Prototype - Tanks Anyways

I would really like to meet the mission designer of this game. I want to know what rationale he head for the mission strings. Things seem randomly and poorly put together. On the whole the game does not make sense. What type of character is Alex? I know he’s out for revenge, but is he the type of character who will kill everything just because you exist or is he the type of character who will kill only the people that get in his way innocent bystanders be damned.

I’m leaning towards the first one.

Alex walks into his sister’s safehouse and then walks back out 10 seconds later to rescue his girlfriend. The poor guy walks through the door after a long day of murder and his sister is all “Do you know Karen Parker? Well you should, you dated her. If I can find her the military can. Go save her.” She never allows Alex to get a word in edgewise, she just barrels right on over him and sends him back out into the street to commit more murder.

Karen’s apartment is in a part of town that is being attacked by virus created monsters. With loads of military and T-virus creatures running around you think Karen would  be holed up somewhere assuming the worst was about to happen. Instead when Alex walks in she acts more like she was afraid that an ex-boyfriend was going to show up. She is happy to see Alex. Especially since she thought he was dead. He wants to get her out of here, but the only way to do that is with an APC (armored personnel carrier). Alex leaves to acquire one.

His goal is a nearby military base and thanks to his magical transformation abilities, getting in isn’t that hard. Once you’re inside the base properly you have to absorb an APC driver and gain his abilities. This is actually a fun mechanic especially now that I have the ability to ‘stealth absorb’ people. You can gain/grown new abilities by absorbing certain people. The stealth absorb ability allows me to sneak up behind anyone and absorb them without being caught. I quickly end some kids promising career by absorbing his brain and now Alex Mercer knows how to drive an APC.

Except he steals a tank. I’m completely serious. The whole mission has been, go and get an APC and use it to get Karen to safety. Instead Alex grabs a tank. Now I can’t fault the guy on this, I would also steal a tank given the circumstances but there is no reason to have the mission objective state one vehicle and then turnaround a steal another.

You drive this tank through town and take it back to Karen’s, stopping along the way to kill some hunter creatures. Doesn’t really make a lot of sense, but that is quickly becoming par for the course. Now before you can rescue Karen you have to kill the hive that is across the street from her apartment. Why she isn’t barricaded in her apartment with a gun pointed at the door at all times is beyond me. Taking out the hive was easy; just shoot it with the tank. Karen jumps into the tank and asks to be taken to her lab.

Now if the military can find out whom this lady is (a Gentek scientist of all things) they will most certainly find her lab. It’s only two block from the military base where Alex stole the tank. I predict that she will eventually die from stupidity.

And speaking of the tank, I drove this thing through traffic crushing hundreds of civilians and vehicles along the way. And still, no one cared. I even blew up a tank at one point as I drove past it and no one cared. The only time anyone cares is if law authorities actually see you shoot someone. That’s how I finally got a “wanted” level. I shoot a soldier while another soldier watched. But it was ok; I drove off in my tank and was able to shake the military. While in a tank. A tank that I had used to slaughter 100s of people. Yeah.

I dropped Karen off and called it good.