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. BrianR
    Jun 16, 2009
    7
    Fun, chaotic sandbox gameplay, but with so much going on at a time, the lacking controls can make it at times frustrating to do what you intend to do.
  2. LukeG
    Sep 20, 2009
    5
    I buy this game but after few days i sold immediatly. The game runs in an open world enviroment, the bad thing is that all buildings are similar and city appears as a massive sum of lego picies, rectangular and worst of all with bad textures. Gameplay is the most caotic thing i have ever seen in my life, you won't need many skill to destroy the entire american army, just press random I buy this game but after few days i sold immediatly. The game runs in an open world enviroment, the bad thing is that all buildings are similar and city appears as a massive sum of lego picies, rectangular and worst of all with bad textures. Gameplay is the most caotic thing i have ever seen in my life, you won't need many skill to destroy the entire american army, just press random buttons, run upon a building escape and you will be safe. Story is linear and don't catch your attention. Graphic: 6 nothing new nothing impressive Gameplay: 5 frustating sessions + caotic moves Sound: 6 simply city background sounds Story: 4 linear… Expand
  3. JasonP
    Jun 14, 2009
    6
    I've been playing this game for a few days now and I think I've come to the conclusion that I shouldn't have purchased it. The game is fun in certain parts, for instance it's great to whip your way up to a helicopter and take it over. It's fun to take over a tank and crush and blow things up but for me that's where the fun ends. The missions are extremely 1 I've been playing this game for a few days now and I think I've come to the conclusion that I shouldn't have purchased it. The game is fun in certain parts, for instance it's great to whip your way up to a helicopter and take it over. It's fun to take over a tank and crush and blow things up but for me that's where the fun ends. The missions are extremely 1 dimensional. Go here and assimilate this person, chase this beast, let the beast chase you, infiltrate a base (that all look exactly the same), rinse, repeat. There was no imagination going on here and I think the developers got in over their heads with this and had to remove a TON of content due to frame rate issues and space limitations. The side missions that give you EP are utterly dull and extremely frustrating. You have to have most of your powers fully maxed out to even get gold even on the easy side missions. That's bad design and it doesn't make a player want to upgrade but it forces them to in order to get the tiniest bit of EP. Also, the upgrade system was poorly implemented. Why in the world would you have 2 upgrades (Devistator attacks), one cost 275k and the other 475k that do almost the exact same thing. One, the 275 one, you have to use in the air, the other 475 you can use on the ground. What's the point of this? Of course you're going to pick the one in the air because if you try to sit there for 5 seconds charging your devastator attack on the ground you're dead because every military personnel has rockets that are so advanced they can track a flea flying through the air. This game is fun, but frustrating and very monotonous not to mention uninspired. Waste of $59.99, rent it instead.… Expand
  4. IGF-Pixelspeech
    Jul 16, 2011
    6
    Prototype tells the story of Mercer, a normal guy that was infected with some kind of strain that allows him to shift his body in many different forms, one can't help but wonder how you could take such an idea and still manage get a 6/10 from me. Well, let me explain:

    Mercer is a pretty interesting guy and I simply love to make him run on walls and jumps down sky-scrapers, the way you    Prototype tells the story of Mercer, a normal guy that was infected with some kind of strain that allows him to shift his body in many different forms, one can't help but wonder how you could take such an idea and still manage get a 6/10 from me. Well, let me explain:

    Mercer is a pretty interesting guy and I simply love to make him run on walls and jumps down sky-scrapers, the way you move in this game is just so fast and amazing that it looks like a Triple A movie from Hollywood. I also don't have any problems with the story that is told completely through eating people (thus also consuming their memories), it's a very clever way to tell a story that is so complex and full of conspiracy in a way that makes it easier for the audience to follow.

    What does annoy me is the complete lack of variation in pretty much everything else, especially the combat is just the same mindless button-mashing over and over again. You got a huge arsenal of weapons, but there is no point in being creative and switching between powers was just an ass to do, so I ended up relying on a weapon that was both efficient against infantry as well as vehicles and never had to switch again. Every once in a while the game tries to be interesting by introducing a new mechanic such as controlling helicopters or tanks, but you never really need those outside of **** missions because Mercer can take multiples torpedoes to the face without showing any signs of pain and running is always faster than vehicles.

