Mass Effect 2 vs. Alpha Protocol: Round One
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ET - ManPac: Being developed by Obsidian Entertainment, Alpha Protocol is perhaps the most direct comparison to Mass Effect on the Current-Generation of consoles. Having worked very closely with BioWare in the past has rubbed-off on Obsidian and Alpha Protocol is a westernised Role-Playing Game (RPG) that follows much of the precedent set by the first Mass Effect. But while dialogue trees and third-person shooter combat bear the hallmarks of that influence, it's setting opens an entirely new world of possibility. Alpha Protocol is not a futuristic, galaxy far-far-away endeavour, but a much more down-to-earth proposition.
Playing as Michael Thorton, you will embark on a modern day covert operation; a globetrotting story in which a CIA conspiracy is a much more pertinent basis than the invasion of a long-dead alien race. The player customisation options will offer a greater scope of personalisation than the limited facial reorganisation of Commander Sheppard and perhaps more importantly, players can customise weapons and armour along with the hero's abilities through an extensively revised leveling-system.
BG William: When you're talking about changing the espionage action genre by making it an RPG you're talking about serving up a tall order. Nevertheless, Obsidian seems to be taking on that order with flying colors as Alpha Protocol contains some of the most fascinating RPG elements featured in a game to-date. The ability to customize the lead character with a variety of reasonable looks, upgrade and acquire weapons of choice, learn new fighting techniques and chat it up with a few femme fatales in the game is a step in a direction only equivalent to what BioWare is doing with Mass Effect 2. When it comes to diversity I think I might be inclined to say that this game ties with BioWare's epic space saga.
