Mistborn Saga Prequel RPG Announced For 2013

March 26, 2012 – Rancho Santa Margarita, CA - Little Orbit revealed today that they will be bringing bestselling author Brandon Sanderson's epic fantasy series Mistborn to games late next year for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Windows PC and Mac.

Mistborn is set in a dark world of ash, mist, and gothic fantasy creatures, dominated by a seemingly immortal villain known as the Lord Ruler. It also follows individuals who use a powerful rule-based magic system known as Allomancy that allows them to temporarily enhance their physical and mental abilities by ingesting and "burning" flakes of metal. Those who have the ability to burn a single metal are called Mistings, and those who can burn all metals are known as Mistborn.

The upcoming RPG video game titled Mistborn: Birthright will feature an original storyline created by Sanderson, set several hundreds of years before the first Mistborn novel, and will focus on a unique combat system that puts Allomancy into the hands of gamers. Players will suit up as Fendin "Fiddle" Fathvell, an arrogant young nobleman who must quickly master his newfound Allomantic abilities before forces at work can destroy his entire family.

"I'm a huge fan of the series, and I cannot wait to get this into the hands of gamers," said Matthew Scott, CEO of Little Orbit.  "Between the distinctive magic system, the story twists Brandon has planned for the game, and the rich depth of character skills, we're creating something very unique for players to enjoy."

Sanderson is no stranger to video games. He recently completed story development on the Infinity Blade II video game including the accompanying Infinity Blade: Awakening novella. In between writing his popular Mistborn and Stormlight novels, he is also finishing work on the final novel in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. Sanderson has been labeled "one of the most popular new fantasy writers to emerge in the last ten years".

"As an avid gamer, I'm extremely excited by this opportunity," said Sanderson. "The chance to write the story for a Mistborn game while working with a team of talented developers is, quite literally, living a dream."

Official Website:

http://www.mistborngame.com

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http://www.facebook.com/mistborngame

About Little Orbit

Little Orbit is a worldwide video game publisher formed in January 2010 with a focus on licensed-based entertainment products. The company's emphasis is on working with popular creators to extend their vision into games through transmedia storytelling and engaging content for all gaming platforms. Little Orbit has a unique history assisting major entertainment companies to leverage their brands through emerging game channels to help grow and engage consumers. Founded by industry veterans and key development, sales and marketing personnel, Little Orbit is focused on three primary channels of distribution including traditional game retail, non-traditional retail channels, and digital download over the various platform networks. www.littleorbit.com  

About Brandon Sanderson

Brandon Sanderson is the co-author with Robert Jordan of the #1 NY Times bestselling Wheel of Time novels The Gathering Storm and Towers of Midnight, and a top 10 NY Times and international bestselling author for his novels The Way of Kings and Mistborn: The Alloy of Law, all published by Tor Books in the US.  An award-winning author, he is published in 25 languages, with global sales in the millions of copies.  His Mistborn saga has become a multi-faceted brand, with a film in development from Paloppa Pictures, and a classic tabletop RPG released by Crafty Games in 2011.   www.brandonsanderson.com

"Mistborn" is a trademark of Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC, and all characters and elements are copyright © Dragonsteel Entertainment, LLC.

The Wheel of Time books and franchise are © Robert Jordan. The phrases "The Wheel of Time™" and "The Dragon Reborn™" and the snake-wheel symbol, are trademarks of Robert Jordan.

"Infinity Blade" and "Infinity Blade II" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox LIVE are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies in the United States and/or other countries.

Jane’s Advanced Strike Fighters; Flying Has Never Been So Dull

Flying jet fighters has to be one of the coolest jobs around, as a kid I wanted to be a jet pilot (for a while anyway) never quite attained that until now! JANE'S ADVANCED STRIKE FIGHTERS or J.A.S.F., the latest release from EVOLVED GAMES and TRICKSTAR GAMES, has helped me fulfill that dream. I now get the chance to bomb around the sky at ridiculous speed, blowing stuff up in a variety of expensive jet fighters with only 20 minutes training, how cool is that?

