Obsidian Entertainment are pretty popular around here, and on the strength of (for example) the much-loved Neverwinter Nights 2, the news that they're putting together a new RPG title has caused quite a few ears to prick up. Alpha Protocol is a fair step away from what you might be expecting, with swords-and-sorcery replaced with modern day espionage action! It may not be a common RPG theme, but if plot is what you like in your games, spy thrillers certainly provide excellent fodder, as this stylish new trailer demonstrates.

Download Alpha Protocol Trailer

Alpha Protocol pitches the player into the cloak-and-dagger world in the shoes of government operative Michael Thornton, who finds himself the only one able to combat a growing international situation after a mission plays out in unexpected and terrible ways.

Role playing fans may be interested in Alpha Protocol's claim to allow the player control over Thornton's personality and attitude as well as all of his actions. How this will play out is not totally clear; unless the story is extremely open-ended I imagine the plot will place some constraints. Perhaps Thornton's speech and available dialogue responses will be affected by a handful of choices at the beginning of the game, ala Mass Effect, a nice touch generally which pleased genre fans. Apparently, though, Thornton's personality is actually shaped by the actions taken within the game itself as the story progresses. This will play an important part in gameplay, as a new dialogue system ensures that every response choice is an important one, rather than the "just keep pressing X until you get the plot point" common to many recent titles.

Published by Sega Alpha Protocol is due for release on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in the first quarter of 2009. More updates as they arrive.