If Alpha Protocol was just a re-skinned version of Mass Effect, I would be content with what it has to offer. In some respects, that's exactly what it is. Many of its core systems - including combat, weapons modifications, the cover system - are cribbed right from Mass Effect. But, Alpha Protocol comes up incredibly short in most of these areas. They may be copied, but they are imperfect.

Alpha Protocol owes a bit to Mass Effect's visual engine, right down to the distracting amounts of texture pop-in whenever you enter a new area. Alpha Protocol is not a terrible looking game; it is just very, very plain. The story takes you around the world, though nothing about these exotic locales sticks out as particularly memorable. There are a few interesting areas, like a Moscow trainyard where trains zoom through every few seconds, but I remember the confusing layout more than anything else.

The lack of memorable areas run deeper than visual presentation. Super spy Michael Thorton is an incredibly bland personality. Though you have total influence over what he says, delivery is usually incredibly flat. In the grand scheme of videogame voicework, the voice quality isn't much more than a blip on the radar, though the colorful cast of characters makes Michael's lack of personality stick out even more.

Alpha Protocol may not have many memorable areas, but it has some personalities. Most of the characters are bland clichés (the badass Russian female soldier, the jealous spy...), but the game still manages to stumble onto some fun characters. Steve Heck, an ultra-violent conspiracy nut, is my new favorite character. Then there's a Russian mobster with a serious obsession with the 80's.

Alpha Protocol is a role-playing game in both senses of the word. Levels, experience and stats are a major gameplay component, but it also allows you the chance to play your character the way you want. One of these elements works incredibly well, while the other pulls the entire experience down.

The overarching narrative involves the downing of a commercial airliner by a yet-to-be unveiled missile technology. As agent Michael Thorton, your mission is to uncover the masterminds behind the plot and hopefully save the world. It's typical spy-espionage stuff to the point of being cliché. Alpha Protocol adds some interest by offering playing control over how the plot will play out over time.

Story elements are spooled around Reputation, a set of dialogue choices similar to Mass Effect's conversation system. The difference between the two is, instead of choosing from bits of dialogue, you're instead left with three "attitudes" - Suave, Aggressive, or Professional. A fourth, usually violent, option is sometimes added as well. The system is a bit limited, but fun. Unlike Mass Effect, you're forced to make choices within a set time limit. It's a more "natural" way of handling conversations and encourages constant engagement.

It's cool, but the system is still in its infancy. While seeing how Reputation impacts the story is fascinating, it falls short on actually building a connection between choices and the player. Michael never grows as a character and always seems to come off as a smarmy jerk, regardless of reputation. Choosing "Suave" choices further degrades his character. He's isn't Bond, he is "Creepy Internet Guy."

Alpha Protocol places emphasis on choice, yet gameplay can feel really limiting. Some common templates, like a completely stealth-based character, don't work as well as they should, nor do they mesh into all gameplay situations. Much of the blame falls on stat-based mechanics. Alpha Protocol looks like an action-game, but plays like a dice-rolling RPG. Placing a reticule on a target and pulling the trigger is more for show. You're really just rolling the dice and dealing with THAC0 (not really, but you get the point).

Another reason for limitations are levels. Areas are well-designed, but boss fights force you into certain situations. Most happen in enclosed pits filled with an endless spawn of enemies, causing them to degenerate into shoot-outs. If your character is short on gun skills, you're in for long - maybe even unbeatable - fights.

Other than the story elements, I also really liked Alpha Protocol's handling of character classes. At the start you can choose from three pre-determined classes (combat, tech or stealth), or create your own "Freelancer." Another possibility is to go with a Rookie, who unlike the other classes, starts with zero skill points. The early game is hard enough as is, but playing as a Rookie makes it even harder. The pay-off comes in your second play-through, where you gain access to the Veteran class.

Missions are dotted with mini-games. One involves following twisting paths to hit nodes in a certain order; another matching two number sequences into a constantly shifting grid of numbers; and finally, lock picking, the most annoying of the three. The first two are really cool, but fall apart later in the game. Puzzles are incredibly complicated (instead of matching five nodes, you have to match ten), but the timer stays the same. A little challenge is good; this pushes it towards frustrating.

Lock picking becomes even more annoying. The underlying concept - press the Trigger buttons to line up the pick - is cool. However, the margin of error is thin and requires expert muscle control in your fingers. It's bad enough lining up three within the time limit, let alone five or more.

The constant, and at times completely erratic, stat system makes it hard to gauge difficulty. Dump a lot of points into a trait and you get better at it. Of course, there are exceptions. Assault rifles are deadly even with zero skill points. Stats are a little too random, so you never really feel in control of anything.

Enemy A.I. is just as inconsistent. Enemies are only dangerous because they attack in packs and aren't hindered by silly, point-based accuracy. Most can, and will, hit you whenever they pull the trigger. On lower levels, you can attempt to line up critical hits, minimizing any enemy accuracy advantages, though on Hard you're really just setting yourself up as a bullet sponge.

Alpha Protocol cribs from Mass Effect's mistakes just as much as its successes. Mass Effect 2 shifted from stat-based skill sets, placing them instead on the player skill (with subtle modifiers). I wasn't a fan of the drastic change, but now I get it. Alpha Protocol sticks to an action/ stat mix and proves it doesn't work. You still have control over aiming and firing your weapons, but your accuracy is largely determined by how many points you decided to dump into each firearm specialization. That isn't to say you won't hit something without a few points in a specialization; you'll just waste more ammo while trying to do it.

I appreciate what Obsidian is attempting to do by combing traditional RPG elements into a woefully underused genre, but the concept doesn't work out. The idea is there, but with so much of the genre rooted in action-oriented mechanics, Alpha Protocol would have done better to drop some of the more complicated stat-based mechanics and focus on developing a tighter action game.

Stats only seem to make a noticeable difference in mini-games. Picking locks and hacking with higher skills is much easier, though you still have to deal with the disproportionate time limits later on, as well as the sloppy lock picking mechanic.

The skill point to skill ratio is more noticeable on harder difficulty settings, but will pop up even on lower levels. A point-blank hit with a shotgun should kill someone, not reduce health a third of the way. Performing an action and waiting for the math to work out creates a detachment between your actions and in-game actions. It pops up in other areas as well, like stealth, which at times feels like attempting to bull's-eye a moving dartboard. Sometimes an enemy will spot you, other times he won't -- it's a complete dice roll.

Alpha Protocol is a good idea crippled by half-baked ideas. There are a lot of really neat things going on throughout the game, particularly the story system. However, just about everything feels like it was developed to work, not work well. A few tightly working ideas are better than a bunch of cobbled together concepts.

If anything, Alpha Protocol is best left as a rental, but only if you're curious about the storytelling system.