Info about Prototype™:

Official game description:
You are the Prototype, Alex Mercer, a man without memory armed with amazing shape-shifting abilities, hunting your way to the heart of the conspiracy which created you; making those responsible pay.  
*   **Fast & Deadly Shape-Shifting Combat:** Reconfigure your body to the situation at hand. From Claws to Blades to Hammers to Whips, choose the right weapon for the situation. Change to a shield or armor for defense, or use advanced sensory powers (thermal vision, infected vision) to track your enemies  
*   **Over-the-Top Locomotion & Agility:** Seamlessly and fluidly bound from building to building, run up walls, bounce off cars and everything in your path. Adaptive parkour lets you move freely through the open-world environments of New York City.  
*   **Unique Disguising Abilities:** Consume anyone at anytime, take on their appearances and assume their memories and special abilities.  
*   **Deep, Conspiracy-Driven Storyline:** Wake up with no memory of the past...just mysterious powers and a link to a town in Idaho. Delve into the mysteries of your origin, the true nature of your power and your part in a conspiracy 40 years in the making.

Release date: Jun 10, 2009

Categories: Open-World Exploration, Shape-Shifting Combat, Parkour Gameplay, Character Progression, Story-driven Gameplay, Action-Adventure, Supernatural Abilities, Stealth Gameplay

Feature scans:
- Mods: score 40; verdict: Buggy but Playable; summary: The game suffers from significant issues that require community mods to run properly on modern systems. Multiple users report that the game is unplayable or crashes without specific mods, indicating widespread stability and compatibility issues. However, users also express enjoyment of the gameplay once these fixes are applied.
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs External Guides; summary: The primary user complaints revolve around the need for external guides and wikis to understand game progression, missions, and complex mechanics. Additionally, there are mentions of technical issues that require external resources for fixes.
- Proton/Linux: score 15; verdict: Works Well; summary: The game generally runs well on Linux and Steam Deck, with positive feedback on its compatibility and performance. However, there are some reports of performance issues such as jitteriness on Proton for Linux. Additionally, some tweaks are required for setting the desired resolution, indicating minor setup adjustments may be necessary.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game experiences significant stability and compatibility issues on modern systems, often requiring various patches and workarounds. However, it runs well on the Steam Deck without additional modifications. Localization and language support are also notable concerns among users.

- Hardware Profile:
  - Summary: The game generally performs well on Windows systems with 8-11GB VRAM, though some users report issues with frame rate locks.
  - Sample size: 31 (2% coverage)
  - Audience skew: Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
  - Windows 8-11GB VRAM (positive, 6 reports): Most users report stable performance, though some experience frame rate locks.
  - Caveats: 31 of 1799 reviews expose hardware metadata.; Review sample is mostly Windows-based.
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $4.00 - $12.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence consistently mentions that the game is worth purchasing when it is on sale, with specific price points mentioned such as $6, $7.99, $12, $4, and $5. These prices are all within a similar range, suggesting that the community considers the fair base-game price to be around these values. The repeated emphasis on the game being worth it at these sale prices supports the conclusion that the community fair base-price range is between $4 and $12.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 12.0h
  - Story completion: 10.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided includes several direct and indirect references to playtime. The first quote mentions spending a significant amount of time and effort on the game, suggesting a high level of engagement. The second quote explicitly states that the game can be finished within a free afternoon or two, implying a relatively short completion time. The third quote provides a specific estimate of around 10 hours for completing the main missions without side content. The fourth quote suggests that focusing solely on the story quests can result in a completion time of approximately 12 hours on medium difficulty.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes fun and addictive once players get past the initial repetitive missions and technical issues, thanks to its satisfying progression system and core gameplay loop.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Mastering the core gameplay mechanics and progression system
  - Time to anchor: 1h 0m
  - Friction: Repetitive missions; Technical issues; Janky controls; Repetitive side quests
  - Unlock drivers: Satisfying progression system; Smooth and satisfying gameplay mechanics; Sense of power in combat
  - Conditions: Open-world exploration; Using Alex Mercer's powers; Freedom and destruction gameplay
- Player Archetypes:
  - Nostalgic Veteran (sale)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and emotional connection
    - Playstyle: Casual, focused on reliving past experiences
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: veteran player; nostalgic gamer
    - Reference games: Prototype 2; Hulk (2008); Infamous
  - Tech-Savvy Modder (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Optimizing and enhancing gameplay through mods
    - Playstyle: Technical, focused on improving game performance and fixing issues
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: modder; tech-savvy gamer
    - Reference games: Prototype; Manhunt
  - Budget-Conscious Gamer (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting the best value for money
    - Playstyle: Casual, focused on enjoying the game without spending much
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: budget gamer; value seeker
    - Reference games: Prototype; Infamous
  - Gameplay Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoying fun and engaging gameplay
    - Playstyle: Active, focused on exploring and utilizing game mechanics
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: gameplay lover; action gamer
    - Reference games: Spider-Man; Infamous


