Prototype - Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

Prototype, the new game from Radical Entertainment set its sights high and well delivered on most of them.

Story-Prototype follows the character of Alex Mercer. He has been infected with a virus and the virus has also been released into Manhattan. Alex is attempting to find out why this has happened to him. While the story is no Mass Effect it is acceptable and is never noticeably bad. However an interesting feature is having Alex’s back-story told through “consume events.” The consume events are people who you can hunt down in the city and absorb their body mass. This then triggers a short event which shows the persons memories. So gradually you begin to understand what happened to Alex.

Graphics- The black sheep of the features. While Alex is running on the streets and among close quarters the graphics are acceptable, however when gliding or at high heights the graphics are lost a bit. While gliding, texture loss can sometimes be seen and the orbs (explained later) pop in and out of view.

Gameplay- Prototype is based around Alex Mercer and how he has been infected with a virus. This virus grants him the ability to, in a word, shapeshift. So over the course of the game you will utilise your ability to run straight up walls and glide. When combat is called for Alex can utilise many offensive powers such as claws, whips and blades, all of which are moulded from his arms. To complement his offensive powers come some defensive powers (shields) and sensory powers (thermal vision, etc).While some of these upgrades are automatically awarded to you for completing story missions there is also a massive upgrades menu. More and more upgrades are added to this menu over time as you progress in the story. The menu is separated into “tabs” which relate to a specific type of upgrade (powers, movement, combat, vehicle etc). So as well as upgrading Alex’s powers you can also buy upgrades like huge elbow slams, bulletdive drops and cannonballs. To contemplate all of Alex’s potential powers, by consuming certain military commanders you gain the ability to use vehicles like helicopters and tanks. While the vehicles are nothing special they are tremendous fun and provide something else to do. All these upgrades are bought through Evolution Point. EP is awarded for everything you do whether its completing a mission or just killing people in the streets.

Extras
While there is a complete lake of online play there is plenty to do the story is finished. The freeroaming city of Manhattan is still there to explore and search for 200 landmark orbs and 50 hint orbs. And if collecting orbs doesn’t sound too interesting then there are heaps of side quests scattered around the city which range from rooftop races, to killing as many characters as possible in a time limit and much more. You can infiltrate military bases and destroy infected hives. Also when you have completed the game, there is an option to start a new game+ which allows you to start again with all the upgrades you have bought. However, Prototype does fall into the trap of repetition. Most of the story missions aren’t overly different and the mindless civilian killing can become repetitive.

Summary
In conclusion I found Prototype amazing. There is a huge open world and a huge range of powers to choose from as well as an average length story and plenty of side quests to keep you occupied. However the repetition and lacklustre graphics hold it back from getting a perfect score. However Prototype offers such as enjoyable sandbox that you should at least give it a try. I give it a well deserved

Score - 9/10

Written by Urban Darkfire