Little disclaimer, an ex family member of mine (Travis Stout) was on the creative design team and was also a writer for this game, though I have not spoken with him in many years and really has no effect on my enjoyment of the game.
I think Alpha Protocol really rises above the jank to be something wholly unique and special, but it definitely takes a little perseverance for it to pick up.
The gameplay is simply put, pretty bad, but in a way can be a lot of fun interacting with it's more broken elements. The AI is mostly awful and reacts like shooting gallery targets most of the game, the animations and cover system are wildly buggy and can result in some crazy animations, and the PC port, even with the updated 2024 GOG patch (if you have the Steam version, look up how to install it, it cuts the jank by at least half), is super rough. You will basically NEED a gamepad for this, mouse and keyboard is basically unplayable. There are also a few minor graphical glitches. My biggest issue was that there is no functional support for 4k or ultrawide, so HUD elements are messed up unless running on 1080p, despite resolutions higher than that being available. There is also no anti-aliasing, and attempting to inject it through your graphics card panel will result in some really odd texture issues, so the game will be abundant with jaggies on a large, high resolution screen. Some technical issues are to be expected with 15 year old PC games, but it is clear most of these are the result of a poor PC port, especially the controls.
Beyond that though, the scope of ridiculously overpowered abilities you have, especially in the stealth and pistol trees can make this game a fun power trip simulator. You are basically Jason Bourne/ John Wick/ 007, nobody is a match for you.
The story is also pretty good, super relevant to this day and hyper critical of capitalism and war profiteering. The way information is slowly revealed to you (or not, if you are a ♥♥♥♥♥♥ spy) is super satisfying, and deciding who is worthy of your trust and adding onto your entourage and who is an enemy, in a world full of deception is the best part of the game bar none. I honestly can't think of another game where every single dialogue option has such an immediate and dynamic impact on not only the story but the gameplay. It's such a great mechanic and it's a shame there isn't really any other games that utilize this system. I seen a lot of comparisons to Mass Effect, calling Alpha Protocol "Diet Mass Effect" and I think that is totally backwards. Mass Effect definitely has superior gameplay, visuals and dialogue writing, but as far as choices being impactful to the game, Mass Effect only ever has a few that actually matter to the long term plot of the game, but almost every dialogue choice in Alpha Protocol leaves a lasting impact to both the story and the game, so if that is the through-line of the comparison, I would say Mass Effect is the diet beverage in this example.
The music and variety of locales you visit is great as well, I do think the romance could have been handled a little better, you don't really have the option of developing an in-depth relationship with any one character, rather either being a playboy or not at all, but the romance is also so insignificant to the core story it's hard to knock it, and is fittingly cliche of the spy thriller genre regardless.
I admit this game took me a few tries to stick over the years. I had gone through the introductory sequence 2 or 3 times in the past, feeling like Alpha Protocol SHOULD be a game that I would love based off everything I knew about it, but the jank deterred me. The jank is quickly remedied with the purchase of a silencer and a level up or 2 to give you some equipment to work with, but it is a rough introduction none-the-less.
Also, the ending totally nails it. Satisfying as hell, leaves as many loose ends open as you left open, and ties up the loose ends you decided to tie up. If you decide to go the route of vengeance... yeah.... it's satisfying. How's the saying go? "Prick had it coming"?
When you take Metal Gear Solid out of the equation (which I think only loosely qualifies anyways), this is THE spy thriller videogame. It's not just an aesthetic, it's the DNA of Alpha Protocol, and if that seems like something up your alley way you should definitely give it a try, it's worth sticking with to the end.
