Prototype - Xbox 360 Review

Strangely enough I didn't hear about this game until it after it was launched, the mass market adverts went clearly over my head. Once I got my hands on a copy the box art and slips sucked me in entirely. The blood; the gore; the loopy mutations... how could this game not be any fun? Well I'm enjoying it, but find it easy not to care  about the games narrative, characters or victims. I haven't picked it up in days, and really don't see myself opening the pretty case anytime soon. Other, older and more entertaining  are keeping me extremely entertained (Ahem.... Halo 3) As well as my love for Red Faction that keeps me thinking about it and how I can f#$k shit up in all kind of ways. Prototype just doesn't suck me in, which is a shame because it really looks like it should.

The way that I describe Prototype is a virus ridden mixed bag. It's pretty dark and extremely vengeful, with no man woman or helicopter holding any real alliances. You have your sister that you hang out with but it really feels like your only using her to find out more about who to slap around next. Anyway, the idea behind it is that for some reason or another you, Alex Mercer, have been infected with a super virus infecting the city and giving you crazy fun powers to launch hellish revenge on almost anyone you come across. There's the usual cashed up megacorp, associated military faction and viral super mutants that you make and break alliances depending on the sub-game and mood you're in. There are no morality choices here, you're out to kill as many people as you can and in some pretty cool ass ways. You run, glide and massacre your way around a sandbox New York city hunting out missions, collectables and "Web of Intrigue" characters. Web of Intrigue I hear you say? Well the basic deal is that alongside the main game there are characters within the sandbox for you to find. They have info on your amnesia hidden past and instead of asking them what they know you absorb them into your body and collect they're memories.Some of the cut scenes are really nicely polished and look fantastic in HD, but this just drew a bleaker picture of the actual in game stuff. Up close and personal everything looks great. There's heaps of gore, and some really nice splatter but the city itself seems a little unpolished. There's also some engine issues with slow drawtimes, miss timed and strange explosions and a google maps 3D building style the overall feel is a little flat and uninteresting. The sprites animations look great but the camera doesn't really know what to do and keeps pulling the Michael Bay zoom on you. (Michael Bay Zoom: Filling to much of the frame with action so that you don't quite comprehend everything that's going on, and it's direction, in the scene) The controls are touchy, and there are A LOT of buttons weapons and moves but you'll find what you like and stick too it pretty quickly I mean you end up just mashing in the big fights anyway...

My conclusion; a good game but not great yet, I am still playing but I don't really see anything coming that I'll be wow'ed by. The dull city is made up by the entertaining sprites and animation. 7.75/10