| [Prototype] | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Radical Entertainment[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Activision[1] |
| Engine | Titanium[2] |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 Mac OSX |
| Release date(s) |
December 10, 2011(Mac OSX) |
| Genre(s) | Open world, action |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
| Rating(s) | |
| Media/distribution | Optical disc, download |
| System requirements
Windows XP Service Pack 3/Windows Vista/Windows 7, Intel Core 2 Duo 1.86 GHz/AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+, 1GB (XP)/2GB, DirectX 9.0c compliant card with 256 MB 3D hardware accelerator, 10 GB HDD space |
|
Prototype is an open world action video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision. The game was released in North America on June 9, 2009, and in southwestern parts of North America as well as Oceania on June 10, and was released in Europe on June 12.
The game is 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. Parallel to the game's storyline is the ability to play the game as a sandbox-style video game giving the player freedom to roam Manhattan.
Many reviewers compared and contrasted it with Infamous, another open world action game released one month prior to Prototype, by Sucker Punch Productions which features a superpowered protagonist with developing powers in an urban world. Many reviewers and gamers have compared it to be closely similar to the ideas from John Carpenter's 1982 science fiction horror film, The Thing. However, the gameplay of Prototype is very similar to The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, also by Radical Entertainment.[4]
Contents |
Alex's primary superpower is his ability to shapeshift, changing his body to suit his needs. Going hand in hand with this power is his ability to "consume" others, absorbing them entirely. This process allows Alex to quickly regain health by absorbing the biomass of his enemies. This also allows him to take on the forms of the enemies he absorbs, thereby allowing the player to move about the enemy as one of them. The disguise will only last as long as Alex remains inconspicuous. Alex has incredible physical strength, and will kill most humans in a single punch. He can perform various melee attacks without shapeshifting, as well as more gymnastic moves such as air combos, sliding along the ground using any humanoid enemy's body, and a high-speed rolling cannonball attack.
Alex can also transform parts of his body into a selection of martial implements acquired over the course of the game, either as purchased upgrades or being given them. Offensive powers include the large and powerful Blade, fast razor-sharp Claws (which can also erupt large spikes from the ground), the telescoping Whipfist, Musclemass that augments his strength, and the slow but powerful Hammerfists. Defensive options consist of a large shield for blocking ballistic attacks that needs to regenerate after excessive damage, and full body armor that exchanges agility and speed for toughness in hand to hand combat; both will allow Alex to plow through most obstacles when active. Vision modes include thermal vision, which allows Alex to see enemies through smoke and other obstacles at the expense of a decreased vision range, and Infected vision, which highlights those infected with the BLACKLIGHT virus as well as military units. Both vision modes muffle all of Alex's other senses, such as hearing, in order to concentrate on his sight. One defensive and offensive power may be active at a time, and using either will negate Alex's current disguise. In addition to his own abilities, Alex can take the weapons from defeated or absorbed enemies. These include automatic rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, and missile launchers. He can also seize control of military vehicles, such as tanks and helicopters.
Alex's most powerful attacks are the Devastators, which require Alex to be in Critical Mass - either a state of near-death or the exact opposite, having excess stored biomass and increased health. These include the Tendril Barrage, which fires impaling tendrils from his body in all directions, the Groundspike Graveyard, which erupts massive spikes from the ground all around Alex, and the Critical Pain, which fires a single beam of hardened biomass from his hands to severely damage a single target.
For movement around the city, the player uses extreme parkour, enhanced heavily by Alex's increased physical abilities. When sprinting, he will automatically hop over cars, barriers and other obstacles without losing momentum. Alex will also scale any wall he comes into contact with and simply knock aside any humanoids that get in his way without stopping. He can jump great heights and distances, enough to clear five-story buildings, and can sprint at extreme speed indefinitely. Falls cause no damage to the player even from the greatest heights. Even small jumps are enough for Alex to dent the ground beneath him, and falls from sufficient heights will create shockwaves at the point of impact which will kill most humans nearby and send objects as large as cars flying. Falling height also factors into several of Alex's melee attacks.
The game follows Alex J. Mercer (voiced by Barry Pepper) 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 (voiced by Jeffrey Pierce), a Blackwatch officer, is given orders to find and contain Alex.
Alex makes contact with his sister, Dana, who assists him in tracking down targets, leading to the infiltration of Gentek headquarters. He finds a young woman called Elizabeth Greene contained in the building and frees her. Greene is a host for BLACKLIGHT and upon her escape unleashes it upon Manhattan. Dana directs Alex to Karen Parker, his ex-girlfriend. She agrees to aid him in stopping the virus, but leads him into a trap where he is confronted by Cross. During their battle, Alex is injected with a parasite that threatens to kill him. Alex seeks help from Dr. Ragland, a pathologist linked to Gentek. Ragland helps Alex remove the parasite and turn it into a weapon against Greene. However, using it on Greene only serves to create a monstrous being, the Supreme Hunter, which Alex kills.
