InFamous Vs. Prototype

InFamous and Prototype are clearly the must have games of this summer and it is rare to have two such highly anticipated games come out just weeks apart. Not to mention that they are both open world, third person, super power games. My purpose here is not to say which game I like better or to advise someone on which to buy. This is simply a comparison of various aspects of the game to see which mega hit reigns supreme. So let's begin...

Story - The driving force between all games that bring you from point A to B. In InFamous you play as Cole, a bicycle delivery man who has his package explode blowing up the city, but giving him electrical super powers. The story is told in a comic book fashion that is very unique from your usual cut scenes. InFamous' story really draws you in and there are some great twists along the way. You also have the choice to be good or evil as you play through the game, which changes the way the story plays out.

In Prototype you play as Alex Mercer in an infected New York City. Alex has super powers as well making him incredibly powerful. The purpose of Alex is to find out how the city became infected and what he has to do with it, as he doesn't remember. It's told in the usual fashion of cut-scenes, but there are also web of intrigue targets that you can consume which prompts a little video. This really helps fit the pieces of the puzzle together in a new way. However, these targets are optional and can't be seen unless you run around looking for people. You'll probably find yourself less concerned with the story and more focused on massive violent action.

Winner: InFamous - For its unique and in depth story that draws you deeper into the experience.

Super Powers - The powers Cole has in InFamous are something I've never seen before. All his powers include electricity, from summoning lightning storms to throwing electric grenades to electrical static thrusters. This all great fun and something new to look at, but most of the powers are basically the same weapons you would use in a military game, but with electricity. Examples being sniper shot and grenades.

The powers in Prototype are over the top crazy. This can be a bad thing because there are so many that you'll probably never even use half of them, but it's better than not having them at all. Alex has incredible speed, can run up buildings, and glide for multiple city blocks. He consumes humans and infected to gain health as well as disguise himself to infiltrate military bases. You have various weapons like hammer fists, a large blade, and a whip fist to attack enemies from afar. Alex also has devastator attacks which can be used to cause extreme damage to anything in their path.

Winner: Prototype- For its ridiculous over the top super powers and incredible movement.

Gameplay - This aspect is very difficult to choose a winner. Both have great gameplay that are a lot of fun. InFamous uses more tactical movements and cover where Prototype is an all out brawl. Both have repetitive side missions that get annoying after awhile, but the main missions in each game are great. I guess the problem I have with Prototype is that every enemy is the exact same. You fight either military or infected creatures that are just clones of each other. There is really no variety except boss battles and even some of those are similar. InFamous has the more polished and thought out missions, but boy, Prototype is just so much fun.

Winner: InFamous - For its refined gameplay with less repetition and a wider array of enemies.

Graphics - Open world games notoriously don't have great graphics compared to linear story games, you know, the ones that load after ever level and you can only move one direction. Open world games have to sacrifice graphics to allow more on screen action and no level loading. InFamous looks pretty good for a sandbox game and Cole looks fairly detailed; however, the supporting cast in InFamous doesn't look as good as Cole. The buildings have depth and you can see out pretty far from the roof tops. One minor issue is when moving at high speeds, specifically while grinding railroad tracks you'll notice pop-ins.

Prototype clearly didn't put graphics near the top of its priority list. The buildings are generic and completely flat from top to bottom. Alex looks pretty good in cut scenes, but everyone else does not. There is so much action going on the screen at once that the Prototype developers clearly sacrificed graphics for a smooth gameplay with no freeze-ups.

Winner: InFamous- It just looks better, sorry...I know graphics don't make a game, but it's worth mentioning.

Replay Value - Another extremely difficult choice here. InFamous lets you play as good or evil giving you two stories and two different power sets to go through. This makes the game worth playing twice. Prototype has New Game+, meaning after you beat the game and unlock all the powers you can play through the game again with all the powers unlocked from the beginning. InFamous does not have this feature. Neither game has multiplayer. I think this is completely a personal choice to be made by the consumer. I personally have both games and have played through InFamous twice, both good and evil, and have only played through Prototype once. I'm sure I'll play Prototype again, but with InFamous I never took the game out of my PS3 after the first play through and went straight to my second.

Winner:InFamous - For its two story lines and power sets.

Final Score: InFamous - 4 Prototype - 1