Chris Taylor, creator of Supreme Commander, reinvents the Dungeon Siege series by trading in its fantasy trappings for sci-fi futuristic action in Space Siege. In the game, Humanity stands on the brink of extinction as it is pursued by a hostile alien race called the Kerak. Humans desperately flee earth aboard gigantic colony vessels infiltrated by aliens shortly after leaving orbit. Playing as a soldier named Seth Walker, it becomes your responsibility to save the last remnants of humanity from the alien menace, no matter what it takes.

Unlike its predecessor, Space Siege will put most of its emphasis on action instead of role-playing elements like leveling up. However, there will be plenty of role-playing action for the sake of the story, primarily through attaching and upgrading cybernetic parts. Walker has the option to enhance himself with cybernetic components, making him a more effective killing machine, but loses a bit of his humanity with each upgrade. Non-player characters treat Walker differently according to how human he remains, leading to multiple story paths depending on how you choose to play. Upgrades also influence how difficult the game is, since a fully decked out cyborg can blast through the Kerak faster than a human soldier can. Luckily, Walker can use scavenged parts found throughout the ship to modify his weapons or his robotic companion, H-5, better known as Harvey.

While Dungeon Siege had players juggling multiple party members, Space Siege lets players customize and command a single companion. The robot compensates for some of Walker's weaknesses, which will surely come in handy if players decide to stay human. Open-ended dynamics aren't limited to cybernetic and robot upgrades. The environment is fully interactive with objects that react to explosions and use believable physics. Crates and bodies will fly if a grenade explodes next to them. In addition, you can shoot caps off oxygen canisters, turning them into makeshift missiles.

Space Siege will also feature the four player cooperative campaign that was popular with Dungeon Siege II, making it one of the most anticipated action role-playing games scheduled for this year. Look for it to release on PCs in September.