    Other sandbox that take place in big cities like Grand Theft Auto and Saint's Row know that if you want to have a bit city you should have locations that the players will remember, these serve as way-points and give the town a little identity (for example the big mansion in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City). Everything in Prototype is just a load of generic skyscrapers and smaller buildings with nothing really interesting, it's even less interesting since you're always above the buildings instead of looking up to them.

    This leaves us with the question: "Did I have fun?" and yes I did, I had fun for a few hours before the game got boring and repetitive, it's the same "fun" I have when I play games on the Atari 2600, you do the same thing again until you are bored after which you just shut it down. You could rent this game for a while, but buying it and going for a full play through is not recommended.    … Expand
  5. Storm1672
    May 24, 2013
    5
    Way worse than people write about. This is an open world game with some good ideas, but flawed execution.

    4 years after its release, this game looks ugly, handles pretty bad and has a totally uninteresting storytelling (though the script isn'a all that bad). Everything in this game is just stuffed in there without much explanation. It has a lot of different things that all add up to    Way worse than people write about. This is an open world game with some good ideas, but flawed execution.

    4 years after its release, this game looks ugly, handles pretty bad and has a totally uninteresting storytelling (though the script isn'a all that bad). Everything in this game is just stuffed in there without much explanation. It has a lot of different things that all add up to being uninteresting because of the way you earn your new abilities or the way the game pushes you to use them. Some great ideas (consume) executed poorly because of some other gameplay ideas that would have been nice if they weren't put together. It' like the appearance of the monsters in this game. All mashed up together just to be ugly in the end.

    All of its missions have to do with tanks and helicopters and it gets quite annoying. The boss fights could have been epic if they hadn't been so frustrating and the pacing of the updates you earn is the worst.

    Some fun can be had by not taking tha game seriously and experiencing the few routines it does offer, like infiltrating a base or consuming people for a purpose or fighting by the side of the army to take out the monsters. It does look like it could be fixed (haven't played Prototype 2 yet), but with so much going on around and inability (because of the controls and the lock-on system) to focus onto one thing, it's like you're always in the center of a sh*tstorm.