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging and Fun Gameplay (weight 0.3): The gameplay is widely praised for being fun, engaging, and non-repetitive. Players enjoy the freedom, variety, and addictive nature of the gameplay mechanics.
- Compelling Storyline (weight 0.24): The story is noted for being interesting, engaging, and well-crafted. Players appreciate the narrative and the main character, Alex Mercer.
- Variety in Missions and Abilities (weight 0.14): The game offers a variety of missions and abilities, keeping the gameplay fresh and diverse.
- Excellent Visuals and Aesthetics (weight 0.12): The game is praised for its great aesthetics and excellent visuals, making it graphically pleasing.
- Chaos and Destruction (weight 0.09): Players enjoy the chaos and destruction elements in the game, finding it fun and engaging to cause mayhem.
- Sense of Power and Freedom (weight 0.09): The game provides a strong sense of power and freedom, making players feel powerful and unrestricted in their actions.
- Favorite and Highly Rated (weight 0.08): Many players consider this game to be one of their favorites, praising it as one of the best games they have played.
- Top-Notch Action Game (weight 0.07): The game is recognized as an excellent third-person action game with detailed and immersive open-world gameplay.
- Holds Up Well Over Time (weight 0.07): Players note that the game still holds up well today, with enjoyable gameplay and combat mechanics.
- Immersive Atmosphere (weight 0.07): The game has a good atmosphere, enhanced by its style and sound, creating an immersive environment.
- Fun Movement Abilities (weight 0.07): Players enjoy the movement abilities such as wall-running and jumping between buildings, adding to the fun and freedom of movement.
- Challenging Boss Fights (weight 0.06): The game features enjoyable and challenging boss fights, adding to the overall excitement.
- Enjoyable Open World (weight 0.06): The open-world environment is praised for being enjoyable and well-designed.

Common complaints:
- Game requires mods to function (weight 0.17): The game often requires various mods and patches to work correctly, with many players experiencing crashes at launch without these modifications.
- Frustrating combat system (weight 0.16): The combat system is frequently criticized as frustrating and poorly designed, with annoying enemies and bad boss fights.
- Tedious and repetitive missions (weight 0.14): Some missions are criticized for being long, tedious, and repetitive, requiring a lot of concentration and patience.
- Confusing and poorly executed story (weight 0.14): The story is often described as confusing, cryptic, and lacking in information, particularly in the first half. Many players find it incomplete and not well-executed.
- Game is unplayable due to bugs (weight 0.13): Many players find the game unplayable due to a high number of bugs and crashes, especially after updates.
- Technical issues on modern systems (weight 0.12): Players experience difficulty running the game on modern systems, including technical issues and compatibility problems.
- Controller support issues (weight 0.1): There are significant issues with controller support, including unresponsive controls and lack of controller functionality.
- Frequent game crashes (weight 0.09): The game is reported to crash frequently, especially when loading saves or starting a new game.
- Lack of language support (weight 0.08): The game lacks official support for certain languages, including Chinese and Russian, which is a drawback for non-English speaking players.
- Resolution issues (weight 0.08): The game has resolution problems, with some players forced to play at low resolutions like 640x480.
- Pricing issues (weight 0.07): Many players feel that the game is not worth its current price, especially considering its age and the number of issues.
- Poor port quality (weight 0.05): The game is criticized for being a poor port, with various issues arising from the porting process.
- Imbalanced difficulty (weight 0.05): The game's difficulty is poorly balanced, with some parts being too easy and others too difficult.
- Empty and bare world (weight 0.05): The game world is described as large but empty, lacking in content and detail.

