Poll: Prototype 2

[Xprimentyl]

As a HUGE fan of the first Prototype, I've already accepted the fact that I normally fall into the minority in terms of its commercial reception back in 2009. A few words I often find thrown around are "missed opportunity," "typical disjointed sandbox experience" not to mention countless comparisons to PS3's Infamous. I understand the reasons people might not have liked it and I know for certain it was far from perfect, but IMHO, it delivered a fantastic super-powered experience with a uniquely viceral and organic skin.

So, since the announcement of Prototype 2, and given that the first one didn't leave quite the impression the devs likely hoped for, my fear has been they will have changed a lot of the core game and it will lose some of its unique appeal. I'm already a little skeptical that they've changed the lead character which to me screams "we've changed direction." I liked Alex Mercer. I liked being the antihero. My fear is that in trying to make the sequel more "palletable" for the mass market, it's going to lose some of its edge.

That being said, for the effort going into a second installment of a lukewarm "franchise," how many of you are looking forward to it, or at least, after having spent some time with the first game, are willing to check out the second?

 

[Sixcess]

Kind of looking forward to it.

I loved Prototype. The atmosphere isn't what it could be, the story is wasted with poor pacing and some of the boss fights go on forever, but I can forgive all of this because it's an astonishingly visceral experience. You've got to love a game where almost every single mission racks up a four figure bodycount.

I'm a bit disapointed that we won't be playing as Mercer again, though it's entirely understandable given how powerful he is at the end of the first game, and perhaps better than depowering him at the start of the game as so often happens. I just hope they don't try to make the new lead character too sympathetic. They did that a little with Alex and it got damn silly when the first thing I'd do after an angst-ridden cutscene was jump off a building into a crowded street and start eating people.

 

[Erttheking]

Gonna be picking up the first one some time this week (I know I know, really late to the party) until then I'm kinda looking forward to the second one.

 

[Fleetfiend]

Kind of looking forward to it.

I loved Prototype. The atmosphere isn't what it could be, the story is wasted with poor pacing and some of the boss fights go on forever, but I can forgive all of this because it's an astonishingly visceral experience. You've got to love a game where almost every single mission racks up a four figure bodycount.

I'm a bit disapointed that we won't be playing as Mercer again, though it's entirely understandable given how powerful he is at the end of the first game, and perhaps better than depowering him at the start of the game as so often happens. I just hope they don't try to make the new lead character too sympathetic. They did that a little with Alex and it got damn silly when the first thing I'd do after an angst-ridden cutscene was jump off a building into a crowded street and start eating people.

I pretty much second this. I really enjoyed the first game, even though I can see why its general reception wasn't that great, and I just hope they don't change too much for it to be more popular for a larger audience, seeing as the first one kind of flopped when matched with Infamous, since they came out in such close proximity.

 

[ParadiseOnceLost]

Semi excited. I liked the first prototype well enough, but I felt that it was lacking some areas. I will prolly pick up prototype 2 once it is the bargin bins. Prototype as a franchise is not worth full price to me.

 

[Leemaster777]

Eh, sorta. The first Prototype was an okay game, but I'm not exactly salivating at the thought of a second one.

If they fix the problems of the first one (too grindy, easily broken upgrade system, and incoherent plot), then maybe I'll pick it up. Otherwise, I'm not that interested.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going back to play Infamous 2.

 

[Twilight_guy]

I'm not interested. I played the first game and it was okay but nothing super special. It played like "the hulk: ultimate destruction" but more interesting but still not interesting enough to make me want to play a sequel. I think it was a combination of somewhat monotonous gameplay, far too much go some place and murder everything, an unlikable main character, I want to play a hero not a stone cold villain, a stupid difficulty curve, boss battles were ridiculous and the higher level enemies could cream you fairly easily, and a difficulty curve that turned into a vertical wall at the end, the final challenges for the game and some side missions border on near impossible, and a story that I wasn't interested in.

 

[The_Lost_King]

meh I wasn't a big fan. I tried it and i like infamous better what i want is an infamous 3. Prototype didn't do much for me.

 

[The Pinray]

I'll be honest, I didn't like Prototype. I got bored with it very fast. It felt exactly like Hulk: Ultimate Destruction without the coolness of being the Hulk.

It was fun for a bit, though. I'd buy it (again) if it were like fifteen bucks.

 

[Vrach]

Definitely looking forward to it. It has some of the most fun gameplay elements I've seen in a game and that alone held the first game up just fine, despite the severely lacking story, graphics, world design and pretty much everything else in the game. As long as they don't move backwards, they can't do much wrong with the formula.

And so far, I've seen improvement on the graphics (which, while normally not something that's super important to me, the first Prototype game REALLY needed) and the story took an interesting twist - not a bad start.

 

[Drummodino]

Prototype was boring. I played it straight after I played infamous 1 and while I'll admit I'm a huge infamous fanboy prototype just couldn't compare. I didn't even complete it.

Although the claws were pretty boss.

 

[Just_A_Glitch]

Well, Prototype is still my favorite open-world free-roaming game I've ever played. Yeah, the story was kind of lackluster and oddly paced. Sure, the characters were pretty one-dimensional (aside from Mercer himself. I'd give him at least a second dimension). But what I went in expecting was to be treated like a god, with the ability to jump from a 500 ft building, crushing the weak peons beneath me. And to be able to brutally cannibalize and murder all the weak peons I missed upon the fall. And holy shit, did Prototype ever deliver on that.

