Alpha Protocol - Launch Centre, Preview

1Up has an Alpha Protocol launch centre if you want to catch up on recent news (or watch the countdown).  Meanwhile, Brit newspaper The Telegraph has a general preview:

A departure from such genre tropes is most welcome, but Obsidian is keen that its RPG stays an RPG. As such, the combat – which may walk and talk like a third-person shooter – is as much to do with your statistic sheet as it is your skill with an aiming reticule. Trying to take out a garrison of bad guys with a rifle from a distance, for instance, is never going to work if you’re not trained in the fine art of sniping; no matter how well-positioned you have your red dot. Similarly, engaging in hand-to-hand combat without the requisite stats is likely to get you a smack in the teeth.

This behind the scenes dice-rolling may seem anachronistic for a generation raised on shooters – especially in a game which loves guns as much as Alpha Protocol – but Obsidian are keen on players building their own Agent Thorton, moulding a skill set around their style of choice. Want to channel Jack Bauer or Daniel Craig’s Bond, go right ahead, and pour all your stat points into combat upgrades and weapon skills, shoot everyone and save the world. Prefer a subtler Sam Fisher style stealth approach? Build up your sneaking and sabotage (there are some neat hacking and lock-picking mini-games) skills.

Thanks to Omega for this one.