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

Passable if repetitive soundtrack, somewhat pretty visuals, but it's broken. Utterly broken. Poor AI is made up for with inhuman reflexes, accuracy, and bullet spam. Enemies are repetitive, and 90% of them have the same generic gun to plink at you with. And you can kill yourself by hurling a popcan at the floor. Yes, an ordinary soda can can kill you if you throw it at the floor. Try it if you actually spent money on this beast. Broken physics, horrible block puzzles, annoying train sequences, bog-standard FPS guns... if you can pick it up for a buck on Steam if they do another sale, go for it; The voice acting is good for a cringe if nothing else.… Expand

Best FPS I have played in a while. No crazy monsters or ghost, just real sci-fi... like half-life 2. The story is also great. The game is not at all difficult (as many suggests in some reviews). I have played it in NORMAL mode and had no problems. I would give it a 10 but because of the shortness (I have finished it in less then 10 hours) it deserves a 9. I hope there will be a sequel!!! Oh..one more thing. I must admit I have a low-end gaming machine (XP 3000, 9800SE, 1G RAM) but the game runs perfect even with all options enabled! I don't know how they did that... just awesome!… Expand

A really good game. You have to think a lot and use tactics, because the enemies are very powerful. You can't just run and gun, you have think. I also like how there wasn't any dumb monsters, just humans and robots. The game is a little on the short side, and there is no multiplayer (shame), but don't forget that you're only paying about $20 for this game. In conclusion, great game, but loses a point for the mediocre voice acting and strange ending.… Expand

my god this was such a great game i enjoyed it a hell of a lot the story was quite good there was a nice array of weaponry and it is just a great game. people who rated it low probably just suck at fps games this is one of the best i have played. do yourself a favor and play this game

I love this game, it's a real challenge unlike some other FPS i have played. Clever AI and a cool Sci-Fi storyline make this a must have in my opinion. Graphics could be better and the sound isn't earth shattering but the gameplay is great fun.

A game that is getting bad reviews soley based on where it came from. Why is it if a game is not a AAA title made by 100+ men teams it automatically will get a C at best. Its time someone steps up and says something about the many reviewing houses that have lost the love of games and only love what advertises the best. We're too scared of original and new IP and only want to give good "grades" to those games already established, even if they're not very good. PLEASE support game studios that are just about making games...not money.… Expand

Very strong story with believable characters. The space ship/planet mining facility setting is tired but the great graphics and the characters make it playable - one more time. The voice acting is good and I liked the hero portrayed as being a greying and long-in-the-tooth cynic. At a price of only $20 (on Steam) the game is a real value. I will keep my eye out for another offering from Black Element.… Expand

Good graphics great story line.

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.… Expand

To all FPS fans. Lets face it. These days to find a really unique FPS isn't to look for a FPS at all. FOr the genre to change these days. Its going to have to include some major makovers. And, I am positive more than half of you, not even me, could think of an idea to quench that thirst. Might as well be thirsty for what is good. And this game is an average story with amature voice acting. But overall, the action is fun. And it brings tactical gameplay for when you are in less of a mood for mindless mass-kill. The best part is, there arent a lot of Sci-Fi shooters without Demons, monsters, and out of this world aliens. This one feels a little more real. Liek a sci fi TV show. Something liek Stargate or Outer Limits Sci Fi. If you like sci-fi and the price seems certainly worth it, dont pass it up.… Expand

Graphics are all this game has, and they aren't even as good as Half-Life 2. Gameplay just downright sucks. I at first thought all the reviews were just harsh because this was another FPS, but I didn't listen and had to try it myself. I am sorely disappointed, and wish I never had this nasty program on my PC. It makes me almost vomit to think that Steam agreed to sell this crap.

I only played the demo, but I found it to be not unlike Half Life 2. It does have some decent graphics, and manages to have levels that DON'T seem like a straight path, but I found the controls to be jerky, and the voice acting sad. If it had been reworked a little I'm sure it could have made a great game.

Well i haven't finished it yet (just started lvl 5) but i can say that i really like it. The graphics are quite good kinda like a mix from fear and doom3 and the environments in which you play are nicely done also it runs perfectly at max setting on my computer (P4 3ghz, Geforce 7800) and the music is really nice as well. (btw you can download the soundtrack from the official website) As far as the story goes it won't win any awards but its alright for a fps i guess.. Oh and this game is hard even on normal settings.. Prepare to get killed a lot hehe If it weren't for some minor little bugs i'd probably would have given it an 8 out of 10. Anyway im looking forward to Black Element's future projects.… Expand

Decent Graphics. Sub-Par physics. Outdated. Generic Gameplay. All are characteristics of a mediocre game. The voice acting is decent, but nothing more. The storyline is barely interesting. There is barely a back story to this game. Overall, its a mediocre sub-par game.

