Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 53 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 249 Ratings

  • Summary: You are Alex Mercer, the Prototype: a shapeshifter with amazing powers of combat, destruction, and deception. Consume targets for their form and memories to assume a perfect disguise, or instantly transform your body into an array of deadly biological weapons, cutting your way to the heart of the conspiracy forty years in the making. Stalk the streets of New York City, searching for the life you lead before. Take the form of anyone in your path, using an arsenal of identities to confound, exploit or annihilate your enemies. Mankind is your mask. Wage a secret war against factions with complex agendas of their own, out to capture or kill you. They are your greatest threat and the key to the secrets of your past. Confront them, find those responsible and make them pay. Shapeshifting: Attack with brutal and devastating powers; instantly triggering hundreds of power combinations (Attack, Defensive and Sensory). Disguise: Assume the perfect disguise by transforming into any character and assuming the victim's powers, skills and abilities. New York City is your hunting ground! Jam-packed, vibrant, fully interactive city filled with thousands of people and enemies out to destroy you. Delve to the bottom of a conspiracy that has haunted the American government for decades. Who is responsible for your condition? Only you can find out! Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 53
  2. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. Prototype is one of the best games to release this generation and is definitely the best game to drop in 2009 (so far). Outside of the lackluster stealth and disguising mechanic, the brutal combat, huge open-world, varied challenges, and utterly satisfying gameplay makes this a must-have title for any serious gamer's collection. Get ready to put your life on hold!
  2. The mechanics are sound, but not rock-solid, the graphics are decent, though not great, and the carnage is excellent, though sometimes disorienting, especially with the less-than-stellar camera.
  3. This open-world action game set in Manhattan is proof that even viral outbreaks can be incredibly fun if they're done right.
  4. In spite of these shortcomings, I did have some fun with the game. It would have been a lot more fun, though, if there was more variety to the missions and there wasn’t so much frustration tied to them.

See all 53 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 57 out of 80
  2. Negative: 9 out of 80
  1. CameronD.
    10
    This game is absolutely fantastic. The first time I played I was completely blown with Alex's abilities and powers. This game is by far the best on the ps3 at the moment by far. Expand
  2. 8
    This game has lackluster graphics, a disgustingly put together story, TERRIBLE voice acting (save for Mercer, who's gritty-ish voice fit his character), and worst of all, lame missions. Then again, I don't care, I have spent the last 45 minutes of my day running over civilians in a tank... that I am holding. This game is about mindless bloodshed and mass murder, and I love it. I love getting that achievement for killing 53,956 infected, I love the final 2 missions: one of mass murder/chasing/yelling, the other of an epic boss fight that took me days to beat. I love just running around in the vast city, hijacking helicopters. Lastly, Alex Mercer. He looks cool, sounds cool, and does cool things. He is freaking cool. He's a murder, a monster, a terrorist. He's something less than human.. but also something more. He, like this game, has flaws, but kicks ass. I recommend a rental at least if you want to de-stress in the form of omnicide. Expand
  3. JayB
    6
    Game is decently fun. Plenty of up-close action, decent, but not great, graphics. OK story. Unfortunately I must compare it to inFAMOUS, which is a far greater game. inFAMOUS is an easy 9. Prototype is, sadly, a mere 6. Mindless fun, but forgettable fun. Nothing new or interesting happening. It just feels like less effort was put into it. Expand
  4. TylerM
    4
    What should have been good was only to be drowned out by the bad. It is hard to even start to describe the lacking of quality within this title. Being that I work in a game environment, I am constantly asked why I did not like it, and that maybe I should give it another chance. Well my answer is no, I played it for a good few hours, only to leave feeling that I had wasted my money. No matter what people try to say, I am not harsh, I just can't lie to myself and cough up that this is a 'great' game. It is not all bad though, that is why it gets a 4. Since it tried to immitate a sandbox free roamer, and I give it that. Also another beautiful aspect about this title is the action and the epic battle scenes. It is loaded with blood and gore unlike most titles, and deserves an applaud for its gore like qualities as well as some of its battle methods: customizing Alex's stats to the extreme, and using his custom abilities. But it just could not do it. All of the acrobatic stunts only stood to way down the capabilities that a common super hero should have. From missing roof-top after roof-top, and being knocked off of tanks too many times to count; I felt 0 satisfaction in any of the games actionized styles. Not to mention the lack of gravity only stands to impair this title more so. When you run up a building, Alex goes at the exact same speed as if he were running on the ground. That is crazy, and throwing a car is like throwing card board. When I throw a car at a heli copter, I expect it to hit it just soley based on the amount of inertia and speed that must be thrust outward to hit the copter. But magically the copter is fast enough to escape. One last refutation: certain enemies are to hard/tricky to kill( I have beaten extremly hard fights before so don't think I couldn't do it, it just was not rewarding when I did kill them). Trying to beat this game on normal mode can seem as though it were a chore; one mission to another and that is it. The story, although it tried to be drawn out well, there was something about its feel that kept the story from being one that is empathetic. I could not feel Alex's pain. He just seemed like an angry punk. The voice acting was only mediocre and it will be forgetable. Ultimately, I believe the fate of this title will rest in the bargain bin a few years from now only wanting to have lived up to the titles of its time being held behind the nice glass with a big price tag. Expand

See all 80 User Reviews