Does this look Infected to You?

After a very brief (but nifty) opening cinema, I had control of my character. Within the first few minutes, I jumped twenty feet into the air, grew giant claws and skewered several soldiers, jumped into the air and ripped a helicopter in two, ran up a building, backflipped off the wall, flew down the road, and then I beat up a tank. The thing is, I was only trying to cross the street. I thought to myself, "if I ever figure out how to do all that stuff on purpose, I'll be having a lot of fun."

Prototype is a game lacking any restraint whatsoever. Within the first fifteen minutes, you are punching tanks and jump-kicking helicopters, and the situation only escalates. The game keeps a running tally of your performance, and after two days of gaming I have apparently wiped out approximately three battalions of marines. I mentioned in my Red Faction review that I found myself questioning if I might actually be the bad guy rather than the hero. I don't have the question here- it's quite clear that I am the bad guy. The military is thoroughly amoral in the execution of their duties, but at least they ostensibly are trying to do a good thing on the balance. In other words, the big evil military organization is willing to commit all kinds of atrocities and horrors so that, in the end, they can keep the nation on the whole safe. I am committing all kinds of atrocities and horrors because it's fun. Oh, and it is indeed fun.

The game's "protagonist," being a protagonist in that there is a problem he is presented with, and he mutilates said problem over the course of the story, is Alex Mercer. At the outset of our tale, Alex wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who he is or what's going on, and before he can figure it out a bunch of army guys show up and shoot him to death. It doesn't quite take, however, and Alex jumps back up, hurdles a 9 foot wall, and outruns them. He's apparently been infected with a supervirus that gives him all these crazy powers. Not terribly new, as plots go, but it's as good excuse for a murderous romp through Manhattan as I need.

The controls take a long time to master but once you are comfortable with them you will have a blast parkouring all over Manhattan The game features a movement system that resembles Assassin's Creed on crack. You can not only run faster than a car, but you can do it straight up a wall. Whenever you're running, you will automatically hurdle cars, debris, and other small obstructions. If you hit a large obstruction, like a building, you will turn 90 degrees and run straight up it. While running up a building, you will still be carried by momentum and can get thrown off course when you hit uneven terrain. It's awkward, but after a while you learn how to stop trying to bend the controls to your will, and let the game's parkour system handle a bit of the navigation. You basically have to stop trying to compensate for the game's movements, and let it play itself a little bit. It sounds weird, I know, but once you get the hang of it the system really is smooth and well-designed.

The combat system is nothing terribly new, but it is very polished and fun. Alex Mercer is able to mutate his arms into scythes, claws, tentacles, shields, giant hammers, and larger arms, and he uses all of these things to slaughter the good people of New York, the marines who try to protect them, and the infected monstrosities (himself excluded) that are trying to kill them. The enemy comes at you with tanks, infantry, and helicopters, and different approaches are required in different situations. Claws will shred the infantry in short order, but tanks require something heavier, like giant hammers. Helicopters are suckers for a good karate kick, when you're close enough, but until you develop the power to lasso them with a tentacle, a taxi-cab fastball brings them down right quick. As the game progresses, the military steps up their offensives and many new challenges come into play; it's all rather well paced, really.

The combat, movement, and open-world environment are the primary selling points here, but one other thing that simply must be mentioned is the consumption mechanic. When Alex grabs hold of a live victim, he can consume them; in addition to providing a health boost, this allows Alex to absorb their body and minds. Alex instantly gains access to all of their memories, and he can perfectly mimic their physical appearance and mannerisms. With the right disguise, you can infiltrate secure facilities, order artillery strikes, or even accuse another poor grunt of being the real monster, prompting the hapless leatherneck's comrades to gun him down. Another interesting use of the consumption mechanic is that you can absorb everything your victim ever knew or experienced. Eat a helicopter pilot, and you instantly know everything he did about operating one. Eat a base commander, and you can pass through voice and retinal scanners guarding the base. This allows Alex to reach certain areas undetected and acquire useful new skills.

It is through this mechanic that the game's storyline is unfurled. As I said before, it's your standard military viral cover-up, worthy of a sci-fi original. However, the method of telling is interesting. Scattered throughout the city are random New Yorkers who happen to have some tidbit of knowledge that will help you to dig deeper into the military cover-up behind the outbreak. When Alex gets near one, he will recognize him or her, which marks them for you. After you consume them, you are treated to a brief cinema that offers you just a small scrap of information; this may be a piece of a conversation overheard by a military escort, or a recalled conversation between two scientists about how the virus worked. Usually, the memory will feature another potential target, who can now also be found wandering the streets of New York. These targets aren't necessary to complete the game, but they will fill in gaps in the story and foreshadow certain events. It's an interesting storytelling method, and while not exactly epic in its presentation, it's something I haven't seen before and it works.

The bottom line: Prototype is just a nice cathartic murder-go-round, but it's an extremely polished and creative one. I had a blast with it.

Oh, and speaking of horrible flesh-eating viruses: I got my tests back without any unpleasant surprises. Happiness!