The relentless barrage of E3 previews continues with a closer look at Obsidian’s Alpha Protocol over at UGO Games Blog.

Live from E3: Alpha Protocol Impressions

Posted by AdamRosenberg on 07/17 at 12:34 PM

Obsidian Entertainment certainly know their way around RPGs.  Having tackled both the Dungeons & Dragons and Star Wars licenses in their short five years as a developer, they are finally stepping into the realm of original IPs with Alpha Protocol, which will be published by Sega for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles as well as Windows PCs.  The game is a modern-day action-espionage tale which follows CIA operative Michael Thorton as he combats the evils of the shadowy G22 organization.

The focus of Obsidian’s E3 demo left the particulars of the story for a later date, focusing instead primarily on Alpha Protocol’s dialogue and combat systems.  Players converse with NPCs by choosing tonal responses rather than lines of text.  These moments of choice are also timed, forcing players to make snap decisions on their next move.

The example we were shown saw Thorton approaching a building with a Marine guard out front.  After a brief exchange, players are given the choice of smooth-talking the guard, taking an aggressive, commanding attitude or simply ending any discussion with the business end of his weapon.  These choices can have lasting effects as well; those who take an overly aggressive approach in one mission can probably expect to see heightened security further down the line.

Combat unfolds in real time from a third-person perspective, though Thorton is able to complement standard gunplay with specialized skills which can be unlocked by spending earned Advancement Points.  Skills such as the Chain Shot, which stops time momentarily while Thorton targets multiple opponents for rapid takedown, are selected via a pop-up radial menu which puts a halt to the action while players make their choice.

We also got a look at one of Thorton’s safehouses.  These are between-mission hubs where players are able to change up their equipment and outfit or check the local news – yes, Thorton can make headlines if he’s too high-profile in completing his objectives – while they figure out their next move.  What Thorton wears has a practical effect on gameplay, dictating the amount of equipment he can carry and influencing the way NPCs respond to him.

Honestly, it’s tough to get a proper feel for an RPG such as Alpha Protocol from a 10 minute demo session.  There are certainly some cool features in place, but how it will all gel together is still anyone’s guess.  There are still features we’d like to know more about – such as how the management of relationships factors into the unfolding story or the particulars of weapon customization and character advancement – but those questions will have to go unanswered for now.