I’ve been excited about Alpha Protocol. Not only does it look like a good, choice-heavy RPG, it’s an stealth/action spy thriller, which in games is a genre dominated mainly by shooters. Although fantasy tends to be my favorite, when I get frustrated with its foibles (see here) I rather enjoy an excursion into espionage territory. I find it heartening that there will finally be a modern game of that kind aimed at RPGers like me, when it would be so much easier to make several maps, litter them with enemies and different kinds of guns, and call it a day.

And the RPG features that Alpha Protocol will have sound quite intriguing. Apparently it will have real-time, unrepeatable dialogues, a rather daring and exciting break from role-playing game traditions. You’ll be able to dress your little man up different outfits that can make a difference during gameplay, which is compelling because as we all know, deep down, everybody who loves RPGs — no matter how macho — also loves paper dolls. You’ll make choices that actually change the course of the game, and it appears that you can build up meaningful relationships with NPCs. This last one is especially important to me, since I consider it to be a core component of any RPG even though most of them tend to throw it out the window.

Hello there. Would you like a quest?

On the other hand, Alpha Protocol is the only game I know of that I wanted to play and whose previews made me want to play it less. They seem to be rather generic copies of what goes on in spy movies and action shows, although it sounds rather like this is what the developers were aiming at. I’m a little worried that my immersion might be ruined by what appears to be mediocre voice-acting and a complete lack of expressions on any of the characters’ faces, especially when they’re talking.

It’s not that it makes it look like a bad game. All its good features remain, and I’ll definitely still try it. But the video did serve to dampen my enthusiasm significantly. The reason I favor RPGs over, say, shooters is because I care about the emotional state of the character I’m playing, and of the NPCs, as well. I want more than to just look like a badass while I shoot or slice people (although I want that, as well). I want to be able to explore my character’s inner world. And it seems to me that maybe the makers of Alpha Protocol have fallen into the trap many game-makers fall into: thinking that cool is enough.