Introduction
| Developer: | Radical Entertainment |
| Publisher: | Activision |
| Platforms: | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 3 Xbox 360 |
| Genre: | Action adventure,open world |
| Engine: | Titanium 2.0 |
PC is a platform which is kind of deprived from the privilege of hack and slash action adventure games. In the name of hack and slash the limited names i get is Devil may cry 3,4 (even the 1st 2 were console exclusives) and Xblades but thats all. Then came ALEX MERCER and changed it all. In June 2009 came Prototype, one of the 1st open world action adventure and hack & slash game and that too on PC along with consoles. The game was a win in so many ways be it transformations,the awesome parkour,amazing skills and kills and adding to all the finishers and what not. At the end when i was done with with the main story i still played and for a considerably long time and ever since waited for a sequel.
When i 1st saw the trailer for the Prototype 2 i was kind of dissapointed to see that Mercer has been replaced by a new character JAMES HELLER and almost lost all hope as he is there among my all time favorite character lists. But after i played the game i was taken aback as the game was as fantastic as ever and somewhat better too which i will discuss in my review for the game.
The Plot
Well the plot is quite simple and quite common in games,a revenge story,where James Heller a former US Marine Sergeant and the second Blacklight being accuses Alex Mercer and his “Mercer virus” responsible for the brutal murder of his wife and daughter. Also he accuses himself somwehat of leaving them alone in an infection ridden city and not being able to make it in time to save them. The moment he hears about Mercer being spotted in a red zone he went for a suicidal encounter with Mercer all alone and ends up being infected by mercer like all the others. But surprisingly his DNA adapted the virus same way Mercer’s did and then begins his vengeance ridden rampage against Blackwatch and ultimately Alex Mercer and his virus.
The Plot is one of the highlights as its really a topsy turvy tale with lots of twists and turns.I wont reveal much just to keep the review spoiler free but the plot and overall story is very well knit with almost perfection or close enough to it. Though the missions at a point becomes stale as u got to do the same thing – Locate ,Hunt ,Consume but the good part is the number of ways u can do it like using stealth or wildly rushing in ,killing all and consume (the way i love :D)
Gameplay
Whenever i talk of Prototype gameplay the 1st thing comes in my mind is SHAPE SHIFTING.With different kinds of lethal transformations like Blade,Claws (my personal favorite),Hammerfists and Whipfist (though i personally call it a bitchslap :P) u can cause destruction in new and more awesome ways. Adding to those is the Biobomb ability which is a lot helpful to cause massive destruction.Moreover u can later upgrade to have a lil army of infected to use as u please .Take on hoards of infected or swarms of highly trained blackwatch soldiers, with the deadley shape shiftings it is always fun to rip them apart via diferent weapons or ways.
The movement aka Locomotion is one of the most important part of such game and to be very honest its the way its supposed to be. Nothing fancy just upgrading it throughout the game like upgrading ur jumps to 100% more of your default capability same with speed too.The other major aspect which i had a lot of un is the Character Development aka Upgrading Heller’s abilities or adding new ones like for example getting a lil hoard of infected to follow you and attack as obediently as a dog or add finishers for helicopters and tanks i mean imagine you are sorrounded by a swarm of tanks. Nothing to worry if u got the right upgrades- jump on tank,press the right button and BAM there goes the tank. Also there are Yellow star marked aka BLACKNET missions which helps you to upgrade your character by giving you perks once you complete the missions. The character thus upgraded would be the one who can cause more nuisance and chaos rather quickly.
Combat is smooth and fun without any hassles.Stealth kills are also very well tailored for such a game. I loved doing some stealth kills and i can say that this makes the gameplay of this game complete nothing else could have been done to make it more better.
All in all the gameplay is what its supposed to be and cuts out well for such a game.
Graphics , Performance & Audio
Graphics:
Graphics are good as its not at all a bad port at all. But they are not exactly what you call eye candy.The graphics could have been much better though Motion blur and the reflections were kind of the few reasons that made the graphics somewhat appealing.The cutscenes too are of decent qualities imo what i would say in one word average.
Performance:
Well i played the game maxed out at a 1280 x 1024 resolution and there was not a single problem i faced. I didnt face any random FPS drops or stuttering issues at all while playing the game.This isnt a bad port at all.No random crashes too at all as i saw quite few complaining about the particular thing (might be i was lucky :P)
Audio:
The Voice acting was decent. Heller sounded a bit rough but all others sounded what they are supposed to sound like. The background score is good but nothing to remember there too.Also the chasing sequence audio was like a broken record always the same.Though one unique thing i remember is that almost all the people i collide with while running,dashing,killing etc etc their voices were different which is kind of hard to do on such a large scale.
Final Thoughts & Verdict
Pros:
- Open World with loads of stuff to do (or more precisely destroy)
- Character levelling and upgradation
- Radnet DLC (100% worth the value)
Cons:
- Keyboard/mouse controls are full of hassles
- Graphics could have been better
- Plot is somewhat predictable
So these were some importants aspects i covered. Apart from these whats new in the sequel is the RADNET CHALLENGES.This is actually loads of fun and u can even compete with your friends on steam with your scores in a challenge, thus adding a competitive mode in the game. Also it unlocks new skills and perks as per your performance in a challenge thus helping in your character upgradation in the Single Player campaign.
I tried playing on Keyboard/ mouse but found playing on controller is much better for this game. Missions are linear but still fun. A blooper which i often found funny is that once i’m disguised as a civilian or a soldier and i jump from a building right down in the middle of a hoard of soldiers and they just ignore me as if what i did is perfectly normal(this irritates me and i end up slicing them all :P).
Also Heller does remind me of KRATOS (God Of War) many a times when he is abusing or especially Shouting at the top of his lungs.
Final Verdict:
Prototype 2 overcomes the negatives they left in prototype 1. A must play for any hack n slash or adventure open world game fan. I wont say that its the best game of 2012 but definitely one of the finest games i played this year. This game aint about the plot or story (irrespective of how good they are) its more about how much nuisance can u create in an open world with all the genetic abilities you got.The game is fully packed with profanity and gory violence (heller does stresses on F words a lot :P)
In a nutshell, unleash the true power of infection raging within you and kill Alex Mercer.
Over n Out : Abhisek Sethi aka groovypanda