Prototype

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 395 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 272 out of 395
  2. Mixed: 72 out of 395
  3. Negative: 51 out of 395
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  1. VikP
    Jun 14, 2009
    2
    1) Graphics - This has been a pretty big annoyance for me so far. They're a bit too washed out, I'm not sure if this is because they may have just built on the engine they used for Incredible Hulk. The cityscape is pretty bland and there's also texture pop-ins. When I'm standing on top of the empire state building and look below, the city completely greys out and all I 1) Graphics - This has been a pretty big annoyance for me so far. They're a bit too washed out, I'm not sure if this is because they may have just built on the engine they used for Incredible Hulk. The cityscape is pretty bland and there's also texture pop-ins. When I'm standing on top of the empire state building and look below, the city completely greys out and all I can see is silhouettes. 2) Controls - Super janky. It's difficult to keep the character going in the direction I want, especially when I'm running around city streets and on top of buildings. You have the ability to run up any building you want, you can also climb but that function is so busted I don't even know why Radical even added that in. They make no mention of the fact that you can climb and I think it's because they knew it was a useless function. A tell-tale sign that this game was rushed out the door. They've got time trials similar to rootop races in Crackdown but I found it next to impossible to finish them in time because the chracter is jumping all over the place. 3) Powers - You're able to purchase different powers whenever you want using experience points you gain by killing enimies, collecting XP orbs scattered throughout the city. I managed to get a crapload of them after just 2 hours which for me, leaves little incentive to continue playing if my character is completely maxed before I've completed 25%. Well that's impression anyways, there may be cooler powers to have down the line but it doesn't seem that it would be too difficult to get them. inFamous' method was way better where you actually had to complete missions in order to achieve powerups. There isn't a lack of powers in Prototype, which is cool but you're gonna have to learn button combos to use them effectively. Situations like that I tend to forget which powers I have and never end up using 4) Story - I really could give a crap about whats happening when I'm playing a sandbox game like Prototype. Crackdown did a great job of giving a basic premise without forcing you to pay attention to whats going on. In Prototype you actually have to collect clues about how you became infected by tracking down key NPC's and putting the story together using the 'web of intrigue' feature, which is just stupid.… Expand
  2. WesAdair
    Sep 21, 2011
    2
    Prototype was such a promising looking game, but in the end turned out sour. The idea of this game was a good one but the way it was delivered... not so much. I found that the gameplay got insanely boring and the bosses proved to be ridiculously hard. About the only thing good about this game was the story. (Which yes is highly unoriginal, but had a good twist of it's own.) Total waist ofPrototype was such a promising looking game, but in the end turned out sour. The idea of this game was a good one but the way it was delivered... not so much. I found that the gameplay got insanely boring and the bosses proved to be ridiculously hard. About the only thing good about this game was the story. (Which yes is highly unoriginal, but had a good twist of it's own.) Total waist of time and money.… Expand
  3. TomB
    Sep 6, 2009
    1
    Prototype is undoubtably one of the worst games I have played in a long, long time. I simply can't understand the critic reviews. 78% average good reviews? Clearly not. Were we playing different games? Everything in Prototype is badly designed, badly executed, and offensive to play. The 'parkour' button sees Mercer spazzily animate over cars and glitch up the side of Prototype is undoubtably one of the worst games I have played in a long, long time. I simply can't understand the critic reviews. 78% average good reviews? Clearly not. Were we playing different games? Everything in Prototype is badly designed, badly executed, and offensive to play. The 'parkour' button sees Mercer spazzily animate over cars and glitch up the side of building with no visual or audio feedback. This is still about as much fun as it is possible to have in the game. Combat is a mess, dragging every button on the pad into play in a desperate bid to add some variety, dragged down further by a terrible lock on system (the autolock will give an enemy tank and a parked car the same priority, and is slo-mo really necessary EVERY time I manual lock?) and clunky animations. Combat boils down to charging everywhere hammering your murder button of choice and hoping that noone hits you with a missile, because if they do, you are stuck in an endless knockdown-loop until you die. Mission structure is similarly terrible, boiling down to running across the city and punching things to win. Punch some tanks. Now punch some helicopters. Now punch some mutants. This seems to be all the game has to offer, aside from some horribly misjudged stealth sections, which simply don't work, and have to be passed with a stroke of luck and falling back on the games stupidly buggy mission/respawn system. I could go on for a long time about how bad Prototype is. Conceptually, it's a 14-year-old's wet dream, but in execution it is simply awful. I cannot understand the critics giving this mess a free ride. One of the best games to release this generation, Cheat Code Central? 98%? Honestly?… Expand
  4. JackG
    Jun 20, 2009
    4
    This game is bad. Not terrible, but very bad. As an open-world game, Prototype fails in allmost every way. Buildings and environments are ugly, plain, and without distinction whatsoever. The main story path is entirely linear, and while there are collectible orbs and a variety of side missions, the world isn
  5. AndrewF
    Jun 13, 2009
    0
    It's obviously the developers all commenting in here. This game is a steaming pile of garbage. Let's start with the fact that the install failed, and I had to go online to find a way to *fool* the game into installing. Wow, you guys didn't even test this thing, did you? That wasn't the worst part. The missions are so cliche the designers should be banned from making It's obviously the developers all commenting in here. This game is a steaming pile of garbage. Let's start with the fact that the install failed, and I had to go online to find a way to *fool* the game into installing. Wow, you guys didn't even test this thing, did you? That wasn't the worst part. The missions are so cliche the designers should be banned from making games ever again. The dialog is cheese. The graphics are bland. There is nothing redeemable about this game. AT ALL. I would return it, but I actually want the pleasure of throwing it in the trash.… Expand