Its Exactly tha same as all other mediocre games..just without any good story. Lame ending.

I was really charmed by this game. A simple but solid shooter, only thing it lacks is more terrain variation and in game candy. The only time you actually get to leave the monotonous "sci-fi-doom3 type of" enviroments is when your supposed to drive this silly little jeep on the planets surface. Bad. However the good part and the really special thing about this game is the storyline. Sure, some bad acting and all that. But still the storyline is a really ambitious attempt at making soomthing more interesting than your average save the earth pc game story. All in all a solid 7, I'm looking forward to the sequel.… Expand

This is a terrible, terrible game that fails completely on every level. Any "critic" that does not recognize this game outright for what it is (absolute garbage) should have his head examined. They are obviously cut and pasting the doom 3 engine, yet they somehow even managed to make the visuals more bland. Every aspect of this game fails. From the AI interaction, to the gameplay, the plot, the weapons, the sound. It feels like it was released in 2002 which is the only way it could have been taken seriously. I'm glad I got the demo. This is a game that would make you regret spending a dollar on. They should consider releasing it for free and just using product placement since it was obviously made to try and make a quick buck as opposed to having any relevance in today's fps market. I guess they can't all be half-life 2. A game like Alpha Prime makes you appreciate the good ones.… Expand

Do not buy this piece of crap!!! It is a CRIME against gaming and should be avoided under all circumstances!!! It is the most frustrating and horripilating FPS that I ever played in my entire life.Even if you EVER have the possibility to downloading FREE stay away from this PIECE OF SH*T!!!

Generic to the extreme. not an ounce of originality; terrible voice acting. the save system is manual, meaning that if you die you have to start the whole level over again if you forgot to save. not worth your time.

Was a decent fps if you had nothing else to play. but the ending...the most bogus one in any game ive ever played. still not sure if it was the ending.lol.

Repetitive and hard work. Weapons are puny so you need lots of ammo which there isn't (playing on hard). End up relying on random grenade thows to clear out rooms. And that's all there is. 1 room linked by a corridor linked to another room. Little variety of scenery. And terrible (and long) diallogue bits. Average. Very.

I really enjoyed this game and think the others are too critical. The acting is not bad at all, the characters are interesting and the story is pretty good. I am not an FPS noob, having played virtually every major one since the original Wolfenstein and Doom. I really like the fact that combat isn't "run and gun" like so many shooters. It takes thought and planning. I had to save often, and many times had to re-do a room or fight sequence that I just got killed in. The graphics and sound are very nice. The weapons are typical shooter fare, but I like the addition of the flame thrower... very cool. The game also takes a nice piece from F.E.A.R. with bullet time, but you need to reload it with Hubbardium (like finding med kits), so you get used to using it more strategically. I also really liked the hacking feature. Overall it is a great game, especially for the $20 value! Nothing earth shattering, but what it tries to do it does very well.… Expand

Alpha Prime it's a raw game, it doesn't have the care of those AAA blockbusters, but it isn't a bad game. The gameplay is good, at least if you understand that take cover and lean left or right are the way to save your ass from those crazy robots, prospector and company soldier. The story is nice, not the best on the sci-fi genre but nice, but the cinematic scene are a bit too long. The use of the wireless hacking tool is a good thing, but in the final part of the game it is rarely used, that was a shame… Expand

Nothing new, but I found it a fun game nonetheless...It doesn't aspire to be HL2 or Doom3, but it presents a fun, immersive game in it's own manner, and at the price I thought it was a good buy. It doesn't play like a console port but is a solid, down-to-Earth PC adventure/FPS.

This is the worst game I have ever played. The game control was barely tolerable. But what really did this one in was the characters and story. I hated ever single character including the guy I was playing. The story was lame and I only finished the game because I just couldn't resist seeing how bad it could be. It felt like it was written (and programmed) by a group of socially inept teenage boys. This game is a total waste of time. Save yourself and don't make the same mistake I did. I still want my money and my time back for this one.… Expand

If you play this game with the speech off, it's not that bad. The voice acting is the single most detractor from this game. The levels are all fairly decent, with a nice mix of industrial settings and a fair bit of detail. The AI is pretty bad, but that's more or less standard fare for this caliber of shooter. Overall, not a bad game, not a great game - but definitely worth a look!

Hell.This game is really hard even on easy difficulty.If you headshot an enemy you wont do much a lot more damage than shooting him in the leg.But they would.You can die a lot especially if youre a beginner.The story is far from new as for the weapons they kinda look a bit old.Almost no vehicles just a rusty buggy and the final boss was far from hard to beat.Even a 5-years old could beat him.Lol.Still the gamplay is pretty ok and doesn't have bugs.Many.… Collapse

Great game, especially at the price of $10 that I got it for. This is just a good old school style shooter, no special physics and crazy alien weaponry. The story was interesting and the voice acting was amateur, but charming in its own way. As simple as the game is, it's good that it wasn't overly long and it managed to keep me entertained the entire way through. I'd highly recommend it, and now it's only $4.99 on Steam.… Expand

I was completely relieved when this game was over. What a waste of 5 hours of playtime from start to finish. There isn't anything positive to say about it.