    Consuming is satisfactory. The music and the voice overs are also ok. That said, it doesn't have the production values of its competitors (e.g. inFamous) or the stability it needs to form a good game.    … Expand
  6. AnonymousMC
    Jun 25, 2009
    7
    Good game, fun, but the difficulty goes through the roof and is unbalanced towards the end. It's not that I don't want a challenge, but the situations are cheap and start to rely on having the right "lucky" situation occur. Bad design ruins the game down the stretch.
  7. DougE
    Jun 13, 2009
    6
    While it is a good game, I'm very surprised that no one has mentioned that it is a blatant Spider-man: Web of Shadows clone. Everything from the storyline to the animations scream reskin. If this was actually original, it could be as high as a 8 or 9, but it's not.
  8. JustinM.
    Jun 9, 2009
    7
    Game is quite arcady. graphics compared to similar games in the genre suck. And its story is similar, yet not as good, to infamous. Its fun for the short term but its nothing special. Recommend to rent if you like these types of games.
  9. daz
    Jun 17, 2009
    5
    The most overrated agem this year. I thought from the opening sequence which is one of the best i've ever seen this was going to be a great game - i was very wrong. the missions are boring and the superpowers do not help relieve the sense of tedium felt when tackling them. I hope the next big blockbuster for the 360 is better than tihis. I'm going to trade it in for red faction.The most overrated agem this year. I thought from the opening sequence which is one of the best i've ever seen this was going to be a great game - i was very wrong. the missions are boring and the superpowers do not help relieve the sense of tedium felt when tackling them. I hope the next big blockbuster for the 360 is better than tihis. I'm going to trade it in for red faction. mybe that will be better?… Expand
  10. DarcT
    Jun 18, 2009
    7
    Prototype has enough unique special abilities to learn and fun sandbox violence to justify playing through the campaign. But the fun is quickly fleeting. You can only glide around sweeping the streets of civilians, the plagued, and the military in an infinite hack and slash for so long before the pointlessness of this game hits. The main character has as much personality as a baked potato Prototype has enough unique special abilities to learn and fun sandbox violence to justify playing through the campaign. But the fun is quickly fleeting. You can only glide around sweeping the streets of civilians, the plagued, and the military in an infinite hack and slash for so long before the pointlessness of this game hits. The main character has as much personality as a baked potato and most of his actions have no lasting effect on a game-world that feels forced rather than organic such as Liberty City. Maybe rent. DO NOT BUY.… Expand
  11. ChrisW
    Jul 19, 2009
    6
    With all the buzz that Prototype has made leading up to and beyond its release, it's a disappointment just how inadequate it is in this day and age of video games. Manhattan has never felt so dead. Vehicles brainless drive into each other while the civilians are mere cattle ripe for the picking. Perhaps that is the idea with an open-world game, but at least predecessors like Grand With all the buzz that Prototype has made leading up to and beyond its release, it's a disappointment just how inadequate it is in this day and age of video games. Manhattan has never felt so dead. Vehicles brainless drive into each other while the civilians are mere cattle ripe for the picking. Perhaps that is the idea with an open-world game, but at least predecessors like Grand Theft Auto 4 brought a little life into its city with its target dummy population. Crazy mutant superhero aside, you should be more likely to feel a car running into you. The minor details such as that tacked on top of a largely uninteresting graphics, uninspired voice acting and inane military radio chatter, and at-times herky-jerky controls, you have a game that should have never raised the hubbub that it has. That is, until you get to the meat of the game: the destruction you cause as Alex Mercer. He himself is dull and a bit of washout, but the full skillset you eventually get through simply progressing brings out the wow one would expect. The amount of ways you can slaughter everything is immense, graphic, and car-crash amusing. You will want to lay waste to crowds by ripping them to shreds a few times. That is a major selling point, but it's also a disadvantage. While you will go through the missions, they're merely passable and not nearly the thing that will keep you entranced, certainly not in the fashion that just murdering the masses will do. As opposed to Grand Theft Auto and its kissing cousins where the story is at least engaging, the 'I've been screwed with and now I'm mad RAWR REVENGE' can only been seen as the reason you're allowed to have this cool stuff to play with. Mercer is an intense character, but it could have been anyone. Prototype brings nothing new to the table, but it will work as a 'popcorn game' at the very least.… Expand
  12. mobius
    Aug 11, 2009
    6
    Prototype is a dam good game but once you have been playing it for about 4 hours you will come to understand that prototype is a very shallow game. it has plenty of blood, explosions and destruction but you have that at the start of the game and it never really changes, once you have taken out your first swat team and absorbed a civilian. its pretty much the same for the rest of the game. Prototype is a dam good game but once you have been playing it for about 4 hours you will come to understand that prototype is a very shallow game. it has plenty of blood, explosions and destruction but you have that at the start of the game and it never really changes, once you have taken out your first swat team and absorbed a civilian. its pretty much the same for the rest of the game. Prototype is like the bastard child of Crackdown and GTA.… Expand
  13. RobertSimpson
    Jan 31, 2011
    5
    This is a funny game, purely because its gripping but lacks the element of endless fun provided by other games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. The game has a weak story in which the player never really gets to grips with Alex Mercer as a character as he leaves a lot blank as a narrator and character. The game feels as if it only has one purpose, and that's to go out and kill and thatThis is a funny game, purely because its gripping but lacks the element of endless fun provided by other games like Call of Duty and Battlefield. The game has a weak story in which the player never really gets to grips with Alex Mercer as a character as he leaves a lot blank as a narrator and character. The game feels as if it only has one purpose, and that's to go out and kill and that everything else is more of an add on, rather than part of the game itself. My verdict then is its fun when your killing, but can soon become tiresome, repetitive and loose in its characters and story.… Expand
  14. AnOriginalName
    Apr 28, 2012
    5
    This game is fun, but it gets extremely repetitive after a while. After you meet the basic forces of both the military and the Hive all the new enemies are just variations of those, most of the combat tends to get dull and repetitive as it seems all you need to do half the time is equip the whipfist, jump into the air constantly and keep mashing Y. If you're facing a horde it's just easy,This game is fun, but it gets extremely repetitive after a while. After you meet the basic forces of both the military and the Hive all the new enemies are just variations of those, most of the combat tends to get dull and repetitive as it seems all you need to do half the time is equip the whipfist, jump into the air constantly and keep mashing Y. If you're facing a horde it's just easy, everything can be killed within seconds but if they're too many with guns you can easily just get a helicopter or tank and whip them out. That's fun for a while but to a point you're just going through the motions, but I can't say I wasn't entertained for a game that is 20$… Expand
  15. CarsonRGB
    Oct 4, 2011
    7
    Story: 5
    Characters: 5
    Graphics: 7
    Setting: 6
    Multiplayer: N/A
    Soundtrack: 6
    Audio: 8
    Gameplay: 10
    Re-Playability Value: 8
    Fun Factor: 10

