Prototype 2

Ok, ok.. we all know the common complaints like less than stellar animations, rehashed materials, subpar story, excessive swearing, ect ect. To be honest, so what? Who are we kidding here? Anyone that played the first Prototype knew what it was and likely what the sequel would be. Seriously, did the first Prototype have an epic, page-turning story? Nope. Next-gen animations/graphics? Nahhh. Innovative, creative side-quests? You got to be kidding me.

The first Prototype was a respectable attempt at gore-filled, city smashing, turn-your-brain-off entertainment. Prototype 2 followed in its footsteps perfectly. An open world game full of random people to chop/slice/absorb/explode/splatter, vehicles to destroy/demolish, and a bunch of random collectables to hunt down tied together with a passable storyline and a mix of barely developed characters. And there is nothing wrong with that kind of game, not one thing. Granted, it may not be worth $60...

Far too many negative responses to this game are from people that got their hopes up. They got suckered into the marketing and somehow forgot what the first Prototype was. Hint: It wasn't a live-action trailer with a Johnny Cash soundtrack. It is what it is folks.... a game based on an old Hulk game model; mindless, gory, entertainment.

Take it at face value and it is a great way to spend a weekend. Any attempt to bring thinking into it and you'll ruin it. So, much like the SyFy original films of today: sit back, turn off the old grey-matter, and watch some crap get blown up.

I had a lot of fun with the first Prototype. The sequel is better in pretty much every way. The graphics are better, the mission set up is better, the story (while not great) is better. If you played the first game you know what you're getting yourself into. Full on over the top, comic book style, ultra-violence. It is what it is. That's what the developers set out to make and in that regard they succeeded.

I've seen several reviewers complain about the language in the game. All I have to say to that is don't buy a mature rated game again. There is no more foul language in this game than in a GTA title. In context, the F-bombs make perfect sense to me and haven't distracted me from my fun one bit. James Heller is one pissed off protagonist. If some manic murdered my wife and child I'd be dropping some F-bombs myself. Also I've been in the military and that is how men in the armed forces talk. Get over it. This game isn't for kids!

On to the review:

Graphics:
Greatly improved from the first game. The city has far more detail than before, in the first game the city was really drab and boring. In prototype 2 the city looks great, easily on par with a Rockstar game. Heller himself is animated well though some of his moves are obviously taken from Mercer. The other characters in the game, look much better and there is a greater variety of civilians and infected.

Game play:
The controls are pretty much the same, not a bad thing, but seem easier to pick up. I especially like how they added a "quick-time" dodge prompt like in the Batman games. This has saved me a lot of poundings (I'm playing on the hard difficulty). They got rid of the optional events from the first game and added side missions that lead to upgrades. I find myself focusing on these rather than the main story. They still have the "events" but they are handled via Radnet DLC where they release the events over time. These also unlock upgrades to Heller. Overall, the way they laid out the way you gain power is paced better and much easier to understand. Nothing like the monster list of abilities from the first title.

Story:
Story is not why you play a prototype game, it could easily be Resident Evil done as an open world game. Gentek (Umbrella) created the virus that made Mercer, Heller, and all the "infected". They in turn are supported by Black Watch, a military organization that specializes in putting down biological threats. This game is about revenge! Heller wants to kill Mercer for the death of his wife and daughter. Pretty straight forward. There have been a few twists and turns, a few double crosses. Not too bad, but not too good either. Most the time the story is just a reason for you to go hunt and destroy. That's all it's needed for in a game like prototype.

Final Thoughts:
This is the game I expected. No more no less. When I've had a tough day and just want to cause chaos, NYZ is where I'll blow off some stream. The feeling of jumping 300 feet off the top of a sky scraper and gliding half a mile is awesome and I haven't tired of the movement in the game yet. Is it violent, oh yes. Is it brutal, uh huh. Is it everything they said it would be, definitely. That's saying a lot now a days (I'm looking at you Bioware!).

Prototype is an open world game that provides the gamer with a playground for destruction. Think of it like Crackdown crossed with GTA. It is a game similiar to Infamous but with more destruction. The first game came out in 2009 and was pretty good at the time but seemed a little unfocused. Other than the effects the graphics were poor and the Web of Intrigue was a good idea but not executed well, because certain characters would only appear in certain areas at certain times to absorb them and get the pieces to the story, so many probably did not even see alot of the cutscenes to understand the story.

Three years later we have Prototype 2 and a lot of work has been put into this one. I can tell because I played the first on both the 360 and PS3. First the graphics are miles ahead of the first game, sure it is not Assasins Creed or GTA quality, but those games have nowhere near the destruction, special effects, or moving parts going on. The lightning and the colors make the graphics stand out and look more polished. It won't win any awards, but its improved.

The story is more coherent and I find the man scorned revenge government conspiracy thing pretty cool honestly. Gameplay is alot like the first, but some of the powers are even more devastating, and the dodge has really been fixed to allow getting behind an enemy very quickly. They did away with the hundreds of orbs you had to collect from the first game with noway of knowing witch ones you didn't have. Now the collectibles are easily identified by your pulse radar and each area on the map gives you a summary of whats in that area of the city and they serve a purpose to upgrade your abilities. The seven weeks worth of radnet events are a decent idea for a few extra buffs to your powers, but it's not as meaty as I invisioned it being. It is nice that the developers actually made some bosses for this game worthy of fighting.

Prototype 2 does have some issues like the targeting and camera can still get wonky from time to time and for many the story will be throw away. The game is far to easy, which is a double edge sword here. The first game had some frustrating difficulty spikes. Proto 2 is much more balanced but with the powers you acquire the game becomes easy because the difficulty does not scale. So my suggestion is to start on hard and if you finish the game there is a new game + option to play on Insane if you like.

I have enjoyed this game some far and if you liked the first, you should enjoy this one even more. If your new to the series and you are looking for a game to have fun, create destruction, and feel like a superpower. I don't think Prototype 2 will let you down.