Prototype

Prototype placed the player in an infected New York in the skin of Alex Mercer, an amnesiac man with superhuman abilities who tries to figure out what caused the viral outbreak turning residents into monsters and why both the army and a military corporation are after him. The main character can transform parts of his body into blades, claws, and shields, absorb the memories and abilities of his victims, climb buildings, and leap between skyscrapers, which makes moving around the city just as important a part of the game as the actual combat against soldiers and mutated monsters. By gradually completing side missions and consuming further targets, Alex unlocks new mutations and abilities that fundamentally change his combat style.

On the PS3, the game ran on Radical Entertainment's own engine and offered a large, though somewhat visually plain, city full of enemies ranging from civilians and soldiers to giant mutated monsters called Hunters. Combat was fast, brutal, and full of flashy combos, which made the player feel like an unstoppable weapon of mass destruction capable of wiping out an entire military unit, including tanks and helicopters. The atmosphere was rounded out by dark, industrial music and a grim narrative tone interspersed with flashbacks revealing the protagonist's past and his connection to the epidemic that engulfed all of Manhattan.

The game came out the same year as the competing inFamous, which tackled the same theme of open-world superhero action, and the two titles were frequently compared, with Prototype praised especially for its brutality, speed, and aggressive style of play, while criticized for weaker storytelling and a less sympathetic protagonist. Even years later, Prototype remains an interesting example of just how far a feeling of total physical dominance over the surrounding world can be taken, and it earned a loyal following of fans who appreciated its raw, uncompromising action free of unnecessary restrictions and moral dilemmas.

Why play it: For the raw feeling of total physical dominance over the surrounding world and a fast, aggressive style of play free of moral dilemmas, Prototype remains an interesting choice despite its weaker storytelling.