Prototype by Radical Entertainment

Prototype: 8.8 / 10

Prototype is a sandbox action game developed by Radical Entertainment, and published by Activision that takes place in present day Manhattan Island.

If there were one way to describe this game, I’d have to say it’s Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas meets God of War.

The storyline has the main protagonist, Alex Mercer, waking up in a Morgue 18 days prior to the start of the game with a mild case of amnesia. As he escapes the morgue, he is attacked by special forces “BlackWatch” troops, who will be one of your main threats throughout the game. It is here that he discovers he has gained great resistance to bullets, and damage of any kind in general.

Flash forward 18 days, and Alex has a whole arsenal of powers and abilities at his disposal, all of which involve manipulating his body in manners much akin to the symbiotes from Spider Man. Among his repertoire are the ability to shoot tendrils from his body, make his fists gigantic and diamond like in hardness or turn them into claws, turn his right arm into an extremely large double sided blade, leap from building to building, glide, run at speeds that would give fighter jets a run for their money, regenerate by consuming any living thing or just waiting it out, and finally turn his entire body into armor… as if he wasn’t already nearly indestructible.

After doing a few intro missions, most of his abilities are stripped of him as time warps back to day 1. Not too long after, you learn the secret of Alex’s power, and the reason for the military and special forces presence in Manhattan. You also discover that when Alex consumes someone… or some thing, he takes on their memories. This ability is the main plot device which advances the story. Alex begins to piece together who he is, by using the memories of others.

In the beginning, the game is an absolutely enjoyable adrenaline rush. You are given tremendous amounts of freedom and power, and even though it is all taken away as quickly as you obtained it, you regain all of your abilities, and them some before they can even be missed.

However, after a while, the glory of total freedom and infinite strength becomes more than a little dull. You quickly realize the repetition of flying, gliding, jumping, and running across the island to the next objective, the monotony of destroying bases and hives (the centers for both antagonists of the game) repeatedly with no major pay off. You can very easily begin to feel as if all the enemies around you are irritating insects with bites that hurt much less than that of a bee sting.

Then you have the occasional “this is just impossible mission” where the difficulty seems unbearable, and frustration occurs because even with all of the power at your disposal, you don’t seem to be capable of achieving victory. Often in those cases, you will either win by a strand of luck, or you have the option of quitting the mission, filling up your health, and attempting it again at your strongest. The previous steps will prove to topple the toughest of missions, but at the same time, the difficulty can still be ridiculous at certain times, and naturally increases toward the end of the game.

It seems Alex is always far too strong, or not nearly strong enough… yet always has a cheap tactic or two that can be abused to win. Discovering those tactics is the key to solving the frustration.. but then the boredom level returns.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, who doesn’t want to be capable of “leaping tall buildings in a single bound”, and gliding through the air… and all the other great things Alex is capable of? Well that’s just the thing, once you have it all it loses its appeal and leaves you wanting for more.

However, don’t let that stray you away from the game. In moderation the monotonous side missions can remain fun, and the progression of the game’s main missions will both unfold a very interesting story for the game, as well as switch up mechanics on you.

Graphics and sound-wise, this game is superb. Utilizing modern shader techniques, a time of day system, excellent particle number and fluency, and graphics in general that damn near scream cinema quality and realism, Prototype is beautiful. Personally, I loved the rooftop views. At certain times of day you can view the sky from the rooftops, and the realism and color schemes are breathtaking.

It should come as no surprise that the sound is equally polished, yet nowhere near as memorable.

Explosions often sound and look real, soldiers hold discussions that fade in and out with distance, the very wind rushes as you glide through the air. It’s all very clear, and the music fits the game,  but none of it stands out enough through all of the action.

In conclusion, Prototype has a few issues, but give it a try. The fun factor is immense while it lasts, and as long as you give the game a rest when it needs it, it won’t disappoint.

Scott’s Score: 8.8/10