Prototype Review (PC)

Running my hardware setup with a resolution of 1440×900 Widescreen, I was able to keep a steady frame rate of around 45 frames per second.  This is probably due to the fact that even though the expansive city is creatively designed and Alex himself is very detailed, the rest of the characters in the game are mostly inactive (aside from roaming around uselessly) and featureless.  They have faces, but they lack facial expression.  Imagine N64 games with a little smoother features.  I would bet it’s this held-back range of detail that enables them to put dozens of the pedestrians and cars in one area without any loss of frame rate.

Another thing is that objects tend to disappear as you get near them or farther away from them.  I would expect this in many games where highly detailed structures and characters are abundant, but the buildings are static — save for the slight damage that is done to them when you run up the side.  Most other things such as cars, street lamps, and mailboxes are not static, but this should not interfere much if they are low-poly forms.  Which I would bet that they are given their low quality texture.  It seems that aside from some of the more prominent character and monsters, along with Alex, the texture quality in the whole of the game is considerably low compared to many games out there today.

However, I feel that the overall gamplay is more than enough to make up for that.  And the storyline is rich and original, something else you don’t see much of lately.  Combine that with a world that is completely explorable and entirely open to you, and you have the makings of a game that will rival many those that are coming out this year.