This game is worthy of a title of "greatness" and stands as THE BEST open world sandbox I have ever played.
I will start off this review by stating that I am a very avid gamer. If you look at my games list in my profile, you will see that I have played and owned many, MANY games. Generally, I like most of the games I play. Very few do I ever consider "bad." However, there are only a handful of games I would consider truly great. Not "great" in the "Wow, what a great game" sense, but great as in, unique, one-of-a-kind, and truly brilliant. So far, there are only four such games I would EVER give that title of "great" to. The first (in no particular order), and my all-time favorite game, Chrono Trigger. The second, Super Smash Brothers Brawl. The third, Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition. And lastly, Silent Hill 3. These games have really raised the standard of their particular genres, and have been the models of games created after.
Now, with that being said, I have been waiting for this game (Prototype) for a LONG TIME. And now that it is finally here, I can only say it has surpassed the high expectations I originally had for this gem of a game. This game, truly, is worthy of a title of "greatness," and stands as THE BEST open-world adventure game I have ever played. Prototype is better than Grand Theft Auto (name any of them), Saint's Row 2 (which I preferred over GTA), and basically any other similar style game I have ever owned or played through. This game will be recognized for years and will be the template on which newer games will be based.
I am fairly comfortable in assuming that those reading this have seen the videos and read the articles. Thus, you know of Alex's ridiculous powers and abilities, along with the intense story, and gameplay choices. So, those of you who care to bypass the next few paragraphs may skip down to the paragraph marked with three stars (***). The following paragraphs will describe Alex, his powers and abilities, the game concept and plot summary.
Alex Mercer displays a number of incredible powers that he uses depending on the situation. Alex can form claws, hammerfists, a massive blade, a shield, armour, and a whipfist for starters. He has a number of combo abilities, one of the favorites being the "body surf" ability. The game also provides a wide variety of enemies to use Alex's abilities on. The number of military, infected, special infected, and boss characters make combat a consistent variable in gameplay and make the absurd battles absolutely jaw-dropping and mind-blowing. Even at the lower levels, when Alex is still developing his powers, the absolute power and agility is still overwhelmingly awesome.
Alex begins the game with amnesia and it is up to the player to discover Alex's past, and why he is what he is. The way this happens is by absorbing the mass of an enemy and acquiring his abilities and memories. For example, by absorbing someone who knows about his past, Alex is able to gain that knowledge. Similarly, if Alex wants to fly one of the Black Watch helicopters or tanks, he must first absorbed someone who has those abilities, such as a pilot.
While the game begins with a fairly normal New York City, it eventually turns into a war zone between three factions: Alex Mercer, the infected civilians/mutants, and the military/Black Watch. Exactly as one of the developers said, New York City itself IS one of the characters. It changes and develops throughout the game, and the player can see this with their own eyes. As the fighting escalates and the outbreak gets worse, the city begins to disintegrate and fall apart. This is not only a game about a Alex, but is also about a city, it's people, and a conspiracy that doomed them all. Never have I played a game that felt so alive. I felt as if the entire city had life. The busy streets and crammed sidewalks make the game seem real. And I love "real" games.
***
Despite the stressing of Alex's powers and stunts, there is more to the game than sheer death and destruction. The game throws many combat options at the player yet still keeps it from dropping to a mere button-mashing scenario. Combat is smooth and effective while entertaining the endless possibilities of in what way to progress. The cluttered, blood strewn streets of New York make the situations you face all the more exhilarating and open-ended. Having to fight the mutants, while combating the Black Watch, while watching your back for the infected makes gameplay intense and keeps me on the edge of my seat during the movie I am creating.
The speed and ease at which the player navigates through the city is itself impressive. With no loading times during travel and intense graphical detail, jumping from building to building and gliding around corners before plummeting to street level is smooth and simple, and looks fantastic. I believe the game looks beautiful, however others may feel that the graphics aren't what they could be. This is unfortunate. It's as Platinum_Xetro stated on the Prototype Virtual Booth comment page: "I guess this goes to show that graphics dont always make the game." While Prototype may not have the most "up to date" graphics, it still looks beautiful and runs like a dream on the highest detail settings.
Playing Prototype almost feels second nature with the precise control scheme and consistent graphics. Switching targets and performing combos is a breeze, while fleeing an overly dangerous zone takes no time or effort at all. Alex Mercer truly is the most powerful protagonist video games have ever seen. However, As stated above, this is not only a game about Alex, but is also about a city, it's people, and a conspiracy that doomed them all. Never have I played a game that felt so alive. I felt as if the entire city had life to it. The busy streets and crammed sidewalks make the game seem real. And I love "real" games.
In conclusion, if you love games that make you feel powerful, that make you feel alive, that make you feel INVOLVED, not just a spectator, than Prototype is for you. Never have I ever played a game like this, and man, can I tell you it was worth the wait. Prototype, truly, is worthy of a title of "greatness," and stands as THE BEST open-world adventure game I have ever played.
PROS:
Sandbox style free world gameplay.
Multiple ways of completing missions (Direct assault, stealth, etc).
Stealth system using consumption is just brilliant.
Fantastic concept and execution of needing to consume a helicopter pilot before you can fly a helicopter.
Bloody!
Large variety of abilities.
Even larger variety of moves and combos.
Great story.
Great voice acting.
High level of detail.
Great boss fights.
***Near limitless possibilities across the board!***
CONS:
No multiplayer at this time.
Some fairly demanding PC requirements.
PERHAPS the graphics aren't as new looking as other games...??? (This means nothing to me, it still looks great, so it can hardly be considered a con).
The wait was unbearable (but worth it)!
One final note: C'mon guys. I really don't mind the whole "Infamous Vs. Prototype" debate OUTSIDE the review area. But inside... it's just ridiculous. I've already read multiple reviews that compared the two, and that's just stupid. People should be reviewing games for what they ARE, not what they AREN'T. I don't want to read about what Prototype fails at and how Infamous succeeds, or vice versa. I want to read about what Prototype does ON ITS OWN! So, please, for the love of all that is sacred, act maturely and intelligently, and review the game for its own sake, strengths and weaknesses and all.