Prototype [Review]

Prototype

Name:
PoisonX

Date:
This review was written on January 10th, 2012
Reposted on July 24th, 2012

Basic Information:
Prototype: Prototype is an open world game set in New York City, where a virulent plague known as Blacklight is spreading through Manhattan. Those infected are mutated into hideous monsters of varying form, with an uncontrollable urge to kill all uninfected life-forms. At the center of it is the protagonist, Alex Mercer, an incredibly powerful shapeshifter with no memory of his past. [Rated M for Mature]

Boxart:


Average Completion Time:
15 - 45 Hours (Depending on whether you just stick to the story or do all of the extra events along the way and have just a lot of general fun in the world itself)

Introduction:
This game is probably the only open world game that has a truly unique distinguishing feature, the ability to run on almost any surface and truly fast paced gameplay. It has been compared to the PS3 exclusive game "Infamous" for being so similar. I found myself ignoring the storyline half the time and just tearing around Manhattan, splitting people in half, absorbing people and just having a ton of fun exploring the world. However, the game did have some glitches and

Storyline:
(Storyline Summary Taken from Wikipedia)
The game follows Alex J. Mercer who wakes up in a morgue in the basement of Gentek, a genetic engineering company based in Manhattan, sending a pair of scientists that were just about to perform an autopsy running. Alex escapes, and witnesses the scientists being gunned down by military operatives. Alex is discovered and attacked. He survives bullets being fired into his chest, and leaps over a wall to safety. He soon discovers he now possesses powerful shapeshifting abilities, superhuman strength, speed, agility, durability, endurance, weaponry and the ability to "consume" people to gain their memories, skills and appearance. With no memory of his previous life, Alex decides to find and consume those related to the conspiracy in order to uncover the truth. During his quest, Alex faces two factions: the United States Marine Corps and Blackwatch, a Fort Detrick special forces unit dedicated to combating biological warfare; and the Infected, monsters created by a virus known as BLACKLIGHT that is overrunning Manhattan. Captain Robert Cross, a Blackwatch officer, is given orders to find and contain Alex.

The Verdict:
The Pros:
+Immense fun in the open world
+Addicting gameplay
+Many side games and challenges
+Combat mechanics are complex and brilliant
+The ability to fly, morph, run and jump up buildings and absorb people truly adds to the game's unique features
+Blood and Gore

Cons:
-Somewhat lackluster graphics (the graphics are close to that of Grand Theft Auto IV, so they are passable but still can look annoying at times)
-Occasional controller / keyboard glitches when running up buildings and flying
-Lag issues during combat when there are multiple units (most notably hunters)
-Very predictable plot
-Overused plot concept (bunch of infected running around infecting other people, i'm honestly pretty tired of seeing zombie concepts)
-Boring infected designs
-Stealth system is too easy to work
-Boring environment
-All of the above contribute to a near complete lack of atmosphere

Overall Rating:
7.8/10 (78/100)
(Great gameplay, but lacks atmosphere, which annoys me greatly, and why I couldn't give it a higher score, I hope that in the sequel they focus more on the aspects of the game that would help with the atmosphere, such as making a much greater environment and an unusual plotline that would make you think and actually have some decent twists)

Screenshots: