Sam Fisher and Solid Snake. Both known in the gaming community as the best spies in games. These guys have fought to protect their country and also fought to protect what they believe is right. They work in silence, but know how to take out the enemy when necessary. For years, both of them have dominated the stealth/action game type. Well this Summer, Obsidian and Sega hope to add another man to these ranks and that man is Michael Thorton.

Thorton is the main protagonist in Obsidian’s upcoming espionage-action RPG, Alpha Protocol. In the game, “Thorton is a talented young agent cast out by his government, Thorton is the only one with the information needed to stop an impending international catastrophe. To do so means he must cut himself off from the very people he is sworn to protect.” This game is not your typical spy game, but rather a RPG that allows your choices as a undercover agent to really have an impact throughout. The characters you meet, the missions you take, and the story that unfolds is up to the way you play the game.

Some of these gameplay aspects may sound very similar to players of Mass Effect 2, but Obsidian hopes to build upon the foundation that Bioware has built. For example, when having a conversation with a person in the game you have a time limit on your response. You can not sit around and think about what you want to say. You have to react quickly with your choice like how you would in real life.

Not only does choice affect conversations, but also the appearance of your character and what type of spy your character becomes. The game has a robust character customization system which allows you to change the hair style on Thorton, the facial hair style, his clothes, his armor, and the weapons/gadgets he can use. Before going on missions, you can customize guns with silencers, laser sights, or whatever you feel is necessary to complete the mission. You can make Thorton better at stealth or gunplay depending on what type of player you are. Unlike Metal Gear or Splinter Cell, where you get super agents from the get go, in Alpha Protocol you get to actually make your own super spy.

If the amount of diversity, I mentioned above isn’t enough for you yet then consider the fact that in the game you travel all over the world to different and exotic locations. You have access to beautiful safe houses where you have tons of gear at your disposal. The locations of these safe houses include Rome, Saudi Arabia, Moscow, and Taipei. You’re going all over the world in this game which personally appeals a lot to me. Games with multiple locations always bring something new and fresh no matter what part of the game you are playing.

To wrap up on the amount of choices in this game, if you like building relationships in games then this game lets you interact with a bunch of different people in a multitude of ways. In the game, there are four potential love interests for Thorton so if you are a fan of Mass Effect “love scenes” then you will get more of that in Alpha Protocol. Also, after certain missions you will have the choice of what to do with your target. Maybe you turn in a arms dealer and lower the crime rate in a area, or you let him live and get intel and cheaper arms in the future. It’s all up to you.

The game is a third person shooter with built in hand to hand combat available. It has a cover system. At the moment, the combat system seems decent but remember this is a RPG first so don’t expect this game to compete with a Gears of War or Uncharted 2. I do expect the action gameplay to be well polished though then the game is released.

Alpha Protocol is coming out this Summer after being delayed both in 2009 and 2010. The game has been delayed to get polished and better position itself with sales. Understandable with a new IP in such a competitive year. So if you want to play a espionage game where your choices affect the world around you, and you basically get to be Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne then check out Alpha Protocol this summer for PS3, 360, and PC.