Obsidian, those fellows and/or missus' who made Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2 are up to something, and that something is called Alpha Protocol. Described as an 'espionage RPG', it seems to be another one of those lovely games that combines genres you wouldn't really think of in such a way before, but it turns out gloriously (see: Hybrid Heaven, BioShock, The World Ends With You, Mario Tennis: Power Tour, Deus Ex, etc). Hopefully it lives up.

The game takes place in 2009. Hundreds of innocent passengers and crew are killed after a commercial plane is shot down over Eastern Europe. The culprit is a high-tech U.S. defense missile which has somehow fallen into ill hands. Which is where you come in. As government agent Michael Thorton, you've been chosen to, for lack of etiquitte, bring those f---ers down.

The plot in itself sounds cool enough, if not somewhat unoriginal. The gameplay however seems to be what will make everything work together for the better. How it goes is you decide how to develop your abilities, like your "devastating physical combat moves", customization of your weaponry, and of course, with the use of "ingenious" gadgets and traps. The AI, they assure, is going to be superb, so this won't be the kind of game you just plow through nonchalantly.

KEY FEATURES

* Revolutionary Interaction System – Choose your words and actions carefully in a living, reactive role-playing world. Experience the Alpha Protocol "ripple effect" as encounters with your allies and enemies change relationships, reveal storylines, and unlock new missions.
* Skills of the Trade – Mold Thorton into the secret agent you want to become with lethal close-combat techniques, marksmanship abilities, spy gadgets, and much more.
* Locked and Loaded – Access an arsenal of weapons and customize their many add-ons to create the perfect weapon load out.
* Who Do You Trust? – Form relationships via dialogue and action choices within an intriguing cast of allies and enemies to get data for missions, new weapons and more. Remember who to trust and decide when to trust them …
* Choose Your Own Path – The game reacts to every decision you make: will you let a terrorist escape to follow a lead, or eliminate targets against the mission agenda? With no right or wrong choices, every player can create their own storyline and ending.

Alpha Protocol arrives March 2009. Without further adieu, the short-but-sweet debut trailer: