<s>
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2010	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Obsidian	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Sega	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
assumes	O
control	O
of	O
agent	O
Michael	O
Thorton	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
recruit	O
at	O
a	O
clandestine	O
United	O
States	O
agency	O
called	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
,	O
which	O
is	O
given	O
unlimited	O
resources	O
to	O
conduct	O
covert	O
operations	O
on	O
behalf	O
of	O
the	O
government	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
May	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
sales	O
of	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
were	O
halted	O
in	O
June	O
2019	O
due	O
to	O
expired	O
music	O
licenses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	B-Application
hub	I-Application
,	O
players	O
can	O
select	O
missions	O
,	O
access	O
the	O
black	O
market	O
to	O
buy	O
weapons	O
and	O
intelligence	O
,	O
and	O
use	O
the	O
weapon	O
locker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
collect	O
money	O
bags	O
and	O
open	O
safes	O
in	O
mission	O
areas	O
,	O
and	O
use	O
the	O
money	O
to	O
buy	O
weapons	O
,	O
gadgetry	O
,	O
and	O
intelligence	O
after	O
returning	O
to	O
the	B-Application
hub	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
choosing	O
the	O
correct	O
dialogue	B-Application
options	I-Application
and	O
completing	O
certain	O
gameplay	O
challenges	O
,	O
players	O
can	O
earn	O
small	O
combat	O
enhancements	O
called	O
Perks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
features	O
numerous	O
non-playable	O
characters	O
(	O
NPC	O
)	O
with	O
whom	O
to	O
interact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
dialogue	B-Application
system	I-Application
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Dialogue	O
Stance	O
System	O
(	O
DSS	O
)	O
,	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
choose	O
one	O
of	O
three	O
attitudes	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
stances	O
"	O
,	O
when	O
speaking	O
to	O
an	O
NPC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dossiers	O
enable	O
players	O
to	O
gain	O
early	O
understanding	O
of	O
NPCs	O
before	O
approaching	O
them	O
;	O
new	O
dialogue	B-Application
options	I-Application
may	O
appear	O
if	O
the	O
dossiers	O
are	O
nearly	O
completed	O
after	O
players	O
collect	O
sufficient	O
intelligence	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
and	O
playable	O
character	O
of	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
is	O
Michael	O
Thorton	O
(	O
Josh	O
Gilman	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
highly	O
skilled	O
secret	O
agent	O
newly	O
recruited	O
into	O
a	O
clandestine	O
United	O
States	O
agency	O
called	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
,	O
which	O
has	O
unlimited	O
resources	O
to	O
conduct	O
covert	O
operations	O
on	O
behalf	O
of	O
the	O
government	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thorton	O
's	O
colleagues	O
are	O
his	O
handler	O
Mina	O
Tang	O
(	O
Adrienne	O
Wilkinson	O
)	O
,	O
superior	O
Yancy	O
Westridge	O
(	O
Gary	O
Anthony	O
Williams	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
veteran	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
advisors	O
Alan	O
Parker	O
(	O
Michael	O
Bell	O
)	O
and	O
Sean	O
Darcy	O
(	O
Andre	O
Sogliuzzo	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
is	O
a	O
highly	O
classified	O
black	O
ops	O
agency	O
whose	O
existence	O
remains	O
unknown	O
to	O
many	O
—	O
even	O
those	O
in	O
the	O
highest	O
echelons	O
of	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
government	O
—	O
as	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
operate	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
confines	O
of	O
government	O
oversight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shaheed	O
's	O
intel	O
reveals	O
three	O
key	O
locations	O
tied	O
to	O
the	O
conspiracy	O
;	O
Rome	O
,	O
where	O
an	O
Al-Samad	O
cell	O
has	O
been	O
activated	O
;	O
Moscow	O
,	O
through	O
which	O
the	O
missiles	O
were	O
routed	O
;	O
and	O
Taipei	B-Application
,	O
where	O
Taiwanese	O
President	O
Ronald	O
Sung	O
is	O
under	O
threat	O
of	O
