Have you ever seen a bikini-clad redhead drive a Ferrari through a roadblock firing an AK-47? Neither have I, but even if I did, I'd still think that it wouldn't be nearly as awesome as Radical Entertainment's Prototype.

   Let's cut to fine detail: in this game you can consecutively jump off a skyscraper, throw a car into a tank, run up a building, hijack a helicopter in mid-air, and then proceed to methodically mow people down with the rotor blades.

   All in less than twenty seconds time.

Let's Blow Things Up

   The game's plot is mostly an excuse to let you do what the game lets you do best - kill people and blow things up. You're Alex Mercer, an amnesiac waking up in a NYC morgue only to find that you have become the ultimate badass. Thank you, Lord! - sorry, can't quite remember your name. With your newfound abilities, you can lift up and haul cars, jump eight times your height, and run so fast that you can make a lap across the globe and still kick yourself in the rear.

   Throughout the rest of the game you'll be trying to find out how Alex became the superstrong mutant that he is, all while fighting off the military that gets on your case, and clearing NYC of the Infected (also known as peaceful citizens turned bloodthirsty zombies). Throw in a couple of relatively challenging boss fights, and you've got the recipe for an epic win.

   As an additional bonus point, you're treated to very stylish, albeit brief, cutscenes every time you consume a target (now isn't that a yummy thought?) that has some knowledge of your past or of what's going on in NYC.

A Triple Bacon Cheeseburger, Please - and Hold the Fries

The Terror That Flaps in the Night

   So yes, this is a free-roaming game, akin to the likes of GTA and its multiple clones. You have access to the entire city from the get go, and with your superspeed and the ability to scale buildings, getting around is never a problem.

   Each action you perform in the game earns you a certain amount of points. This includes completing missions, killing people or monsters, uncovering more info about your past and the game's lore, and so on.

   You won't have access to all of the available powers when you start the game, but will be able to buy (and eventually upgrade) new moves and abilities via the game's points system.

   Your health is replenished by "absorbing" people and monsters. In fact, "absorbing" someone not only replenishes your health, but also allows you to take on the shape of the person absorbed. Later on in the game you'll be able to do nifty things like turn yourself into a commanding officer and call in an airstrike, or point at another soldier making everyone think that he's you, upon which he will be shot to bits by his loving colleagues.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

   Apart from superhuman speed and strength (you'll notice me use the modifier "super" quite a few times throughout the review), Alex also has the ability to shapeshift.

   He can turn one of his hands into a whip-like appendage that he can use to whip helicopters out of high air, or transform his fists into hammer-like, er, hammers, or even grow himself full body Spawn-like armor and shift one of his hands into a shield and the other - a sword. That's right - pretty freaking cool.

   With such abilities at your disposal, your best arsenal to counter whatever the game has to throw at you is effectively your own mutant self, but if that wasn't enough, you can compliment that with firearms you'll take from the military (assault rifles and bazookas), as well as tanks and attack helicopters.

   Hijack a chopper, launch a few homing missiles into a tank, jump out and latch onto another one. Jump out while the helicopter crashes onto a rooftop, then land by it and throw the debris at some poor chaps on ground level. Sit back in your chair and fight off the adrenalin rush with a nice hot cup of tea.

   Now what was the last time you had that much fun in 30 seconds? And please watch your mouth - there are children here.

I'm Sorry, Was That Your Face?

   Your most common enemy are the regular Infected. They're also the easiest to take down - Alex goes through dozens of them like if they were butter, blood and gibs galore.

   Then there are some special Infected (sounds familiar?), of course. These guys look like the kids a gorilla and a pit bull terrier never had (and never should have had) and are way tougher than their regular counterparts.

   Also joining the Infected team are weird stationary underground tentacles that can only be destroyed via the use of heavy artillery. Their favorite tactic is to pick up respawnable automobiles from the streets of NYC and throw them at your vehicle. Which makes me suspect they are a part of a slightly unorthodox government program aimed at resuscitating the American car industry.

   And then, of course, you have the military. When they put their shaved heads together they pack one hell of a punch, and can also call in air support, so when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

   None of the enemies are particularly clever, but what they lack in brains they make up in sheer numbers, firepower, or brute old strength. By the time you get the ability to jack helicopters though, they'd all be very hard pressed to even phase you.

Alex and Flying Zombies Extravaganza

   NYC is well-modeled (or at least well-modeled enough by the standards of someone who's never been to the States) and with dozens of people, monsters, and explosions sharing screen time, it runs fairly smoothly even on a year-old PC.

   Alex's moves are well animated, with running, jumping, and hanging onto buildings all looking very realistic. The game refers to his moves as parkour (also known as freerunning), and traversing the city is usually a pleasure to watch, especially considering the fact that you can go pretty much anywhere you see.

   Your character's attacks look brutal and their effects satisfyingly bloody. Limbs fly, people get torn in two, and politicians condemning video game violence choke on their own tongues. It's great stuff. As you progress through the game and more and more of the city becomes infected, the infected areas change to an orange hue, buildings deteriorate, and by the time you're on your last missions you're fighting through a warzone.

   The audio doesn't fall behind. Unlike the adrenaline-soaked gameplay it's nothing exceptional, but it does its job well and the soundtrack doesn't get in way of the action.

Blood Splatter Analysis

   At the end of the day, this game is for action junkies and action junkies only, and what it delivers, it delivers tenfold.

   If you're not into action games in general, think that violence is silly, and never ate a medium rare beefsteak in your life you may want to stay clear of this title as you will need a new set of pants soon after you launch it.

   However, if you don't mind a little mindless slaughter now and then, let it be known that Prototype is the video game equivalent of a mosh pit pogo dance set to heavy metal.

   Or to quote Oscar Wilde, "Yes, please!"

       ... Max Salnikov