It's almost a bit fitting that Prototype 2's main character James Heller features the ability to shapeshift, as the game itself seems to have that power. For a second there, I was actually convinced that it was an above average action game. Perhaps that's not -- Prototype 2 does a lot right, and it can be a genuinely fun experience, but that fun is fleeting and the game shows it's true side rather quickly. Prototype 2 is the gaming equivalent of a player showing his hand before the round even starts -- sure, there's great stuff in there, but what's the point when you know what's coming around every corner?

"...the same paint by the numbers, go here and break shit narrative..."

Remember Alex Mercer from the original Prototype? That guy you spent hours playing as, and desperately tried to care about in his story? Yeah, now he's your enemy. The sequel picks up about a year after the events of the original, and you play as Sgt. James Heller, who blames Mercer for the most recent outbreak in New York City and thus, the death of his family. If you listen to the marketing campaign, it's a touching tale of a man with nothing left, but it's anything but. Prototype 2 trades in any sort of human attachment for the same paint by the numbers, go here and break shit narrative you've heard a million times.

That really wouldn't be all that bad if the game even tried to take its own world and story seriously. As you'd expect, the guards freak out when you shapeshift in front of them, but you know what they don't notice? When you're standing directly next to them, disguised as a soldier talking on your phone about taking very loudly on your phone about taking down their entire establishment. They also don't seem to notice that you're gliding through the air and jumping off buildings as long as you shapeshift back into one of them before you get back to right next to them.

"... there's a lot of fun to be had here..."

Despite all this, if you don't take Prototype 2 too seriously, and manage to not overthink it, there's a lot of fun to be had here, and a good reason for that is just how fun it is to move around the city. I always said that Sony's Infamous franchise featured the most fluid and easy to use open world controls, but it's been overthrown by Prototype 2. It feels incredibly natural and very fun to run towards a giant building, run up the side, leap off the edge and then glide to the next -- and all this really happens with one motion. It's also a ton of fun to just run around the city and see what kind of trouble you can get in to. As you play through the game, you'll unlock a slew of new abilities and weapons, and it's great fun to use them to wreak havoc in the game's virtual New York City.

It's just a shame then that the rest of the game isn't as fun. Missions in Prototype 2 usually revolve around you doing one of two things -- hunting someone or something, or fighting someone or something. I was excited to try the hunting mechanic, but found myself thoroughly disappointed when I actually put it to use. It's essentially sonar; you send out a wave and a find your target, which then comes back to you from their direction. It may sound simple, but it can be incredibly hard to read at times as well. If you don't have the camera positioned in the direct right spot, you could miss where it's coming from. Unfortunately, the combat is similarly disappointing, as it's uninspired and doesn't try to be much more than a button masher.

If Prototype 2 was a movie, it would be on the Sci-Fi channel; there are some decent moments, but there's also a ton of those so bad they're great moments as well. Prototype 2 is a decent and fun action game, but that fun is also fleeting, and Heller and cast show their hand, and wear out their welcome long before the game's credits roll.