Classic FPS players will probably love this game. I wouldn't call it average - I think it just stays true to many of the aspects that make a great FPS game. It delivers challenging game-play with excellent graphics, good sound, and maybe not-so-great cut-scenes... but fortunately you can skip right through the voice acting if you dont like it. Its definitely worth a few dollars for several hours of fun.… Expand

You know , I'm a Hong Kong Player , I feel this game is absolutely fantastic ! I like the most is the OSTs of this game --- Alpha Prime , their atmosphere is really really exciting and rhythmic !

Allow me to disclaim this review by stating I completed the game on "Normal" difficulty in about 8 hours or so (including death and reloading).

Let's get the good stuff out of the way. I really like the fresh IP growing here. The story is solid, if a little cliche, and the world-building is very well done for such a short game. The game paces itself well, and I really love the soundtrack. The game requires a modicum of strategy, and it's next to impossible to run-and-gun. The level design is interesting, if a little linear. The ReCon hacking mechanic is a neat little quirk that's far too underused.

Finally, the graphics are great. No, they're downright gorgeous. The human faces are unique and recognizable, and even on the highest graphical settings I was playing quite smoothly. The clear surfaces ripple and reflect light in a realistic manner, and the shadows are very well-done.

Now, onto the reason for my low score.

The weapon choices are mediocre at best (the melee attack becomes useless within two maps and I rarely found myself using the shotgun or flamethrower due to their ineffectiveness at long range), and the explosives (rockets and grenades) are about as effective as a bunny's fart if not aimed perfectly at your target. I found myself relying very heavily on the sniper rifle early on, since the primary automatic weapon was not yet effective against the enemies in the game. Somehow it feels like the enemies get weaker later on... I have no possible explanation for that except the game becomes more balanced the longer your play it.

The same physics applied to objects is applied to the player, when normally the player is much stronger. Even a slight incline on a "smooth" surface (such as the lid of a container) was enough to send me sliding slowly backwards. The vehicle physics are "meh" at best. Once heights high enough to induce fall damage arrive, there's next to no feedback when fall damage takes place, and the height at which your character takes fall damage is very, very low.

The writing is perhaps the weakest aspect of Alpha Prime. The dialogue is very forced, and the characters tend to be stereotypical. The woman who shouts in your earpiece is sexually promiscuous, the black character uses "punk-ass" as many times as is legal, and the main antagonist is a cruel military commander, taking pleasure in torturing prisoners. The hero is a disgruntled prospector, one of the few people not affected by exposure to the game's MacGuffin, Hubbardium. The intro cutscene features two throw-away characters and the protagonist, Arnold, drinking in a bar. This scene becomes an exposition dump as the female love interest strides in, wearing shiny latex and a plunging neckline, taking a seductive pose on a table while she speaks very seriously about a rescue mission she wants to recruit Arnold for. It lasts for almost five minutes, explaning events that happened before the game and still somehow not cutting down the cutscene content later on in the game.

The voice acting ranges from good (the antagonist's dialogue is strong) to laughably parodic (Paolo Bellini delivers his lines with a disinterested monotone and hilarious Italian accent), and the overall quality of the game suffers for it. I feel that the poorer VA jobs suffer mostly from the poor writing: many crutch phrases pop up during the dialogue, and the tone and vocabulary of the long-running characters tends to change over time. Additionally, the dialogue pacing is very sporadic. The lines tend to flow with each line of the (hilariously typo-ridden) subtitles, so longer sentences get broken up with awkward pauses in the middle of clauses.

Most of the other negative reviewers already complained about the difficulty, so I'll just clarify things a bit: The game is not hard due to engine mechanics. The problem arises from poor design: Enemy weapons are extremely powerful over long ranges and the enemy AI has near-perfect aim. These combine to make traversing a single hallway inordinately difficult.

The final problem is the lack of an autosave feature. I know it's petty, but this isn't 1998 here. Upon death, the only options are to load from the start of the level, load from the last Quicksave, and return to the main menu.

Overall, the game has lots of very good ideas. New IP, a solid story, amazing graphics with a low performance threshold, a design document that's essentially Valve's "Raising the Bar" copy-pasted, and a strong gameplay hampered by poor AI, weak player weapons, hilarious voice talent, and a silly script. If this game hadn't been $2 on Steam when I purchased it, I would have felt as disappointed as I felt when I paid full price for Mirror's Edge. As it stands, I can only say it's worth about what I paid. Buy it when it's on sale and give it a shot, but be prepared to throw your keyboard against the wall in frustration.… Expand