If you are looking for some uncomplicated action fun then the third-person thriller Prototype could right up your street. You play as Alex Mercer and must unleash your wrath on New York against the corrupt government that experimented on you. As a powerful shapeshifter you take on the might of the US army in the midst of a mysterious virus outbreak which is mutating the population. This is exciting, fast-paced and extremely violent.

In Prototype you have been imbued with incredible powers and as you build up Evolve Points you can purchase more and more skills. You can move fast, jump incredibly high and you have super strength. On top of that you can morph into various other forms using sharp bladed attacks, claws, hammer and whip against your enemies. You can also take the form of people you consume.

The city of New York is open to you and as you explore the sandbox world you can pick up missions at your leisure from the icons marked on the map, much like the GTA games. You can also access mini-games and search for collectables or you can just unleash freeform carnage. The open world feel may be similar to GTA IV but the gameplay is very different and your powers are great fun to use. You are essentially a one man army with monstrous destructive options at your fingertips. You can run up buildings, punch helicopters out of the air and throw cars into crowds of screaming people.

The plot ties in a military biological warfare project and a bioengineering company and is revealed largely through cut scenes. You build up a web of intrigue as you play through the game by consuming suspects and then watching snippets of their memories to paste together an explanation for what is happening. These bursts of memory are stylishly layered together and they cleverly use real photographs and footage. Some of the missions have more traditional cut scene intros using the in game models.

The production values are excellent with a variety of characters and monsters that are all well animated. There is naturally a fair bit of repetition for the crowd scenes but the high numbers are great for introducing a sense of a city gripped in chaos. The visual effects are the star of the show and your various attacks, along with the weapon effects and general destruction are beautifully done. The sound is also well handled with some decent voice acting, stirring music to fit the action and relevant sound effects.

Prototype has a fairly straightforward structure and the plot is clichéd but satisfying to unravel. There is nothing revolutionary in the gameplay and the freeform world is not as rich and inviting as it is in a game like GTA IV. What the developers have served up with Prototype is some quality action fun and there’s no denying roving around as a super charged monster is hugely enjoyable.

The game was released for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 and it is strictly a single player experience.