Biological threat and a corrupted hero make Prototype 2 thrilling

New York is infected with a deadly virus. Again. Time to don the biohazard suits and venture into gruesome battle.

In Prototype 2, the future of New York looks bleak thanks to a killer virus and a hero-turned-villain.

Prototype 2
Activision
PS3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
****

The future, as we all know, is going to be one horrendously grim place. Country-crushing world wars, epic environmental disasters - you name it, it's coming our way. In the free-roaming Prototype 2, it's the turn of that classic "deadly virus" to challenge mankind's existence. And we're not talking about a cheeky splash of H1N1 here but the ghastly Blacklight plague that transforms innocent sweet humans into terrifying and uncontrollably violent monsters of varying shapes and sizes.

But hang on a second, wasn't Blacklight sorted out in the first Prototype? Well, yes, but like every good sequel, it's back and it's badder. This time around, however, there's been an interesting character swap. Whereas the original saw you take control of the infected weirdo Alex Mercer to battle the virus and its dark secret (it turns out - shock horror - to be part of a biological military experiment), in the return, hero turns villain as you play James Heller, a tough-talking (read: quite sweary), hard-as-nails army sergeant who blames Mercer for the death of his family.

Yes, the story gets rather head-scratching at times, despite detailed explanations throughout. Thankfully, the gameplay makes up for any confusion elsewhere in bucketloads. Like Mercer, your character has taken to Blacklight rather well, being able to "shape-shift" into people he "consumes" (a handy one for getting past security), grow an alarming arsenal of weaponry appendages (which are added as the game goes on) and, best of all, run up the side of buildings and fly around.

Like its predecessor, the game takes place in an open-world New York City - presumably because there's nothing quite like flinging cars into the side of the Chrysler Building - which basically becomes a gigantic plague-infected playground as you hop, skip, jump and soar between skyscrapers, something only a toddler will tire of.

The increasingly complicated background behind the virus's return is drip-fed across the game as you absorb various characters and their memories. Instantly forgettable, this will undoubtedly be ignored over the intense and extremely violent action, as the numerous missions see you swipe the legs off vast ogres the size of tower blocks, take control of tanks (or, alternatively, just rip their gun turrets off) and bring down helicopters with a swing of your genetically enhanced "tendrils". Expect thumb-based numbness.

New York may have been done to death, literally, in the video game world, and the virus storyline is no stranger either. But Prototype 2 is an explosive and exhausting follow-up and a game that is likely to transform players into obsessed zombies, if only for a few hours.

Also out this week:

• Battleships – PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, DS, 3DS

• MUD FIM Motocross World Championship – PS3, Xbox 360, PC