One game I've been jonesing for more information on is Obsidian Entertainment's new secret agent RPG Alpha Protocol. I was hoping they'd release a trailer but no dice. However, publisher Sega did release eight new screenshots for us to gaze longingly at.

Alpha Protocol puts you in the shoes of Michael Thorton, a CIA field agent on the run from the U.S. Government after being set up by his superiors. As he attempts to uncover the conspiracy and stay one step ahead of the people trying to kill him, he'll slowly become a master spy. Through the skill-based character advancement system, you can mold Thorton's skills to fit your playstyle - stealthy, trigger-happy, etc. True to a role-playing game, Protocol will feature heavy character interaction and through dialogue trees you can choose to act like a hot-head like Jack Bauer, a suave playboy like James Bond, or a stone cold professional like Jason Bourne.

The Unreal Engine 3 graphics and third-person perspective make me think of Mass Effect but the modern espionage trappings and tactical gameplay make me think of Deus Ex a little, too. There's been no shortage of secret agent games over the years but I can't think of a full-fledged role-playing game that dealt with real world secret agents; typically games with this subject matter are just shooters. Another thing that makes me excited about the game is that the lead designer is Chris Avellone, who was also the lead designer on Planescape: Torment, which was one of the best written games I've ever played.

Alpha Protocol is due in February for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, February isn't really that far away at all and it seems like we should be getting a lot more information on this game than we have been. Oh well. The new screenshots are below.