Pluses:

- Really feels like you're a super hero

- Good amount of content

Minuses

- Graphics/Audio is a little lacking

- Some of the physics can be a little frustrating

Prototype is the latest release from Activision in an "unknown super hero" summer. The other super hero game, Infamous, was released on the PS3, and both of these games features a super hero that's not based off a comic or other media. Prototype focuses on a sandbox, open-ended game style mixed in with the use of super hero powers on a level that hasn't been done before in a game. Unlike a lot of other games, this game really makes you feel like you're controlling an actual super hero.

Starting off with a viral outbreak happening in New York City, Alex Mercer is a guy with superhero powers and the big surprise? He's trying to find out about his past! Sur-goddman-prise! Thankfully there's no clich� of him doing the secret identity schtick. Expect to spend the rest of the game slowly putting together the pieces culminating in your standard conspiracy. It's enough to keep you playing though not enough to win any Story of the Year awards.

Let's get down to the whole super power setup for the game since that's where the game really excels. Alex starts off with some basic powers, but acquires more powers over time through the experience system. Upgrades will increase in number over time improving attack powers, travel powers, health, and so on. Super speed is available from the beginning to help you travel through the large city, and the speed lets you run up right up any building or structure. Later on, the speed can be upgraded to go even faster and various attacks while running. To help with the travel, Alex also jumps pretty damn high, and even higher with some upgrades. For fun, there is no fall damage so take a big dive off any building you see and check out the huge shockwave you'll create.

For combat, there isn't much to start off with. Granted, Alex has some nice punches but later on, you'll want to avoid using standard punches. Your standard melee attacks get a bump throughout the game with upgrades being more powerful taking the form of long claws growing from his forearms. Another powerful form of attack is the grab that can both throw opponents to their death or pick up some huge objects to hurl at enemies. Picking up a vehicle and throwing it at a helicopter is a great feeling. Air attacks are also on the menu including a massive elbow drop. All attacks can be charged for a few seconds to deal extra damage, and in the case of the jump button, jump up higher.

Some of the other powers are strictly used to keep the storing going like the ability to suck the memories from an individual to find out where to go next. The game also has a bit of stealth involved with Alex changing his form to certain individuals that he's trying to infiltrate. You will have to grab these guys and suck out their energies taking their form. This is when you'll have to focus on the meter connected to the mini map as this acts as a sort of stealth meter if you will. While disguised, if you proceed to use your powers and beat the hell out of people, pick up some cars, or some other questionable super hero acts, then this will alert the Blackwatch soldiers you are up against. It goes from green, yellow then to red and once red, expect special forces soldiers to drop in and helicopters to show up. To get back incognito, you'll have to run away and get out of site for a bit. Not a stringent as the wanted meter of GTA or the alerts of Metal Gear Solid, but it's enough to have you watch what you're doing in certain areas.

Gameplay in Prototype is reminiscent of a GTA game with its sandbox style and various missions throughout the city. You have the main story missions that will keep the game moving along which will entail the usage of all your powers mainly being the disguise power being that you'll have to infiltrate the enemy multiple times. Along with the story missions, there are side missions that are more like challenges in that you have a set amount of time to destroy or kill enemies. The city itself has some collectibles that can be found if you decide to go exploring. With that, there's not nearly the same content as a game like GTA4, but plenty of stuff to do regardless.

If there's some frustration when playing, it comes with the physics or rather how some of the automated actions are handled. When running, Alex will leap over small obstacles and cars, but when moving around fighting enemies, this can get in the way having you jump right over enemies. Another annoyance comes in the way some buildings are structured. Buildings mainly have standard walls that go straight up, but some building have a first floor that is receded so if you try to run up them, you go nowhere. With these buildings, you can run right up, you'll have to jump up then run. Finally, something that will annoy you, when having to go through the city trying to reach certain point of a building, is the little hop that Alex takes when he runs out of running surface. If you're trying to get a certain landing or point on a building, this little hop can place you right past it causing you to retry several times, or if it's a big building, fall all the way down unless you have some of the travel power upgrades.

Something that everyone will talk about, and with good reason, is the graphics. Yes we all don't want to be graphic whores but with how great games are looking these days, you can really see when one is lacking in a few areas. The virtual New York City in the game is significantly less impressive than that of the fake NYC (Liberty City) of GTA 4. It doesn't feel alive and overall, not impressive to look at. Aside from Alex, who looks like a wannabe Jin Kazama of the Tekken series, all the character models look the same with hardly any detail to them. It's all very generic and makes exploring the city somewhat unappealing. Good thing the gore is plentiful, and no slowdowns with all the action going on. Like the graphics, the audio is completely average. Voice acting is neither horrible nor stellar. Music is hardly memorable with sound effects not anything to bother with.

Though the replay value is lacking, there is plenty of game to be had with a good 15-20 hours to beat the game and do side missions. Being a veteran of possibly the best superhero game ever, City of Heroes, it's great to see a game that focuses on the "super" of "superhero". Superhero games need to stop going with the comic book formula of the hero that takes it easy on enemies. Spiderman has superhuman strength and could kill any normal person with a punch, but he doesn't because he's that kind of hero. Developers need to leave this kind of morality to the comic book writers and realize that the superhero game is to play your favorite hero using all their powers. It's not, on the other hand, to have your "superhero" get tossed around like a bitch when they clearly overpower the regular enemies. Prototype gives you that kind of superhero game that lets you really play around as a superhero.

- O.G.

article id: 583 | poster: OG