I'd been after Prototype for a while and was thinking it would always be out of my budget. By chance I managed to pick up a copy for less than half price and wasted now time in starting.
You play Alex Mercer a mutant-type creature who used to be human. Alex can consume anyone he encounters and assume their identity. A deadly zombie plague is spreading though Manhattan and Alex must figure out the whos and whys. Sounds simple, but you've got the entire military on your tail and monsters are growing in numbers.
Alex's powers are a some of cross between Spidermans' (the ability to run up buildings), Superman's (flying), various X-Men (mutating abilities) and the Hulk (super strength). He's a good character involved in a good mystery but blandness sets in about halfway through. The Manhattan Island location may be nearly geographically accurate but it's dull, dull, dull. The colour schemes are dull, the streets are dull and the view from the air is dull. I am also getting sick of these zombie/monster games featuring evil biotech companies in league with the military. It's getting really old now.
But the biggest problem though with Prototype is that the controls are just not precise enough. The game claims that it will target the main enemy when you push the targeting button. But in reality it'll just target anything and you'll waste precious time trying to aim at what you really want to kill. The same goes for objects you want to pick up. Alex can often grab things from an impossible distance yet cannot grab things that are right at his feet. This makes intense boss battles a real pain in Prototype. I'm not sure to what the title refers either but maybe I never watched enough of the Web of Intrigue cutscenes.
Worth playing once, but there's nothing worth coming back to.
Graphics B Sound A Gameplay B Lasting Appeal C+
