I am the Prototype.

Okay. So your day starts on the slab of a morgue about to be sliced open, when you're shocked back to life. Two lab technicians in NBC suits haul ass and order military lockdown. You're flooded with memories and you got the military on your ass. Such is the life of Alex Mercer, main character of the game, Prototype.

Prototype is a free roam game in the same vein as Grand Theft Auto and Ultimate Spider Man. You play the role of Alex Mercer, a man who is trying to piece together his past while under fire from multiple groups that basically want him dead. As you play through the game, Alex gains new abilities either from main story related missions, or side missions (i.e. military base infiltration). You can buy new abilities by spending EP (Evolution Points). These points are gained from either completing objectives, performing feats (i.e. jumping from building to building in under 50 seconds), or just killing people and blowing up crap.

If anyone has played or is familiar with such games as Ultimate Spider Man and Hulk Ultimate Destruction, then you will see that Prototype plays very similar in traversing Manhattan and the combat system. One of the nuances of the combat system is that there are a vast array of powers and abilities to the point that the game becomes extremely button-heavy. However, you will probably only end up spamming a handful of moves (*cough*overpowered*cough*). Another flaw in the combat system is the targeting. According to the instruction manual, yeah I read those, targeting works by selecting the target that poses the biggest threat. In other words, the enemy that can wreck your face in one hit should be targeted, right? Well, say that you're fighting a military guy with a semi-automatic pea shooter while fending off a giant malformed mutant hunter that would give Resident Evil's Tyrant a run for his money. You got to target. Who do you target? I'll give you a hint: it's human. Yep, you target the guy with the pea shooter while the mega mutant is hellbent on making you his bitch/lunch. Aside from those flaws, the combat system with the multiple combos and face-wrecking is workable, but nothing to write home about.

Since the game takes place on the island of Manhattan, traversing it can be a pain. Alex's primary travel power is his super speed, jump, and glide, all of which can be upgraded as you go. However, even at max level, getting around Manhattan is cumbersome as you won't be able to get to certain objectives in time, no matter how much ass you haul, military and mutants be damned.

The Web of Intrigue helps piece together Alex's memory and give the player greater insight into his condition and the circumstances surrounding Alex. To gain a memory node in the Web of Intrigue, you find a target marked on the map, usually a red dot, and you grab and absorb them. Well after you beat the game, WoI can provide some extended playtime if you're interested in learning more about Alex's past and circumstances. If you're the type of person who just wants to wreck camp, then move along.

Prototype is a solid game with flaws that hurt it in a lot of areas. The game is good, but it isn't worth $60. While no game is perfect, Prototype could've stood to spend some more time in the R&D division at Activision.

Final score: 8 out of 10