Prototype

Still a Legend.
Story and Characters - A Hero or a Threat?
The game begins with an amnesiac man opening his eyes in a morgue in Manhattan. This man is none other than Alex Mercer, one of the well-known legends in the gaming world. The game's story is good and intriguing. At the center of the story is the Blacklight virus and the outbreak spreading across Manhattan. As the virus spreads, military presence in the city increases, quarantine tightens, and roaming the streets becomes increasingly dangerous. Because the developer implemented this into gameplay rather than just keeping it on paper, the game becomes even more enjoyable. It genuinely becomes harder for us to navigate the streets; our abnormal movements are spotted by soldiers, and the chase begins.
"Consuming" people who possess information about the virus and ourselves to see their memories in order to uncover Mercer's past is quite a creative mechanic and storytelling method. This way, we can uncover the narrative piece by piece; additionally, outside the main story, we can learn details from key individuals we encounter on the street. Later teaming up with Captain Robert Cross, whom we fight, adds a distinct flavor to the story. It shows what Alex is willing to sacrifice to uncover the truth. Robert Cross's design is also very cool; it shows he is never afraid of someone like us.
Another noteworthy point is the scientific dimension added to the story by characters like Dr. McMullen. Dr. McMullen killing himself was a particularly pivotal moment. Because of this, Mercer cannot consume him and cannot learn what he knows. This sets a logical boundary for the story. As we also learn at the end of the game, Alex Mercer is actually dead. He is now merely a disguise for us; we all already know that the virus can adopt the appearance of people it consumes. The virus, on the other hand, is the surviving memories and remnants of Alex Mercer.
Gameplay and Mechanics - Power Trip!
We arrive at Prototype's greatest strength. A title remembered by most people for its protagonist and gameplay rather than its story. The game grants us incredible freedom. It's almost like playing a Spider-Man game, but you are free to do whatever you want. Everything is fair game, all the way to killing civilians :d We can pilot various vehicles such as tanks, APCs, and attack helicopters. Here, they did a neat thing that fits the game's theme. Alex Mercer does not know how to operate such vehicles on his own. Thanks to his ability, he learns how to pilot them by consuming tank, APC, and helicopter pilots. A simple but great mechanic. Tricking soldiers into turning on each other is another cool mechanic. While 3-4 soldiers are talking to each other, we can walk up to them and accuse one of being infected or having Blacklight, causing them to kill him xd.
The disguise system is one of the game's core mechanics. By consuming a soldier or civilian, we can assume their identity. This allows us to navigate military bases much more comfortably. As I mentioned above, we can frame another soldier as "Alex Mercer" and watch the bots eliminate him. It creates genuinely fun and neat moments from time to time. The bots conversing among themselves and reacting is also a nice touch.
Combat mechanics are extremely satisfying. Thanks to the virus, we can adapt and utilize giant claws, a blade arm, and a whip on our body. In a way, they are all Alex's powers. At times, he turns his arm into a shield via the virus, and at other times, he morphs his arm into a whip to grapple vehicles like helicopters toward himself. High jumps and wall-running make the gameplay even more thrilling. In short, Alex Mercer is an unstoppable force. Slicing through infected people with these abilities while seeing severed limbs and bodies cut in half was quite impressive for its time. If you ask me, it remains a successful and enjoyable mechanic even today.
Lastly, as I said above, the infection level across the city directly impacts the gameplay. As the virus spreads out of control, Manhattan fills with more soldiers, making street movement progressively harder. Along with this, we shouldn't forget that hunters multiply and attack us. At times, enemies increase so much that they start obstructing mission objectives.
Graphics and Atmosphere
Quite accomplished for its release era. Manhattan was designed as a vast and vibrant city. Thanks to Alex's abilities, we can traverse smoothly and pleasantly like Spider-Man. I will often make Spider-Man comparisons in the review because their gameplay is very similar. In fact, many people compare it to inFamous as well. The atmosphere is equally solid. Soldiers are constantly patrolling the streets. The bots don't just wander around; they actively try to clear infected buildings and the infected. At times we help them, at times they help us. Tanks and helicopters are also elements that support the environment and atmosphere.
Crows circle above infected zones and red haze spreads out. You can tell an area is infected even from a distance. Towards the end of the game, Manhattan's tone shifts drastically. A gloomy atmosphere takes over the once-vibrant Manhattan feel. Red smoke drifting around and circling crows summarize the state of affairs brilliantly. In short, the city descends into utter chaos. Soldiers desperately trying to control the city and using disproportionate force enhance the atmosphere even further.
Technical and Performance
It runs with a few hiccups on modern PCs. Personally, I was able to play without issues by installing two fix files: one for the WideScreen Fix, and the other a DLL file that resolves all stability issues. Players encountering problems can easily find them by searching online. Aside from that, it is quite a stable game. The frame rate is steady with no stuttering. Hundreds of NPCs, soldiers, and infected creatures can share the screen simultaneously, yet the game manages to remain smooth. I think the AI is well done; even when it acts silly at times, it keeps up with the gameplay tempo.
Music and Sound Effects
The game's sound effects support the atmosphere nicely. At the very least, they even paid attention to the track sounds while driving a tank. Weapon and creature audio are sufficient.
Overall
Prototype is genuinely ahead of its time mechanically for its release era. It holds a special place for many gamers, including myself. Before jumping back into it, some missions I played during my childhood were still fresh in my mind. Moving so freely in an open world, tricking soldiers, hijacking tanks and helicopters, and wreaking absolute havoc in the city is immensely impressive and satisfying.
With Alex Mercer's reactions, his personality, and fun gameplay, Prototype delivers a great experience. I think it still holds up today and offers an enjoyable playthrough. Lately, there are rumors circulating about Prototype 3; I hope those rumors are true.
Yonderly Score | S+ (90)
Follow My Curator Page For More Reviews

