Firstly, The Agency is online only, and as such offers something very unique to PS3 gaming. Depending on your agency affiliation, U.N.I.T.E. or ParaGON, you'll get to play through different missions, branching between public and private portals, squad play and 32-player skirmishes.
What your character wears will determine the style of missions you'll play in. If you leave home dressed head to toe in camo gear you'll be tackling gung-ho, commando missions; dress in figure-hugging black, and stealth sorties will be on the cards.
Vehicles will play a major role. Aircraft, boats and land craft such as jeeps and motorbikes will be on hand to buzz about in. Like the clothes options, how you tool up your vehicles will determine the types of missions available.
Gain a few ranks along the way and eventually you'll be able to set up your own Agency too, which are the equivalent of guilds in regular fantasy massively multiplayer online games. You'll be able to set up the look and fighting style of your troops, plus forge wider ties to U.N.I.T.E. and ParaGON, as well as other player-created Agencies. It's an exciting prospect, and one that's never been attempted in the history of PlayStation.
You'll also acquire Operatives along the way - characters who can gather intel for the next mission or provide satellite scans of the enemy either on your behalf or your team's. The option to chop and change your roster by trading Operatives is also planned.
Post release, developer All Games Interactive and Sony Online promise extra downloadable content that will make use of the PS3's hard drive. We expect new story missions, including sabotage, assassination attempts and drug smuggling as well as items such as cool futuristic gadgets and bonus vehicles to be available once the game is out next year. No word yet on how the PC and PS3 versions will interact - more details soon.
