Let's hope Mercer doesn't consume this review before you get to read it.
Fresh out of the morgue is Alex Mercer, a man with no memories. Upon escaping from a Gen-Tek building, Alex discovers his new super human abilities and sets off on a path of destruction and vengeance. The story is actually a flashback, that leads up to the 18th day of the infection and Mercer's current predicament. Players who want to know everything about the infection and those involved, will find themselves hunting down all 130 Web of Intrigue targets. The Web of Intrigue are cut scenes that are played when Alex consumes the target, and sorts through their memories. It's a rather interesting way to tell a story, and you may even drop what you're doing at times to consume these targets.
Alex comes equipped with a devastating arsenal of abilities. As you unlock and upgrade Mercer, he can leap tall buildings, slide around on the bodies of his enemies and glide across the city in style. Let's not forget about his ability to throw large, heavy objects, shift body parts into powerful blades and fists, and destroy a large area with devastators. Players will need these abilities when the excretion hit's the fan and Alex fights tooth and nail against the infection and Blackwatch(military). While Prototype does an excellent job at making the players feel like the ultimate badass, it has it's frustrating moments. The game is certainly not easy and the chaos is sometimes just too chaotic. As you progress through the game, areas of New York will be occupied by either the infection or Blackwatch. Approaching the end of the game, the military is harder to evade, and they'll detect Alex easier. Upgrades are purchased with Evolution Points, and those are earned by doing just about anything. Killing, completing missions, collecting orbs, or by doing the numerous challenges. You can suppress both sides by destroying their base of hive which also nets you a nice amount of evolution points. Once you've completed the game, you may start over, with all of Alex's upgrades you earned with the New Game +. Players are also free to explore New York city and collect anything they may have missed during the main story.
The controls are easy to understand at first, but as you unlock abilities, the more uncomfortable they become. Eventually, you'll be holding down three buttons in order to perform specific attacks. Alex has a tendency to grab the wrong objects, which can be frustrating during large fights, or when you're chasing after a Web of Intrigue target(Thankfully they respawn). When sprinting up buildings, Alex will get stuck in alcoves, jump over the intended roof tops, or just run in the wrong direction. The targeting system can be frustrating at times. It doesn't always lock onto a target, and since you select targets by flicking the right stick, which also moves the camera, players will constantly need to reselect the right target when they need to see their surroundings during those chaotic battles.
Prototype is not the best looking sandbox title out there, but it's not the worst. The framerate is always running smoothly, no matter how much chaos is going on. The city feels stale and bland, even in the infected areas. New York sounds more lively than it looks. The audio relies on the explosions, and constant military chatter that starts up when Alex is being pursued. The voice actors perform their jobs well, and Alex's voice fits his anti-hero persona well.
Prototype is a very fun title. Anyone looking for a chaotic sandbox title to occupy their time, won't be disappointed with Prototype. Everyone else will be drawn in by the mystery that's surrounding the events that led to Alex Mercer's transformation and the outbreak of the infection. The good definitely outweighs the problems in Prototype making it worth a purchase.