Five years after it was yanked from digital stores, Obsidian’s cult classic espionage RPG—Alpha Protocol—is back and better than ever thanks to GOG.com.
Alpha Protocol is a spy-themed RPG that lets characters explore the world while stopping bad guys using guns, stealth, and smooth talking. It was developed by Obsidian and released in 2010 to mixed reviews and low sales. At the time, the game was praised for its contemporary setting and advanced dialogue options. However, its combat wasn’t fun and numerous glitches made it hard to fully enjoy this unique spy RPG. And then in 2019, the game was delisted from Steam due to expiring music licenses. Thankfully for folks who enjoy this flawed but special RPG, Alpha Protocol is back from the digital graveyard on PC.
On March 20, GOG announced that the Sega-published spy game was once again available to buy and play via its storefront. As with all other GOG-released games, Alpha Protocol is DRM-free. But even better, this new release includes cloud saves, all the original licensed music, full controller support for Dualsense, Dualshock, Xbox, and Switch gamepads, and is playable on modern operating systems with no modding or tweaking necessary. Oh, and achievements from the console versions have been added to this new PC release, too.
Sure, Obsidian’s more famous 2010 RPG—which came out about four months later in October—is Fallout: New Vegas, arguably the better game and certainly one with more fans in 2024 than Alpha Protocol. But let’s not let this oddball game be forgotten.
For $20 (or $18 right now for a limited time) and with modern controller and PC support, I think Obsidian’s lesser-loved spy RPG is worth checking out again. It’s not very often we get big-budget RPGs set in a modern world from a developer with such a great track record. It’s not perfect, it can be a bit annoying at times, and you might run into some bugs. But hey, the same can be said about New Vegas, and plenty of people (myself included) adore that game.
So I say give Alpha Protocol a shot! Be a suave and cunning spy. Or just lie, cheat, and kill your way to the top. The game allows for that, too.
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