PaulH
on - last edited on by
ElizabethS
Poor Alex Mercer. He was once our hero, combating the oppressive force of the US military Blackwatch faction while simultaneously unearthing the corruption within Gentek, the creators of the destructive Blacklight virus. Those heroic days are long behind us now, as Mercer has decided to set-up his lair in what remains of the Manhattan region of New York City (now renamed New York Zero) and he's got one objective in mind: the obliteration of the Blackwatch army using whatever means necessary.
Unfortunately for Mercer, one of his newly infected victims, Sergeant James Heller, is severely ticked off and is on the hunt to murder his creator and destroy the Blacklight Virus once and for all.
The story of Prototype 2 takes place fourteen months after the events of the original, and much has changed within New York Zero. The city has been divided into three regions, each with their own distinct feel and dangers. The Red Zone is where Alex Mercer resides and the Blacklight virus thrives and evolves. It's a wasteland filled with crumbled buildings from war, and the breeding ground for deadly new biological weapons. The Green Zone is the non-infected area of New York Zero, heavily guarded by the Blackwatch army and their central base of operations. Life in this zone is controlled, yet secure, and civilians carry out their daily lives much like they did in the past. The Yellow Zone is the most interesting of the three, it's a co-habited human/infected region filled with rundown slum settlements and ever present danger. Not only do the residents need to contend with persistent infected attacks, the corrupt Gentek scientist also use this area as a petri dish to conduct horrifying experiments.
Here is a trailer showing the terror that awaits Heller in the Red Zone:
In the game you assume the role of James Heller, a former US military officer who returns home from his Afghanistan and Iraq mission only to see the remains of his family being burned after they were infected with the mutative Blacklight virus. Having lost his will to live, Heller decides to rejoin the army and volunteers for the most deadly missions in the Red Zone, hoping that he will perish and join his family. After being mortally wounded in action, Mercer infects Heller with the virulent plague and mutates his body into one of the Infected. Still alive, and filled with rage, Heller becomes hell-bent on destroying his creator and eradicating the Blacklight virus from the streets of New York Zero.
If you've played the original, you'll immediately feel at home with Prototype 2's open world, third-person action presentation. Starting out in the Yellow Zone, Heller will have to master his powers over time as he mutates into a more powerful superhuman. Like in Prototype, you will have the option to select how Heller's abilities will mutate based on your play style and preferences. Heller can adapt to run faster, fly farther, gain new abilities and develop existing ones. Mutations are stackable, meaning that as you develop Heller you can string moves and attacks together to move more efficiently or unleash even more devastation.
A new "tendrils" ability, unique to Heller, is perhaps the biggest gameplay change in Prototype 2. These limb extensions sprout from his arms and can be used to reach out into the environment and can be used to latch on to objects and smash them together. The tendrils can also string up enemies, much like how Spiderman captures criminals, making it easier for future attacks or temporarily easily the amount of oncoming fire. Furthermore, a new dismemberment feature will allow Heller to chop off the limbs of his foes, effectively reducing their range of attacks (sometimes killing them outright), or slice enemies in half for a quick kill.
Another interesting new addition is Heller's pulse ability, which allows him to unleash a wave of energy into his surrounding and is used to identify targets or key locations. In order to track down his prey, all Heller needs is something to identify the person, be it their name written on a piece of paper, a photograph, or a piece of DNA. The pulse ability looks cool in action and has a ripple effect much like a grazing a stone over water.
Unlike the original, where Mercer was given objectives by a person, Heller will be able to choose where he wants to travel and what he wants to accomplish. He has the ability to tap into Blacknet, the intel system the US military uses to coordinate their efforts. Using this knowledge, Heller can decide which Blackwatch operations to strategically take out and the best tactics to accomplish that goal. Missions will span all three zones, and include mandatory storyline quests as well as optional sidequests.
Thus far the game looks to be coming along quite nicely, with improved graphics and enhanced gameplay.
Prototype 2 releases in North America on April 24, 2012, for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The game is being developed by Vancouver-based Radical Entertainment and is being published by Activision.
For more information on the game, check out the futureshop.ca product pages:
Or visit the official Prototype 2 website: http://www.prototypegame.com
