3.5/5 ★ – KHFanXIII's review of Prototype.

Prototype is an open-world, original, "superhero" game. I put that word in air quotes due to how you're not really heroic, but you do have superpowers that you control in an open world, so superhero game just felt like the most apt descriptor. Releaed in 2009 and developed by Radical Entertainment it was fairly popular when it released. I remember being jealous I couldn't afford it because the game just looked so fun. I was stuck with the first inFAMOUS game though. Speaking of, back when Prototype first released, there was a big hullabaloo about how similiar it and Sucker Punch's game inFAMOUS were. Reviewing both from a modern lense, there are *some* similarities (like how both feature you using superpowers in places based on New York), but the differences of each make it quite obvious that these games are quite distinct. To delve into the game, I'll briefly touch on my opinions of the story. The overall plot of this game is just kind of underwhelming and generic, however there are a few nuggets of information you get through this game that actually are really interesting, and how the story is expanded through the Web of Intrigue system lets dedicated players delve further into the setting and get more background on what exactly is happening in this game. The real meat and potatoes of this game is the gameplay, which is just genuinely fun. The traversal system puts to shame even some elements of the contemporary Spider-Man games and is miles better than the one in inFAMOUS. You are so fast it does take some time to master (especially if you're going for the Gold in the parkour challenges). Running around, air dashing, and gliding is just so fun to do it made me really enjoy just moving around, which is always a good sign in open-world games. The combat itself is serviceable. Nothing too complex, but there is a variety of abilities which each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Although, I will say that the big arm blade is by far the best one. I did get a lot of fun out of using the whip power as well. The progression system throughout this game was pretty good too. You start out fairly weak, and throughout the game by purchasing upgrades and making progress in the story you end up being hugely powerful which made for a very satisfying feeling. The size of the world is a lot more constrained than the more recent open world games I've played, due to this being a 14 year old game, which was honestly refreshing. I miss when games weren't absolutely massive. Having a smaller playground not absolutely fillled with icons everywhere was such a throwback and I honestly wish games would go back to this. The side content in this game was kind of meh though. It consists of basically a bunch of challenges, and while they are fun at first, they kind of get repetitive after doing so many. There is also the Web of Intrigue. This is basically how the story is expanded for those who are interested. In the game, you can consume people which gives you access to their memories. The Web of Intrigue is a series of targets which have pertinent information. Most of it is optional, but it gives you insight into the world of the game and can be interesting and reveal some cool info if you want to seek it out. The only other bit of side stuff in the game is collecting Landmark or Hint orbs which was not really worth it aside from just picking up any you happen to see for the EP. The game's ending of wasn't super satisfying, but that didn't detract from the fun I had just playing this game. Prototype is the perfect example of a game that is just FUN to play. Overall, despite a somewhat lackluster story and side content, I definitely recommend playing through this.