In
June
of
2019,
Alpha
Protocol
vanished
from
sale
due
to
music
licensing
issues,
rendering
the
2010
action-espionage-RPG
unplayable
to
anyone
who
didn’t
already
own
it
or
wasn’t
willing
to
sail
the
high
seas
of
piracy
to
get
it.
But
now,
it’s
back!
And
it
even
has
some
improvements!

Absolutely
no
mention
of
the
games
revival
was
made
ahead
of
it
simply
reappearing
on
both

Good
Old
Games
(GoG)
and
Steam,
complete
with
a
10%
discount
that
will
be
available
until
July
11th.
The
revival
is
even
crazier
when
you
consider
that
Alpha
Protocol
isn’t
a
widely
known
game.
It
was
a
clunky
game
to
play,
but
espionage
RPG
nonetheless
became
something
of
a
cult
classic
due
to
its
great
roleplaying
elements.
Over
the
years,
people’s
opinions
have
gradually
shifted
on
the
game,
such
as

Eurogamer’s
Robert
Cobbett
who
said
in
2017
that
it
was
the
best
spy
game
ever
made.

There
is
one
caveat
to
this
new
release:
the
GoG
version
contains
full
achievement
support,
as
well
as
support
for
new
controllers
and
modern
operating
systems.
And,
since
it’s
on
GoG,
the
game
is
also
DRM
free.
The
Steam
version
however,
appears
to
be
original
Alpha
Protocol
simply
put
back
up
for
sale
now
that
the
music
licensing
has
been
sorted
out.

So,
why
the
hell
has
the
game
suddenly
come
back
now,
and
who
is
responsible?
Well,
it
turns
out
it
has
been
a
collaborative
effort
between
Good
Old
Games,
publisher
Sega
and
original
developer
Obsidian
Entertainment.

“When
we
started
our
journey
15
years
ago,
one
of
our
most
important
goals
was
to
do
our
best
to
preserve
games
and
make
them
last
forever,”

says
the
team
at
GoG.
“Allowing
video
games
history,
once-loved
gems,
to
be
lost
in
time,
is
something
we
cannot
just
stand
and
watch
–
we
fight,
for
current
and
future
generations
to
be
able
to
enjoy
games;
all
games,
not
just
the
newest,
popular
releases.
Today,
we
stand
proudly
by
our
mission,
and
we’re
extremely
happy
to
announce
the
re-release
of
a
cherished
classic
that,
thanks
to
our
efforts,
has
been
successfully
archived
in
the
GOG
catalog,
to
enjoy
anew.”

“With
conjoined
forces
of GOG, Obsidian
Entertainment and SEGA,
we’ve
made
sure
to
make
it
better
than
ever;
compatible
with
modern
PCs,
with
licensed
soundtrack
and
performance
improvements
that
are
sure
to
make
this
timeless
classic,
yet
again,
your
favorite
spy
story.”

To
mark
the
re-release
of
Alpha
Protocol,
GoG
has
launched
an
18-minute
mini-documentary
discussing
the
game,
which
you
cans
above.
It’s
a
frankly
fascinating
watch,
filled
with
sharp
humour
(including
admitting
that
the
game
itself
is
messy
and
weird)
and
insights.
It
also
touches
the
subject
of

why
Alpha
Protocol?
The
doc
admits
it
isn’t
a
headline-grabbing
game,
and
also
says
they
didn’t
do
it
because
it
was
easy
–
in
fact,
the
whole
project
took
about
a
year
and
a
half.
In
the
end,
there
was
a
myriad
of
reasons
to
bring
it
back.
Check
out
the
documentary
yourself
to
find
out
why.

Further
on,
the
GoG
team
also
addresses
the
issue
of
game
preservation
moving
forward,
stating
that
a
“problem
this
big
isn’t
on
the
shoulders
of
a
company,
but
on
a
system
that
is
turning
people
against
it.”
It
also
gives
a
nod
to
the
many
people
now
fighting
against
games
being
delisted,

such
as
the
recent
The
Crew
2.

I
played
Alpha
Protocol
all
those
years
ago
and
found
it
to
have
a
rough
charm.
Playing
it
was
often
a
headache
because
of
the
clunky
combat
and
lousy
AI,
but
the
story
and
the
myriad
of
choices
and
outcomes
were
fantastic,
as
as
the
incredible
depth
of
some
of
its
systems.
It
was
a
game
that
needed
a
sequel
with
a
good
budget
so
that
the
developer’s
vision
could
be
brought
to
life,
but
poor
sales
meant
it
never
got
that
chance,
and
I
honestly
can’t
blame
people
for
avoiding
it.
But
I
think
SEGA
were
blind
for
not
seeing
its
potential.

As
for
GoG,
projects
like
this
give
me
hope
that
other
titles
could
still
come
back.
At
the
top
of
that
list,
in
my
opinion,
is
the
amazing
Lord
of
the
Rings:
Battle
for
Middle-Earth
games,
although
I
doubt
it
would
ever
happen
as
it
would
require
the
collaboration
of
EA
and
Embracer,
the
company
that
currently
owns
the
rights
to
Lord
of
the
Rings
games.
One
can
hope
though,
right?