do not fit with the rest of the game, Obsidian Entertainment has managed to deliver a role playing game at its best.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“If you enjoy the one thing that Alpha Protocol does well enough, you'll probably be able to overlook its downsides. There is little else to recommend Alpha Protocol, so if the idea of the fluid story line doesn't get you excited, then this game isn't for you.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“We just had to dig a little deeper than we'd like to get to the good stuff. [Aug 2010, p.74]”
- 70
“If you're willing to put in the effort, it can steadily win you over. Obsidian can't really compete with the bigger boys in the RPG field, then, but it's carved out a little space to call its own. With ambition instead of budget, and integrity instead of polish, in the end the choice of whether to persevere or not is pretty easy to make.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Alpha Protocol's astounding intricacies are tarnished by bugs, clumsy gameplay mechanics, and rough production values.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Alpha Protocol does many things right and succeeds where it count for an RPG but falls short elsewhere.”
read full review ↗ - 40
“A brave mix of RPG, action game and spy thriller, brought down by too many design and technical faults.”
read full review ↗
GameWatcher
ZTGD
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot
Metro GameCentral…and 54 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.