Prototype – 360 – Review

The open-world superhero game
subgenre is experiencing a rebirth of sorts. While Spider-man 2 pioneered the
formula (and did it quite well), there was a real drought in games that let you
feel what it was like to be a superhuman character with an entire city to
explore. However, that has all changed, starting with SCEA’s inFAMOUS (which
launched last month to good critical response) and continuing with this latest
title from Activision, Prototype.

From Radical Entertainment, the fine
folks behind the great HULK: Ultimate Destruction game on the original Xbox and
Scarface: The World is Yours, Prototype is their take on the open-world
superhero genre. Taking cues from games like Spider-man 2, Prototype strives to
allow gamers the means to tear through the world in true badass fashion, killing
hordes of enemies and leaving carnage in their wake.

The game’s set mechanics are pretty
solid, and getting around by running up buildings, smashing through cars, and
even hijacking vehicles here and there is definitely a blast to do. However,
there are quite a few problems that plague the game as well, including a
lackluster storyline, sketchy combat system and some rough camera issues, as
well as some pretty uninspired missions.

Prototype puts you in control of an
amnesiac named Alex Mercer, a man who finds himself imbued with some pretty
amazing abilities and no memory of how he got them. He also finds himself in the
middle of a viral outbreak, which is turning a substantial portion of the
populace into zombies, something to which he could be connected. Therefore, he
goes on a mission to discover what happened to give him his abilities, as well
as reconnect with people from his past life in order to discover more details
onto who he is and what lead to his current circumstances.

Prototype is a sandbox-style action
game, and gives you plenty of ways to get around and defeat enemies. Your
character can run at superfast speeds, leaping automatically over cars and
plowing through pedestrians should they be unfortunate enough to get in his way.
Additionally, you can even sprint up the side of buildings and leap great
distances. As you progress through the game, you’ll be able to unlock new
abilities that will allow you to float for short distances, making getting
around even easier.

In terms of combat, the game allows
you ample ways to fight enemies and even avoid them altogether through stealthy
means. You’re able use cool attacks like hammer fists (which let you pound your
enemies with a blunt smash) and razor sharp claws that lets you slice your way
through them. As you defeat foes and complete missions, you’ll also earn
experience points (called Evolve Points here) that you can then dole out in the
upgrade menu in order to unlock more abilities.

You’ll also be able to devour people
and soldiers alike, gaining some of their memories (which you’ll then be able to
piece together to determine your own past), and also take over their form,
letting you learn new abilities (including the means to drive new vehicles) and
gain access to hard to enter areas and avoid enemy detection.

The game’s mission structure is
pretty open ended, but shouldn’t be too overwhelming for most players. Your map
will display points of interest, be they storyline missions that progress the
plot, or side quests that you can perform to earn more points and thus better
abilities.

Unfortunately, as balls-to-the-wall
intense and fun as Prototype can be, it can be quite frustrating at times. The
game’s camera can be quite problematic especially during intense battles with
multiple foes. It gets caught up on walls and objects often, which makes hairier
battles very frustrating.

Additionally, the game’s combat
system isn’t quite as comfortable as it should be. You’ll be able to perform
attacks and combos while targeting your opponents, but you’re unable to block
and your dodge function is very limited, and since some enemies basically hit
you with strung-together barrages of attacks, getting out of their way can be
very tough and frustrating.

The game’s missions aren’t too
terribly uncommon from what you’d find elsewhere. The main quest missions aren’t
terribly exciting, as you’ll find yourself doing escort missions and taking out
the same enemy types over and over again to complete them. The side quests are
also pretty blasé, and don’t add a whole lot to the formula.

Graphically, the game has its
strengths, but also its weaknesses. Even though the character models are pretty
simple looking and don’t stand out against other titles on the Xbox 360, the
environments are huge. The framerates also stay pretty solid, without a lot of
slowdown even in intense battles. However, there is still a general feeling of
blandness with the game’s general aesthetic, and it lacks the pop of other
titles in the genre.

The sound is pretty decent. The
game’s soundtrack keeps up with the game’s pace and helps add to the mood, and
the voice work is solidly done. The game is also the first to support Neural 7.1
Surround sound, a huge plus for gamers with 7.1 surround sound setups.

Prototype is fun when its best,
namely when your terrorizing through town and using your powers to their
fullest. Unfortunately, the problems with the camera angles, combat, and weak
mission design make it an experience that ultimately doesn’t fully live up to
its potential.

Review Scoring Details for Prototype

Gameplay: 7.9
The game gives you a lot of great moves and lets you feel like an
overpowered beast of a man, but unfortunately doesn’t offer you a whole lot to
do with that brute strength. The mission design is pretty ho-hum, the cameras
are very frustrating, and the combat could definitely use some polish.

Graphics: 7.0
The scope of the city is pretty nice, especially when you’re standing on top
of a building and peering over the edge, but the general look feels pretty bland
and uninspired.

Sound: 8.5
Some good voice work is here, and the music does a fine job with the
onscreen action. 7.1 surround support is also quite nice.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.9
The game does a pretty good job of giving you a bunch of great abilities,
but the storyline leaves much to be desired, and the mission design is meh.

Overall: 7.8
Prototype has a ton of potential, with some solid mechanics and a big world
to explore. Unfortunately, that world is ultimately gimped by weak missions and
rough combat.