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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Action Developer: Radical Entertainment Publisher: Activision |
Alex Mercer has lost his memory and wakes up in a morgue to a world which he possesses an untold amount of power. A viral
outbreak has claimed Manhattan, forcing the island into a military quarantine. The infected citizens are going through extreme,
monstrous changes, none of which are more drastic than Alex himself. The anti-hero finds himself with the ability to shape shift and
absorb other beings. As the most powerful being on a closed island, the entire city is his playground, but it is a world that feels a bit
unfinished.
“Prototype” is a single player, open world action game in the style of “Crackdown.” Players play as a man given superhuman powers
and the option to go almost anywhere they like and do almost anything they want once they get there. It is sandbox gaming with a heavy
focus on action. Though players take the role of a man with super powers, Mercer is anything but heroic. There are no moral choices to
make, and Mercer has vowed to destroy those responsible for his current situation. In order to gain new powers or refill his health bar,
players literally absorb other beings. If players find themselves a little low on hit points, they can simply grab innocent bystanders,
crush their heads and consume them for a quick boost. For those who find themselves trapped by attack choppers, players can absorb
a person and morph into their image to blend into the crowd.
As players work their way through the game, they will unlock new powers. There is an air dash and a glide move that will help players
quickly travel from one side of the city to the other. There is a massive elbow drop that can destroy a tank in a single hit. There is even a
whiplash arm that can be used to hijack passing helicopters. It is through these moves that “Prototype” gets its personality. It is these
moves that set it apart from other games of this type.
Along with the main quest there is a set of side missions to tackle. When beaten, players earn Evolve Points to upgrade Mercer’s
powers. These points are handed out fairly loosely. Upon completion of a mission or two, players will quickly find themselves
spending the points to get new powers and abilities often. It is hard to stop playing when it is known that one more mission could lead
to more powers.
On top of the side missions, there are some diversions for players to try. These don’t pop up on the city map and aren’t missions in a
traditional sense. These diversions exist within the world, even while playing through one of the main missions. The concept of
collectibles has been extended to what is called the Web of Intrigue. These are people that, by being hunted and consumed, reveal
splintered visions of the infection’s history. These are amazing moments, and there is little more exhilarating in the game than being in
the middle of a mission only to see one of the targets walk by.
Even while being confined to a small game world, Manhattan is not recreated to scale, but the game manages to have visuals that
range from bland to ugly. The only real savior for the game is the smooth animations which do a great job of making Mercer’s powers
feel more realistic. Running up the side of a building, flipping over a railing and then jumping off into a drop attack is a lot of fun even if
the graphics are lacking. The blandness of the graphics is seen throughout a city recreated with few landmarks and instead filled with
generic, lifeless buildings. It is seen in the drab color palette and it is seen in a city filled with what appears to be a dozen or more
identical buildings as players wander the streets. If players move too quickly, the building tops, trees, bushes, cars and other structures
pop in and out as the game struggles to create them. On top of everything else, everything is covered in an ugly fog.
Luckily the game doesn’t rely on the city, but instead on the powers that Mercer has. There are a ton of upgrades to grab in “Prototype”
and improving their character is some of the most rewarding game play offered. There are so many different powers that cramming
them all on a controller proved to be very difficult. The most disappointing moment that many will experience while playing the game
came when certain moves are unlocked. A lot of the moves have awesome names, but lack in actual destruction, not to mention the
fact that some of the controls are a little difficult to perform.
“Prototype” is a game with a lot of cool features. However, the game lacks many of the finishing touches that make for a great and
overall memorable game. To say that the graphics in the game and the engine that runs it need work is a bit of an understatement and
many of the missions are cookie cutter in design without any real focus or attention to detail. Luckily, Alex Mercer’s ability to absorb and
shape shift manage to overcome many of the game’s shortcomings. Though the missions aren’t anything special by themselves, but
the large variety of powers provides the games real flair.
outbreak has claimed Manhattan, forcing the island into a military quarantine. The infected citizens are going through extreme,
monstrous changes, none of which are more drastic than Alex himself. The anti-hero finds himself with the ability to shape shift and
absorb other beings. As the most powerful being on a closed island, the entire city is his playground, but it is a world that feels a bit
unfinished.
“Prototype” is a single player, open world action game in the style of “Crackdown.” Players play as a man given superhuman powers
and the option to go almost anywhere they like and do almost anything they want once they get there. It is sandbox gaming with a heavy
focus on action. Though players take the role of a man with super powers, Mercer is anything but heroic. There are no moral choices to
make, and Mercer has vowed to destroy those responsible for his current situation. In order to gain new powers or refill his health bar,
players literally absorb other beings. If players find themselves a little low on hit points, they can simply grab innocent bystanders,
crush their heads and consume them for a quick boost. For those who find themselves trapped by attack choppers, players can absorb
a person and morph into their image to blend into the crowd.
As players work their way through the game, they will unlock new powers. There is an air dash and a glide move that will help players
quickly travel from one side of the city to the other. There is a massive elbow drop that can destroy a tank in a single hit. There is even a
whiplash arm that can be used to hijack passing helicopters. It is through these moves that “Prototype” gets its personality. It is these
moves that set it apart from other games of this type.
Along with the main quest there is a set of side missions to tackle. When beaten, players earn Evolve Points to upgrade Mercer’s
powers. These points are handed out fairly loosely. Upon completion of a mission or two, players will quickly find themselves
spending the points to get new powers and abilities often. It is hard to stop playing when it is known that one more mission could lead
to more powers.
On top of the side missions, there are some diversions for players to try. These don’t pop up on the city map and aren’t missions in a
traditional sense. These diversions exist within the world, even while playing through one of the main missions. The concept of
collectibles has been extended to what is called the Web of Intrigue. These are people that, by being hunted and consumed, reveal
splintered visions of the infection’s history. These are amazing moments, and there is little more exhilarating in the game than being in
the middle of a mission only to see one of the targets walk by.
Even while being confined to a small game world, Manhattan is not recreated to scale, but the game manages to have visuals that
range from bland to ugly. The only real savior for the game is the smooth animations which do a great job of making Mercer’s powers
feel more realistic. Running up the side of a building, flipping over a railing and then jumping off into a drop attack is a lot of fun even if
the graphics are lacking. The blandness of the graphics is seen throughout a city recreated with few landmarks and instead filled with
generic, lifeless buildings. It is seen in the drab color palette and it is seen in a city filled with what appears to be a dozen or more
identical buildings as players wander the streets. If players move too quickly, the building tops, trees, bushes, cars and other structures
pop in and out as the game struggles to create them. On top of everything else, everything is covered in an ugly fog.
Luckily the game doesn’t rely on the city, but instead on the powers that Mercer has. There are a ton of upgrades to grab in “Prototype”
and improving their character is some of the most rewarding game play offered. There are so many different powers that cramming
them all on a controller proved to be very difficult. The most disappointing moment that many will experience while playing the game
came when certain moves are unlocked. A lot of the moves have awesome names, but lack in actual destruction, not to mention the
fact that some of the controls are a little difficult to perform.
“Prototype” is a game with a lot of cool features. However, the game lacks many of the finishing touches that make for a great and
overall memorable game. To say that the graphics in the game and the engine that runs it need work is a bit of an understatement and
many of the missions are cookie cutter in design without any real focus or attention to detail. Luckily, Alex Mercer’s ability to absorb and
shape shift manage to overcome many of the game’s shortcomings. Though the missions aren’t anything special by themselves, but
the large variety of powers provides the games real flair.
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