Prototype™

Open-world third-person action with shapeshifting combat and fast parkour

Radical Entertainment · Published by Activision · Released Jun 10, 2009

Reviews: Very Positive; 80% of 14K
Recent reviews: Mostly Positive; 79% of 139 in 30 days
Playing now: 71; right now
Steam Deck: Playable
Last update: Unknown; no patch notes found

What is Prototype™?

A single-player, third-person action-adventure set in open-world New York City. As amnesiac shapeshifter Alex Mercer, you cross the city with parkour, turn your body into weapons and defenses, consume people to copy their appearances and memories, and investigate the conspiracy behind your powers.

For you if...

+you want fast, violent open-world combat
+you enjoy freeform parkour across city buildings
+you prefer solo power fantasies with shapeshifting abilities

Not for you if...

−you dislike gore and frequent violent combat
−you want multiplayer or cooperative modes
−you prefer grounded movement over high-speed parkour

What players say

80% of 14,278 reviews are positive · 79% of 139 in the last 30 days

Players praise the fast traversal, destructive shapeshifting combat, and sense of playing a powerful one-person army. The main complaint is poor compatibility with modern PCs: players report launch failures, severe lag, low-resolution limits, and often needing a community fix after a recent update, though the fix does not work for everyone.

Screenshots and trailer

Prototype™ system requirements

As published by the developer.

Minimum

OS: Windows® XP (with Service Pack 3) or Windows Vista®
Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 4000+ or better
Graphics: All NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800 GT 256 MB and better chipsets. All ATI Radeon™ X1800 256 MB and better chipsets
Memory: Vista 2 GB RAM / XP 1 GB RAM
Storage: 8GB of free hard drive space