This is a flight simulation game which is aimed more at gamers than serious flight sim enthusiasts. MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR this isn't, but I do recommend getting a flightstick or joystick to use as this adds much more realism and interactivity to the game.

J.A.S.F. takes place in the fictional country of AZBARISTAN and you are stuck in the middle of a civil war. You are squadron leader RAZOR and it is your job to take on the rebels to reunify Azbaristan and protect the west's interests, very topical at the moment. With 16 missions to complete and 30 aircraft to choose from you're all set for some rip roaring excitement… or are you? To be honest it wasn't what I expected, you basically spend all the campaign bombing various targets with what seems to be an endless supply of weapons, whilst trying to avoid being shot down. The scenery is mainly low rez landscapes that occasionally disappear or freeze entirely, sometimes when you are just about to complete a mission, requiring a complete reboot.

I know J.A.S.F. was originally a PC game, but it still feels a little dated and lacking any kind of excitement. Even the voice over actors seem bored. To be honest if your purpose is to reunite the country and protect the west's oil interests, why bomb the oil refineries? There's plenty of information on each jet, which is fine, if you are 8 years old. The problem with J.A.S.F. is I don't think it knows whether it is a flight simulator or a game.

"Will it redeem itself on the multi-play on line element of the game?" I hear you ask. The answer is, I am afraid not. In fact the game offers 16 player on-line matches. Unfortunately I couldn't find 2 people to play on-line, never mind 16!

The problem I have found with this genre of game is there aren't many out there. Either it's down to lack of popularity or the game developers would rather spend money on FPS and RPG gaming. A pity really. J.A.S.F. is certainly not the best flight simulator I have played, that's for sure. Unfortunately it is the only one out there at the moment that is set in the present day.

Summary

The problem is folks, I can't really say much more on this game as it really speaks for itself. The content, gameplay and graphics aren't up to much. I can see the potential, just need a bit more (well a lot more to be honest) excitement, dog fighting and perhaps more enthusiasm from the voice over actors would be nice.

Kingdoms Of Amalur – Watch out Skyrim, There’s A Reckoning Coming!

Fantasy role playing games are very popular at the moment with the likes of LORD OF THE RINGS and recently released SKYRIM. It looks like we can't get enough of fairies, Goblins, over developed men and women, waving swords about and being all profound and humourless (there's no place for comedy in the fantasy world).

Right then… you have finished SKYRIM, been bored to death with LOTR, what next on the fantasy agenda? EA, 38 STUDIOS and BIG HUGE GAMES have come up with the answer and surprisingly enough for someone who isn't a massive fan of this genre, I am indeed impressed by KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING. Fair enough it does remind me of LORD OF THE RINGS: WAR IN THE NORTH with a chunk of GOD OF WAR thrown in. It is a very similar setup, lots of roaming around, and taking on quests whilst collecting stuff, the menu's and controls are also very close to LOTR and GOW. That is where the similarity ends fortunately, the gameplay, characters and story are far superior.

The thing that always bores me about these kind of games, is the roaming about element. I just want to get there and get stuck in, not wander about stopping to small talk with some daft looking Goblin or Fairy. All that aside, when the action kicks in it is worth all the trouble of getting there. I thought the fight dynamics where excellent and very responsive, simple but imaginative.

OK then I could bang on for the next ten paragraphs about the storyline for this game, but I will do us all a favour and just give you a quick outline. KINGDOMS OF AMALUR follows a character known as the "Fateless One" (not the most optimistic of names). Now he died before the game started, but is revived by some crazy Gnome scientist. You then escape from the evil Gnome's clutches, but suffering from memory loss you begin a quest to discover who you are and how you died. The story is very deep and develops as you progress through the game, with plenty of interactivity giving you multiple choice answers and questions to choose from. This is a massive game there are so many different things to do within it, and it just goes on and on (bit like me sometimes).