The origins of the virus and Elizabeth Greene are uncovered through a contact: in 1969 the government tested the virus' predecessor in Hope, Idaho, designed to target predetermined races. The virus mutated into something far more deadly, and the whole population was infected. Elizabeth Greene was the sole survivor; an anomaly in her body's biology accepted the virus, rewriting her genetic code along with that of her unborn son, codenamed PARIAH. The remaining population of Hope, Idaho, was liquidated by Blackwatch. Greene and PARIAH were kept in captivity for further research.
Alex discovers his own past: Blackwatch shut down the Gentek project due to leaks and ordered all project personnel eliminated. Dr. Alex Mercer took a sample of BLACKLIGHT as "insurance". Eventually pinned down by Blackwatch in Penn Station, he decides to kill as many as he can, releasing the virus before being killed. The virus consumes Alex's corpse, using his cells to preserve its existence and creating a new entity with inhuman powers. Upon waking in the morgue at the beginning, the virus clone, codenamed ZEUS, believed itself to be Alex Mercer.
The contact and Alex pump a new "BLOODTOX" biological agent underground in order to drive the virus above ground where it can be fought directly, causing Greene to emerge, encased in a towering monstrosity. Greene falls from the monster in human form once she is defeated, and is consumed by Alex. Through her memories, it becomes apparent that General Randall, head of Blackwatch, is prepared to destroy Manhattan with a nuclear weapon. The contact, revealed to be Cross, and Alex infiltrate the USS Ronald Reagan to stop him. Once Alex consumes Randall, Cross is revealed to be a Supreme Hunter, who assumed Cross' identity after consuming him, and attacks Alex. He defeats the Supreme Hunter and moves the weapon out into the Atlantic Ocean, where it detonates and catches him in the blast. His remains float back to the city and regenerate after consuming a crow.
During the credits, it is revealed that the public considers the military to have been the one who stopped the infection; a US Senator is heard telling the media that the events in Manhattan were a case of nuclear and biological terrorism, and promises retribution upon those responsible, Alex claims himself to be 'something less than human, but also something more'. After the credits, Manhattan is shown to be slowly recovering, the virus has been almost completely eradicated. Alex, standing on top of the Reuters Building in Times Square, comments that his work is almost done. He sets out on a quest to achieve his full potential, and eventually completes this task. From then on, Alex roams the city, dealing with Infected and military forces as needed.
A comic book series made by DC Comics Wildstorm was spun-off as a prequel to the game and released alongside. It reveals more about Hope Idaho, Elizabeth Greene, and the viral outbreak. There are a total of 6 issues of the comic.
| Reception | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Aggregator | Score |
| GameRankings | 79.76% (39 reviews)[5] (PS3) |
| Metacritic | 79% (53 reviews)[8] (PS3) |
| Review scores | |
| Publication | Score |
| 1UP.com | B- (360)[11] |
| Game Informer | 7.25/10 (360)[12] |
| Game Revolution | C+ (360)[13] |
| GameSpot | 8.5/10 (360)[14] |
| GameTrailers | 8.6/10[15] |
| IGN | 7.5/10[1] |
| VideoGamer.com | 7/10 (360)[16] |
Prototype was released on Steam as well as in retail stores and topped the Steam sales on the week of its release.[17] The Xbox 360 version of Prototype was the top selling game of June 2009 in North America, with over 419,900 units sold.[18] This made the game a Platinum Hit. The game received generally positive reviews, earning an aggregate score of 80% on Metacritic.[19] GameSpot gave the game a 8.5/10, praising the game for its "intriguing storyline and protagonist" and "massive arsenal of moves and abilities", but criticized the game for its "occasionally fiddly controls" and "dull scenery".[20] The Escapist said the game was a perfect "summer fling," praising the combat and movement systems as well as the unique mechanic of the Web of Intrigue.[21] The Onion A.V. Club gave the game an "A" ranking, calling the movement style "exhilarating" and saying it was a "mature, science-fiction superhero fantasy that somehow makes players feel simultaneously powerful and vulnerable." [22] SPOnG.com's Marcus Dyson awarded the game 84%, stating that "The complex controls can be daunting, but once mastered, unveil a huge array of dramatic moves and impressive weapons."[23]
Prototype was released two weeks after Sucker Punch Productions' Infamous, a game with many similar concepts including a character with superpowers, and a large open world environment that can be traveled by climbing up buildings and gliding about the city.[24][25] This led many game critics to compare and contrast the games.[26][27][28] In his Zero Punctuation review of Prototype, Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw compared the two games point for point, and determined that he could not tell which was the better game - Prototype won on open world gameplay and combat, while Infamous won on story and side missions.[29] To decide which one was better, he jokingly stated that he'd award the best game to the team which created the best picture of the other main character wearing "a woman's bra". To his surprise, both development teams rose to the challenge, producing said images, and forcing Croshaw to call it a near-tie, edging out in favor of Infamous, though he still noted that, like their games, both images created independently were nearly equal in the themes that they included.[30]
On December 6, 2010, a trailer of a sequel, Prototype 2 was revealed in the website www.murderyourmaker.com.
On July 20, 2011, a statement was released on Activision's website, stating that a sequel will indeed be released on April 24, 2012.[31][32]