This is one of the most bloody, violent things you’ll ever play. Want to cover the streets of New York in the blood and the dismembered body parts of innocent citizens? Buy this game – and maybe talk to a professional. But really, in all seriousness, it’s understandable to want to cause rampant chaos, and “Prototype 2” is the perfect game for that.
It’s an open-world, action-adventure game set 14 months after the outbreak of a mutating virus turned New York into a breeding ground for violent, horrific monsters and one man into a shape-shifting pseudo-god.
That man, Alex Mercer, who was the main character in “Prototype,” is now the main villain. His goal is to evolve the rest of mankind down the same path as him by infecting them with the same virus that changed him. That’s what leads new protagonist James Heller to become another “monster” roaming the streets of the city.
All of the exciting powers are a result of this infection, and those powers are what make the gameplay truly gripping. At the start of the game, the powers are limited to running up the side of buildings, perfect parkour skills, insane jumping ability, being able to glide short distances through the air, greatly enhanced strength and the ability to consume anyone and take on their appearance, skills and memory.
Soon enough, the player gains the ability to transform Heller’s hands into massive, razor-sharp claws, giant hammer-fists that can crush a tank, a massive blade that can cut through most anything, an extremely long whip with a little blade on the end and an odd ability that lets you shoot tendrils that literally tear anyone apart and leave their separated body parts hanging from nearby buildings or trees like morbid Christmas decorations.
There’s also the ability to project a large amount of javelin-like tendrils to impale everyone within a close area, the ability to turn people into living bombs and the ability to summon and command some of the stronger enemies in the game.
The point is, there are a lot of ways to play and powers to have fun with — that’s the game’s selling point. When playing “Prototype 2,” most people will spend more time messing around with their powers than trying to complete the story.
Speaking of the story, it’s much better than its predecessor’s. The dialogue is much better, other than a hilariously excessive amount of f-bombs – though that does have a bit of realism to it. At the least, the lines are delivered excellently, making Heller’s character believable, which is important in such an “out there” game.
Activision kept the plot relatively simple this time instead of trying and falling short of delivering twists like “Prototype” did. The ending is a bit unsatisfying, though it was only done to leave it open to another sequel if they want.
There isn’t any multiplayer, which is rare these days, but it’s actually a good thing. Many developers will try to force multiplayer into a game where it doesn’t belong just because it’s the supposed norm, but Activision didn’t make that mistake. Instead, there are a handful of unique challenges with scores that can be compared to friends’.
The only complaint anyone could make is how breakable the game is. After certain powers are gained, it would take some kind of idiot to die. Whether it’s the fast health regeneration, ability to quickly escape most any situation or massively destructive attacks, the game just reaches a point where it’s not hard. In fact, the final boss fight can be beaten almost entirely by using one move repeatedly. It’s not a huge knock against it since that kind of domination can be fun, but those looking for a challenge will have to unlock harder difficulties.
