Here’s my solemn vow to you right now: aside from mentioning inFamous right now, you will hear nothing Sucker Punch’s open world superhero effort in this review.

Fair?  Moving on, Radical’s Prototype has got to be one of the most mixed reviewed games in recent memory, with reactions running the spectrum from blech! (ahem) to yippee!

I just wrapped up the main story campaign last night, leaving with a feeling of distinct…

…joy!  Yep, I love this silly, violent, sensory-overload-alicious game. 

Love it.

Some backstory first.  I am not a fan of open-world/”sandbox” titles, finding the non-linear set-up to be less than fulfilling.  There was one notable exception: Radical’s Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, a free-form superhero adventure that was profoundly fun.

When I heard Prototype was the spiritual successor to UD, I was excited.  Perhaps this would be the game that Sega’s disappointing The Incredible Hulk was not.

It wasn’t.  It was a whole lot fricking more.

Like “they threw everything and the kitchen sink and the KitchenAid mixer and the George Foreman grill” into this game.  There is so much happening, so much visceral stimulation, so much chaos going on that it would be a mind-numbing mess if it wasn’t for one Alex Mercer, your insanely-powered protagonist, who slices through the mayhem with blood-drenched fury.

If you played UD, then you’ll feel right at home here.  Despite the different move set and the different character, the Hulk controls came flooding back and I was leaping buidlings and cannonballing into helicopters and unleashing catastrophic Devastator attacks in no time.

The story isn’t super-awesome (save for a nifty character twist at the end), but I did like the Web of Intrigue presentation.  See, Alex can consume people, which gives him both a life boost and a shot of their memories, and these small, well-produced story elements link together for the larger plot.

And, yes, the graphics are far from cutting-edge, but if lower texture resolutions and relatively bland colors means I can shred hundreds of civilians and tanks and helicopters with no slowdown–not an iota in my playthrough–that’s a trade-off I’m willing to accept.  Besides there’s so much crap going on, I doubt you’ll have time to stop and notice the details.

Finally, the controls can be a bit splashy and the targeting system, which would inexplicably lock on to a weaker enemy instead of the boss I was currently engaged in, annoyed at points.  Work through that learning curve (and upload memories of the UD layout) and you should be fine.

Anywho, here’s what really floated my boat about this game, delivered in a handy itemized list:

The upgrades. I’m a sucker for unlockable moves and Prototype has an astounding amount of upgrades.  Luckily, the game showers you with experience points allowing you to go hogwild.  Pro-tip: get yourself the air-blade-super-chop move as soon as possible.  That thing takes out tanks in one hit.

The replayability. This feeds directly from the above note.  There’s so much crap to unlock and destroy, even after the main mission is done you should have no trouble finding something to do in Manhattan.  Plus there’s the New Game+ mode,  which allows you to replay the campaign with all your unlocked powers.  I can’t wait to get back into it.

Mission structure.  Nothing stands out as genre-splitting, but the main missions are fun, not terribly difficult and sport plenty of checkpoints.

The Devastators. These super moves are deliriously over-the-top.  Nothing like burning through 100+ civilians with the tendril Devastator.

Alex Mercer.  He’s less a superhero and more a homicidal lunatic, but at least you don’t have to worry about any moral aspect of the game.  I suppose you can feel back about chopping an old lady in half to replenish your health, but the world of Prototype is so off the chain, I doubt you’ll care.  Mercer is one of the best video game d-bags I’ve come across and he just annihilates fools.

The movement.  I haven’t felt this free in a video game since, well, Ultimate Destruction.  Mercer can cross the city in minutes, using free-running, air dashing, huge leaps and the glide move.

It’s fun.  That’s the bottom line.  Prototype isn’t the prettiest game or the most polished or the most narratively interesting but Holy Cow is it a blast to play.  I was hooked from the get-go and loved it more as it went on.

Look, this is my kind of game, and while it’s easy to point to something like GTAIV as the superior accomplishment, artistically and technically, the fact is I lost interest in that game before completing it and I’ll be firing up Prototype for years to come.

The Verdict

Not Guilty.  Haven’t had this much crazy, whacked-out fun with a game in a while.