Prototype 2: Crazy, chaotic, and fun!

     The crazy, over the top mayhem of Prototype is back and it's better than ever. Prototype 2 takes place just over a year after the events of the first game. The original game's anti-hero Alex Mercer is back and has spread the infection across New York City. You play as Sgt. James Heller, and are seeking revenge on Mercer for the death of your wife and daughter. Throughout the campaign you will meet different characters who will help you along the way. You'll uncover secrets as you get closer and closer to your final encounter with Mercer. The cutscenes in the game play out in a "Sin City" style with everything being black and white with shades of red. Personally I thought this style (though done before) worked well with the game. Along with the main missions there are quite a few side missions and hidden collectables to lengthen the game. The missions are repetitive, but because of the game's insane action you still have a good time. If you haven't played the first Prototype don't worry. You won't feel like you've missed that much.

     If you're familiar with how the gameplay of Prototype works, you'll feel right at home. Just like before you will unlock upgrades and new abilities for Heller to use. Of course to fully upgrade and unlock all the abilities you will need to complete the side missions, but you'll earn the basic abilities by progressing through the campaign. The abilities you learn are some of the craziest ones I've seen lately in a game. Since Heller is also infected with the virus, you'll have some awesome attacks at your disposal. These include turning your hands into claws, blades, huge hammers, and even a chain-like weapon with a blade on the end. There are some other abilities too, such as being able to run up walls and glide through the air. Towards the end of the game you'll be able to take out a crowd of people and vehicles with massive force slams. Part of the enjoyment of the game is just being able to free roam the city and create complete mayhem.

     All of these abilities sound awesome but without the right control scheme they can be a nightmare. Fortunately the controls in Prototype 2 to are solid. You can only equip two attack abilities at a time. To switch them you open up an ability wheel (via the shoulder button) that you can cycle through and change your attacks. This can be done on the fly which makes it easy and very accessible. Graphically the game is nothing to shout about. It doesn't look bad, but it doesn't quite have the flair that other games in 2012 have had. Buildings or other objects in the distance sometimes have that "fog effect" that slowly come into view as you get closer. Character models and building textures look a little plain too. 

     One nice addition to the game was Radical Entertainment's Radnet content. If you bought a new copy of the game close to the launch you received a code to unlock this special content. I'm not sure if the Radnet content is still being included with new copies now, or if you can download it as dlc. Basically what it does is throughout seven weeks a new set of challenges were unlocked. You can compete with friends in leaderboards, unlock videos, and more. The challenges act somewhat like mini-games that add a little extra something to the game. They don't actually add into the story so if you don't have them you won't miss anything.   

     At the end of the game I wasn't disappointed with Prototype 2. I wish there was a little more to the story, and the missions tend to get repetitive. Overall it wasn't bad. The controls work well and the upgradeable abilities are a blast to unleash upon your enemies. There were several times I found myself just wanting to explore, glide around the city, and see how much destruction I could cause. If you're looking for a game that you don't have to do any thinking and just have a chaotic good time, Prototype 2 is a good place to start.

Final Verdict: 8/10

Written by: Alter Ego 83