We're not sure why there hasn't been an attempt like Obsidian Entertainment's Alpha Protocol yet, but it honestly doesn't matter as long as long as the game lives up to the ridiculous amount of potential just waiting to be released. Equal parts Bond, Borne and Bauer, the espionage-laden role-playing game gives players the freedom to tackle things in a variety of ways, from a variety of angles, and with more than a few different outcomes. The same mission could be talked, shot or MacGuyvered through, with varying levels of intensity, leading to an absolutely ridiculous number of possible routes, outcomes and storyline threads. We weep for whoever has to do the strategy guide for the game.

In the E3 demonstration we were treated to, Michael had plenty of options. Before any mission even started, though, he could be decked out in any number of cosmetic baubles. Huge middle-eastern-style beard? Sure. Backwards preppy-ass baseball cap? No problem. Vaguely creepy mustache for added mysteriousness? Sure. These were meant as short little examples, Michael can be about as different as there are players that will guide him through the game, leading to more than a few snickers when, for comedic effect, our demo had him rocking that huge beard and some reflector shades.

In a show of how the dialogue system works, Obsidian showcased two different ways to go about the same conversation. One could calmly address a slightly paranoid contact sitting at a bar and get information the nice way, or one could go the pure dickhead route and just smash his face into the bar. Both outcomes would yield results, but they may not be the exact same info every time (though it might help when one has had a really, really bad day).

Another, more specific example was in that of Sie, an aging but not-quite-over-the-hill Russian femme fatale that, apparently, likes it rough. By sticking with dialogue options that stressed being curt and even a little asshole-ish, she responded with... affection? Oh yes, she's a wreck alright, but if you play your cards right by hitting all her verbal sweet spots, you may well end up hitting, uh, other spots en the boudoir. The mission that was shown off had Michael chatting it up with her a little. Had he caught her ire, she would have instantly turned on her, and all her men would have opened fire on sight at the start of the level. Since our demo man played things rough -- and got a positive result -- she instead held off on attacking until the end of the level, leaving him open to play through the mission as he saw fit. Hand-to-hand, cover-based shootouts or remote-triggered gadgetry were all possible routes, but in the end it would come down to a showdown with the cougar herself.

Interestingly, beating her still didn't have a negative effect (she does, after all, have a thing for tough younger men), and it showcased the game's particularly atypical treatment of characters. Just because someone looks or acts a certain way, there's really no telling how your continued efforts in one particular direction or with one specific tone to conversations might go.

To be perfectly honest, we were a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of... stuff in the game, from e-mail conversations to dialogue choices to different ways to tackle the same mission. We honestly didn't know where to start, which just means we'll have to make do with really digging into the game as soon as possible. With the number of options Obsidian is piling into the game, we could probably start reviewing it now and still wouldn't have experienced everything in time for the game's release in October. Hopefully we'll get the chance to start very, very soon.