  6. MattD.
    Jun 15, 2009
    4
    Horrible graphics - I didn't drop a bunch of coin on a next gen console to get PS2 quality graphics. People say graphics don't matter - whatever... Let's go back to using puppets in the next star wars movie. The explosions look corny, the buildings look like spiderman 2 style and it's not that the textures look like crap, they simply are not there! What a joke - the Horrible graphics - I didn't drop a bunch of coin on a next gen console to get PS2 quality graphics. People say graphics don't matter - whatever... Let's go back to using puppets in the next star wars movie. The explosions look corny, the buildings look like spiderman 2 style and it's not that the textures look like crap, they simply are not there! What a joke - the tanks and helicopters look like PS1 models. Oh yeah, the gameplay is tired and boring after one hour. This game blows. Seriously, GTA3 looks better... Epic fail. Oh, some of the cut scenes were cool.… Expand
  7. AlexE
    Aug 21, 2009
    3
    Ive never disagreed strongly enough with a games overall reception, to publicly announce my feelings on it. Hello Prototype! Terribe presentation, a completely forgettable soundtrack, unnecessary attempt at story, and over ambitious, disjointed gameplay. If you're 14 or below you're forgiven, but otherwise this game is utter pap! It's incredibly obvious that the developers Ive never disagreed strongly enough with a games overall reception, to publicly announce my feelings on it. Hello Prototype! Terribe presentation, a completely forgettable soundtrack, unnecessary attempt at story, and over ambitious, disjointed gameplay. If you're 14 or below you're forgiven, but otherwise this game is utter pap! It's incredibly obvious that the developers had previously worked on a movie tie-in Hulk game (not a good thing), but good on them for reading the market well and selling bucket loads anyway. To the players, I urge you to grow up and start actively thinking about the games your playing. Get over explosions. PARKOUR MATE!!… Expand
  8. vosonnier
    Mar 10, 2019
    4
    Did not enjoy my time with this game. Granted i am playing this game for the first time in 2019 so playing it in its heyday may have made me more forgiving of its flaws. The one that stands out the most is the combat which is very unrefined, unresponsive, frustrating and ends up making most combat situations an exercise in anger management. I understand that you can get better at it afterDid not enjoy my time with this game. Granted i am playing this game for the first time in 2019 so playing it in its heyday may have made me more forgiving of its flaws. The one that stands out the most is the combat which is very unrefined, unresponsive, frustrating and ends up making most combat situations an exercise in anger management. I understand that you can get better at it after much suffering but that doesn't make it good. You can master the macarena but that doesn't make it a good song, it's still **** Other gripes would be the story, boring mission design, poor character animations, bland story, repetitive side content and a difficulty spike towards the end that is less difficulty than it is the game lazily throwing 10x the the number of enemies at you. On the plus side (which does not come CLOSE to making up for the bad) running and gliding around the city is pretty fun, okay setting, good graphics, and some cool powers. If you have a hankering for a superhero game and you have no other options you might like this but all in all a subpar open world gaming experience. I would overall not recommend this game at all.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2009
11
#11 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2009
17
#17 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 83 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 62 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 83
  3. Negative: 0 out of 83
  1. GamePro
    90
    I can't wait to go play some more. I suspect that some people will find their enthusiasm drained more than mine by the shallow enemy gene pool, but even they're bound to get swept away by the myriad pleasures of tearing up town as a ghoulish and preternaturally fleet-footed shape-shifter.
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  2. Cheat Code Central
    98
    One of the best games to release this generation and is definitely the best game to drop in 2009 (so far). Outside of the lackluster stealth and disguising mechanic, the brutal combat, huge open-world, varied challenges, and utterly satisfying gameplay makes this a must-have title for any serious gamer's collection. Get ready to put your life on hold!
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  3. PGNx Media
    95
    The insane amount of strength, skills and powers you get in the game is amazing and the game does a great job of making you feel like you’re really in control of a truly powerful being.
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