Alpha Protocol Preview

[GameBanshee News]

GameSpot is offering up a "work-in-progress" preview of SEGA and Obsidian Entertainment's spy-themed RPG, Alpha Protocol. While the article is only based on information retrieved during a conference call, it's still fairly informative:

The character you play is, first and foremost, Michael Thorton. So when you get to designing the look of your character at the game's outset, you'll be limited to modest alterations like facial hair and so forth. If you're looking to create a freakish medical oddity pulled directly from the Mass Effect character creation system, you're more than likely out of luck.

The character you design will have ten skills that can be upgraded throughout the course of the game. You can select predesigned "backgrounds" for Thorton that act as a skill template, but you can also adjust them manually at the beginning. These skills include elements such as weapon abilities, computer hacking, resistance to damage and lock-picking.

One of the biggest focuses for Obsidian is to avoid the pitfalls of sticking Michael Thorton into one of the "three J.B." roles prominent in espionage games--James Bond, Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne. Rather than forcing you to play as a suave ladykiller, a torture-prone tough guy, or an amnesiac with otherworldly melee skills, you'll be able to craft your version of Michael Thorton through the game's skill system and dialog options. Speaking of which...