By Tyler Trull
Finally, after an almost three-year wait, “Prototype 2” has hit the market. With the first game’s launch in early June of 2009, fans were immediately grabbing for more in the open-world adventure game. While the initial reaction for some Sony fans was that of skepticism (as the game bore a concept similar to the Playstation 3 exclusive title “Infamous,” which was released a mere week preceding “Prototype”), the gameplay and main character automatically gave a feeling of uniqueness. Fans of the game were then eager to get a sequel, as the first game had a very open ending.
“Prototype 2” is the sequel we deserved.
The original “Prototype” followed a man infected and against a system. The infection had caused the entire city of New York to become barricaded and quarantined, the special Blackwatch services moving in to control the masses. Your character, Alex Mercer, was there to fight the powers of the Blackwatch and Gentek biological research team, eventually foiling their plans to nuke the city to eradicate the virus.
Now, the story may have been weak, but it was not the reason most played this game; the main draw stood in what your character could pull off. Mercer could shape-shift into the last person he “consumed,” allowing him to gain knowledge and health.  He could also shift his appendages into weapons and fly through the air.
“Prototype 2” is a refinement of the controls and key selling points behind the first. Players are also given the convenient option to watch a quick video recap of the first game in the main menu. The new game follows a character that, unlike Mercer, has a strong emotional drive because of the death of his wife and daughter to the infection, which has broken out once more. Sgt. James Heller is motivated for revenge against Mercer, blaming him for the outbreak. This gives a stronger motivation and a stronger investment in the character.
With a refined control scheme, adjusted graphics, and a stronger storyline, the sequel may win fans even among those who were not fans of the original. The result of the work is one of the best-reviewed open-world games this year.
“Prototype 2” hit the shelves on April 24 for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. GameStop has both a Special Edition and what is known as the Radnet edition; both include exclusive missions that are released every couple of days.  The Special Edition includes a paid voucher for new content released May 9, the game soundtrack, hardcover art book, 20 percent off anything in the “Prototype” merchandise store, and a digital comic book of “Prototype” from Dark Horse Comics. The Radnet edition is priced at near $60, while the Special Edition is near $80 and is rated M for Mature. Both prices are reasonable for the 12 to 14 hours it will take to finish the game.
I would rate the game a solid 8.5 out of 10.