By John Walker on March 27th, 2009 at 5:14 pm.
Each new Prototype trailer has us giggling like children at the gorish ludicrosity of it all. Running up the sides of buildings, caving in heads on the sides of buildings, throwing cars at helicopters, morphing into a giant fisted madman. These are just some of the things we do when we’ve watched them. A little joke for you there. Below is the latest trailer, which gives you a top 10 reasons why you should want to play it. And frankly, they had us with “Projectile Dysfunction”.
Kieron had a little play of it last month, and you’d do well to read his impressions here. Looking at the footage, it’s hard to imagine how this Hulk-meets-Rampage open city madness could be anything other than fun, and Kieron had a great time with it. It’s still a few months away, but is due to arrive in June – the perfect timing for a summer blockbuster nonsense-fest.
BIFF!
report
Okay, that’s ridiculously entertaining.
report
Oh my, did he just elbow drop a tank??
report
The main reason I play games is to liveout a childish power fantasy. I am thus EXTREMELY excited about prototype.
report
Kapow!
report
zomg, is that a game where you can’t die? If so, I want one!
report
This is better and better looking with every showing.
I also feel that should be a new violence setting – None / Green / Red / Ludicrous. I know which one I’d opt for.
report
Why does someone that can smash a tank with their backside, hop in one and drive off in it?
report
Rudolfo: If it’s anything like the developers previous game, Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, then it is possible to die, but it will literally take an armys worth of firepower to do it.
Later in Hulk, the enemy start bringing out giant robots to deal with you, and fights with them could level whole city blocks. I hope Prototype has that kind of escalation of firepower.
report
@heartless-
Because then you can enter your tank and win in the games optional “prettiest tank” contest that unlocks the games tank customization which lets you change between the three different shades of green on the turret!
Or at least it better, or else I’m not buying the game.
report
@Ian: Actually he first shot the tank with a rocket launcher while flying through the sky and then elbow droped the tank!
report
I like I just came a little…
report
@heartless
I think we both know the answer to that: “Because it’s awesome!”
report
This just looks like an excuse to blow stuff up and destroy everything without consequence. It is a damning indictment of the state of video gaming today where its all about the mindless violence.
Guess what? I’m REALLY looking forward to it XD
report
This is like superjail but a videogame. Violence porn is fun!
report
Re: #2, I think when it gets to the point of almost flight and being able to run all the way up buildings it’s beyond the remit of ‘parkour’
report
I peed a little.
Also, #11: Free-Camera Replay! … please?
report
Once in a while, a game is being made that you indistinctly know you’ll love. This i one of them.
report
I have no idea whats going on but it looks pretty awesome.
report
Fuck it, I’ve been cautiously optimistic about this and it has finally moved into the category of ‘do want now’.
report
His insatiable hatred of helicopters is infectious.
report
that stuff is frighteningly close to the kind of shit i do when i have lucid dreams.
report
As an old codger born on January 1st, 1908, I approve of this game.
report
What’s with all the civilian slaughtering?
report
Oh god looking forward to this so much. I am also in the camp of people playing games for absurd power and this looks like a few steps above Crackdown. AWESOME.
report
I think this game pinpoints exactly what we secretly want from all games, which is to be a horrible vicious monster.
report
Yes yes, being able to blow up a tank, or steal it is quite awesome. But did anyone else see the bit where you steam a guy’s appearance, then point a finger at someone else and accuse THEM of being you? As that was the best part.
report
Yeah that was the bit that moved it into the realms of ‘do want now’ for me.
report
Jesus, I was looking forward to this, but frankly, those running animations put me off it all together. I really hope they get changed before release.
Maybe I’ve just been spoiled by GTA 4′s animation (which, incidentally, plays beautifully on my two machines).
report
I’m hoping you can still run around like a horrid little monkey after stealing someone’s appearance.
The hoody is not doing it for me.
report
For me it was the part where he jumps on top of a car, grabs it, and throws it at a helicopter in one smooth motion. Very fluid.
report
good GOD this game looks so sweet!
report
*head explodes*
report
right, hang on now everyone, just who the hell is going to clear up all that mess?
report
Looks a bit too violent for my taste. It’ll be interesting to see if there is any gameplay depth beyond the spectacular visual element.
As an aside, I’m wondering if there will be a PC outrage about this game. To me it would seem a much more obvious target than RE5, but I’m often wrong about these things. If there is, what will be the angle?
report
This game is called ‘Prototype?’
Gee willikers, I wonder what one of the late-game twists/bosses is going to be?!?!?!?
report
Oh my holy god. DO WANT. I must admit I’m almost unafraid to ask, but, um…what’s the plot about?
report
This game looks like it will the the ultimate asshole-simulator.
I can’t wait.
report
I love this comments thread. Such vicious critique of a game so well conceptionalised and executed.
Especially “damning indictment of the state of video gaming today where its all about the mindless violence” cracked me up.
report
WE ARE THE RPS HIVEMIND. YOUR PRAISE AND ADULATION IS APPRECIATED AND BEEN CATALOGED INTO OUR DATABASE.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE. JOIN US OR YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED.
report
That game should be called “OMFG”.
Also, what the fuck, the hoodieman consumed the guy in front of everyone and nobody got scared shitless? :|
Other than that, I am looking forward for it. Sometimes, escapism is better done playing a PEARL OF TOTAL RAGE. :)
report
A Tetsuo simulator.
