Prototype

Alex Mercer has a problem or a gift - depending on the view. Thanks to a virus in his system he has several deadly powers and can change his appearance into any person he consumes which basically means the same thing as brutally killing the person he wants to be. Of course Alex didn't voluntarily get this "enhancement". Instead he was part of a genetic experiment at a company called Gentek. Having lost his memory about what exactly happened, he is now both looking for vengeance as well as his past.

To defend himself, Alex has several powers at his disposal. He can lift heavy objects and throw them at enemies, making it easy to take down even a full-blown helicopter. He also has the ability to shape shift into any person he manages to grab and consume. When done without being seen, it removes the heat from Alex and will, just as hiding does, eventually put his human pursuers back to sleep. The player can unlock these powers by investing evolution points in upgrades.

These upgrades increase for example his sprint speed, give him new abilities like said powers or enable him to do new moves like gliding through the air instead of just falling straight down. In addition some abilities like driving a tank or improving his ability to handle normal weapons can only be learned by consuming specific persons marked with a symbol over their head. The player can also find several different kinds of mini-games in the city, ranging from kill/consume missions and waypoint races over the roof tops to fighting small skirmishes on either the side of the military or the infected.

The Web of Intrigue fills in the blanks on Alex’s background and what happened to him at Gentek. Some pedestrians, military personal or police had more or less direct contact with Alex or the project he was part on and if he finds and consumes them, a short cutscene shows what he learns from that person. To keep an overview of his progress, the player can access a detailed map from the menu.

Overall, Prototype offers a unique blend of action, adventure, and exploration in an open-world setting. With its mix of powers, upgrades, and mini-games, players will be kept busy as they navigate the streets of Manhattan Island.