Prototype - And Things Got Better

I know that I harp on Prototype for a lot of its shortcomings. I do feel that these are deserved. But the game can surprise me. I was happily running over people in a tank (now a favorite pastime) when I finally decided to some missions. Talk about a pleasant surprise.

While stopping off to visit Dana, Alex learns about some guy named McMullan and he goes looking for information about the guy. This leads Alex to a military base where he actually learns that the military has these mobile virus detectors combing the area. The detectors can even tell where Alex has been, that means they can locate Dana. Time to take these things out.

The mission setup is simple, the execution is perfect. You have a limited amount of time to destroy all of the patrols before they find Dana. Running around town trying to knock these things out was a complete blast. I got to make great use of my skills and the mission actually made sense. That is such a rarity in this game. I was zipping across town (glide is an awesome ability) crushing these stupid sensors as quickly as I can. It felt challenging without being overly complicated.

The next mission followed the same setup. This time the military has placed non-mobile viral detectors in the area. Not sure what good that would do unless they’re certain Alex hangs around the area. Considering that Alex shows up at every single detector should give these guys a clue. Now what made this mission work is that it actually required planning. You couldn’t just run in and blow everything up. I had to hit a detector and then I would normally be forced to run or hide for a little before I could go back out and fight some more. The hit and run tactics helped keep things feeling fresh. Plus I’ve started switching between Alex’s different abilities. The claws are always fun, but the whipfist (elastic fist) is nice too, but over-powered.

These two missions are examples of what the game should do more of. They work, they fit into the game, and they don’t make the player scratch their head in bewilderment. These are all very important for any game to remember. I really hope that this is that start of a new trend.