Oh look here; there is a video clip of ten good reasons to play Prototype.

This clip has some really cool stuff in it. For one, our loveable sociopath Alex Mercer downs a chopper by throwing a soldier at it which is fucking sweet. Alex also takes out a tank be dropping an elbow on it from the top rope which is also sweet. The combat looks like it will be fun and cinematic from this clip, but at the same time everything in the clip looks like a gimmick. Having some cool gimmicks to spice up combat can make a good combat system great, but the trailer did not convince me that Prototype’s core combat system is good. When I talk about core combat I am talking about the kind of move that a player will use to take out 90% of the enemies in game. Being able to grab a guy and hit him with a three story pile driver is cool but I am probably not going to use the three story pile driver all that often. I want to know that I can simply bust out some claws and murder ten dudes in six seconds and that the frantic mass murder will be fun and flow well. Because Prototype’s top ten trailers did not sell me on the core combat I cannot give Prototype a point for its combat system. This brings Prototype’s point total to one out of two so far. Prototype’s combat system looks iffy to me but Prototype’s movement system looks like it has a lot of promise.

Prototype’s top ten trailer said the Prototype will us an “adaptive Parkour” system as its movement system. You might not know what Parkour is but you have probably seen it before. Parkour was used in Casino Royale by the black guy when he outran Daniel Craig in the big chase scene in the beginning of the movie. I don’t expect Prototype to have anything like the chase in Casino Royale, but the movement system in Prototype looks like it will be fast, flowing, and fun. I have not found a trailer that showcases Prototype’s “adaptive Parkour” movement system alone, but this trailer shows off a good bit of the movement system.

Prototype earns another point because it appears to understand that a large open world game needs a fast, fun way to travel around. It also looks like Radical Entertainment has actually made the movement system works well. This brings Prototype’s point total to two out of three so far. Another interesting aspect of game play that was showcased in the previous trailer was the stealth system.

Prototype’s stealth system is based around Alex’s ability to consume someone and mimic their shape. I cannot recall another game that allows the player to mimic the bad guys and it looks like fun. Radical Entertainment seems to be trying to make the most of the system and it looks like they are pulling it off pretty well. The ability to steal the identity of a military commander and call in airstrikes and lead troops looks like it could be a lot of fun and is very creative. Mimicking the enemy looks like a lot more fun than the standard sneaking around in the shadows that most stealth games use. I also like how the memory absorption part of the mimicking power is used to drive the story. All in all, I have to give Prototype a point for creating a unique power for Alex and running with the idea. This brings Prototype’s total to three out of four points. I hope stealing memories to drive the Web of Intrigue storytelling will make the game memorable, but I have serious doubts about the story as a whole.

Prototype’s story centers on Alex Mercer. Alex Mercer is an amnesiac bent on finding out who he really is and taking revenge on the people who turned him into a monster. This trailer sheds some light on what Prototype’s story.

The whole story looks like it is using interchangeable stock story elements. The revenge thing has been done to death as a character motivation. A huge military conspiracy to cover up unethical biological weapons is cliché. Having a journalist help find the truth is such a stock story element in a conspiracy story that I hope Alex can just absorb her to learn the information he needs just to shake thing up a little. For all of the ambition and creativity that Prototype seems to be about the story seems to be so stock standard that I really don’t have much hope for it. I would be really happy if Prototype pulls the seemingly standard story off with enough flair and style to make it good, but this game seems to be promising too much already. I cannot give Prototype a point for a story that seems destined to flop so Prototype’s final score is three out of five points.

Three out of five points is not a bad score. Prototype has the potential to be a hugely fun over the top sandbox game, but I have my doubts. The stealth aspect of the game looks like fun. The setting looks entertaining and dynamic. Prototype’s movements system looks like it will make just running around the city and base jumping off of the Empire State building fun, but the story and core combat look a little weak. I think that Prototype has a lot of potential to be a great game, but Prototype’s potential almost seems too good to be true. In the end, I will give Prototype a try when it comes out but I am not holding my breath.

P. S. If you want to find out more about Prototype here are some links to more trailers and information below.

Official Prototype website

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prototype_game

Game Trailers TV episode about Prototype

http://www.spike.com/full-episode/gametrailers/27848

Prototype trailers in general

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47733.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/48380.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47737.html

Prototype Wiki page

http://www.prototypegame.com/us/index.html