[PROTOTYPE] Review

It's unusual that us, as gamers, are treated to two pretty stellar titles back-to-back. Yes, sometimes we see it happen as the holiday season rushes upon us, but that is more just due to the sheer volumes of games that are released at that point, hoping for the almighty present dollars. But to see it happen mid-year, during what is normally a drought of good gaming? Well, color us lucky as first we got inFAMOUS, and now I can add [PROTOTYPE] to the list of games well worth playing this month. What makes it so good? Well read on and find out.

[PROTOTYPE] tells the story of Alex Mercer, badass extraordinaire. He's no Chuck Norris though - his talents for massive destruction come from the 'ol geneticists at Gentek. You learn his story of plight and carnage first by a quick flashback, and then by taking control of him after he wakes up as a corpse in the city morgue. And dying wasn't quite enough - he can't remember how this all happened to him. One thing is for certain; he's pissed and wants a healthy dosage of revenge on whomever is responsible for it all.

The game is your traditional sandbox adventure, and anyone going into the game looking for something else will be disappointed. You have a significant city at your disposal, and a set of missions that guide you through the storyline. Tack on some optional side missions for fun of several different varieties, and not one, not two, but three different types of 'collectables', and you have the GTA template redone. Note however that I never said that is a bad thing. You know the cliche - if it ain't broke, don't fix it. The story is well laid out, and bolstered by one of the three collectables I mentioned. One of the powers Alex finds himself with is the ability to consume individuals and take on their appearance. In addition to their physical likeness, he also gets a snipet of their memories if they are one of the people who make up his 'web of intrigue'. This model makes for a very compelling reason to find these people, eat them, and flesh out the story much more so than if you just run the missions.

The gameplay of the game is just damn fun. Because of the genetics mixed into your system, you are capable of superhuman feats. You can jump whole city blocks, you can literally run up the side of buildings, and you can glide on the air currents like those little furry squirrels in the forest somewhere in the world. I already mentioned the shapeshifting capabilities, which are just so much damn fun it isn't funny. Finally, you can unlock a host of abilities to transform your appendages into several forms of destruction, from hammer mallets for fists, to a scythe-like blade, to a whip that can take down dozens of innocent citizens in a single 360-degree whip of doom. It's all far more satisfying than it should be, and it makes you want to continue to do it for no other reason than...well, to be that badass extraordinaire.

The grapics of the game are a mixed bag. On the ground level of the city, they aren't all that bad. Yes, there are many, many repeated models for the pedestrians that roam the city, but that is to be expected as there are thousands working their way through their day, trying not to die to the virus spreading through the metropolis. But it is a bit distracting when you run into twins walking next to eachother...and have it happen routinely. The city above the first floor is, however, bland. The textures used to model the skyscrapers are generic and lacking. The only mitigating factor is you are typically buzzing past them at breakneck speed, so it isn't all that noticable most of the time. Again, I understand the need to keep the textures simple due to the nature of the game and the scope of what is rendered at any time, but it's still something I noticed. Not enough to make me stop playing, but still there...gnawing at me like a splinter in my brain. Sound is acceptable, though it seems the entire populace of the city comes straight from boot camp drill instructor training, where profanity is the way of life. It's not a game to play with the kids in the room, not even for the sheer volumes of gore present (and we're talking tons), but the multitide of f-bombs dropped in cut scenes and random schmucks on the streets.

All in all, [PROTOTYPE] has been an enjoyable so far after about half of the story explored and city demolished into ruin. Though it has some significant areas it could have improved upon, most gamers will agree that gameplay trumps graphics, and this is no exception. If you have the chance to rent it, that would be a safe bet. However, even as a purchase I think the time you'll spend playing will warrant shelling out the money.