Spend one hour with Prototype 2 and you’ll understand exactly what is
so appealing and entertaining about Activision’s open-world
action-adventure title.
Serving as the direct sequel to 2009’s Prototype, Prototype 2 brings back all of the things that made the original a hit and adds to the party, making the second go-around with the Mercer virus one of the most fun experiences of 2012 to date.
Prototype 2 puts you in control of Sgt. James Heller, who returns to NYZ following a tour in Iraq to find his wife and daughter slaughtered following the second outbreak of the Mercer Virus. Heller, who is assigned to one of NYZ’s Red Zones, quickly comes across Alex Mercer, the first game’s protagonist. Heller is then infected by Mercer and the events that unfold pit the player against Mercer, Blackwatch and Gentek, with very little direction in terms of who to really trust.
Prototype 2’s story while fairly entertaining, does leave something to be desired, and I believe this has something to do with the lack of diversity in the mission-style format in which the single-player experience unfolds. While there are additional objectives that can be achieved during each mission, earning the player more experience and upgrades, there is never any real need to complete these extra tasks in order to finish any particular mission.
Despite being a bit bland in terms of mission variety, Prototype 2 does introduce a unique story-telling method that adds a layer to consuming targets. In addition to being able top assume their identities, Heller will often advance the story and retrieve key pieces of information by absorbing key figures throughout the duration of the game. The telling of the story via memories is one of the many improvements Prototype 2 has made to enhance the overall experience.
What Prototype 2 also does very well, and this is the franchise’s bread and butter, is make you feel nearly invincible and allow you to utilize your various powers and unique skill set in battle and while traversing NYZ. Once you are cut loose in NYZ, Heller can leap high into the air, glide from building to building, scale skyscrapers and leap over obstacles in a super-parkour style. Even when you aren’t playing through a mission or completing a specific task, just travelling through NYZ is a rewarding experience.
From an audio and visual standpoint, Prototype 2 certainly impresses and earns its Mature rating. The game is graphic in terms of monsters and mutations and there is a fair amount of gore associated with almost everything that you do combat-wise in the game. The game’s soundtrack and voice acting are superb, although there are times that the dialogue does seem to be lacking and cliché-filled. Nevertheless, Prototype 2 carries a production level that we have come to expect from an Activision title.
With the introduction of Radnet, there is a higher level of replayability in Prototype 2 than there was in the original. Radnet introduces new mini-games throughout the course of your playthrough that provide challenges to complete in order to gain unlockables and other in-game perks.
Serving as the direct sequel to 2009’s Prototype, Prototype 2 brings back all of the things that made the original a hit and adds to the party, making the second go-around with the Mercer virus one of the most fun experiences of 2012 to date.
Prototype 2 puts you in control of Sgt. James Heller, who returns to NYZ following a tour in Iraq to find his wife and daughter slaughtered following the second outbreak of the Mercer Virus. Heller, who is assigned to one of NYZ’s Red Zones, quickly comes across Alex Mercer, the first game’s protagonist. Heller is then infected by Mercer and the events that unfold pit the player against Mercer, Blackwatch and Gentek, with very little direction in terms of who to really trust.
Prototype 2’s story while fairly entertaining, does leave something to be desired, and I believe this has something to do with the lack of diversity in the mission-style format in which the single-player experience unfolds. While there are additional objectives that can be achieved during each mission, earning the player more experience and upgrades, there is never any real need to complete these extra tasks in order to finish any particular mission.
Despite being a bit bland in terms of mission variety, Prototype 2 does introduce a unique story-telling method that adds a layer to consuming targets. In addition to being able top assume their identities, Heller will often advance the story and retrieve key pieces of information by absorbing key figures throughout the duration of the game. The telling of the story via memories is one of the many improvements Prototype 2 has made to enhance the overall experience.
What Prototype 2 also does very well, and this is the franchise’s bread and butter, is make you feel nearly invincible and allow you to utilize your various powers and unique skill set in battle and while traversing NYZ. Once you are cut loose in NYZ, Heller can leap high into the air, glide from building to building, scale skyscrapers and leap over obstacles in a super-parkour style. Even when you aren’t playing through a mission or completing a specific task, just travelling through NYZ is a rewarding experience.
From an audio and visual standpoint, Prototype 2 certainly impresses and earns its Mature rating. The game is graphic in terms of monsters and mutations and there is a fair amount of gore associated with almost everything that you do combat-wise in the game. The game’s soundtrack and voice acting are superb, although there are times that the dialogue does seem to be lacking and cliché-filled. Nevertheless, Prototype 2 carries a production level that we have come to expect from an Activision title.
With the introduction of Radnet, there is a higher level of replayability in Prototype 2 than there was in the original. Radnet introduces new mini-games throughout the course of your playthrough that provide challenges to complete in order to gain unlockables and other in-game perks.
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