[PROTOTYPE]

9/10 Normally, I'm not a huge fan of Free-Roam style games such as GTA or Spidey: Web of Shadows, but PROTOTYPE is the rare exception that found me staying up till 4am with non-stop enjoyment. This game will forever hold a special place for me as it pulled me over the top to obtain 30,000 GamerScore.
But before I get into reviewing the ooey-gooey details of the gameplay, ect. I need to delve into something else...
As much as I loved this game, I found it to be DC Comics' rip-off of Spiderman's Super-Nemesis VENOM. Basically, it comes off to me as "Hmmm...how can we take that awesome Villain, VENOM, make him the Hero, and make it DARK and Grotesque and Violent?" They succeeded by all accounts, to be sure, but it's still a Venom Knock-Off, one way or the other. Even the story is similar to Spidey: Web of Shadows...the symbiote (in this case, some sort of genetically engineered infection) breaks out and goes rampant through the streets of New York City, eventually consuming the entire Island, including buildings. The paralells are striking...even down to Black-Suit-Spidey and Alex Mercer have the same spikey-chain-whip-tentacle-arm-attack-thingy. A little dissapointing. That being said, Mercer can glide like a flying squirrel instead of Web-Sling from Building to Building.
ALL that being said, the gameplay was well laid out. The controls are well thought through and easy to master, and allow the player to have complete control.
The variety of options, upgrades, missions, side missions and skill-testing challenges allows for hours upon hours of gameplay without it being monotonous...way to do what Web of Shadows didn't, guys!
Visually, gorgeous. The general problem with Free-Roam games is that there is such a monster of a world for the systems to render that they dont allow for overly-gorgeous graphics...PROTOTYPE has a nice feel and style that is suitable to these limitations.
The physics engine is amazing and for once you can really feel some weight, especially when jumping off the Empire-State Building and coming to a crater-making crash of a halt on the street below.
Plot. Now again, while it somewhat parallels Web of Shadows, the plot is still nice and in-depth and is actually an awesome story. Each mission is vital TO said plotline and the lack of monotony allows you to maintain interest. This is one of the few games out there that is all about the Story. Which is nice for a change.
Overall, this game rocks...Spidey knock-off aside, and I am totally impressed!