The long wait amidst the hype is over and we’ve finally got our hands on Prototype. After two years of high claims and raised expectations, however, it’s difficult for a game not to underwhelm. Sadly, that’s exactly the case with this one.
As the vengeful amnesiac Alex Mercer, you play the game as a mutant in a version of Manhattan that’s as downtrodden as it has ever been. Unable to make sense of what is going on around you, you sift through the city looking for answers with the help of unusual powers you find yourself laden with, fending off enemies and obstacles along the way.
The protagonist is an interesting fellow and wields the kind of powers that immediately set a “fun” tone for the game. While the story itself moves along nicely, it’s as overplayed a tale as you can get. Your behavior amidst this backdrop is equally as confusing (e.g. killing innocent civilians for a health boost). If you can ignore the dilemma the storyline creates, then you might be able to graduate into Prototype’s main strength, namely the gameplay.
Offering a massive cityscape, Prototype provides plenty of exploration possibilities, with rooftops and building walls all easily accessible to your brand of power-fitted superhero. Controls are ridiculously easy, which puts the focus on both the environment and the action instead – a nice touch that I appreciate in most any action title I get into. Missions, for the most part, are limited to either stealthy infiltration or all-out slaughter. While that may sound limiting, the variety in approaches you can take during each one actually gives them a very dynamic feel.
This variety is made possible by your character’s ability to morph into any character that appears on the screen by eating them (ok, consuming might be more appropriate but that’s not so fun). Apart from imbibing their looks (allowing for deception and stealth to figure into your strategy), you gain abilities and knowledge from each “conquest”, including information that will finally clear up the confusing world you see before you.
Unfortunately, the fighting system is hardly good, although that didn’t really stop me from enjoying action titles before (think GTA). It’s the same thing here – fun and functional, but hardly worth the “action blockbuster” hype this game got during the marketing blitz. Add the massive arsenal of abilities and the less-than-epic battles aren’t really that big of a deal.
In terms of difficulty, this is one title that gets it right, challenging but never overwhelming. As a game, it stands well on its own and would probably have gotten better reviews if the hype surrounding it wasn’t so….ummm…hyped up. Plus, the challenges and activities outside of the main story can easily turn its 10-hour gameplay into double that.
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