Now the gameplay is the usual RPG set up, there are five distinct regions within the game and 4 different types of characters, with the usual tongue twisting names, the ALMAIN (basically humans), DOKKALFAR ( Dark Elves), LJOSALFAR (Light Elves) and finally the VARANI (Nomadic humans). You start off as a basic character which you can customize as you go along and eventually choose a class to belong to from the 3 available. These are known as the MIGHT, the FINESSE and the SORCERY( are you with me so far?) The Skill tree system allows the player to unlock a variety of "destinies."

So now we get to the fighting abilities. Control is very simple and works on the principle of timing your button hits to initiate moves. There are plenty of special moves like the "fateshift", which allows you to finish off an opponent in a particular and brutal manner. Then of course there is the "Reckoning Mode" which is a good old Berserker move that allows rapid dispatch of a number of opponents.

Summary

KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING is a great little RPG game and a nice introduction to the fantasy genre, if you have always wanted to get into this kind of stuff, then this is a good starting point, with plenty of action, easy enough controls, nice graphics and with the introduction of some nice DLC over the next few months this promises to be one of the big games of 2012. I will give it 9 out of 10.

The Splatters-It Really Does Make A Splash

There are plenty of Physic engine puzzle games on XBLA® at the moment ,some good some not so good , THE SPLATTERS developed by SPIKY SNAIL is one of the former, it’s a new take on the genre and quite refreshing to see something different .

THE SPLATTERS are little fluid type creatures, and your goal is to shoot their liquid filled bodies at bombs placed around the stage, a simple task you may think, well we all know that isn`t going to be the case don`t we. There are many ways to do this including throwing them onto spikes or even changing direction to get to the more difficult bombs.

There are many obstacles to overcome in this game and you will have to put on your thinking cap as well, to start with game play is relatively easy and you are slowly lured into the game, with little tips like pressing the Y button, which will show you how to complete the level if you can`t figure it out, this is a nice touch, then just as you are getting used to it, on the next section you have more complicated levels and no help.

OK so there are loads of these kinds of games around, and this is a mixture of PUDDLE, LEMMINGS and half a dozen other games we have had over the years, even the voices reminds me of WORMS, therefore originality is not what this is about, even if the developers like to have us believe, in fact this is all about having fun, and as I have just spent my entire weekend hooked on this game I can guarantee fun is indeed what you will have (including a few moments of frustration).

There is the usual format within THE SPLATTERS, the better the stunts the higher your score, and attaining 3 stars on a regular basis is not particularly hard after a while, with the use of stunt combos you can create liquid blasting mayhem .

The three sections within the game offer a variety of skill, and what seems like endless levels certainly keep you occupied that’s for sure, using the left trigger helps you flip momentum so you can launch at those difficult areas, this is a handy little move and does take a while to master, it’s a bit like a time reversal kind of thing.

The controls are pretty straight forward, and can be mastered in no time, but what makes this game interesting  is that you really cannot be complacent when playing, as it isn`t very forgiving, there will be moments when you want to throw the controller because it just doesn`t look possible to complete, but the addictiveness of the game keeps drawing you back to have “just one more go”

SPLATTER TV is the spectator/sharing element of the game which is a sort of leader board with knobs on, enabling you to see how other players completed difficult sections and sharing scores.

Summary

THE SPLATTERS is a visually pleasing game with a certain amount of originality to make it interesting, the game play is fluid and apart from a few minor control issues makes for a fun few hours of gaming, with plenty of levels and challenges to keep you wanting more, I think the addition of SPLATTER TV will be popular with the XBOXLIVE® community.

Silent Hill Downpour-It`s A Bit Of A Washout

You know the old saying “it never rains but it pours” well here’s another one, “I don`t want to rain on your parade” because KONAMI I am about to do just that.

