Sierra Spring Event: PROTOTYPE
The first gameplay element we were shown is the 'power wheel' system that is used to change Alex's body to take on the damage and dish out the punishment he needs to give in order to achieve his goals. On one part of the wheel Alex could morph his hands into giant claws to use against his opponents, and on a different part his hand became more of a blade to help slice through his enemies. Another wheel showed some of the defensive tactics Alex can use such as creating a thicker armor around his body that allows him to bulldoze through objects, or a deflective aura that can send an enemy's own projectiles back at them. Alex has many many abilities at his disposal and can gain more as he consumes a variety of enemies and upgrades the abilities in his arsenal. These power wheels allow for Alex to destroy anything and everything he so chooses.
On the opposing side to his 'destroy' abilities, Alex can also 'deceive' the world by shape-shifting into people he has recently consumed. In the process of consuming certain individuals, Alex will also gain their memories and/or special abilities. In our time with the game, we saw Alex take on the form of a military commander and then use a radio to call in an air-strike at a desired location. Gaining the memories of key characters in the game also allows for Alex to learn more about his past. Also, under the newly assumed identities, Alex can then sneak into places where it'd have been impossible for him to go before; however, if he does anything too out of character the military or the Infected (the two opposing factions Alex faces in the game) will take note and at a certain level his identity will be exposed and enemies will begin to attack him again. From what I saw in the demo, Alex could have two other identities to shift into at any time allowing him to duck under a bridge and shift into an unexposed identity to throw off his enemies and escape from peril and danger. All of these aspects of his shape-shifting abilities add a interesting level of 'stealth' to the normal action game.
One interesting point of the game is the Parkour like movement at which you leap from buildings, attack enemies, and scale vertical walls. All of the actions seem very fluid and are also affected by what enhancements you have chosen on your power wheels. This fluid and superhuman acrobatics also lends well to the fluid and open world in which Alex roams. As the story progresses Alex picks up missions that help further the storyline and develop the conflict going on between Alex, The Infected, and the military; however, true to the 'open-world' format, Alex is allowed to choose what he wants to do and where he wants to go. This open world along with the free running nature in which Alex is allowed to move gives the player a New York City landscape to almost do as he pleases; however, as the game progresses and the Infected become more of a problem, the city will also change accordingly and our anti-hero better be ready.
Overall, PROTOTYPE looked like a very nice addition to the action game genre while also giving us the dazzling graphics that many of the next-gen titles are producing. We were told to expect the game to release sometime this fall on the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Until then just enjoy your GTA IV.
PixelPoet
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 28 April 2008
Other stuff like this: pc, playstation 3, prototype, radical entertainment, sierra, xbox 360
Name: Dave