By Matthew Scott Hunter
‘Alpha Protocol’ (M)
Espionage disaster
**
Sega
Xbox 360
With complex plots and scores of shady characters with hidden agendas, the traditional spy thriller is fertile ground for a role-playing game. “Alpha Protocol” offers an espionage adventure where just about every choice your secret agent makes yields a unique consequence. Choosing one phrase over another in a single conversation can have lasting effects on how the whole game plays out. But no matter which of the myriad branching paths you choose, they all have one thing in common: astonishingly bad game mechanics.
Evoking unintentional laughter as often as white-knuckle rage, “Alpha Protocol’s” flaws wind up overshadowing all of the fundamentally good ideas at its core. Gunplay is a persistent frustration, cover mechanics are highly temperamental, enemy A.I alternates between oblivious and suicidal, and agent Michael Thornton’s stealthy crouch-walk is so ridiculously animated, it could even make “Splinter Cell’s” humorless operative, Sam Fisher, bust a gut laughing. It’s quite a shame because this game could’ve had tremendous replay value if it wasn’t such a pain to get through even once. But to reach any of the story’s genuinely cool plot twists, you’ll have to navigate through endless monochromatic hallways and generic industrial complexes. Unfortunately, the most important decision you’ll make in “Alpha Protocol” is not to play.
‘Backbreaker’ (E)
**1/2
505 Games
Xbox 360
Despite EA Sports’ tenacious grip on the exclusive NFL license, 505 Games has crafted its own game of football (for those who don’t mind playing as the Albuquerque Isotopes against the Jacksonville Amberjacks). The team names may be silly, but the player animations are top-notch. And since “Backbreaker” puts your camera perspective down on the field, you’ll get to see those animations up close, which is ultimately the game’s downfall. As cool as it initially is to be in the midst of the action, it’s difficult to keep track of your team without a wider view of the field. Looks like “Madden’s” monopoly is still safe.
‘ModNation Racers’ (E)
***1/2
Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation Portable
When it comes to PS3-to-PSP ports, “ModNation Racers” is a rare success story. Amazingly, the complex track-building features (the console version’s best attribute) have survived the transition unscathed. The graphics have taken a slight hit, and the races will still have many kart racing aficionado’s grumbling that, “It’s no “Mario Kart,” but none of that will matter when you’re trading your custom-made courses online and then power-sliding around them with your other PSP-owning friends.
‘Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands’ (E10+)
**1/2
Ubisoft
Nintendo DS
The prince has always made aerial acrobatics look easy, but in this kid-friendly, handheld offering, he makes it a little too easy. Looking more adorable than usual, the prince navigates through each colorful, sidescrolling level by following your stylus. Any obstacles he encounters along the way are dealt with automatically with the Persian’s usual flair. All you have to do is keep the tip of that stylus in front of him, and he’ll do the rest. The game practically plays itself, and since there are many far more satisfying platformers on the market, maybe it should be left to do just that.