SILENT HILL DOWNPOUR developed by VATRA games is the eighth instalment of the SILENT HILL series, and most definitely the worst.

If you have played the other SILENT HILL games, then you know what a scary and innovative series it is, with a great atmosphere and some classic jumpy moments, and it introduced us to some of the most twisted and imaginative creatures to ever grace our screens, with a brilliant soundtrack by AKIRA YAMAOKA , it certainly has become a legend in its own lunch time, so what does KONAMI do? They throw everything out the window and start again!!!

SILENT HILL DOWNPOUR centres around a single character called MURPHY an escaped criminal (for a change he actually is guilty of his crimes for a change)

Here is the story in a nutshell, MURPHY is being transported to another prison after instigating a riot, when the bus crashes, he wakes up near to SILENT HILL and that’s when the story begins, as there is no option to skip the cut scenes, you will have no choice but to follow the story, which is overly complex for such a game and doesn`t make much sense at times.

Right so moving on, we get to the actual game play, SILENT HILL DOWNPOUR is a single player “survival horror” game with a few puzzles thrown in for good measure.

MURPHY moves from scene to scene picking up clues and beating up zombies , with a variety of objects ( the axe is the best one)there is no point in using the gun (if you can find one) as ammo is limited, and accuracy and effectiveness is mediocre, I found it easier (and more satisfying) to beat the demons to death.

Ok so this game isn`t all bad, there are moments of inspiration that occasionally shine through, but not enough to drag me into the game in an engaging way, the music by composer DANIEL LICHT is one of the better things about SILENT HILL DOWNPOUR, and it does help with the atmosphere, unfortunately it isn`t enough to make this a classic SILENT HILL production.

The controls aren`t the best I have seen, especially the fighting moves, which are pretty basic and repetitive, movement can be annoying as well with a number of glitches which slowed game play occasionally, there are moments when you are given choices as to whether to help a certain character or let them die (you can even choose to goad them) but to be honest no matter what choice you make, it still ends up the same way.

There is a puzzle element, which has been carried on from the SILENT HILL series, but this can be annoying at times because if you miss the combination /answer, then you have to either consult a walkthrough for the answer, or restart the level to find the clue you need.

As for the demons, well they are a bit thin on the ground, and not hard to dispatch (with a trusty axe) and there isn`t much of a feeling of apprehension and fear like the previous SILENT HILL games, some of the demons and scenes in those are genuinely scary, this game just felt lacking, OK it’s a new direction for the series , with VATRA games taking over the reins and attempting to inject something new into the genre, and it is very polished and well put together ,apart from the terrible control system and lack of action, it just doesn`t feel like a SILENT HILL game.

Summary
I am afraid SILENT HILL DOWNPOUR doesn`t blow my skirt up a great deal, which is a pity, because it has so much potential and good ideas, but they have been wasted on erratic controls and lack of atmosphere, this game could have been so much more and yet it let its self-down.

Battleship- A Game, Based On A Movie, Based On A Game?

 

There are plenty of games on the market that are based on either a board game, or a movie, this is the first time I have come across a game, that is based on a movie, that is based on a board game.

Yes folks I refer of course to BATTLESHIP by ACTIVISION, HASBRO and DOUBLE HELIX GAMES (Xbox/ps3), MAGIC POCKETS (Wii/3DS/DS) a first person shooter (FPS) with a bit of a twist.

I personally haven`t seen the film BATTLESHIP, so I can`t compare this game with it, mind you it is really a basic FPS with a very vague reference to the board game,(apparently there are copyright issues with the makers of the board game) according to the press release it is actually the same story as the movie ,but not tied into the movie storyline, so you won`t be able to meet  RIHANNA and talk about umbrella`s.

BATTLESHIP itself is a straight forward FPS (First Person Shooter) with the added option of controlling your fleet of battleships, and submarines (just like in the original game)

You’re a bad/mean marine type on a training exercise in the Hawaiian Islands, when the aliens invade, and of course these guys aren`t like E.T., oh no folks, this lot are out to kick some human bottoms, and it’s your job to stop them.

