Prototype 2: Nitreview.

GEC: Discuss gaming, computers and electronics and venture into the bizarre world of STGODs.

Moderator: Thanas

Post Reply
User avatar
SirNitram
Rest in Peace, Black Mage
Posts: 28367
Joined: 2002-07-03 04:48pm
Location: Somewhere between nowhere and everywhere

Prototype 2: Nitreview.

Post by SirNitram »

A new game landed in the Manor, and I've played it alot. My recommendation: If you liked Prototype, get this. It improves in all ways, except replacing Mercer with a far more relatable character of James Heller, a PSTD war vet who arrives home to the NYZ just in time to find his mother and daughter dead.. Because of Mercer and his second outbreak. It's a roaring rampage of revenge, to borrow a phrase, against Gentek, Blackwatch, and Heller's Infected. Without spoiling anything, there's some interesting twists on the way, though near the end the WHAM moments come end to end.

The biggest change is that earning powers, upgrades, and so forth are not earned the same way. EP result in 'levels', where you get one of a variety of mutations that improve you. In addition, wrecking Lair's of infected, removing Field Teams, collecting Blackbox's, and completing optional 'Blacknet' missions earns different mutations, enhancing everything from your mobility to your defense, and your powers. Most powers and upgrades are gotten by consuming specific foes. No more farming EPs and becoming powerful off of simple fights repeated endlessly.

Plus, the 'Tendrils' and 'Pack Leader' powers are simply incredibly fun.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.

Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.

Shadowy Overlord - BMs/Black Mage Monkey - BOTM/Jetfire - Cybertron's Finest/General Miscreant/ASVS/Supermoderator Emeritus

Debator Classification: Trollhunter
User avatar
Stark
Emperor's Hand
Posts: 36169
Joined: 2002-07-03 09:56pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Prototype 2: Nitreview.

Post by Stark »

It plays better than P1, but has a really dumb story and is really short/easy. They really fumbled where to go with the plot after P1. 'Nazi scientists' is not good writing, and Heller is a pretty offensive and moronic protaganist.

But the actual game elements are all better. Its a shame that a single brief playthrough will get you absolutely everything and make it nearly pointless to play further.
User avatar
tezunegari
Jedi Knight
Posts: 692
Joined: 2008-11-13 12:44pm

Re: Prototype 2: Nitreview.

Post by tezunegari »

Haven't bought/played it yet as I am waiting for the budget version.

Do they at least give a good reason why Alex Mercer is the new antagonist?
"Bring your thousands, I have my axe."
"Bring your cannons, I have my armor."
"Bring your mighty... I am my own champion."
Cue Unit-01 ramming half the Lance of Longinus down Adam's head and a bemused Gendo, "Wrong end, son."
Ikari Gendo, NGE Fanfiction "Standing Tall"
User avatar
SirNitram
Rest in Peace, Black Mage
Posts: 28367
Joined: 2002-07-03 04:48pm
Location: Somewhere between nowhere and everywhere

Re: Prototype 2: Nitreview.

Post by SirNitram »

tezunegari wrote:Haven't bought/played it yet as I am waiting for the budget version.

Do they at least give a good reason why Alex Mercer is the new antagonist?
He does rant about why. Though unfortunately, the full reason is in a comic covering the time between games.
Manic Progressive: A liberal who violently swings from anger at politicos to despondency over them.

Out Of Context theatre: Ron Paul has repeatedly said he's not a racist. - Destructinator XIII on why Ron Paul isn't racist.

Shadowy Overlord - BMs/Black Mage Monkey - BOTM/Jetfire - Cybertron's Finest/General Miscreant/ASVS/Supermoderator Emeritus

Debator Classification: Trollhunter
User avatar
LadyTevar
White Mage
White Mage
Posts: 23132
Joined: 2003-02-12 10:59pm

Re: Prototype 2: Nitreview.

Post by LadyTevar »

The comic gives the reason in the most cliched trope there is: Discover all the Bad things about Humanity and decide we don't deserve to live.
I'm still holding out for a "Nuke split him into GoodGuy/BadGuy" trope. It'd give us hope that the one we LIKED is still out there somewhere.


Stark does have a point, the game is short. It doesn't feel rushed, you have plenty of action, but you get to the end too soon. They could have done a bit more with it. Complete-tionists who want to get all the goodies and earn all the highest rankings in the Online Challenges get good use out of Game+. There is enough to do that you could avoid the story for some time, but since most of your powers unlock through Story, that is a big sticking point.
Image
Nitram, slightly high on cough syrup: Do you know you're beautiful?
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
User avatar
Stark
Emperor's Hand
Posts: 36169
Joined: 2002-07-03 09:56pm
Location: Brisbane, Australia

Re: Prototype 2: Nitreview.

Post by Stark »

And the reason is amazingly stupid so everyone ignores it, beyond it beyond central to how bad the story is. There was scope for really interesting stuff after Prototype since 'Mercer' knows he's both immortal and not even remotely human, and the whole world is in peril, millions are dead and New York is a blasted shell, etc.

So to explore that imteresting situation, all scientists are evil, the green zone has more zombies than the yellow zone, and Mercer has a bizarre plan that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

Keeping the people in camps is fine, since the world is probably gripped in backlight paranoia. Black watch being huge or even still existing after they all got eaten and had a 100% failure rate is dubious but tolerable. It's just that nothing interesting is done with these interesting ideas; they're not even slaughting civilians in brutal experiments to save the world, as they arguably we're in the first one. They're just doing it because they can and they're bad.

Going into the game I expected something interesting like Mercer creating Heller to kill him, as he recognises the threat he represents and can't do it himself. Oh well, at least the effortless killing of bad guys is better and the controls are improved.

Tevars point about unlocks is important because it serves to make your options grow in a more linear way (although finding all the collectables is really easy). Some of the most interesting stuff you don't get access to for quite some time, and then the game ends.
Post Reply