Prototype 2 Dev Video Explores the New Role of Alex Mercer

[Xanadu84]

It's absolutely a reasonable plotline. Crazy shit is going on, and i'm sure that infecting a random person could be exactly what Mercer needs to do through some complex, convoluted plan that is the trademark of countless stories. Theres no reason to assume that this setting can't work...but there is something more important to mention.

It doesn't matter what the story is. Yes, we all love a well told story, good characters, all that stuff. In Prototype, you body-slam helicopters. That's your story. It matters almost nothing if the plot is good, or even if it makes sense. The purpose in Prototype is to do crazy, unbelievable shit. Everything else is expendable.

 

[guess who]

Didnt Alex get blown to bits with a nuke and come back? how is this guy going to beat that?

The same way you beat bosses as Alex; beat him into a pulp and eat him.

 

[The Random One]

You know, there are a bunch of ways you could run Prototype's concept into the ground with a sequel, but for what it's worth it seems it's at least not going to be any of the obvious ones.

Prototype was already pretty polished for a new IP, the sequel is looking good.

So, who wants to try to figure out where that map behind that guy is for?

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

"What's interesting is that even though Mercer is the antagonist in the game, that doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad guy."

Well he was - to put it gently - a fucking arse hole in the first one, so now that he's actually fulfilling the antagonistic role I don't see why they can't just make him an official baddie.

Well, he's only the villain if you play him as a mass-murdering sociopath.

Spoiler: Plus...

The REAL Alex Mercer was the complete monster, not the Blacklight-Virus-that-took-Mercer's-form. He was actually a decent person...virus...thing.

 

[gundamrx101]

I heard that Heller attemped suicide before Zeus found him, maybe him infecting him was his way of trying to save him? Makes sense if they go that route, if not then whatever they had for Prototype 1 will be washed away with boos and heckling, plus angry emails.

Also, they better tweak this one in terms of AI. FOr a game that was selling itself as "you are a one man army" I never felt that way since as soon as you show up, everything tries to school. Completely forgetting that whatever it is you're fighting, was fighting the opposing side a few seconds ago. I mean, when a marine and a rancor thing team up and kill you, something is seriously wrong with the AI.

 

[Jumplion]

I like how they say "It's a whole David vs. Goliath thing. You're building up to where you have to take on this guy, but you think 'do I really have what it takes?'"

And then they proceed to show the new protagonist shooting helicopters, ripping off a tank's barrel, tearing off a monster's arm, and then throwing a monster to the ground.

Yeah, David vs. Goliath my ass. More like Goliath vs. Golia-

Hmm...Prototype was good...but had a LOT of flaws. This is looking decent.

And David v Goliath? I'm thinking Goliath v Goliath. Fucking awesome.

Ninja'd

The story in the first Prototype was atrocious at best. Alex Mercer was a completely schizophrenic, he jumped sides from trying to spread the virus to trying to prevent the virus from spreading. Then he starts taking orders from some random military guy on a phone he randomly finds under a telephone booth of which he had no reason to look there in the first place, and starts killing some more things. Mercer was a stupid character who could never choose what to do for himself, completely inconsistent with every other cutscene, and a general unlikable douchebag who slaughters innocent civilians just because that for some reason we were supposed to root for.

Though I guess the action was okay. Got a bit tedious and repetitive, though, and the over-the-top-violence was really unnecessary.

Prototype 2 looks to fall down the same path the story did, and the developers seem to have no idea how to formulate a coherent story. I may check it out if it's real cheap or if my friend gets it.

 

[gphjr14]

I still like this over inFamous. Played inFamous once through the Hero mode then 1/4 on villain and was board to death. Story was more interesting than Prototype's but when your done theres at least something to do in Prototype.

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

The big secret of Prototype?

Spoiler

Alex Mercer dies at the very beginning of the game, it was the Blacklight virus we were controlling.

Once Alex realizes this, he is free to become whoever or whatever he wants. Perhaps he decides that the only way he can be killed is if he creates someone more powerful than he.

 

[ramboondiea]

i thought we already knew this? sure i read he infected him because he needed allies and heller was chosen because he survived in the ifection zone

 

[Twilight_guy]

Yeah Alex was a pretty clear villain in the first game. He killed indiscriminately and ate everyone and did nothing but seek revenge. Even if you say the canon doesn't involve him nomming on tons of random civilians his actions were still selfish and evil. I have the bad feeling the new guy will be just as evil due to the trademark powers really only being good for murder. Still one evil dude against another in the ultimate evil off should be nice.

 

[Ninjat_126]

Remember guys, Storyline Mercer only killed civilians when he had to. Gameplay Mercer was as violent as you wanted him to be. A bit of a divide, but whatever.

Also, what's to say Mercer hasn't gotten more powerful? Redlight certainly has judging by those monsters, what's to say Blacklight hasn't?


