Prototype should have been called "Bad Ass: The Video Game"

(Activision; PC, PS3, Xbox 360; rated mature)

Prototype practically has “Infamous rip-off” tattooed on it. Still, Prototype, which was released on June 9, is one of the most awesome games I’ve played recently. The developers at Vancouver’s Radical Entertainment should have called it “Bad Ass: The Video Game”.

You play Alex Mercer, a scientist in New York City who has been infected with a virus. A special branch of the military has quarantined New York. The city is slowly being taken over by the infected and military. The game starts off at the end of the story, giving you little things to do in order to grasp the controls, then sends you to the beginning.

The whole game is essentially flashbacks (think Dawn of the Dead mixed with Family Guy). Alex doesn’t know what’s going on at the start: who he is, what the virus is, and even how to help. As you roam free throughout a full-scale New York, you encounter certain people you can consume to gain their memories and slowly piece together the shit storm that has taken over you and the city.

Prototype is a game built to make you feel superior, in every way. Mercer can run up the sides of buildings, sprint faster than cars drive, fight better than soldiers, and use his virus as a weapon. As you progress, you unlock the ability to morph your arms and body into whips, blades, hammer-fists, shields, and armor. Consuming people gives Mercer a bit of health and the ability to shift his appearance to look like them (e.g., you’d consume an army general in order to gain access to army bases, even command the military). Mercer is so powerful, in fact, that you can single-handedly take on small armies with tanks and helicopters.

The gameplay is fast—very fast—and it shines in the speedy action. The unlockable items make it rewarding to spend some time on the side doing the little mini games set up in the city. The camera angles are compelling and the fight combos are extremely satisfying. I found that even the parkour moves that you perform, when darting through traffic or scaling an office tower, were very engaging and well done. The audio in the game is brilliant and makes you feel immersed. The AI is also well programmed; if you do something abnormal in front of citizens they will run away in fear. Even the cars will drive away from you, backwards if necessary, to get away from the havoc you create.

Playing Prototype—and I’m not finished with it by a long stretch—is an amazing experience. Every hour I put into the game leads me to discover new reasons why this game is my favourite title at the moment. So far, Prototype gets my vote for “underdog game of the year”.

Wyatt Fossett can be reached on Twitter at twitter.com/SheriffEarp.