If ACTIVISION is involved in this then we know that they have a long pedigree in creating some excellent FPS games, this unfortunately is not the greatest, but it isn`t half bad.

You play the character COLE MATHIS an explosives expert and your mission is to infiltrate and destroy the enemy radar, and whatever else comes along, whilst fighting the aliens  on the ground, and (this is a reference to the board game) control your ships via a tactical control pad, that allows you to move your fleet around, attacking the enemy, or back up your ground troops, this feature is the more interesting part of the game, mainly because you get to equip your ships (if you collect the wildcards from dead enemies) with better armour and weapons, you even have 20 seconds of ship control where you get to bomb the enemy into oblivion, with the added bonus of being able to see your organised sea battles in real time from the ground.

The FPS gameplay isn`t too bad actually, on a par with the likes of SYNDICATE, and I did enjoy storming the enemy and engaging in pitched battles, whilst trying to organise my fleet and stop them from being wiped out.

This is what I do like about BATTLESHIP is it`s not just an FPS it also involves strategy, and a certain level of planning, as you approach each level, the aliens themselves aren`t that easy to kill and require a few shots to take them out (unless your close up and personal with a shotgun or an alien rail gun).

The bad guys are backed up by some nasty equipment like Shredders, which are rolling mines that creep up on you and explode; the best thing to do is run for it! There is an array of different types of alien, which are generally a lot harder to dispatch, which makes for a challenging experience.

The one thing I can positively say about BATTLESHIP is it isn`t boring , because you just don`t have time to be, you’re constantly being bombarded with instructions from HQ, and you have to keep checking your fleet, and helping out your squad on the ground.

Weapons are OK, you have the standard army issue semi-automatic rifle and there are plenty of ammo and you can pick up and use a variety of different alien weapons (not as many as I would have liked) the shotgun is the best up close and personal piece of kit, with the alien rail gun coming in a close second for those “lawnmower” moments, and you have the added luxury of naval back up, including bombardments and missile strikes that can be accessed from your D-pad.

There are 7 missions to complete and this takes around 6 hours, with different difficulty settings it can take longer if you like a real challenge , unfortunately there is no on line multiplayer with this game, which is unusual these days ,instead the developers have opted for a more full on campaign instead .

Summary

Personally I like BATTLESHIP it’s a fun, action packed rollercoaster of a game, OK it`s probably not the best out there, but it’s still worth checking out, the battleship element is a unique idea, and with the FPS action makes for an entertaining 6 hours, it would have been nice to have some on line play, maybe a co-op or some kind of multiplayer element, all in all a great effort form HASBRO, ACTIVISION and DOUBLE HELIX.

Trials Evolution-Buckle Up People, This Is One Hell Of A Ride!

Have you ever had the desire to ride a trial bike across a war zone with bombs exploding al around you? Yes? Well now’s your chance, TRIALS EVOLUTION on XBLA by UBISOFT and REDLYNX does just that, with knobs on.

The original TRIALS HD that came out in 2009 was a massive hit, and is one of the biggest selling games on XBLA, so TRIALS EVOLUTION is really going to have to shine, if it wants to do better than its predecessor and guess what? It does big time!

On release this game has made over a million pounds in 24 hours, and I can see why, this has all the hallmarks of a classic game, and it will be up there for arcade game of the year again, I am sure.

TRIALS EVOLUTION is a motorcycle stunt game that is like no other, the physics engine used by the developers creates a feeling of realism, that can be frustrating at times, but exhilarating and very challenging.

The objective is to complete the course in the best time, with few faults, which sounds straight forward enough, until you start playing it, and play it you will! The thing I did find annoying, and I am sure I am not the only one, is that it gets so damned difficult, this could result in many gamers  (unless you are real hard core) just knocking it on the head , after trying for the 80^th time to complete a course.