Gameplay feedback:
- Unique combat and movement (weight 0.27): The game includes a unique combat system with parkour and movement mechanics. Players can climb, glide, and use a variety of abilities in combat.
- Character abilities and upgrades (weight 0.21): The game features a system of character abilities that advance and can be upgraded. Players can unlock and improve various powers and skills.
- Open-world gameplay mechanics (weight 0.21): The game features an open-world environment with various activities, including parkour mechanics and linear main missions. Players can explore and engage in sandbox gameplay.
- Sandbox superhero gameplay (weight 0.11): The game is an open-world action game with superhuman abilities, allowing players to engage in hack and slash combat and use mutant powers.
- Story-driven missions (weight 0.11): The game includes story-driven missions, although some players find them repetitive. Main missions involve completing requests and progressing the story.
- Consuming enemies for health (weight 0.07): Players can consume enemies to regain health, steal their memories, and assume their shapes. This mechanic adds a unique twist to combat and survival.
- Variety of military equipment (weight 0.07): The game offers a variety of military equipment and vehicles, including tanks and helicopters, which players can use in combat and missions.
- Stealth and infiltration (weight 0.07): The game includes stealth gameplay mechanics and infiltration missions, allowing players to approach challenges in different ways.
- Power fantasy gameplay (weight 0.06): The game offers a power fantasy experience, allowing players to feel powerful and engage in high-speed, violent combat.
- Unique protagonist abilities (weight 0.06): The game features unique protagonist abilities, including shapeshifting and various mutant powers, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Dynamic and chaotic city (weight 0.06): The game features a dynamic and chaotic city environment, adding to the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience.
- Atmosphere and visuals (weight 0.03): The game is praised for its atmosphere, visuals, music, and sound, creating an immersive experience for players.
- Web of Intrigue system (weight 0.03): The game includes a Web of Intrigue system for exploring memories, adding a unique layer to the storytelling and gameplay.
- Comparisons to other games (weight 0.03): The game is compared to other popular titles like Batman Arkham, Spiderman, Just Cause, and GTA, indicating its similarities and appeal to fans of those games.
- Presence of zombies (weight 0.03): The game features zombies as enemies, adding a unique element to the combat and mission objectives.
- Devastator move (weight 0.03): The game includes Devastator attacks, which are powerful moves that players can use in combat.

Performance notes:
- Compatibility issues with modern hardware (weight 0.32): The game has significant compatibility issues with modern PC hardware and operating systems, often requiring patches or community fixes to run properly. These issues are prevalent across various modern systems, including Windows 10 and Windows 11.
- Frequent crashes and performance issues (weight 0.22): The game suffers from frequent crashes, frame rate drops, and choppy gameplay. These performance issues are widespread and affect the overall stability and enjoyment of the game.
- Game does not launch (weight 0.21): Many users report that the game does not launch or crashes on startup. This issue is common and prevents players from even starting the game without applying various fixes or mods.
- Graphical glitches and issues (weight 0.13): The game has several graphical issues, including weird graphics, glitches, and problems with resolution settings. These issues detract from the visual experience and can make the game difficult to play.
- Optimization and patch requirements (weight 0.11): The game is not well-optimized and often requires patches or mods to function properly. These optimization issues are a significant barrier to a smooth gaming experience.
- Resolution and frame rate problems (weight 0.09): Players experience issues with resolution settings and frame rate limitations. The game lacks support for modern resolutions and has problems with frame rate stability.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.06): The game runs well on Steam Deck but may have some graphical glitches. Overall, it is compatible with the Steam Deck, providing a good gaming experience on that platform.
- Controls and technical state (weight 0.03): The game has poor controls and is in a poor technical state, which affects the overall gaming experience. These issues can make the game difficult to play and enjoy.
- Update-related issues (weight 0.03): Some users report that the game does not work properly after updates, becoming unplayable. These issues are less frequent but significant for affected players.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.28): The game is frequently recommended by players for its unique and enjoyable experience, engaging gameplay, and open-world environment. Many players suggest trying it out, especially if it's on sale.
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.14): Several players suggest waiting for the game to go on sale before purchasing it. This recommendation is often tied to the game's age and the potential for getting a better deal.
- Use mods for better experience (weight 0.12): Players recommend using mods to fix various issues with the game, including performance, graphics, and crashes. Specific mods mentioned include the PrototypeFix mod and patches available on Bilibili.
- Great for Steam Deck (weight 0.05): Players highlight that the game works well and is enjoyable on the Steam Deck, making it a good choice for users of this device.
- Controller and tips recommended (weight 0.04): Reviewers suggest using a controller for the best gaming experience and provide tips for specific parts of the game, such as the final boss fight.
- Story and narrative focus (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for those interested in experiencing the story and narrative, particularly if they have played or plan to play the second part of the game.
- Specific audience recommendations (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for fans of specific other games, such as The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction and Resident Evil, indicating it may appeal to similar interests.
- Hope for future versions (weight 0.03): Some players express a desire for future versions of the game, such as Prototype 3 or a remastered edition, indicating a strong interest in the franchise.
- Legal actions suggested (weight 0.03): Some reviews suggest taking legal actions against Activision and Steam, indicating significant dissatisfaction with the game or its management.
- Language-specific advice (weight 0.03): There are recommendations specific to certain languages, such as advice in Turkish and Spanish, indicating a diverse player base with varied experiences.
- Add more content (weight 0.02): Players suggest adding more soldiers, weapons, and vehicles to enhance the gameplay experience.