So yes, I'm excited for Prototype 2. I'll miss playing as Mercer, but I'll get over it after I cut a few people in half and blame it on "that dude over there".

EDIT: I'm currently playing Infamous for the first time (just got my PS3), and I'm wondering what everyone sees in it. Especially when compared to Prototype. Maybe once I unlock some more powers, I'll dig it more, but right now, I'm just wishing I was playing Prototype.

 

[Phlakes]

I'm distantly watching it. The first one had a bit of potential, and hopefully it can make a Just Cause or Assassin's Creed type sequel jump.

 

[The_Lost_King]

EDIT: I'm currently playing Infamous for the first time (just got my PS3), and I'm wondering what everyone sees in it. Especially when compared to Prototype. Maybe once I unlock some more powers, I'll dig it more, but right now, I'm just wishing I was playing Prototype.

Well for one the story is a whole lot better. I guess gameplay in prototype may be better on paper but to me infamous's is better. You might be able to impale everyone but i can summo a lightning tornado. I kind of agree with Yahtzee's Infamous vs. Prototype review (except that prototype did better in the drawing). Getting around in infamous was a bore until infamous 2 with ice leap. In theory prototype sounds better but when i play it i prefer infamous.(I say in theory because when i think of infamouse vs. prototype i think that prototype sound like it would be much more fun and awesome but it isn't to me).

 

[Zhukov]

I loved Prototype.

For about 15 minutes.

That bit at the start where you had all the powers was great fun. "Holy crap, I can throw cars. I can sprout a shield from my arm and ram people! Can I jump... whoa! And then if I press this button he does an elbow drop!"

Then they turned it into a repetitive and poorly paced grind in a dull sandbox.

Can't say I'm exactly salivating over the prospect of a sequel. It'll be one of those games that I pick up during a slump when it goes on sale.

 

[Xprimentyl]

Well, Prototype is still my favorite open-world free-roaming game I've ever played. Yeah, the story was kind of lackluster and oddly paced. Sure, the characters were pretty one-dimensional (aside from Mercer himself. I'd give him at least a second dimension). But what I went in expecting was to be treated like a god, with the ability to jump from a 500 ft building, crushing the weak peons beneath me. And to be able to brutally cannibalize and murder all the weak peons I missed upon the fall. And holy shit, did Prototype ever deliver on that.

So yes, I'm excited for Prototype 2. I'll miss playing as Mercer, but I'll get over it after I cut a few people in half and blame it on "that dude over there".

EDIT: I'm currently playing Infamous for the first time (just got my PS3), and I'm wondering what everyone sees in it. Especially when compared to Prototype. Maybe once I unlock some more powers, I'll dig it more, but right now, I'm just wishing I was playing Prototype.

Well, I'm pleasantly surprised to see the love and meh outweighed the hate; not what I expected!

And my friend Mr. Glitch here hit nail directly on the head, IMHO. I didn't pick up Prototype expecting an emotional rollercoaster or a story penned by a dramatic genius; I wanted to be a vicious, overpowered badass and no game to date or before has delivered like Prototype did. Picking up Prototype and faulting the shallow story is like buying a drag racer and complaining that it only gets 3 miles to the gallon! Prototype was over the top, as evidenced by literally every move at your disposal; you can ELBOW DROP A DAMN TANK. That alone is worth at LEAST a rent.

I just hope they don't chop out a lot of this raw, shameless fun trying to shoehorn in what they think will "sell." Prototype was a great GAME; I hope this second one focuses on enhancing what the first one did and making corrections only where they are REALLY needed.

As for the Infamous lovers out here; I bought Infamous around the same time as Prototype, played it through, enjoyed it, but it was no where near as fun as Prototype. Cole's powers didn't "wow" me or lead me to believe I was anything truly powerful; I was just some guy for whom swimming was fatal. The environment looked a lot better; I concede that, but the absolute CHORE it was to navigate it made me hate it. Seriously, climbing? Might as well have gone inside and taken the stairs for all the fun THAT was. No, charging your jump for a 100-foot vertical followed by a double air dash and a bullet dive into a crowd of enemies NEVER got old!

I can't wait for his damn game...

 

[6_Qubed]

TAKING

TOO

GODDAMN

LONG

(to launch)

 

[hazabaza1]

Eh. First one was okay, fun to jump around and kill shit, but Saints Row has all my sandbox love for the moment.

 

[Xman490]

I have fairy high expectations for Prototype 2, though quite a bit lower than for Bioshock Infinite.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I liked Prototype about 1/3 of the time.

The beginning of the game is boring because you don't have any of your powers yet, and can't really do much except the story missions.

The middle of the game is great, once you have the majority of your powers, and have a lot of freedom to use them.

The the end of the game turns to shit again, because you completely lose the freedom of the sandbox. The military is EVERYWHERE, and you can't get from one side to the other without setting off alarms and getting attack squads called after you every 2 minutes. Honestly, it's really not fun to have to fight off 5 helicopters every couple of minutes while you're just trying to get to the next mission. It also doesn't help that any time you load the game you're at half health, and it's literally impossible to find a place to absorb people in peace, so even getting back to full health is a struggle.

I agree with the people who say that Prototype is a missed opportunity because of some very basic design flaws, and poor pacing. I might want to pick up Prototype two, but it won't be a full price purchase for me like the original was. I'm not that interested in the story, nor do I care about the new protagonist, the only thing I'm curious about is whether they fixed the flaws from the original game.