I always wanted one.
I miss the ragged cape though.
report
KAAAANEEDAAAAAAAAA!
report
This looks extremely fun. The beginning somehow felt a bit weird, though. Then, when he hijacked the helicopter, I realized it. This somehow seems a lot like Mercs 2. I liked Mercs 2, but only played about 20 hours before I stopped. I have a feeling this will be much, much better, though.
report
Wow. I want this very much. Looks like Crackdown (one of the most fun games ever) crossed with the hulk with shapeshifting thrown in for good measure. Hurrah for childish fantasy games!
report
Hulk: Ultimate Destruction was tremendous fun- pretty much the perfect Hulk game. This looks like that, only way slicker and faster and more brutal. Loverly.
Hmm, and Hulk had a very decent control system too, so more big hopes.
report
looks like the Thing vs Mercenaries so pretty damn sweet!!
report
Fuck yes, this is continuing to look like a worthy followup to Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, but the bit that got me with this trailer is the Patsy, that was absolutely brilliant and I have a feeling I’ll be doing that a lot!
report
I must admit I’m almost unafraid to ask, but, um…what’s the plot about?
The what?
report
Kotaku gave this a run over on their site as well, and I have to say that the comments over there are almost enough to make me cry. Gigantic, sprawling threads filled to the brim with people completely missing the point of this game and busily congratulating each other on how smart they are.
One person actually complained about how the windows aren’t transparent and that the player isn’t able to see the inside of every single building. It’s a complaint so grounded in fantasy that I have grasping even the idea that he might think about whining about it.
report
Oh, wow.
The whole trailer was pretty badass, but they had a sale early on I think, when he grabbed the special forces guy and surfed down the street on his corpse.
report
Is… is it wrong for a human being to love a game in “that way”?
report
Some things look impressive, I can see why it was delayed. Most of the animations still looked…off. I hope they actually do something with the “I’m a pissed off jerk and don’t care if I kill innocents” angle…
report
Actually it was when they brought out the giant robots that I mostly got bored of Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, which is a shame because it was almost as much fun to just move around the city as Spider-Man 2. The big robots just didn’t feel enough like you were hitting them. They were more like a giant block with a health bar, even when you were tossing cars and stuff at them.
report
@MA6200
What sold it for me was after surfing the guy he kicked him into a tank causing the tank to explode. Using people as deadly projectiles looks very fun and stupid in the best way.
report
*THIS* is my new definition of awesome.
report
@Post Maker:
Best to avoid most of the comments threads on Kotaku, if you want to retain a little glimmer of faith in humanity.
report
Hur Hur they said pwn and a word that sounds like erectile. I am so glad that they did market research on how to appeal to the 18-24 year old male demographic. I feel like they’re talking right to me!
report
Blowing up helicopters by using people as projectiles? WIN!
Using people as skateboards? WIN!
Assuming this actually gets good reviews on release, I’m sold.
report
Wow this looks like what you get if you pumped Crackdown full of drugs and then soaked it in the blood of an unholy sacrifice, and I want it.
report
When Crackdown goes bad. Really bad. Bad like a honey badger on a narky bender.
report
That might actually be so much fun that there will be no fun left for anything else. Like the end of Akira, but with joy.
report
I am so utterly confused after watching that trailer.
report
What on earth is there to be confused about? It’s a game with spectacular running about and smashing.
report
Guess there’s something wrong with me. Because after watching the trailer, I was not amused.
report
Ditto. I can see why people are excited about it — it looks like a ton of fun, frankly. The fluid running and jumping looks sweet. The “Patsy” part was ridiculously awesome. But I just can’t get past the “let’s kill lots of people, soldiers and civilians alike, in increasingly cruel and gory fashions” thing.
I’ve tried, really. A friend of mine is a programmer on the game, so I’m trying hard to like it each time a new trailer comes out, but they all seem to be glorifying gratuitous bloody violence on a massive scale, which I just can’t get past. Sigh.
report
Fuckin’ wow. Finally a game not made by Valve that I can get excited about.
report
Wow. You guy serious!? I’m… I’m… pumped! It’s amazing and beautiful.
@Testicular Torsion: Just imagine each person you kill as your boss, or someone you hate… you can do so many things. Oh gosh I can’t wait.
I LOVE PROTOTYPE!
report
I admit I have problems with the indiscriminate nature of the violence. I’m not a huge fan of civilian slaughter. Still… it does look like a lot of fun, and enthusiasm can overcome some of my distaste. But I think that’s a good reason to be put off.
report
They don’t do a very good job of showing it, but a large number of the civilians are infected and hostile to the player. Early on it is just total slaughter, but if you’re careful you can avoid hitting anyone but your enemies.
Which makes a bit of sense really, since given that the main character doesn’t really have any level of fine control over his powers he’d have a hard time not hitting people by accident.
report
it’s good to see a game that doesn’t care about realism these days, i miss the old days where a machine gun shot would launch an enemy 20 meters in the air, and 3 shots would allow his carcass to reach escape velocity and maybe get to the moon in 5 minutes :D
report
“I’m not a huge fan of civilian slaughter. Still… it does look like a lot of fun, and enthusiasm can overcome some of my distaste.”
That could so easily be attributed to any of the warlords of history, or perhaps to Bomber Harris
report
I know this is blasphemy but… is anyone else considering getting it on their Xbox360?
report