Prototype

 PlayStation 3
Prototype Image
Metascore
79

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

User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 357 Ratings

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  • 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 heartYou 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
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Prototype Biohazard Bundle - Announcement Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 53
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 53
  3. Negative: 0 out of 53
  1. Cheat Code Central
    98
    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. GamingTrend
    90
    Damn it – Prototype is just fun. The combat is visceral, the movement is fluid and fast, and the storyline is just good enough to keep you going. Wrap that in a great control system and tack on the feeling of ever-expanding power and you have a game that fires on all cylinders. Few games manage to balance their end-game without resorting to cheap numbers games – Prototype manages to pull you in all the way until the revealing end.
  3. IGN AU
    85
    Infamous is more elegant and refined in design, with more of a focus on ranged combat, while Prototype is – truth be told - more frenetic and fun. Prototype is more of a spectacle and puts more power and choice in the hands of the player.
  4. Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)
    80
    Even without perfect controls or jaw-dropping visuals, it offers a terrifically evil time for action game fans. [Sept 2009, p.74]
    All this publication's reviews
  5. DarkZero
    80
    It is absolutely the best game for wasting away those hot summer days. If you’re a fan of superhero games or just love gratuitous violence, you can’t go wrong with Prototype.
  6. Gaming Age
    75
    It's a lot of fun when you're actually playing, but when it comes the story related material, it falls flat. If you enjoy open world sandbox style games, PROTOTYPE has a lot going for it, and there's certainly a lot of ground to cover through the entire city, and a lot of random stuff to find and toy around with.
  7. Game Revolution
    58
    If you’re willing to put up with its annoying design issues, drab appearance, and second-hand feel, you might find that, like a shirt with different-lengthed sleeves, Prototype holds up so long as no one looks too closely.

See all 53 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 54 out of 97
  2. Mixed: 31 out of 97
  3. Negative: 12 out of 97
  1. SifuGreg
    Jul 2, 2011
    10
    I thought this was one of the best games I've played in a long time. There is something about defying gravity... I did not see any of theI thought this was one of the best games I've played in a long time. There is something about defying gravity... I did not see any of the negatives others spoke about. I found the accuracy spot on and I didn't feel the graphics suffered whatsoever. Movement was smooth and natural. The ability to go anywhere in the city in 3D is so much better than those games where they lead you by the one way maze. I highly recommend it.… Expand
  2. [Anonymous]
    Jun 10, 2009
    10
    Amazing story unique gameplay mechanics overall best game of the summer.
  4. JohnP.
    Jun 10, 2009
    9
    it is a very good game.it have very good graphics and a perfect gameplay and the scenario is very good.
  5. ChrisS.
    Jun 13, 2009
    8
    It can be a lot of fun just for the sheer amount of destruction and chaos you can cause on screen. All with a very smooth frame rate - albeit It can be a lot of fun just for the sheer amount of destruction and chaos you can cause on screen. All with a very smooth frame rate - albeit one that is smooth at the expense of the downgraded graphics. Draw distances are pretty poor, and the textures are Xbox 1, Ps2 quality. The missions are fun enough, but I found the lock on targeting system to not be to my liking. It's too much of a pain to hit the target you want, especially if you are using any of the soldier weapons. Using your own biological powers works great though, and the auto targeting isn't as much of a necessity. Ii can understand why they went with this system over Infamous' free targeting, since Prototype is a much faster paced game , and is much more hectic. Very fun game, but again, the graphics and targeting system are what made the game feel unfinished.… Expand
  6. FabioLPinto
    Jul 3, 2013
    7
    It's a good game, with a vast world to explore, but the story is not credible and loses interest halfway through. But still, it is fun to playIt's a good game, with a vast world to explore, but the story is not credible and loses interest halfway through. But still, it is fun to play with several options in combat, but the combat is messy, sometimes the player does not know which side is being attacked, which leads to an annoying death. It's a good game, but could be better.… Expand
  7. JacobP.
    Jun 28, 2009
    6
    Ever play 'Flower' on PSN or 'Electroplankton' for the DS? No? Me neither. Know what those games have in common though? Ever play 'Flower' on PSN or 'Electroplankton' for the DS? No? Me neither. Know what those games have in common though? No? Well, from what I've read, they're not 'games' per se but trinkets you can kick around and relax with. For me, that's what Prototype strikes me as: it's not the greatest game out there, but after a long and toiling day earning your daily dollar it's fun to return home, boot up Prototype, lay back and casually enjoy the mayhem on screen. You play as Alex Mercer, second cousin to Canadian weasel Rick Mercer and the product of genetic tampering gone too, too far. You've gained superhuman powers and can lay waste to the city, blow things up, throw around trucks and cars and hijack tanks for 'splosions galore. Alex himself is grim and moody, but otherwise tolerable-- except for that damn hoodie he wears all throughout the game. God, I'd love to go up and yank that thing off! And tell him to stand up straight while I was at it! When I first returned home after renting Prototype, to be frank I was a bit biased. I knew InFamous had come out a few weeks earlier and that not only was it an exclusive to the PS3 but also had a lot more work go into it. In terms of music, presentation, cutscenes and graphics InFamous wins over Prototype; hands down. I was perpetually surprised though as I played through Prototype. The cutscenes take themselves way too seriously, so if there's another person in the room you can count on smart-assed comments and your peers substituting cheeky dialogue whenever there's a pause in character interaction. Which can add to the fun, granted: think MST3K. However, there are a few well done plot twists in the game. I can remember my eyebrows shooting up my forehead when Alex's mysterious informant was revealed, and I certainly enjoyed Alex tearing down and causing havoc for the PMC Blackwatch, a not-so-subtle reference to it's real-life inspiration Blackwater. Naming the villainous PMC after Blackwater was clever; nuff said. All things aside though- if you've played The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction for last generation consoles, you've played Prototype. This game was made by the same team behind Hulk: UD, and it shows. Even the 'hints' scattered around the city are back, along with the 'critical mass' move. The game is fun but short as hell, and once you've beaten it there is zero incentive to play any further. Games like these function well because of their mission based design, and once Alex completes all his tasks, the longevity of the title sinks like a stone. That brings me to my final point. Anyone here still go to Penny Arcade? I do, maybe once a month, where I happened upon the character Gabe literally screaming that you should buy it. Shame on you, Penny Arcade. Endorsing Prototype? What, did they give you another free DS? Here's the link: http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2009/6/19/ Save your money, folks. This game is great as a rental but if you buy it it'll just wind up collecting dust because of it's short lifespan. Don't waste your cash! The Economic Crisis isn't over yet!… Expand
  8. Nickb
    Jun 10, 2009
    0
    Game is so boring, crap graphics, ok gameplay, no multiplayer.

See all 97 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best PS3 Game of 2009
11
#11 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2009
15
#15 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2009