Prototype 2 Review

Prototype 2 is a peculiar game. It offers so much, yet produces so little. From the moment it begins, there is a constant sense that something is not quite right and for every great thing it gives the player to do, there is something holding it back. It is, by no means, a bad game but it lacks some of the appeal of its predecessor simply because it just isn’t as fun.

James Heller is given the powers of a God. After an infection ravages New York, Heller seeks revenge after he finds his wife and child murdered and evidence to suggest Alex Mercer, the protagonist of the first game, is responsible. Mercer, after encountering Heller, transfers his powers into the body of Prototype 2’s central character before unleashing players to discover the truth behind his family’s death.

Initially, the plot of Prototype 2 sounds interesting and as if it could go to some interesting places but by the time Heller starts sprouting choice words from his mouth, players have stopped caring about not only the story, but about Heller too, as the game quickly turns into a series of fetch quests that rapidly become boring. The story is just never interesting and the fact that the player never cares about Heller’s fate means that the plot seems considerably weaker than it actually is and that’s a shame, especially when great characterisation has saved a particularly dull story previously, but that is not the case in Prototype 2.

Gameplay in Prototype 2 is very similar to its story - it should be great but it isn’t. That’s not to say that it’s awful but it certainly does not live up to the potential that it has. There’s a lot of freedom in Prototype 2; players can run around New York City destroying what they want with the powers at their disposal but for some reason, it just isn’t as fun as it initially sounds. Sure, pulling enemies apart with claws and chucking tanks at creatures never gets old, but it isn’t as exciting as it could be in the first place. And just because it’s particularly amusing is not to say that it’s compelling: all it does is bring a smirk to players face.

And the fact that the missions are hardly varied does not help. Heller has the opportunity to “consume” either enemies or pedestrians, meaning that he can physically become that character. He still has all of his powers at his disposal but he is disguised as either a soldier or a normal New York citizen. This does lead to some amusing moments as watching an old lady throw people around does seem incredibly stupid, but this power also has a lot to do with the game’s missions. In fact, it has too much to do with them.

The game plays too safe. It uses the same type of mission template over and over again, to the point where they become a chore and this happens all too quickly. Players will more likely than not find themselves becoming tired of the main story missions about an hour or two into the game and because Prototype 2 is quite a long game with a lot to do, this is a big problem. It’s a shame because the abilities Heller has are genuinely unique and exciting but they don’t feel it as the game refuses to do anything really ground-breaking with them. The developers believe that slicing and dicing countless enemies is fun and whilst it is initially, it quickly becomes tiresome as players have the opportunity to do that outside of missions. It’s here that the open world aspects and the single-player missions blend together, meaning nothing, no matter how interesting or exciting, stands out.

Another reason as to why the game feels so boring is the fact that it isn’t very different from its predecessor. There are new powers and new enemies but that’s about it. A good example of a great sequel is Arkham City. It took what worked in the first instalment, Arkham Asylum, and mixed it around a bit, making it feel both fresh and familiar enough for players to get right in. It expanded on the formula of the original, therefore feeling like a sequel rather than a completely new game: it was easy to see where it had branched off from Arkham Asylum and where its heritage was. However, Prototype 2 just feels like the exact same game as Prototype 1, except with a new character. It hasn’t even changed the setting, which doesn’t add to the fact that only a very small percentage of the game is different from its predecessor. Instead, it just feels like a really big expansion pack to the original and that’s a shame. Prototype 2 has a great idea at its centre and it’s a theory that could have allowed the developers to really expand and go mad to make a sequel worth playing. Instead they, like previously mentioned, just play it way too safe.

Graphically, Prototype 2 isn’t great. The draw distance is particularly poor, especially when flying above the ground: players will only be able to see a few hundred feet ahead of them and when the game is as fast as it is, requiring players to constantly be on the lookout for incoming helicopters or enemies, this can prove to be a problem. Character models, too, are less than impressive, with jagged edges that are very noticeable, especially during cut-scenes. The whole game, presentation-wise, is very lacking, with poor menus and small writing on-screen. It’s an annoyance that didn’t need to exist and it’s one that further takes away from the enjoyment of the title. Also, everything just seems so brown. Games have featured that as their main colour before, for example Resistance 3 and most war shooters, but they still look fantastic: Prototype 2 is just very bland. Nothing in it makes players jaw drops, which is a shame due to the size and design of some of the monsters being particularly impressive and inventive.

Prototype 2 was a game that disappointed. The game is lacking in anything worth getting excited about and for a title with this good of a premise, it feels as it has fallen further. It could have been something truly great but with poor graphics, a bland story and repetitive, boring gameplay, Prototype 2 is a game that never should have left the prototype stage, at least not in this state. A real, real shame.