Other player notes:
- Nostalgia and childhood memories (weight 0.04): Many players expressed nostalgia and mentioned playing the game during their childhood. This indicates a strong emotional connection to the game.
- Mixed experiences with the game (weight 0.03): A few players found the game troublesome, while others mentioned it being their first PS3 game, indicating varied experiences and significance.
- Request for additional filters (weight 0.02): Some players have requested more filters after replaying the game, suggesting a desire for enhanced customization or replayability features.
- Mentions of game copies (weight 0.02): There were mentions of both pirated and legitimate copies of the game, which could indicate discussions around game authenticity and accessibility.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.28): Players are frustrated due to a myriad of technical issues, including frequent crashes, poor performance on modern hardware, and compatibility problems with Windows 11. Additionally, game mechanics such as difficult controls, clunky combat systems, and challenging boss fights contribute to the frustration. The need for mods and patches to run the game properly, along with repetitive missions and lack of updates, further exacerbate these feelings.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.19): Players feel nostalgic as the game brings back memories of childhood and earlier gaming experiences. Many recall playing the game during their younger years, in internet cafes, or as one of their first major games. The classic feel and old-school mechanics of the game evoke a sense of nostalgia, making players reminisce about their past experiences and the enjoyment they derived from the game.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.13): Players express satisfaction with the overall gameplay experience, including the combat mechanics, story, and character development. The game's unique mechanics, open-world environment, and the feeling of power and freedom contribute to a positive experience. Additionally, players are satisfied with the game's performance after applying patches and mods, which resolve many of the technical issues.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players enjoy the gameplay mechanics, including the parkour system, combat, and the variety of abilities. The engaging story, unique setting, and the freedom to explore the game world contribute to a fun and enjoyable experience. Despite some flaws and bugs, players find the game entertaining and replayable, appreciating the overall gameplay and mechanics.
- Excitement (weight 0.09): Players are excited about the unique and chaotic gameplay, which includes causing destruction, engaging in combat, and experiencing a sense of power and mobility. The potential for a sequel or crossover, along with the game's engaging story and characters, adds to the excitement. The over-the-top fun and power fantasy elements of the game also contribute to this feeling.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Players are disappointed due to the game's poor optimization, technical issues, and lack of localization. The game's performance on modern hardware, repetitive gameplay, and shallow story do not meet their expectations. Additionally, the overemphasis on weapons and vehicles, rather than the symbiote powers, and the game's high price contribute to the disappointment.
- Joy (weight 0.03): Players experience joy from the fun and entertaining gameplay, which includes enjoyable combat and a unique setting. The game's atmosphere, story, and the sheer fun of playing contribute to a positive and joyful experience. Players appreciate the game's design and the enjoyment it brings, despite some flaws.
- Anger (weight 0.02): Players are angry due to frequent bugs, crashes, and the game-breaking update that renders the game unplayable. The difficulty in configuring the game and the corporate greed associated with the update further fuel this anger. The game's technical issues and the lack of support from the developers contribute to the frustration and anger.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the game's power fantasy gameplay, combat mechanics, and overall fun experience. The game is highly recommended and considered addictive, with players loving the gameplay and combat. The unique premise and engaging story contribute to the enthusiasm and positive recommendations.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players express gratitude towards friends who gifted the game, the localization team for their efforts, and mod creators who fixed the game's issues. The appreciation for the patches and fixes provided by the community and developers contributes to a sense of gratitude. Players are thankful for the efforts that have improved their gaming experience.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players feel relieved after finding solutions to performance issues and bugs, allowing the game to run smoothly. The application of patches and fixes that resolve technical problems contributes to this sense of relief. Players are happy that they can finally enjoy the game without the previous issues.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Players express hope for a potential remake or sequel, looking forward to improved versions of the game. The desire for a remastered game and the anticipation of content creators playing the game contribute to this feeling of hope. Players are optimistic about the future of the game and its potential enhancements.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the game's unique and atmospheric design, considering it one of the most original games. The detailed narrative and the game's unique premise contribute to this admiration. Players appreciate the game's distinct qualities and the engaging story it offers.}