I know it's extremely late, seeing as I got it back in June/July, but here is my Prototype review. I hadn't ofreviewed a game in ages, but when I decided to write up a review for World at War I just felt like getting back into the business. Next week's review is Mario Kart Wii. Without furthur adue I give you the review that was due 5 months ago.

Plus: Endless Fun
Minus: Mediocre graphics
Interesting: Think Assassin's Creed, Crackdown and 28 Days Later all combined

Prototype is an action-adventure game in which you take the role of Alex Mercer. He's a mysterious shapeshifter on a quest to find out how he became what he is now. Not much is known about him, but by the ending, everything unfolds. Along the way you will meet up with some of Alex's known friends, but the focus is definately on him.

The storytelling is well done, but there is a lot of other media in which they use this virus scenario so it may just seem like a drag in the beginning. It's not towards the last parts of the game where the story picks up and shows of how it is unique.

The pitch for this is an infection virus has been released in New York, transforming everyone and everything around you, and you want to know how it happened. For the most part of the game, you will be jumping, gliding and slashing your way through Manhattan. There are your basic controls, a strong and a weak attack, a jump and a grab. The main focus of this game is the shapeshifting. You gain a ring with icons in which represent some way you can change your body. It may be thermal vision, it may be claws, it may even be a body of armour. This gives you endless ways to dispatch and carry out your enemies and objectives.

If you don't want to go all-out you can take the a stealth way. Mercer has the ability to absorb others. He can also take on the form of the last person he absorbed. This adds a whole other element to the gameplay, but if the military see you transforming or gliding, they will know you who are.

The AI is intellegent enough to understand who you are, and by the final stages of the game they will be able to uncover you a lot easier. Speaking of the enemy, there are essentially two types. The military/blackwatch who carry basic machine guns, drive tanks, etc. Then there are the infected, with different levels of strength. The military have their base and the infected have their hives. Take them out and you're rewarded.

Alex Mercer is able to upgrade his many abilities by using Evolution Points, in which he gains from evading air support, completing missions, killing enemies and destroying hives. He can also go into a Military Base and absorb the special-forces to unlock helicopter flight and tank control. There is a lot of variety in the gameplay, just not that much in the graphics.

There is your basic day, night and evening times with different textures depending on if you're in the clean or infected parts of Manhattan, but those textures look incredibly dry. Arguably, the best looking part of the game is during the night. There is a lot of blood on the screen during battles, but overall the character models and buildings are extremely recycled and repetitive.

While the main story can be rushed in under 10 hours, the full game can last more than 30 hours, even without being a perfectionist or trying to collect every item. It all really depends on your play styIe really, but there is strong replay value for the gamers who want to do side-missions. This is by all means not an RPG, just a game that gives you variety.

The variety may not be your taste, as a lot of the side-missions can be repetitive, but try to think past it and have a good time with it. Graphics aren't Prototype's strong point, the gameplay is. If you're looking for a brand new story and gorgeus visuals with an amazing soundtrack, you're reading the wrong review for the wrong game. If you're looking for a gory and entertaining slasher then you're very welcome. You will get annoyed and you will get frustrated, but for the most of it you will be having fun.

Story: 3/5
Gameplay: 5/5
Graphics: 2/5
Multiplayer: N/A
Replay Value: 5/5

Overall Rating:
8.5 - Great

The review is here if you want to give me a thumbs up. Thanks for reading and have a nice day.