    Score: 7.2/10 = B-
  16. Sachi
    Nov 18, 2011
    7
    Prototype is a good game although it does have it's flaw that don't really necessaritly make it a must-play. The game has a few good thing such as navigation through the map but there are bad things about it. The plot is not very great as protagonist Alex Mercer merely stalls on the topic, he just does other things so the plot I disliked. The gameplay can be frustrating sometimes and makesPrototype is a good game although it does have it's flaw that don't really necessaritly make it a must-play. The game has a few good thing such as navigation through the map but there are bad things about it. The plot is not very great as protagonist Alex Mercer merely stalls on the topic, he just does other things so the plot I disliked. The gameplay can be frustrating sometimes and makes combat difficult. Most of the enviromnment is the same and you don't feel like you get any stronger throughout the game. The good thing isthatthere are many challenges but again they are boring and repetitive. Overall Prototype is worth playing if you are bored or anything but just rent it, don't buy it for it won't entertain you for long. Breakdown for "Prototype": Presentation: 7, Graphics: 6, Sound: 6, Gameplay: 6.5, Lasting Appeal: 5. Verdict: 7.3 out of 10 "Good"… Expand
  17. WyattTheAwesome
    May 30, 2013
    7
    This is a very fun sandbox that gives InFamous a run for its money. This is an awesome game and has a lot of content and different powers you can use to wreck havoc among the living. A lot of side missions and stuff to do. Story is a bit disappointing, but it's not bad. Mercer is an interesting character and it's fun to play as him. Overall, I'd check this game out.
  18. TundraFreeze
    Aug 22, 2013
    5
    The controls in this game are horrendous. Which irritates me a great deal because I like the concept and style of this game. I also think the storyline is very cool. However I find Prototype almost impossible to play with the control system it has: it is blocky and inconsistent. You also need to manage a dozen or so button combinations, which becomes a nightmare when the controls are asThe controls in this game are horrendous. Which irritates me a great deal because I like the concept and style of this game. I also think the storyline is very cool. However I find Prototype almost impossible to play with the control system it has: it is blocky and inconsistent. You also need to manage a dozen or so button combinations, which becomes a nightmare when the controls are as slow and inconsistent as they are. The game tells you to use the right weapon for the right enemy, yet it keeps sending you every type of enemy all at once. The enemy targeting function doesn't work most of the time. So controlling your character during combat becomes a bad joke as you resort to panicky button mashing. Only between combat do you have an acceptable level of control over your character. Great idea for a game, bad execution.… Expand
  19. fijiboy
    May 2, 2014
    6
    the protagonist has awesome powers and you feel like a badass. but that's pretty much it. the story is pretty flat, the world is big but lifeless, and the gameplay will get old over time. its creative, but not in all its elements
  20. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Apr 6, 2023
    7
    This plays a lot like an 'M' rated Spider-Man/Hulk game. It's a bloody and profane-filled cousin to "Infamous". Fans of the open-world action title "Mercenaries" will have a blast with this. "Prototype" provides over-the-top destruction. It has a good story, a fun campaign and tons of side-missions/collectibles. I would rate it with an 7.8 out of 10.

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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