Prototype is a guilty pleasure game. The reason you’ll return isn’t due to the story or the characters but the gameplay and the fun that’s to be had from terrorising innocent civilians or annihilating the armed forces and mutants that are attempting to hunt you down. At no moment will you stop and contemplate your actions, you know what your doing is wrong but that’s what makes it all the more satisfying.
You play as Alex Mercer, a man bestowed with superhero powers as a result of a horrendous, viral outbreak that’s taken hold of New York City and left it quarantined from the rest of the world. Now every district is occupied by either horrific monster or the military who are attempting to take back the city from the mutant’s grasp. Mercer’s own goal is clear, however, find the men responsible for the whole mess and take vengeance. Simple. There are no moral choices, no fighting for the greater good, Mercer has his priorities set and is willing to slaughter anyone who gets in his way. The plot is a thin, and the characters forgettable, but they serve their purpose well - delivering you from one gameplay scenario to the next - and highlight the area where Prototype is at it’s best. Fast, frantic combat.
Mercer, is a one-man bio-army, a shape shifter, capable of demolishing anything or anyone who stands in his way. With a wide selection of available powers to be unlocked as you progress through the game and the ability to hijack tanks and helicopters or use machine guns and rocket launchers, combat never grows tiresome and is constantly opening new ways for you to deal with the enemies you encounter. You could also take a stealthy approach, as Mercer has the ability to absorb other beings and disguise himself in their form, allowing you to bypass encounters or get the jump on unsuspecting groups of enemies.
Mastery of both is essential to success in Prototype, however, as there are several occasions where the game spikes in difficult to the point of frustration. With all out combat resulting in death and pure stealth impossible, a hybrid of both is required is get through some of the tougher missions experienced towards the end of the game.
Outside of the main story there’s an overwhelming amount of side activities for you to participate in. With hundreds of collectibles scattered all over the city as well as specific targets that appear randomly and fill in some of Mercer’s back story if hunted down and consumed, those with that collectible itch will surely find some satisfaction in Prototype. On top of that there’s also a good number of side missions, ranging from rooftop races to combat challenges, that will grant you a fare amount of experience and subsequently new moves and abilities. They aren’t the most exciting or creative tasks but like the game’s main mission push you into scenarios that show off Prototype at it’s best.
While the story may be lackluster and the characters flat and empty, the fun that’s to be had from creating chaos and carnage on an apocalyptic level is enough to justify venturing into Prototype. Just as long as you expect to be the worlds most self-centered superhero.