Mind you this does not take away the enjoyment I experienced with this XBLA release (for a while anyway) you race through the levels unlocking more bikes, and earning money, to buy what I can only describe as limited customisation items for your rider, this element of TRIALS EVOLUTION is the least thought through, and there should have been more variety,  there are a number of “license tests” as you proceed, which basically instructs you how to initiate new moves, preparing you for the next (even more difficult) level.

Gaining access to these next levels requires you to earn a certain amount of bronze, silver and gold medals, which means going back to previous levels to attain a better score.

The levels are so much fun to play and visually stunning with either warzones ,wooded areas, sewers and many other visually entertaining  2D/3D environments, it isn`t a chore to have to go back to them as long as it doesn`t go on forever.

TRIALS EVOLUTION is very addictive and can lead to many hours of console time being used, so be warned, the great thing is it isn`t hard to get the hang of it, the controls are very straight forward and simple, the objectives are clear, all you have to do is complete the course without falling off and in good time.

The soundtrack is “rocking`” and OK for a while, I did tire of it before long though, and turned it off and put on my own music.

The multiplayer element enables on-line and local play with up to 4 players which are all on a single screen making for more chaos.

The addition of a level building tool is a brilliant idea, being able to build your own course and allow other riders to try and beat it is going to make this game even more popular on –line.

 

Summary

TRIALS EVOLUTION is by far the best game to come out on XBLA this year, and is well worth the 1200 Microsoft points, this game shows that you don`t need to spend millions on a massive blockbuster, all you need is a great idea, and some imaginative developing,

Fable Heroes-Hack And Slash Puppet Style

Strange to think that such a diverse game like FABLE should have an off shoot like FABLE HEROES and yet here it is, created by LIONHEAD studios, on what they refer to as their CREATIVE day  an annual event, allowing members of staff to showcase an idea, and this is the result.

FABLE HEROES available on XBOX LIVE®, is a basic hack and slash co-op game involving up to 4 players, on-line and locally, set within the FABLE universe, and that is it really.

The objective of the game is to hack and slash your way through each level with your 3 buddies who are the FABLE HERO dolls (who are dressed as FABLE characters) and collect as many gold coins as possible, you then reach a fork in the road at the end, and you can choose either a boss battle, or a mini game.

After defeating the boss, or mini game, your gold count is totted up, and each player is awarded accordingly, usually with a place on the podium, unless you come last of course, then it’s the bowed head of shame, with the obligatory trombone noise.

OK, so you have all this gold burning a hole in your puppet pocket, what do you do with it? Buy upgrades of course! This process I found to be a little tedious, you have to throw a dice and then choose what upgrade you want from that square (each character has 39 upgrades) which is a fine and dandy to start with, but as you progress you find it takes ages to land on the right square, to get the upgrade you are missing, these can be, additional power, or weapons, weapon upgrades and even movement and attack enhancements.

So what do you do when you’ve upgraded to the max and you still have loads of gold left? Well you can donate it to your fellow players, so they can upgrade quicker, or keep it and transfer it over to FABLE: THE JOURNEY (which launches soon)

To be honest the game is so easy you don`t really need all these upgrades, defeating packs of HOBBES, BEETLES, and other assorted baddies isn`t the hardest thing to do, and you are given the opportunity to gain temporary upgrades at the beginning of each battle , by pressing button A next to a treasure chest, resulting in a variety of different changes, there is of course a moral choice as well during the game, when you occasionally come across “good and evil” chests giving you the opportunity to bestow a temporary power on one of your buddies ,or inflict a curse which that player can transfer to another on contact, or suffer the consequences.

Gameplay is pretty straight forward, as are the controls, the one thing that puzzles me is what age group are they aiming at here? I mean the look of the game is childlike, yet the content is very violent.

