Prototype 2

Plenty of 360 reviews, wanted to add a pc perspective.

If you can't stand an enjoyable new game crashing occasionally, then wait and see if this game gets patched.

I am not a fan of the original Prototype, I enjoyed it for a few hours then felt overwhelmed with the controls/action/and difficulty. The sequel fixes the difficulty by it's more gradual difficulty curve and by doling out new abilities in smaller more manageable chunks.

If you're familiar with the original you'll know you have a plethora of abilities at your whim to whip enemy asses. Prototype 2 is much better at dosing those abilities out and powering them up. Also it gives you options, of how/when to use them whereas in the original you felt forced down certain power paths in order to succeed and move the story forward. In Prototype 2 you can choose the power ups you want to play either stealthily, hulkingly, or tankly, or some combination in between. The world and encounters nearly always cover a large and diverse enough environment you aren't hindered by picking any particular path to focus on. Also there's plenty of opportunities to level up so you can focus on one path and switch without struggling. The game isn't too difficult, yet it's visceral action keeps it entertaining.

The optional stealth component is it's own meta-game. You have to figure out the pattern to stealth kill a bunch of enemies as you can't stealth someone being watched by another soldier. Later in the game you gain a bio bomb ability that can also be used as a distraction making stealth play even more viable in larger groups.

The viable combat options and tactics is what make Prototype 2 so enjoyable. You can play the game as a FPS using machine guns, rocket launchers, and grenade launchers, or as a stealth game, or as a super power mutant game (Darksiders), or any combination of those. Nearly every option is viable in a mission.

This sequel is much more forgiving for the button challenged. Missions have plenty of paths to take in order to recharge and make them easier to complete. As you progress the number of minions around increases, but the side effect is that there are more targets to consume to recharge health which keeps the difficulty manageable. Additionally the game ratchets up difficulty by giving bosses much more health. If you find one weapon/ability isn't doing much damage try another, though generally you can stick to your favorite ability (sometimes doing so may just extend the combat phase).

This game would get an even higher score from me if not for the occasional crashes and less than stellar mouse/keyboard controls. However, unlike shooters this game doesn't require mouse accurate aiming so the xbox controller works great with this game and I recommend using it. If you're a die hard mouse/kb guy the game is playable that way, just not as enjoycontrollable.

Despite it's rough edges, the brutal violence and flexible action along with the ability to customize make this a winning game. If you enjoyed Prototype at all (even if just the first couple hours) then you'll certainly enjoy it's sequel.