Steam User 611

Reviewed 1 week ago

Still a Legend.
Story and Characters - A Hero or a Threat?
The game begins with an amnesiac man opening his eyes in a morgue in Manhattan. This man is none other than Alex Mercer, one of the well-known legends in the gaming world. The game's story is good and intriguing. At the center of the story is the Blacklight virus and the outbreak spreading across Manhattan. As the virus spreads, military presence in the city increases, quarantine tightens, and roaming the streets becomes increasingly dangerous. Because the developer implemented this into gameplay rather than just keeping it on paper, the game becomes even more enjoyable. It genuinely becomes harder for us to navigate the streets; our abnormal movements are spotted by soldiers, and the chase begins.
"Consuming" people who possess information about the virus and ourselves to see their memories in order to uncover Mercer's past is quite a creative mechanic and storytelling method. This way, we can uncover the narrative piece by piece; additionally, outside the main story, we can learn details from key individuals we encounter on the street. Later teaming up with Captain Robert Cross, whom we fight, adds a distinct flavor to the story. It shows what Alex is willing to sacrifice to uncover the truth. Robert Cross's design is also very cool; it shows he is never afraid of someone like us.
Another noteworthy point is the scientific dimension added to the story by characters like Dr. McMullen. Dr. McMullen killing himself was a particularly pivotal moment. Because of this, Mercer cannot consume him and cannot learn what he knows. This sets a logical boundary for the story. As we also learn at the end of the game, Alex Mercer is actually dead. He is now merely a disguise for us; we all already know that the virus can adopt the appearance of people it consumes. The virus, on the other hand, is the surviving memories and remnants of Alex Mercer.
Gameplay and Mechanics - Power Trip!
We arrive at Prototype's greatest strength. A title remembered by most people for its protagonist and gameplay rather than its story. The game grants us incredible freedom. It's almost like playing a Spider-Man game, but you are free to do whatever you want. Everything is fair game, all the way to killing civilians :d We can pilot various vehicles such as tanks, APCs, and attack helicopters. Here, they did a neat thing that fits the game's theme. Alex Mercer does not know how to operate such vehicles on his own. Thanks to his ability, he learns how to pilot them by consuming tank, APC, and helicopter pilots. A simple but great mechanic. Tricking soldiers into turning on each other is another cool mechanic. While 3-4 soldiers are talking to each other, we can walk up to them and accuse one of being infected or having Blacklight, causing them to kill him xd.
The disguise system is one of the game's core mechanics. By consuming a soldier or civilian, we can assume their identity. This allows us to navigate military bases much more comfortably. As I mentioned above, we can frame another soldier as "Alex Mercer" and watch the bots eliminate him. It creates genuinely fun and neat moments from time to time. The bots conversing among themselves and reacting is also a nice touch.
Combat mechanics are extremely satisfying. Thanks to the virus, we can adapt and utilize giant claws, a blade arm, and a whip on our body. In a way, they are all Alex's powers. At times, he turns his arm into a shield via the virus, and at other times, he morphs his arm into a whip to grapple vehicles like helicopters toward himself. High jumps and wall-running make the gameplay even more thrilling. In short, Alex Mercer is an unstoppable force. Slicing through infected people with these abilities while seeing severed limbs and bodies cut in half was quite impressive for its time. If you ask me, it remains a successful and enjoyable mechanic even today.
Lastly, as I said above, the infection level across the city directly impacts the gameplay. As the virus spreads out of control, Manhattan fills with more soldiers, making street movement progressively harder. Along with this, we shouldn't forget that hunters multiply and attack us. At times, enemies increase so much that they start obstructing mission objectives.
Graphics and Atmosphere
Quite accomplished for its release era. Manhattan was designed as a vast and vibrant city. Thanks to Alex's abilities, we can traverse smoothly and pleasantly like Spider-Man. I will often make Spider-Man comparisons in the review because their gameplay is very similar. In fact, many people compare it to inFamous as well. The atmosphere is equally solid. Soldiers are constantly patrolling the streets. The bots don't just wander around; they actively try to clear infected buildings and the infected. At times we help them, at times they help us. Tanks and helicopters are also elements that support the environment and atmosphere.
Crows circle above infected zones and red haze spreads out. You can tell an area is infected even from a distance. Towards the end of the game, Manhattan's tone shifts drastically. A gloomy atmosphere takes over the once-vibrant Manhattan feel. Red smoke drifting around and circling crows summarize the state of affairs brilliantly. In short, the city descends into utter chaos. Soldiers desperately trying to control the city and using disproportionate force enhance the atmosphere even further.
Technical and Performance
It runs with a few hiccups on modern PCs. Personally, I was able to play without issues by installing two fix files: one for the WideScreen Fix, and the other a DLL file that resolves all stability issues. Players encountering problems can easily find them by searching online. Aside from that, it is quite a stable game. The frame rate is steady with no stuttering. Hundreds of NPCs, soldiers, and infected creatures can share the screen simultaneously, yet the game manages to remain smooth. I think the AI is well done; even when it acts silly at times, it keeps up with the gameplay tempo.
Music and Sound Effects
The game's sound effects support the atmosphere nicely. At the very least, they even paid attention to the track sounds while driving a tank. Weapon and creature audio are sufficient.
Overall
Prototype is genuinely ahead of its time mechanically for its release era. It holds a special place for many gamers, including myself. Before jumping back into it, some missions I played during my childhood were still fresh in my mind. Moving so freely in an open world, tricking soldiers, hijacking tanks and helicopters, and wreaking absolute havoc in the city is immensely impressive and satisfying.
With Alex Mercer's reactions, his personality, and fun gameplay, Prototype delivers a great experience. I think it still holds up today and offers an enjoyable playthrough. Lately, there are rumors circulating about Prototype 3; I hope those rumors are true.
Yonderly Score | S+ (90)
Follow My Curator Page For More Reviews
Steam User 127

