| A Prototype of Things to Come Despite the varying difficulty of the game and other minor issues, Prototype is simply brilliantly unique, in a time when most games are war-shooter rehashes that felt stale before they were even released, or fantasy worlds that feel distant from reality and insist on confining you to a narrow path, Prototype brings you into the gritty world of Manhattan Island in the middle of a zombie plague, with a reasonable plot and mostly believable rules of engagement, and then upsets the balance by making you incredibly powerful and redefining the entire way you think of a war-torn cityscape. The result is an entirely unique experience we will forever know as Prototype, with no comparisons I can comfortably draw to other games. (Editor: Though the description sounds much like a higher-octane version of inFamous.)
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| Graphics
- Sound - Gameplay - Depth
- Multiplayer | Reviewed
by Forest Hale |
GRAPHICS
95 % |
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The graphics do not quite feel "nextgen" but are consistently above average, the effects range from dull to awe inspiring for the larger attacks and some of the vehicular carnage, it is sometimes impossible to see through all the explosions and smoke when you attack a military base or hive (and indeed the game has a thermal vision mode to assist with this!), the effects alone justify a higher graphics score, although they are hard to capture in screenshots and look best in motion.
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SOUND
85 % |
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Sound is perhaps not the strongest point of the game but is well done, all the military and civilian characters have a large repertoire of things to say, and often they are very appropriate to the situation, occasionally eliciting a kind of guilty pleasure in the subterfuge you frequently partake in. The general effects of the game are slightly bland but realistic, and the gore sounds are particularly gruesome. Note there is abundant profanity in most of the speech clips, as if the gore was not enough to tell you this is not a family game.
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GAMEPLAY
100 % |
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Put simply, this game is too much fun for its own good, blending tactics with sheer carnage and a bit of strategy, Radical Entertainment have unleashed the gameplay of being an ultra-powerful beast in the middle of a quarantined city well on its way to destruction, while also letting you blend in with the crowd or sneak into a military base after consuming its commander and clear the place out, the gameplay elements are simple but they combine in myriad ways to give a sense of freedom. This game simply deserves 100% for gameplay if the genre appeals to you, in spite of the
inconsistent difficulty and occasional annoyances.
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DEPTH
90 % |
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The story is a bit weak but the compelling characters keep it appealing, and the "Web of Intrigue" is a fascinating concept which works well to enrich the backstory, as does the ongoing war between the military and the infected. The tactical and strategic elements of the gameplay also bring a surprising depth to what could have been a pure carnage game, really cool situations arise simply due to the interactions of the NPCs and the intentional (or unintentional) consequences of your actions.
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MULTIPLAYER
0 % |
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N/A
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This game has "replay value" for all the right reasons, it is simply fun to play when you want to let off some steam, I expect to be playing it from time to time for years to come. It is certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but for those who enjoy this world of freedom and carnage it is a uniquely appealing game and caught me completely by surprise. Highly recommended if you're into freedom of movement, brutal carnage, and a game that is never mundane.
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