Developer: Radical Entertainment
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Platform: Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
Activision held a preview last Wednesday night to showcase a few upcoming titles from the publisher. Radical was on hand to give spectators a hands-off gameplay demonstration of Prototype 2, the sequel to the successful however critically received game. This time, the story is less convoluted. As Sgt. James Heller, your objective is to find and kill Alex Mercer.
It’s a twist that changes up the pace of the narrative. Radical listened a lot to community feedback and established a clear-cut, good versus evil scenario to draw players into the storyline this time around. Likened to Raiders of the Lost Ark, Heller will be completing objectives around New York City with the ultimate goal of revenge against the anti-hero from the first game.
Another aspect that Radical focused intently on was fixing the overwhelming combat gameplay from the first Prototype. Powers remain an integral part of the Prototype experience. Biobombs execute with resounding impact. Heller can stealthy hijack unsuspecting soldiers and transform them into a ticking time bomb through his newfound blacklight virus powers.
Of course, Heller will have the advantage of using tendrils, a power that allows him to ensnare objects in the environment and smash them together for resounding effect. Think of it like a messed up Spider-Man, stringing enemies into “webs” and immobilizing them for further punishment. A new enemy variant, the brawler, while heavily armored, is also prone to Heller’s tendrils and exploiting those weaknesses will prove a game changer in combat.
Don’t expect wholesome family fun in this gruesome M-rated title. Prototype still lingers in the middling gray area with the player commanding supernatural strength at its forefront. Heller bears similar strength to Alex Mercer so players will naturally familiarize themselves with consuming and turning military grade weaponry against enemies. Part of the fun in Prototype was running around in a besieged New York Zero and causing havoc in an open world sandbox environment. However, the chaotic nature proved a detriment to players so the developers were keen on dialing down the combat in order to focus on one-on-one fights with smoother pacing. To that end, Radical implemented celebratory slowdown moments, exaggerated tells, and a dodging system to prevent players from feeling overwhelmed by the relentless action.
At its core, Prototype 2 remains true to its foundation but feels refined and polished than its predecessor. While the demo we saw was an early February build of the game, the developer noted that the controls have changed drastically since then. Hopefully, we will score hands-on time with the game soon but between now and April 24, I have a feeling that we will see alot of Prototype 2 in the months to come.
