XBox 360 (Also available on PlayStation 3 and PC)
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
$59.99
Score: 7.0

Alpha Protocol is a great example of a game that tries hard to do a lot of things and ends up pulling some of them off. When you look at what Alpha Protocol is attempting to do on paper, it is a pretty lofty list. Being the first espionage RPG, the game gets to define itself. Is it a spy game? Is it a shooter? How much roleplaying is actually involved? The truth is that Alpha Protocol almost gives too many options in how it approaches this concept.

Gameplay:

Alpha Protocol is all about options. Much like other RPGs, character customization is a big deal. Not in the way of appearance but in terms of skill sets, selection of characteristics plays a huge part in how each person’s Alpha Protocol experience will play out. There are two very distinct ways that players can progress through missions.

The first is guns blazing. For Gears of War or Halo fans, this may be their method of choice. Shoot their way through and ask questions once everything is dead. Using any pairing of either a pistol, SMG, shotgun or assault rifle, players get the opportunity to use special weapons abilities that help them progress through waves of enemies.

Along the way, players can also use stationary sniper rifles or turret guns to aid in their mayhem. This is one of the more rewarding and visceral experiences of the game as enemies fly off their feet after shot gun blasts or crumble to the ground with a series of well placed headshots.

Following up on our announcement of Alpha Protocol going gold last week, Sega sent us over a trailer for the game which highlights some of the different tactics gamers are going to need to utilize to be successful in this cutting edge espionage RPG. In addition to strategy, the video gives a great peek at the visuals players should expect upon the game’s release.

Stealth, martial arts, and gunplay with both the assault rifle and pistol look to be the four main focuses of Alpha Protocol. From the looks of this trailer, Alpha Protocol is two parts Splinter Cell mixed with the Bourne Identity and even tosses in a little dash of Just Cause 2 for good measure. Needless to say, we like the sound of that recipe.

The trailer also gives some positive indications of the game. As much as we liked Just Cause 2 here at the Flickcast, we can’t defend the abysmal level of voice acting in the game. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like Alpha Protocol will suffer the same fate.

Take a peek below at the “Developing Your Skills” trailer and check back for more news on Alpha Protocol as it becomes available.

Congratulations to our friends over at Sega developer Obsidian on their announcement today that their espionage style RPG Alpha Protocol has gone gold and is headed off to manufacturing. With silky smooth graphics, intense hand to hand combat and third person shooting, this game has quickly gotten itself on our radar. Make sure to take a peek below at the game’s lead character Michael Thorton and see what this title has in store for you.

Alpha Protocol unites role-playing, stealth, and action gameplay into a single experience that captures what it feels like to operate as a modern day spy. With production values on par with a blockbuster action movie, the consequences of the player’s actions in the high stakes underworld of arms dealing can be explosive. Perhaps unleashing on suspected terrorists with the Pentagon’s latest weaponry is the best move… or maybe just stay in the shadows and stay cryptic in your interactions. There isn’t a single correct approach.

Alpha Protocol ups the stakes in the RPG genre with the integration of the innovative Dynamic Stance System (DSS), dialogue tech that allows the player to pick a ‘stance’ instead of a direct answer. Players need to think on their feet, because in Alpha Protocol a key weapon IS choice – and every decision not only shapes your relationships with in-game characters, but it changes the entire world around you.