RPS Feature The Mercer Seat
Several months after its console debut – the so-so sales of which lead to Activision closing its developer – open-world superhero game Prototype 2 is now out on PC. I’ve been hulking out, wall-running up tall buildings and eating people alive for the last few days, and then I played some Prototype 2. Allow me to foist the following words about it upon your monitor.
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“RIP Radical Entertainment 1991-2012,” tweeted audio designer Rob Bridgett earlier today. Moments later, the Internet was abuzz with reports that Activision had used its maniacal death tendrils to choke the life right out of Prototype 2 developer Radical Entertainment. That, however, isn’t entirely true. But, while not a full-on closure, Activision explained in an official statement that “some employees will remain working for Radical Entertainment supporting other existing Activision Publishing projects, but the studio will cease development of its own games going forward.” Which is, of course, horrendously depressing. There is one infinitesimally small bright spot to all this, though: Prototype 2’s PC version is escaping unscathed.
If I’m reading Prototype 2 correctly, it’s actually an extremely subtle environmental message. I mean, just look at the evidence: main character James Heller goes out of his way time and time again to slice, dice, and skewer vehicles of all shapes and sizes. No car is safe from his bladed assault, and when helicopters try to lend their wheeled pollution-spewing compatriots a helping spritz of machine gun fire, Heller makes sky sushi out of them as well. He also sort of, you know, carves up a few people, but I’m sure it was a simple mistake. From the right angle, people do bear a striking resemblance to helicopters. Honestly, it can be kind of awkward. “Hey, Boeing AH-64 Apache,” people will call out to me on the street. “Oh, wait, I thought you were someone else. Never mind.” Now watch a very angry man slice a… wait, is that me?! No, no, just a helicopter. Phew. It’s after the break.
I’ve just learned something new. Games decay. Did you know that? While they’re sitting there, waiting for you to buy them, content rots away from them, flaking away like a sort of scabby flesh-rust. At least, that’s the terrifying explanation I’m assuming is behind the fact that Prototype 2 will contain 55 ‘items’ that unlock in the weeks following its launch that will only be available to those who buy the game early. They are the “biggest” and “best” fans, you see, so they get more of a game. It’s not decaying at all, is it? It’s some form of retail-driven dissection dickery. Doesn’t matter to us though because they’ve also delayed the PC release to July 24. Here’s a video about the content that you can’t play.
A new dev diary for Prototype 2 makes it look more interesting than some of the previous tentrailacle-themed gorefests. The men who speak in it appear to have good ideas about both hunting and killing, and the kind of freedom on offer, even if it will eventually lead to bloody murders in every instance, is something I can imagine myself enjoying. It’s also worth noting that I don’t think I’ve heard a better quote from a developer this year than: “Someone just fell out the sky and landed on a guy and then ate him”. That comes complete with excited hand motions, as you’ll see if you join me below.
Blue noticed that Radical have put out a trailer detailing their approach for New York in Prototype 2. The so-called “NYZ” will be far more detailed this time, with the city divided into three zones, allowing them to increase the visual fidelity and density of detail in the city. There’s loads from the devs and a bunch of game footage in the video, which I have posted below. It’s looking more and more promising.
(Echoes of a BLDGBLOG article wot I wrote.)
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I barely played the first Prototype, so when it comes to the sequel anything plot-related is a bit hazy. Angry men are killing each other with appendages they should not have, that much is clear, but what about the soldiers caught in the middle of it all? Do they deserve to be torn asunder? Judging by this latest trailer, they sure do, casually shooting defenseless animals and then snickering about it. And if you don’t want trouble, don’t hang around with a bunch of tanks and guns in a place called The Red Zone. Leave the weaponry at home and stick to The Mauve Zone, or even the pedestrianised zone, it’s hard to imagine all this mayhem going on there.
