Obsidian's secret agent RPG unveiled

Obsidian has taken the wraps off secret agent role-playing game Alpha Protocol, currently in development for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Details emerged in the latest issue of Game Informer, as reported by NeoGaf forum users.

Apparently Alpha Protocol is inspired by the likes of James Bond, Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne. It puts you in the shoes of a rookie and lets you climb through the ranks to become a super-spy, pouring points into 10 skills with 10 ranks each.

You play as a chap called Michael Thornton, who probably likes chocolate and whose world is turned upside down after a mission goes awry.

Combat and gameplay will be of a real-time action bent. Expect a third-person perspective with similarities to Mass Effect and controls like BioShock, allowing you to whip out all sorts of gadgets when the going gets tough. Upgrading your powers will apparently have quite a dramatic effect too - they could alter how you perceive situations, for example.

Dialogue will also be deep and consequential like in Mass Effect, and you'll be able to choose paths according to whether you're feeling cool and suave or brash and impatient.

Your missions will take you all over the world. You'll be able to have multiple assignments at once and travel freely between them.

Romance will be an important part of the game as you meet and charm hordes of adoring women along the way.

Alpha Protocol is down for a release next spring.

SEGA Europe has offered no comment so, for now, these details are unconfirmed.

Obsidian has previously worked on sequels to BioWare games like Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights II. It's also helping SEGA with an Aliens RPG, although details on that are still scarce.