Revisiting // [PROTOTYPE]

I still remember back in 2009 when Prototype was getting released. It was getting launched at the same time as Infamous, a PlayStation 3 exclusive title. There was definitely some back and forth between the two games, both being kind of superhero/anti-hero-type games. Both had superpowers and sweet movement systems. Since I didn’t have a PS3 then, I obviously went with Prototype. From what I remember, it was a super rad game. It was definitely a lot more brutal than Infamous, with a lot more blood and dismemberment. I enjoyed the game a lot and went through the entire game in a short amount of time. Back then I definitely had more of an attention span to sit and play a single game for hours. Nowadays I’m lucky to get in an hour before my body needs to go do something else.

I decided to pick up the Biohazard Collection for Prototype 1 and its sequel. So far I’ve only played the first one for a few hours. It’s a lot like I remember and still looks just fine for its age. It is technically a remaster, but I honestly can’t see too much of a visual upgrade.

Gameplay is still the same. I love the parkour-style movement. Just holding down the trigger to sprint and it automatically has you flipping over cars and objects. Fighting enemies is still fun. I feel like an absolute badass the entire time. Taking down a dozen army guys in just a few seconds is always a good time.

There are definitely some weird controls in a few things. Like shooting a gun is a button press instead of the more well-known right trigger. It’s fine since you don’t always find yourself needing to pick up a weapon. You are the weapon, after all.

So far I’ve only picked up a few of the shapeshifting weapons: the blade and shield. It’s still cool to ram down cars and slice things in half. Running up the side of buildings and jumping through the air really reminds me of Insomniac’s Spiderman game. Not as fluid, but it was damn good traversal for its time.

I still remember the story, for the most part. The twist at the end of the first game was always kind of wild to me, but where Alex Mercer ends up in the sequel kind of blew me away. I think I will have to do another quick run through the sequel just to remember what fully happens to Alex, but I remember him leaning into being more of a villain.

I would love to see Prototype 3 come to fruition. I don’t think it is something that is in any sort of active talks, especially since I think the remaster collection didn’t sell very well. That being said, something is missing in the gaming space for me right now, and I really do think it is this type of Powerhouse feeling game. A game where I am an absolute wrecking machine and I do what I want to complete my mission. Less realism, give me badass powers, and let me wreck up a city.