assassination	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Taipei	B-Application
,	O
Thorton	O
uncovers	O
a	O
plot	O
by	O
Omen	O
Deng	O
of	O
the	O
Chinese	O
Secret	O
Police	O
to	O
assassinate	O
Ronald	O
Sung	O
and	O
incite	O
riots	O
at	O
a	O
political	O
rally	O
to	O
provoke	O
a	O
conflict	O
between	O
China	O
and	O
the	O
U.S.	O
With	O
aid	O
from	O
Triad	O
leader	O
Hong	O
Shi	O
,	O
and/or	O
G22	O
,	O
and	O
Steven	O
Heck	O
—	O
a	O
psychotic	O
man	O
claiming	O
to	O
work	O
for	O
the	O
CIA	O
—	O
Thorton	O
counters	O
an	O
assassination	O
attempt	O
by	O
Deng	O
and	O
obtains	O
a	O
disk	O
containing	O
the	O
plot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
completing	O
the	O
three	O
operations	O
and	O
optionally	O
contacting	O
some	O
affiliates	O
,	O
Thorton	O
—	O
needing	O
to	O
expose	O
Halbech	O
's	O
activities	O
before	O
World	O
War	O
III	O
starts	O
—	O
surrenders	O
to	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
and	O
is	O
brought	O
to	O
Henry	O
Leland	O
,	O
CEO	O
of	O
Halbech	O
and	O
acting	O
commander	O
of	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
Thorton	O
refuses	O
,	O
he	O
escapes	O
the	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
holding	O
facility	O
and	O
with	O
the	O
aid	O
of	O
his	O
prior	O
contacts	O
—	O
if	O
any	O
—	O
fights	O
or	O
sneaks	O
through	O
the	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
facility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
Thorton	O
agrees	O
to	O
work	O
with	O
Leland	O
,	O
or	O
if	O
he	O
spared	O
Shaheed	O
and	O
obtained	O
the	O
information	O
against	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
from	O
him	O
in	O
the	O
endgame	O
,	O
he	O
also	O
escapes	O
the	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
facility	O
and	O
eventually	O
confronts	O
his	O
former	O
superior	O
Yancy	O
Westridge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
Thorton	O
can	O
learn	O
that	O
the	O
real	O
assassin	O
in	O
Taipei	B-Application
was	O
Scarlet	O
Lake	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
in	O
Leland	O
's	O
employ	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
may	O
choose	O
to	O
either	O
execute	O
her	O
for	O
justice	O
,	O
let	O
her	O
go	O
,	O
or	O
invite	O
her	O
to	O
team	O
up	O
with	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
of	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
began	O
around	O
March	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
2005	O
,	O
developer	O
Obsidian	O
Entertainment	O
was	O
finishing	O
work	O
on	O
their	O
video	O
game	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
during	O
which	O
the	O
studio	O
received	O
a	O
call	O
from	O
publisher	O
Sega	O
about	O
making	O
a	O
new	O
role-playing	O
game	O
for	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Dwarfs	O
,	O
Obsidian	O
's	O
role-playing	O
game	O
prequel	O
to	O
Snow	O
White	O
and	O
the	O
Seven	O
Dwarves	O
it	O
was	O
developing	O
for	O
Disney	O
,	O
the	O
staff	O
from	O
that	O
game	O
began	O
work	O
on	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
layoffs	O
at	O
Obsidian	O
were	O
avoided	O
,	O
the	O
cancellation	O
of	O
Dwarfs	O
forced	O
the	O
studio	O
to	O
give	O
Sega	O
the	O
intellectual	O
property	O
rights	O
to	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
early	O
stages	O
of	O
its	O
development	O
,	O
no	O
personnel	O
were	O
assigned	O
to	O
lead	O
roles	O
on	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
team	O
realized	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
slow	O
progress	O
and	O
development	O
could	O
not	O
continue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
originally	O
designed	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
drained	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
technical	O
performance	O
and	O
they	O
made	O
it	O
less	O
complex	O
so	O
the	O
game	O
could	O
run	O
better	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mission	O
debrief	O
showing	O
up	O
after	O
the	O
player	O
completed	O
a	O
mission	O
was	O
initially	O
a	O
bug	B-Error_Name
discovered	O
by	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
testers	O
;	O
the	O
team	O
redeveloped	O
this	O
to	O
become	O
an	O
official	O
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
took	O
inspiration	O
from	O
other	O
games	O
,	O
including	O
Deus	B-Application
