Prototype Review

As long as you don't go into Prototype expecting a coherent story or decent acting, you won't be disappointed. It's a thrilling power fantasy the likes of which other games only dream of and definitely worth checking out.

The story of Prototype obviously wasn't the focus, and it shows. The acting is clumsy and it's often difficult to piece together what's happening even as it plays out in front of you. There's nothing compelling about Alex Mercer's tale and it's impossible to get even the least bit invested in him as a character. But while watching Alex and the rest of the cast fumble through forgettable cut scenes is incredibly boring, actually playing as Alex is the complete opposite.



Alex Mercer is a walking horror movie and a blast to control. It's so fun to just mess around in Prototype that the story missions struggle to live up to the thrills you can create for yourself. With a character this versatile, rotating through the same handful of objectives over and over just feels lazy. There are so many interesting scenarios they could've put you in but didn't, instead leaving it up to you to create your own side stories. That said, the campaign still makes for a good time even if it can't always compete with your unscripted experiences.

It's a testament to Prototype's core gameplay that your time outside of missions is often more memorable and more fun than the missions themselves. Prototype is satisfying enough that you'll still want to play it long after you've finished, and totally worth buying.

Prototype / $49.99* / PS3 [reviewed], 360, PC