Prototype 2 Review

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Prototype 2 is an open world game set in New York City. Feel like you heard this idea before? You have, and it’s not just from the first Prototype game. While Prototype 2 doesn’t use completely original material, its failure to improve on its predecessor’s problems are what will really keep a lot of gamers away.

Prototype 2 switches the main character to Sgt Heller, a soldier hell-bent on revenge for the deaths of his wife and daughter. Upon entering NYC, things quickly turn hectic and Sgt Heller becomes infected with the Mercer virus, able to do superhuman feats and consume almost any living being near him. Story is rather weak in Prototype 2, which is a shame as its one of the areas the game needs the most. Characters are rather one dimensional and are hard to really emotionally invest in. You know the very bare basics about their motives and you have to run with it. In addition, many characters fall into stereotypes which simply doesn’t work for the roles they’re supposed to portray. Heller is an angry black man who wants to mess you up, but in a more cheesy than badass way. One of your comrades, a Latino Priest, will use language that simply makes you say “A Priest wouldn’t say that.” It feels like Radical entertainment relied too much on what players would assume a person of a race would act like and less on creating a new character.

Plot points are told through black and white cut scenes with hints of red and blue and while Radical entertainment may have been going for a more noir look and storytelling, it simply doesn’t work in this universe. The Prototype franchise relies heavily on gore, flesh and organic elements which totally contrasts the idea of telling story in black and white. I was constantly wondering if I had the option to change cut scenes to a full color mode to get a better feel, but unfortunately no.

Graphically, Prototype 2 underwhelms as well with being somewhere in between Xbox and Xbox 360 graphics (PLEASE NOTE: this review was done with an Xbox 360 version of the game). Cell shading seems second rate in comparison to anime titles like the Naruto Shippuuden franchise, and character models look subpar outside of cut scenes. Perhaps the biggest tragedy in the game is how little effort there was in bringing the city of New York to life, feeling more generic and uninspired than anything. I actually forgot numerous times that the city I was supposed to be playing in was New York, and that’s a bad sign.

Gameplay brings back the return of your worst enemy: The camera. It’s frustrating when there are open world games that handle this problem well, and then you get new games that seem to ignore their techniques. You may constantly find yourself looking around as your enemy or prey has just run out of sight, and before you can catch them again you’re attacked from an off screen enemy. It’s frustrating on numerous levels. The battle system hasn’t really improved over the Prototype 1 either, really only changing a few forms you can be in. New combat animations are a nice touch and welcome, but they do little to mask the games flaws. You may be watching a cool power you just activated on screen, and you’ll feel nothing. Hunting is a new gameplay element in Prototype 2, but it’s also a frustrating task to use. Think of a very poorly done “Spider-Sense” from the Spider-Man franchise. You click on the left joystick, and a red dome suddenly emanates from Heller. Instead of being pointed in a certain direction to your prey, the circle simply dissolves from the direction of where you prey is. The game instructs you your prey is in the center of the dome, but you may find yourself searching tediously at times as you can’t seem to find where the center of the dome is.

The stealth aspects remain nearly the same as the previous game; however, and that’s a good thing. One of the few fun things I found about Prototype 2 was taking out enemy bases without ever having to shoot a bullet or dismember anyone. Stealth can leave you feeling a sense of accomplishment, if only briefly. The only real benefit I found from hunting mode was when you can see which enemies you can consume without being noticed (enemies in white outlines) and those who will alert enemies around you that something’s wrong (enemies in red outlines). Challenges set up in New York; however, feel more like tedious chores than training. You have the standard challenges of “run here as fast as you can” and “kill as many enemies with only *x* number of hits” and such, but it doesn’t feel so rewarding to win additional move sets from them.

Prototype 2 feels like a wasted opportunity and a “lets just release another title to make cash” idea by Activision and Radical entertainment. I can’t really recommend a super powered hero open world game like this when there’s numerous others that do it better like Batman Arkham City. In fact, I recommended Spiderman: Web of Shadows over the original Prototype, and I still will with Prototype 2.

Prototype 2 gets a C from Geek Citadel. It isn’t the worst game you’ll ever play, but it’s far from being one of the average gamers all time favorites.

Recommended buy price?
Like Prototype 1? $34.99
Everyone else? $19.99