Prototype Video Game Review

Prototype is a third person sandbox style game full of action, destruction, and lots and I mean lots of blood. This hyped multi-platform game gives us all we expected with a few flaws built in. Coming out just weeks after the PS3 exclusive InFamous, Prototype had a lot to live up to.

You play as Alex Mercer and from the opening scene you hop right into an action packed fight with full powers. Rewind...After this little fight you jump back in time 18 days with minimal powers as you travel through this journey of how New York City became infected and what you have to do with it. The story is interesting, but can become a tad difficult to follow. You get your usual information through cut-scenes and web of intrigue targets. These targets are people just wandering the city that you can consume to obtain their thoughts...cue short video footage. This part is completely optional, but it does help answer some questions.

So the story takes place in an open world New York City allowing you to do side and main missions at your liking. The problem is the city is extremely generic. There are a few areas you'll recognize, such as Times Square and Central Park, but all the other buildings are generic, copied, and visually unimpressive. The city doesn't feel alive as New York should. There are a ton of people and cars, but they wander aimlessly and all look the same. You'll seriously see the exact same person wearing the same basketball jersey walking two feet from each other on every street corner. As I said the city doesn't look great, but the amount of explosions, people, and blood that can goes on with no slowdown or freezing is well worth the lack of visual detail.

Let's talk powers because that's the biggest draw to the game. Alex has tons of powers with endless upgrades. You can get a whip-fist to take out enemies from a distance and latch onto helicopters to highjack. There are also hammer fists, a huge blade, and more. Not to mention devastator attacks that can be used to cause massive destruction...oh yes. He also has the power to consume people. This is not only for getting web of intrigue videos, but it gives you health and can be used to infiltrate military bases by consuming military personal. Alex also has some of the most incredible movement ever seen in a game. He is fast as a cheetah, can run up building, glide for several blocks, and jump a few stories in the air. The ability to move in Prototype is key to survival. So all this sounds incredible, but it can become overwhelming. There are so many upgrades and it can become difficult to remember what buttons and combos do what. Luckily XP is given out like candy and just a little time spent running around destroying stuff can get you upgrades fast. Hint: Helicopter plus infected towers equals massive XP.

The gameplay as a whole is a blast, but can be repetitive. There are really only a few enemies. You either fight the military, including tanks and helicopters, or the infected, which are all the same except a few big ones. Yes, all military and infected are clones. There are also a ton of side missions that include infiltrating a military base and consuming someone inside. They get harder as you play and are very difficult near the end, but it's still the same. Luckily the repetitive side missions and enemies are countered by using the immense amount of upgrades and changing the way you fight. There are a few boss battles, nothing to write home about, but they can be fun and sometimes quite time consuming. The game has some random spikes in difficulty so if you're a novice gamer be prepared for frustration. There are also plenty of Easter Eggs if you enjoy running around the city looking for glowing spheres.

I know it sounds like I'm bashing the game, but this game is not perfect and has flaws that should be pointed out. Now I haven't talked about how crazy awesome fun this game is. Almost every flaw that knocks the game back is lifted right back up with the pure enjoyment of superb movement, extreme powers, and massive destruction.

Pros: FUN, Tons of Powers, Movement, Something Different, Story, New Game+

Cons: City Detail, Dead City, Repetitive Gameplay/Civilians/Enemies, No Multiplayer

Score: 9/10 - We play games for fun, not graphics. This game is an absolute blast and overcomes the repetition with incredible action and user powers. If you like action games with tons of violence this is a must own for any console or PC.