Prototype 2

GAME OF THE WEEK: 18 cert, Activision/Radical Entertainment, Xbox 360 (also PS3, PC) ****

Here’s a question: Why don’t superheroes use normal weapons? Sure, Superman can fly, but wouldn’t a rocket launcher come in handy every now and again? And maybe it would compromise his image, but I’m sure Batman would benefit from using a machine gun sometimes.

In Prototype 2, your character is open-minded enough to use military hardware, but he’s not short on special skills either. Indeed, his breadth of powers make him a veritable greatest-hits collection: Stretch those limbs like Mr Fantastic; scale walls with the grace of Spiderman; slash enemies with retractable claws Wolverine-style and change appearance in the manner of Mystique.

Prototype 2 opens with a new antihero, James Heller. Initially he’s determined to kill Mercer (the hero of Prototype 1), who he wrongly blames for the death of his wife and son. But Heller soon becomes infected with the mysterious Blacklight virus himself and becomes the target of his former military colleagues. It’s essentially The Dark Knight meets 28 Weeks Later with a dash of The Hulk.

With its sombre tone and conspiracy story, Prototype 2 promises a morally rich narrative that it doesn’t quite deliver. The vain scientists and faceless military are great villains and the images of civilians rounded up and caged are disturbingly familiar.

But Heller is a shallow lead character. If you’re looking for moral dilemmas or a relationship with the city’s general population, you’ve come to the wrong place. (It certainly lacks the characterisation of the similar InFamous games.) But if you’re in the market for a satisfying, visceral action game, boy did you get the right address.

You start the game with some fun, impressive powers. Then as you progress, you become steadily more powerful and the game-play varies gratifyingly. You can morph into an enemy soldier’s form and sneak around undetected, leading to some very tense missions; you can rip through enemies with claws and tentacles and even plant bombs into unsuspecting enemies.

The upgrades are malleable, so you choose which powers to improve according to how you want to play the game: Flinging cars at helicopters is optional, but recommended!