Ex	I-Application
,	O
System	B-Application
Shock	I-Application
2	I-Application
and	O
Fallout	B-Application
,	O
TV	O
series	O
like	O
Burn	O
Notice	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
films	O
such	O
as	O
Syriana	O
,	O
Ronin	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Good	O
,	O
The	O
Bad	O
,	O
and	O
The	O
Ugly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
complement	O
the	O
spy	O
theme	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
added	O
a	O
timer	O
to	O
the	O
dialogue	B-Application
system	I-Application
to	O
further	O
immerse	O
players	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
make	O
intrinsic	O
decisions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brian	O
Mitsoda	O
drafted	O
the	O
initial	O
story	O
for	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
;	O
he	O
decided	O
which	O
locations	O
would	O
appear	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
with	O
Annie	O
Carlson	O
created	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
,	O
while	O
artist	O
Brian	O
Menze	O
handled	O
the	O
characters	O
 '	O
visual	O
designs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
writer	O
was	O
given	O
a	O
set	O
amount	O
of	O
work	O
;	O
MacLean	O
wrote	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
in-game	O
emails	O
and	O
Stout	O
was	O
the	O
lead	O
writer	O
for	O
the	O
Taipei	B-Application
hub	O
,	O
writing	O
for	O
characters	O
including	O
Steven	O
Heck	O
,	O
Omen	O
Deng	O
,	O
and	O
Hong	O
Shi	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
was	O
originally	O
due	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
October	O
2009	O
,	O
but	O
Sega	O
later	O
announced	O
its	O
release	O
would	O
be	O
delayed	O
until	O
early	O
2010	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
missed	O
its	O
projected	O
release	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2019	O
,	O
Sega	O
halted	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
across	O
all	O
digital	O
outlets	O
,	O
including	O
Steam	B-Application
and	O
the	O
Humble	O
Store	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
licenses	O
of	O
several	O
music	O
tracks	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
having	O
expired	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
received	O
divided	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
;	O
while	O
Obsidian	O
expected	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
score	O
around	O
80	O
marks	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
,	O
review	O
aggregator	O
Metacritic	O
recorded	O
lower	O
average	O
scores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gunplay	O
was	O
criticized	O
for	O
lacking	O
polish	O
and	O
being	O
unrefined	O
,	O
and	O
the	B-Application
artificial	I-Application
intelligence	I-Application
was	O
found	O
to	O
be	O
subpar	O
by	O
most	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
also	O
noted	O
that	O
poor	O
AI	B-Application
hindered	O
the	O
stealth	O
sections	O
and	O
that	O
combat	O
scenarios	O
may	O
not	O
match	O
the	O
players	O
 '	O
customization	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
players	O
 '	O
frustration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
McCormick	O
said	O
while	O
the	O
gameplay	O
is	O
subpar	O
,	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
is	O
a	O
captivating	O
"	O
spy	O
simulation	O
"	O
that	O
has	O
a	O
compelling	O
and	O
personal	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
concluded	O
by	O
calling	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
role-playing	O
games	O
ever	O
,	O
and	O
compared	O
it	O
with	O
Mass	B-Application
Effect	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rowan	O
Kaiser	O
of	O
Engadget	B-Application
positively	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
Deus	B-Application
Ex	I-Application
,	O
saying	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
strengths	O
of	O
both	O
games	O
point	O
toward	O
the	O
future	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Obsidian	O
Entertainment	O
had	O
publicly	O
stated	O
its	O
desire	O
to	O
develop	O
a	O
sequel	O
for	O
Alpha	B-Application
Protocol	I-Application
,	O
for	O
which	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
had	O
new	O
ideas	O
.	O
</s>
