Prototype

Ever wanted to know what it was like to be public enemy number one? Except that the people don't really hate you, and you can kill whoever decides to stand up against you? Then I can safely say that Prototype is the game for you. While it doesn't quite excel in everything, Prototype delivers where it counts the most: pure entertaining destruction.

With that said, you can be assured that Prototype is mainly about endless carnage. Because of that, however, the plot is sadly lacking. In the game you play the amnesiac Alex Mercer, who wakes up on a slab at the morgue. The military then goes after him, but he escapes when he discovers his new found powers. Alex then proceeds to swear that he'll get revenge on whoever did this horrendous wrong to him; but that's just it. While some pretty messed up stuff happens to Alex later on, in the beginning there are no actual crimes committed against him. Another notable flaw in the plot are the supporting characters. You could have easily replaced any of the supporting characters with someone who was completely different. They had little to no impact in the long run of the game, and you just can't bring yourself to care about them.

Of course, I said that Prototype was about the destruction, so it's safe to say that it is one of the best open world games I have ever played. There is so much to do, and there is so much going on that you would have to play this 3 days straight to begin to get tired of it. I was actually getting flustered on where to start with the gameplay, but I'll just start with movement. In this game you will be chased by military pretty much on a regular basis, so if you need to get away fast, you can hold down the R2/RT button, and Alex will start to dash and dodge over obstacles automatically. Alex also has the ability to charge his jumps, and eventually gets a glide ability. Using all these abilities together allows for quick movement around the city and helps Alex avoid his pursuers.

Of course, if you would rather beat the military into submission, then you're in luck, because there's nothing that Alex loves more than the smell of dead bodies and victory. Prototype uses a combo targeting system, so it's really easy to dig in and start beating down on your opponents early on. However, skin isn't quite as tough as an armored vehicle, so Alex has an arsenal of newly discovered powers at his disposal. Hammer-like arms, claws, and a huge blade are a few powers that Alex can use to wreak mayhem, and they also use the same combo system, so there really is no learning curve. Mercer isn't all about physical fighting though; sometimes he has to destroy the enemy from the inside. For these situations, Alex can consume a human or an enemy (granted they aren't a zombie), take on their forms and get a little health on the side. This lets you quickly get health to help stay alive, lose the military mid-chase, and infiltrate enemy bases.

If the possibility to destroy or deceive your enemy isn't enough, there are plenty of other activities to partake in. You can hijack and drive enemy vehicles, such as tanks and helicopters. You can also take enemy weapons and use them to mow your opponents down. If death isn't your cup of tea, there are side missions scattered all across the map that require more skill than brute force, but don't worry; some require brute force also.

You could spend your time delving into more of Alex's powers and memories if all those other options weren't enough. Alex has a upgrade menu that contains so much upgrades, it's probably more comprehensive than your final exam, and takes about 100 times longer to complete. From endless moves to accusing someone else of being you, by the end of this game, you'll feel like a digital god. As a bonus, the game employs a mechanic called the Web of Intrigue, a system where you hunt down and consume marked people that know info on you. It's a cool way to tell more of the story, but they could be organized better; it is fairly hard to sort through all the info.

Prototype also has another problem: presentation. While Alex Mercer looks good killing without a care in the world, that same world does not look all that great. Texture popping is rampant in this game, and some animations look just plain silly. If you really want to be a stickler, you could say the buildings are boring, but it was modeled to look exactly like Manhattan. All of these are frivolous nicks in the overall design, and hardly take away from the experience.

Prototype does not do everything correctly, but that is only because its designers wanted to create a game centered around gameplay. It provides an ultimate playground to test your endless powers in, and can provide fun constantly for at least 30 hours, if not more. All things considered, this game gets a definite recommendation from me at a rating of 4 out of 5.