Prototype
PlayStation 3
Activision
Review by Hayden Meikle
Shapeshifting, express running, Superman-style skyscraper vaulting, brutal violence, virus avoiding, quest solving and, most of all, obscenely good fun.
You really get to do it all in Prototype.
Spend just a few, frenzied minutes in the opening sections of the game and you understand why it attracted plenty of pre-release buzz.
You play the titular character, a bloke in a shaded hood called Alex Mercer who's had a dose of the old genetic modification and can turn himself into pretty much anyone he likes, run like the wind, scale tall buildings and viciously slaughter any bad guys that cross his path.
The story is based around amnesiac Alex's quest to find out more about the virus that has torn through New York and the shady special military forces who are trying to maintain control.
It's a free-roamer in the style of the better sandbox games, so Alex gets structured chapters to complete at the same time as he can sniff around for side quests and missions.
Alex develops the ability to turn parts of his body into blades, a whip and massive fists, while you can also pick up discarded weaponry, like machine guns and bazookas.
Let's make this clear: Prototype is an R18 game - a rating that isn't too harsh.
It's very violent, if frequently on a fantastic scale.
With a perfect difficulty curve, a range of interesting tasks and a story that gets progressively more interesting, Prototype is a fast-paced action game that won't disappoint.
Also on Xbox 360 and PC.
