This free-roaming action game was one of the highlights of GC 2007
This free-roaming action game was one of the highlights of GC 2007This free-roaming action game was one of the highlights of GC 2007

There's something undeniably cool about being a guy with super powers. With the success of Microsoft's brilliant Crackdown, gamers are definitely ready for another open-world adventure and Prototype looks just the ticket. Due next year from Sierra Entertainment and Radical Entertainment, Prototype is the spiritual successor to Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, and while the angry green guy is nowhere to be seen, the anti-hero is just as devastating.

You play as a genetically engineered human who's capable of super human abilities. The game is currently far from complete, but it's already clear that action is high on the agenda. It seems that a relentless pace has been a key idea in the game's design, and that boils down to the most simple of gameplay mechanics: movement.

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Sure, moving around has never really been a huge problem, but how often have you wandered into a car, hit a lamp post or generally hoped your movement was a little smoother? In Prototype the designers have taken Free Running (or Parkour) as inspiration, which in turn means that your character automatically moves and reacts to the environment. This Locomotion system comes into its own when you're running, making your character leap over vehicles and obstacles as they get in your way. It seems incredibly natural and something that should come into its own on busy streets.

And the streets can certainly be busy. Being a next-gen title we no longer have to put up with a few cars here and there, and pedestrian numbers are well up on what previous consoles have been capable of. These two factors give this virtual Manhattan a real sense of life, in a similar way to Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed. With a year of work still to be done, the already impressive visuals can only get better.


... three-way battles create some insane fire-fights and brawls that have to be seen to be believed...

Story elements are thin on the ground at the moment, but during the Games Convention demo it was clear where the main enemy threat will come from. As to be expected when there's a mutant on the loose, the army has been brought in to take you out. Even in the game's early state, the army can be seen on foot, in tanks and in attack helicopters, making for a game that has fire coming from all directions. And yes, you can hijack those helicopters and turn their powerful weapons on your enemies.

Next up are the infected creatures, that are intent on hunting you down and pursuing you through the city streets. As they follow you they plough through cars, sending them flying and creating scenes that wouldn't look out of place in the biggest Hollywood blockbusters. These three-way battles create some insane fire-fights and brawls that have to be seen to be believed, with hell breaking loose on the city streets.

You have plenty of powers at your disposalYou have plenty of powers at your disposal

Being a mutant surely means you can do more than leap over cars though, right? Your key ability is shape shifting, either to create new weapons, to defend yourself or to take on the abilities of other characters. Your main weapon appears to be a set of claws, capable of inflicting much damage, but the demo also saw a set of spikes and a defensive shield that enables you to crash through vehicles on the road. Many more abilities will be included in the final game, and hopefully they'll be as fun to use as the initial few that were demoed.

Your final and perhaps most powerful ability is consuming other characters and taking on their appearance and abilities. How much depth there is to this remains to be seen, but early impressions bode very well. The demoed mission showed the kind of use this ability will have in the final game. The goal was to take down a military base, with the how being entirely down to you. By consuming a military commander the main character was suddenly able to wander around unnoticed and use military force. In a rather cheeky move, our demo player called in an air strike in to take out the base and the mission was complete.

It's perhaps a little easy to get carried away with a game when all you've been shown is a small sample of thrilling gameplay, but Prototype already looks like being one of the most exciting games due out next year. Built on Radical Entertainment's fifth version of their Titanium engine the game looks superb, and with the promise of full online two-player co-op throughout the entire campaign the year-long wait until release is going to be hard to take.