My checklist for Prototype 2:

1. Weaker Whipfist.
2. More power diversity, with obvious strengths and weaknesses.
3. More tough humanoid enemies.
4. More viral forms.
5. More types of supersoldiers.
6. Specialists (like Cross) as common enemies or mini-bosses.
7. Tighter controls.
8. Better characterization.
9. Better Stealth mechanic and AI.

Optional: Multiplayer
a) Freeroam Versus mode: You vs 1-3 friends vs NYC vs Blacklight vs Blackwatch.
b) Freeroam Co-Op mode: You + 1-3 friends vs whatever they can throw at you.
c) Challenge mode: You + 1-3 friends completing objectives.


If there's one game (Apart from Mirror's Edge, Assassin's Creed, Red Dead Redemption and Infamous) that could benefit from a multiplayer sandbox, it would be Prototype.

 

[Hijax]

course, Mercer certainly could have become a rainbow-hating, baby-scaring baddy since the last game, but we'll have to wait for the game to come out to find out whether-or-not that's the case.

He was pretty much already a rainbow-hating, baby-scaring baddy in the last game. I think we can safely say that, now that he has assumed the antagonist role, this will be, if not a white vs black battle, then certainly gray vs black. Hell, depending on what kinda person James Heller turn out to be, we could be looking at a black vs black battle.

My checklist for Prototype 2:

1. Weaker Whipfist.
2. More power diversity, with obvious strengths and weaknesses.
3. More tough humanoid enemies.
4. More viral forms.
5. More types of supersoldiers.
6. Specialists (like Cross) as common enemies or mini-bosses.
7. Tighter controls.
8. Better characterization.
9. Better Stealth mechanic and AI.

Optional: Multiplayer
a) Freeroam Versus mode: You vs 1-3 friends vs NYC vs Blacklight vs Blackwatch.
b) Freeroam Co-Op mode: You + 1-3 friends vs whatever they can throw at you.
c) Challenge mode: You + 1-3 friends completing objectives.


If there's one game (Apart from Mirror's Edge, Assassin's Creed, Red Dead Redemption and Infamous) that could benefit from a multiplayer sandbox, it would be Prototype.

quoted for truth.

Also, why exactly does Mercers infect the guy who probably hates him the most in the whole world, with a virus that he knows from experience will make him into a god.killing abomination. What the hell?

 

[Notsomuch]

I notice that it only shows Heller beating on military. Kind of ironic since, as someone who lost his family, he should be way more conscious of unnecessary civilian/military deaths when his only goal is to kill Alex. If, when I play this game, I get Hellers sob story about his family dying and how he's so mad about it. If While in proceeding mission, he ends up indiscriminately killing whomever and whatever, I think I'll probably end up being completely detached from the story. I know it's difficult, but it shows in Prototype and it probably will in the sequel. There's going to be a complete duality between cut-scenes and gameplay where the character goes from brooding about his loss to completely slaughtering everyone. Grand theft auto at least sets your characters up as sociopaths, sometimes. Prototype one at least had Alex sort of disconnected, due to his amnesia. What's this guy's excuse? Yeah, yeah. He who hunts monsters.

 

[Ninjat_126]

What's this guy's excuse? Yeah, yeah. He who hunts monsters.

If implemented well, that could work. But in an open world game like Prototype, it's hard to restrict civilian casualties. Infamous had the karma meter as punishment, in Fallout 3 everyone had a gun, what's the motivation in this?

I guarantee you'll have players going out of their way to liquefy as many people as possible, and then whine about how you're still supposed to sympathize with the character.

 

[captaincabbage]

I really hope they allow you to evolve more the way you want to now, instead of just saying "okay, now you get this power, then this one, then this one.". It really killed the vibe for me on Prototype, even tho I loved the game with a passion.

I really hope that they go more along the style of letting you evolve up with the powers you want and having branching paths for you to customize yourself with.
I'd also like to see a huge, 12 foot high armor mode now, so you can just hulk out like a mentalcase.

 

[Optimystic]

"What's interesting is that even though Mercer is the antagonist in the game, that doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad guy."

Well he was - to put it gently - a fucking arse hole in the first one, so now that he's actually fulfilling the antagonistic role I don't see why they can't just make him an official baddie.

Prototype spoilers:

Spoiler

The real Alex was indeed an ass. He is also very, very dead. The Alex you play as - i.e. Blacklight - causes a lot of collateral damage but is otherwise pretty decent, especially compared to Blackwatch. Though discovering his (its?) true nature may have been an unhinging experience.

 

[Azaraxzealot]

"What's interesting is that even though Mercer is the antagonist in the game, that doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad guy."

Well he was - to put it gently - a fucking arse hole in the first one, so now that he's actually fulfilling the antagonistic role I don't see why they can't just make him an official baddie.

Probably trying to go for depth.

Should be interesting if they're still using the same terrible writers and actors from the last game.

and the same horrible lip-syncing, cinematography, pacing

etc. etc.

honestly, i did not give a shit about the story. if you were playing that game for its story you were completely missing the point.

it was more about "how much shit can i fuck up and how many ways CAN i fuck it up?"