STORY
Prototype 2 picks up where the previous game ended, with Alex Mercer fully realizing his Infected Super Being persona, and about ready to take on the city that's been trying to take him down. In an interesting tonal shift, instead of playing as Alex Mercer, players control Sgt. James Heller, who, instead of just being an unstoppable killing machine who now lives to spread the Mercer Virus, is a VICTIM of the virus; having lost his wife and child to the aftermath of Mercer's destructive fury.
Heller somehow convinces his superiors to send him into the red zone, with the single-minded intention of killing Mercer, no matter the cost to himself. However, he gets a little more than what he bargained for when Mercer forcefully infects and evolves the Sergeant into his very own copy of himself. After realizing what he has become, Heller sets out to finish what he began: he will kill Alex Mercer.
The story is most definitely an improvement over the previous game, with Heller being a somewhat likable character at times, though not necessarily on par with other characters in the industry. He has a near justifiable excuse for wreaking the amount of havoc as he does, though it's still massively over the top. That said, if I was given powers like these guys, I doubt I'd be able to resist throwing a few tanks around.
The writing is pretty generic, with a lot of swear words thrown in to distract from the lack of decent dialogue, though I'll be the first to admit that I doubt many people will be here for the story. It's not the worst I've seen in gaming, but it's no Mass Effect. It certainly has a few good characters and plot twists, but it's not much more than a basic frame for the gameplay.
PRESENTATION
The graphics engine appears to have had very little upgraded since Prototype, and a lot of the animations are still reminiscent of Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. The game is alot more visually interesting than the original game, mostly due to the increase in colour for the majority of the game.
The soundtrack is largely quite forgettable, with loud bass and heavy percussion to emphasize the intensity of the combat. It's all very tough sounding, but doesn't invoke any emotional response other than "I want to beat the shit out of these guys"
On the other hand, the voice acting has improved significantly. Heller really conveys his anguish at his family's death, as well as his limitless fury at Mercer. Mercer on the other hand sounds less whiny bitch, and more cold, calculating infected ruler. It's probably the high point of the game's presentation.
GAMEPLAY
It's time to face facts: chances are that if you're intending on purchasing Prototype 2, you aren't doing it for it's story or production value. While neither of those are terrible, the gameplay is most definitely the main event here. It reaches a level of over the top, uber empowering violence that few games can achieve, and despite the lack of variety as far as missions go, the gameplay very rarely feels repetitive.
The gameplay revolves around Heller's virus powers, which are quite similar to Mercer's in the previous game. This time, instead of choosing between one defensive and one offensive power, players get the option to map a power to one of two attack buttons, allowing mid combat switching. There are 5 offensive powers to switch in and out so that keeps things interesting.
The defensive powers have been replaced by singular shield power, providing a suitable barrier from damage, as well as the ability to reverse certain attacks.
The other faucet of Heller's powers provide the option for super powered travel. Traversing the landscape of New York Zero is both quick and fun, with James running up buildings, gliding over gaps and speeding to earth to deliver ground shattering punches from miles above the intended targets.
The game features some stealth gameplay, but its some of the most simplistic and (quite frankly) easy stealth play that I've ever seen. However, I can't deny that consuming foes and disguising yourself in their form isn't funny as hell.
REPLAYABILITY
Prototype 2 has some of the best gameplay for just mucking around in an open world, it's over the top, entertaining and it works really well. On top of that, there are a bunch of different collectibles to hunt for. And when that's all said and done, the RADNET system provides little challenge modes, where your scores are compared with your friends in a sort of Autolog style of presentation. It informs you when you've become a challenge leader, or when you lose a rank, so for any competitive gamers out there, this is a must have feature.
OVERVIEW
I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Prototype 2's main event is most definitely it's gameplay. If you're the type to champion storytelling in videogames, P2 may not have enough to really keep you engaged for the duration. Along with that, the graphics and overall presentation isn't anything overwhelmingly special. It looks good, but doesn't stand out. However, the gameplay is so visceral and empowering that I can't give this a recommendation; at the very least for those who love open world games and over the top action.
So yea, maybe a week off (if only to buff up on Max Payne 1 and 2, in time for the new one) and yea, I'll keep you guys posted. See you next time!
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