Reviewed last year

Leaving this review to let everyone know that the new stupid update that broke the game has been fixed finally, you have to use a mod: PrototypeFix- CrashFix - FPSFix - FrameDouble fix by emoose on nexus mods. The same person that fixed the game before this update.
Also,
It's recommended you uninstall the game completely before using the mod ^^
Steam User 65

Reviewed last year

Great game. Like others have said to get it to run since they made it non playable this link worked for me and it ran flawlessly after putting the files in the game folder.
Steam User 63

Reviewed last year

I swear, if this game got remade or they ever made a Prototype 3 it would probably be the best superpower simulator ever. I feel Prototype takes some Batman Arkham/Spiderman, takes some Just Cause and a sprinkle of malice and then becomes this power-fantasy heaven. It's a little bit outdated, but there is still a lot of fun to be had for sure. The whole idea and art design is so metal and just slamming through cars and busting out skyscraper windows at breakneck speed will never not be awesome.
Steam User 47

Reviewed last year

(first of all install the PrototypeFix from nexus then everything runs smooth even on modern hardwares)
this fu***** game has been my number one favourite video game since childhood, maybe it's nostalgia talking maybe not but i still love it very much.
the change of atmosphere from normal blue to gritty orange infected zones, the traversal, combat and ofc the ultimate aurafarmer alex fricking mercer. i curse thee activision gods for destroying radical ent or whatever the cause was for this franchise to end. even half life fans will get their 3rd but...
Steam User 38

Reviewed last year

The only game I can think of that lets you transform into a grandma, grab a spec-ops military solider by the throat, and suplex his ass off the empire state building.
Steam User 20

Reviewed last year

This is how it's supposed to be done. Had as much fun playing this gem at 23 as i had when i was 10.

Prototype

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