The whole point of FABLE HEROES is co-operation, this is a multi-player game and should be seen as that, it’s definitely not  a single player that’s for sure, and it can be fun to play, the graphics are bright and cheerful and the controls simple and undemanding.

FABLE fans will love the attention to detail as you get to visit some of the more well-known places from the original FABLE series.

Summary
FABLE HEROES is a no nonsense, straight forward co-op game that’s easy to play and has its moments of irritation, it is more for fans of the FABLE UNIVERSE to be honest, and I can`t imagine many non-FABLE fans showing an interest, I still think it is somewhat confusing as to which age group it is aimed at, but at least there is no bad language in this so it must be aimed at kids!

Prototype 2- The Flesh Swiss Army Knife Returns

Here we go again folks with yet another “must have” (or so the hype tells us) game of the year, PROTOTYPE 2 by ACTIVISION and RADICAL ENTERTAINMENT and it is back to the good old days of excessive mindless violence, what a treat!

If you played the first one back in 2009, then you will pretty much be aware as to what is to come, if you haven`t  then don`t worry, the story is pretty irrelevant, and you won`t have missed anything , for the non-PROTOTYPE fans out there this game reminds me in many ways of the old INCREDIBLE HULK ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION games ,with the running up skyscrapers and leaping over buildings ,picking up vehicles and tossing them like toys , let’s face it our hero JAMES HELLER is pretty indestructible, and lacking in personality and humour, which makes this game more good than great.

PROTOTYPE 2 is a story of revenge, JAMES HELLER is out to get ALEX MERCER for killing his family with the outbreak of the BLACKLIGHT virus, but frankly do we care? After all the JAMES HELLER character is so one dimensional, I don`t see the point of having any storyline what so ever.

There are plenty of inconsistencies with this game, for example if HELLER is the second most wanted man in NEW YORK ZERO (NEW YORKS new name) how come he can walk around without alarms going off everywhere? Also when he flies into a restricted area you don`t get alarms going off willy nilly? When he is discovered (usually morphed into someone else) all he has to do is turn back into HELLER, and the guards ignore him (WTF?)

So put the storyline to one side, and lets check out the gameplay, which isn`t too bad really, it’s sort of a mixture of saints row , incredible hulk and many other free roaming, open world type games, there are plenty of side missions which generally involve hunting and absorbing certain individuals, (or destroying things) by means of your hunting radar, which I found quite frustrating to use, it just didn`t work for me that element , the developers could have come up with a better idea to be honest.

There`s plenty of missions to complete and you generally end up fighting some boss character, which you then absorb, resulting in another upgrade.

The gameplay can be  pretty repetitive, and this does make the game a bit of a chore after a while, especially with HELLER`S lame Neanderthal comments littered with bad language, now HELLER himself is sort of mad flesh Swiss army knife, with numerous attachments sprouting from him , which can make him a pretty fierce opponent , unfortunately I didn`t feel any kind of empathy for the character, fair enough the blokes had his entire family wiped out, but he just doesn`t come across as a grieving family man, just a bit of a nutter !

To be honest there is nothing more satisfying than punching a helicopter, and slashing numerous civilians into chopped liver but that’s really all there is to this game , according to all the hype over the past few months this was akin to the second coming! Instead it turned out to be just another open world slash fest.

It’s not all bad though if you don`t look to deeply into the game and enjoy it for what it is , which is a smash em up gore fest, if you like plenty of mayhem and destruction then this is the game for you ,hijacking tanks and helicopters and going on the rampage are indeed loads of fun,

 The three sections of NEW YORK ZERO, are nicely done and there is plenty of civilians around to absorb and assume their identities (this is how you gain health), with some nice up grades and plenty of action it’s not exactly dull just repetitive at times.

 

Summary

PROTOTYPE 2 is the kind of game that should do well because of a vigorous promo campaign and fair enough the gameplay isn`t the worst around, it just came across as “been there done that” and really isn`t offering anything new.