I can't tell whether or not I'm the only one who has been waiting all year for Prototype to come out.
I don't even know why. I don't even know that much about it. The story seems to be about this hoody-wearing hipster-looking guy in his 20s named Alex who wakes up in the morgue one day with unbelievable kick-ass powers. He's super-strong and damage resistant. He can run up walls and punch the crap out of people, and assume disguises, and periodically bits of his body change shape and become weapons. For some reason instead of being stoked about this, he's pissed off. Here's the trailer:
I'm about an hour in, and so far? It's fantastic. You're in a beautifully realized open-world-version of Manhattan, through which you can roam freely. Being able to run up walls at will just moved up into my top-3-wishes list. You're hella powerful -- so far I haven't met anything that's been in any real danger of putting me down, tanks included, which is fine, since I'm still figuring out how the targeting system works, and how to deploy my various attacks. Some of my attacks are gross and writhing! (Alex's powers are not wholly dissimilar from the ones in The Darkness.)
The plot revolves around the release of some kind of scary virus, which turns people into I Am Legend-type monsters and generally has the citizenry pretty spooked. I assume it will all come out that this greedy biotech company I used to work for did something gravely unethical, and for which I taking them firmly to task. Somewhere in the mix is Alex's sister, who is pleasingly hot. If I could make Alex make out with his sister, I would.
Complaints: I don't have many. Whenever I pass too close to pedestrians on the street, I automatically kick their asses, which I feel a little bad about -- it's like that old Verve "Bittersweet Symphony" video, but in reverse. But that's probably my issue -- maybe I need to tweak a mode somewhere. I'm not a great one for studying the controls too closely.
If there's anything I could wish for so far, it's that Alex was a little more relatable. He's like one of those annoyingly good-looking hipsters who are always getting served ahead of me in bars. Memo to game developers: I don't want to be guys like that. I want to punch guys like that.
Oh yeah, I remember seeing the trailer for that at my friend's birthday party a while ago, and then a Youtube video with even more footage. Looks like it might be fun, if I ever played video games. Could make a very interesting project natal game, but you would probably have to have ninja powers to play it that way, so never mind.
tereglith
Jun. 18, 2009 16:47:pm
at 16:47:pm
I just finished a playthrough of Infamous, which is fairly similar, and as well as that game handled certain things, it mostly just made me want to go back and play Crackdown. How does this one stack up?
jeffk
Jun. 18, 2009 17:13:pm
at 17:13:pm
Don't feel bad about beating up random pedestrians. It could be worse. For example, you could accidently snap a baby's neck.
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Can Alex turn into a smoke monster that judges a person's misdeeds before killing them in horrible ways?
Kemper
Jun. 18, 2009 17:59:pm
at 17:59:pm
Oh, my dear Mr. Grossman. I would have to agree with you for the most part on this game. I purchased it as soon as I could find a copy. (Which wasn't easy. The local Wal Mart didn't have it.) But, in any case, I was completely stoked about this game. It's pretty fun, I'll admit, but I wish there was a bit more to it. Half of the time, I find myself avoiding missions and getting Blackwatch to call in Strike Teams just to have some fun. (If it weren't for the whipfist, I'd probably be screwed.)
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As per your wondering if you were the only person waiting: no, I don't think so. When I called Wal Mart, they said that people had been calling all day. And, when I finally did get a copy, it was the last one.
walkinghbomb
Jun. 18, 2009 18:49:pm
at 18:49:pm
The whole 'having been dead' thing seems to be a bummer. C.f., Starbuck.
Church
Jun. 18, 2009 20:10:pm
at 20:10:pm
You know, I saw a few ads for this game, and every time I thought it was an ad for Infamous.
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I wonder if the character from Prototype gained his powers from some electromagnetically charged Island that likes jumping around the ocean.
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Or it's possible that he's got some remnant of a cybornetic decendant.
Dave
Jun. 18, 2009 23:01:pm
at 23:01:pm
I havent played this but what Ive seen/heard about it.. it really just seems like a gorier InFamous. I just beat InFamous (in 5 days) and it was enjoyable. Has anyone played both and could compare them for us?
Was the lab he worked for called 'Mitelos Bioscience' by any chance?
suiter
Jun. 19, 2009 13:45:pm
at 13:45:pm
I hope it not a disappointment like InFamous was. Such a lame game. Graphics, gameplay mechanics, and story are all flat. There is nothing driving me to play and finish the story or the game. Nothing compeling about the story or characters to want to play. The characters are even more unrelateable in this game because...well there is no real story fleshed out.
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@suiter: I have heard people and critics liked InFamous but I just didnt. "Mitelos Bioscience"!!!! If you just continuing on with what Kemper said...Nice. If its true adn they made no other references then its unintentional and lame.
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@Kemper: One could only wish that was true. That a game could come out and be fantastic and heal the wounds from the Lost video game, it was fun, because I am a Lost fanatic, but not fun, not replayable etc...
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It does look fantastic. My only worry is the overuse of a plot story, "I wake up with no memories and I have powers."
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I am really waiting for ohhhh, Splinter Cell Conviction, Batman Arkam Asylam, Uncharted 2 Among Thevies, Mass Effect 2, I am not as excited for Bioshock 2 because I just dont think its going to be the same, Ratchet adn Clank...hey sometimes a hardcore gamer needs the fun qurky humored platform...yes I like little big planet, Halo ODST VERY MUCH EXCITED. Its fresh air for the franchise to branch out and not try to do Master Chief saga some more.
lostepic
Jun. 20, 2009 05:37:am
at 05:37:am