Ryan Rucinski, Senior Producer at Obsidian Entertainment, definitely knows a thing or two about the role-playing genre. Having worked on Neverwinter Nights 2, Rucinski and his team know exactly what it will take to propel Alpha Protocol – Sega’s part-rpg, part-spy thriller – to the next level. “At any given moment we have around 140 people working at Obsidian, with up to 70 of those working on Alpha Protocol at various times” explains Rucinski. “We wanted to give the player a chance to play out scenarios exactly as they wish, and were committed 100 percent to making sure that happens."

Thankfully, Rucinski was willing to prove to us exactly what he was talking about. And after a short, but very in-depth walkthrough, we came away very impressed.

The main focus for the E3 demonstration was no doubt the DSS (Dialogue Stance System), which seemed to be on display at nearly every turn. This dynamic branching system will be one of the main factors in determining the outcome of the game. While similar to Mass Effect’s dialogue system, Alpha helps separate itself by giving you a time limit for each conversation. This helps force the urgency during intense situations, and much like real-life, can cause you to regret your actions further down the road. 

Players will also have the option of customizing their play style to fit one of three different categories. Stealth, Aggressive, and Suave are all viable personality selections, and will ultimately have an impact on what answers are selectable during conversations. And to further ensure that each player's experience throughout the game is different, each kill, conversation, and action you perform will shape the world around you. For example, Stealth players will notice familiar enemies later in the story because they spared their lives in previous levels, while Aggressive players will see increased guards or security patrols because they chose to execute the same character earlier in the storyline. Each decision has its ups and downs, and it will be up to the individual player to determine what’s best for them.

We also got a chance to see some of the unique abilities during combat, which are customized and activated via Advancement Points (Points earned by performing numerous actions throughout the game). The "Chain Shot" allows time to be decreased significantly while the player unleashes a barrage of deadly accurate shots. While this sounds old in concept (Max Payne, Stranglehold, etc.), the execution of this ability within the surrounding world just seemed to mesh perfectly, and is only one of multiple skills you can choose from. 

The last major feature we got a chance to see was a CIA Safehouse, one of many safe-havens scattered around the world. Here players can purchase weapons, save their progress, but more importantly, change outfits and disguises. Each mission will have unique locations and surroundings that you must take into consideration, so choosing your attire appropriately is a must if you are interested in going down the Stealth path.

From what we’ve seen, Alpha Protocol is starting to live up to the lofty expectations set by having such a famed developer behind the project. Stay tuned over the next few months as we reveal more information on Sega and Obsidian's latest title.