Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 19
  2. Negative: 2 out of 19
  1. It's a bog-standard shooter with some cool graphics. Honestly, Alpha Prime feels like the product of a first-person-shooter checklist. It hits all the marks that, if missed, would bring a game's score down. Multiple enemy types? Check. Narrative? Check. Slow-motion? Check. Good graphics? Double check. Aside from the embarrassing acting.
  2. There have certainly been far worse games in the extremely well-traveled FPS genre. For what it is, Alpha Prime delivers the goods and ends up being an engaging experience.
  3. Alpha Prime is a commendable game that offers a solid FPS gaming experience but lacks the innovation some might expect with a new game.
  4. Pretty but tedious, Alpha Prime is a solid but supremely derivative shooter that's more often a chore than a pleasure. [June 2007, p.60]
  5. Alpha Prime does a great job of being average.
  6. It's a fun shooter with a well-done bullet-time feature and a decent storyline. What more could you ask for from a $20 dollar game? Oh, Hubbardium-crazed humans? It's got that too!
  7. At 20 bucks, Alpha Prime may be a decent stocking-stuffer for FPS junkies. [Dec 2007, p.97]
  8. When I could shake the feeling that I had been through all of this before in one place or another, Alpha Prime was a pretty good ride, considering that there was nothing particularly new or innovative about it.
  9. The game has huge potential for the long term, even if a lot of it remains unfulfilled at this point.
  10. Alpha Prime takes a little from each game but has a hard time carving out its own identity.
  11. For the most part, I'd say that the weak points overpower the few positives in Alpha Prime and because there isn't anything that's really new or unique and the sound ruins the intensity, I find it fairly boring. You shoot enemies, watch a cut scene, shoot some more, interact with something, repeat.
  12. A pretty shell for a game that's pretty lacking. Not much fun. [Aug 2007, p.92]
  13. Alpha Prime is a very average game. It might have nice visuals that make it look comparable to other games of its ilk, but in the end it suffers from being a truly derivative and under-developed game.
  14. Alpha Prime, with a passable storyline and passable gameplay, is a little passable anomaly. [July 2007, p.77]
  15. Unfortunately for Black Element Software, this type of game has been done to death, so there were only two options for the designers to consider: a) innovate or b) use the classic recipe, but use it the right way. And even though options b was chose, the results are disappointing to say the least.
  16. All in all this game is solidly average. It's a decent if predictable story saddled with a pedestrian game.
  17. Were Alpha Prime really fantastic in some specific aspect, at just $20, I would be happy to recommend it to one and all. It isn't bad – you can have fun playing it and it's not going to crash inexplicably – but it is an offering exactly matched by its budget price.
  18. Flashy weapon effects partially mask the mediocre gameplay, and to the untrained eye, Alpha Prime could almost pass as "Doom 3". I trust that PC Gamer readers are smart enough not to be fooled. [Apr 2008, p.66]
  19. The cinematic cut-scenes are poorly voiced, the characters unconvincing, and the plot is so-so at best.
User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 62 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 33
  2. Negative: 9 out of 33
  1. KyleB
    7
    This game is really underrated. It reminds me of System Shock 2 and Unreal 2. It is great for a small company to release. I bought it for $2.70 off steam and it is truly worth at least 10. The physics, graphics and hud are great. AI can be dumb sometimes. Voice acting is par, cut scenes should be shorter. The gameplay is standard but it is still fun to play. Full Review »
  2. Alpha Prime takes what was standard 10+ years ago and throws it all into a 2007 game. Had this come out in 1998 or so it would have earned a Metacritic score of around 80, I'd guess, but its design is almost embarrassingly outdated today. However, I grew up with the evolution of shooters through the 1990s and Alpha Prime is a satisfying throwback for gamers in their 30s, like me. I give this game a solid 7 because it's now a $5 direct download from Amazon, except that it was part of their 2010 end-of-year sale and I paid literally pocket change for it: $1.25. This game is still worth $5 easily, almost *because* there are plenty of amusingly nostalgic gameplay elements for people who have been around a while. Full Review »
  3. TerryD.
    5
    Tedious and a chore to play puts it pretty well. The main issue is the balance of the game is off, the weapons are mostly ineffective against the bad guys – takes a lot of rounds to take one down - and that ammo is hard to come by. Not a good combination. Further, the level design is redundant - basically its rooms and areas filled with bad guys of few variations. Combine this with a confusing story line and some REALLY bad dialog and you have a pretty disappointing effort here. To bad, it could have been cool. Full Review »