While [Prototype] had an insane world with an incredibly selfish and callous anti-hero protagonist, the title was hindered with some gripping gameplay problems. Many times, the player wasn’t given a fair opportunity in the game world. Rockets would come from off-screen opponents or as a player fled from an unwinnable conflict, they’d find themselves being chased by an ever spawning flock of Hunters appearing from water towers littered throughout the city.

It is a game notorious for many people not finishing because of a unfairly difficult final boss fight. But there was something that kept the franchise alive despite the more well received Infamous coming out at the same time. Three years later and Infamous 2 being on shelves for a year already, Radical Entertainment brings Prototype 2 with some pleasant and unexpected results.

Gameplay

The gameplay of Prototype 2 takes the concepts from the original and makes some minor tweaks to make the game more approachable and enjoyable. The open world of NYZ starts off with just initial conflict with Blackwatch military personnel. Slowly, the infected are thrown into the mix which gives players a much easier learning curve for their powers instead of just being launched into the middle of a battle royal in Times Square.

Combat has been changed up some since [Prototype] as players can now assign two different powers at the same time. With one to the X button and one to the Y, players can combine strategies depending on the opponents in front of them.

We’ve covered the events leading up to today and now we’re happy to report that Activision and Radical Entertainment’s Prototype 2 is now available. That’s right, the sequel to the very successful 3rd person sci-fi action game Prototype can now be had in stores for XBox 360 and PS3.

The sequel, set 14 months after the events of the first game, follows all-new protagonist Sgt. James Heller as he sets out to exact revenge against the man he holds responsible for the loss of his loved ones and the world as he once knew it: Alex Mercer.

“April 24th has been a long time coming and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of our unbelievably loyal fans,” said Ken Rosman, Studio Head, Radical Entertainment. “All of us here at Radical are extremely proud of what we’ve created with PROTOTYPE 2 and we hope you all get as much enjoyment from playing it as we had making it…I’ll see you on the RADNET leaderboards — Gamertag/PSN username: SuperSangria.”

Prototype 2 is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Windows PC. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system RADNET Editions of the game are available now for $59.99. The Blackwatch Collector’s Edition of Prototype 2 is available for $79.99.

We’ve got trailers for both editions after the jump. Enjoy!

Just days ago, Radical Entertainment gave us the “Revenge” trailer for Prototype 2 which had the first and only real emotional moment the general public has seen yet for James Keller. Now, Radical goes back to their old tricks with the reveal of the Leader of the Pack ability as you will see in the Developer Diary below.

An ability new to James Keller that Alex Mercer never possessed, whether it be a mutation of the virus as it went from Mercer to Keller or because of Keller’s military background that caused it to happen, is the Leader of the Pack. When Keller uses this ability, he summons a group of Hunters, the hulking beasts that were the bane of many players during the first Prototype , that do his bidding as Keller is able to watch from a safe distance.

Looking at the this Dev Diary for Prototype 2, these Hunters provide massive chaos and damage to nearby targets. Ground troops, tanks and even helicopters aren’t safe as the Hunters rip through flesh and concrete alike. This looks to provide an interesting new gameplay strategy as well with a player directing the chaos from the distance as opposed to being stuck in the middle of it at all times.

Check out the full Developer Diary after the jump and be sure to check back right here for more on Prototype 2.

With less than two weeks before the release of Prototype 2, the most emotional trailer so far for the game hit the net this week. As we have discussed before on the Flickcast, the right music can make or break a trailer. In the case of Prototype 2, the choice of Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” is a perfect fit to get the audience emotionally invested in the story of James Keller and his plot for revenge against Alex Mercer.

Up until now, what we have seen of Prototype 2 has been adrenaline fueled machismo and scenes of epic violence, especially with GameStop’s pre-order campaign. For the first time, the audience gets a chance at seeing the human side of the game’s protagonist with a somewhat relatable start to the trailer. With so many soldiers fighting overseas right now, it becomes easy for the audience to identify with a character who is separated from his family by the current conflict. This only makes the hit feel even harder when Keller returns home to see the virus in New York has claimed his family.

If the team at Radical can correct the problems many people saw with the previous [Prototype] like unfair enemy AI shooting missiles from blocks away off screen, they have the potential to make a much stronger game with Prototype 2. In the first [Prototype], the main character Alex Mercer was pretty much a jerk and very hard to get behind. Now with a war veteran looking to avenge his family, there’s something for the audience to get behind more than the senseless violence of the original game.

Prototype 2 comes to XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 24th from Activision and Radical Entertainment. Check back to the Flickcast for more, including a full review of the game once it is released. Check out the full Prototype 2 “Revenge” Trailer after the jump.

It’s no surprise that one of the more anticipated games of 2012 for The Flickcast is Prototype 2. Since getting a peek at San Diego Comic-Con and getting hands on at NYCC, we are counting down to Prototype 2’s April 24th release date. Also looking forward to the release are the folks at Dark Horse Comics. Starting February 15th, Dark Horse will be launching an all digital three part web series focusing on filling in the events of what transpired between the first game and Prototype 2.

The first entry, “The Anchor,” illustrated by Paco Díaz, continues the story of Alex Mercer, the protagonist from the first game, while the second story, “The Survivors,” illustrated by Chris Staggs, follows a small group of residents of New York trying to escape the city after it has been transformed into NYZ with the outbreak of the Blacklight virus. The third and final story, illustrated by Victor Drujiniu, is “The Labyrinth” and provides fans a deeper look into the backstory of PROTOTYPE 2’s new protagonist, Sgt. James Heller.

This summer at San Diego Comic Con, we got a first look at Prototype 2. Then at New York Comic Con, we got hands on with it. But now that we have gotten to check out the basics of the game in action, the developers are letting us take a look at some of the new features of the game including hunting, infiltration and mutations.

Instead of just being given a big bright arrow to follow, players must use a radar system new to the Prototype series for James Heller to track down targets. Once they have found their target, they can either be eliminated or absorbed. If absorbed, the player can then use that person’s security clearance to unlock new missions with mutation rewards for completing them.

These mutations are part of the appeal of the sandbox super powered game. Players don’t swap powers. Instead they get to add more and more powers on top of each other, giving the powers in Prototype 2 an almost Venom-like feel to be able to use tendrils to tear opponents apart or create additional defenses.

Check out the developer diary below and let us know what you think of the new Prototype 2 powers.

New York Comic Con was a huge showcase for the folks at Activision. In addition to the Spider-Man photo booth where people could green screen themselves webslinging through the city, the other side of the Activision booth had part of a full size helicopter people could pose next to. Why a helicopter you ask? Well, remember that question asked about “What is cooler than drop kicking a helicopter?” that was posed for a little game called Prototype? One of the showcase pieces given its first hands on to the public was Prototype 2 on the XBox 360.

During our playthrough we played both a story mission and a challenge mission of the game. Much like the original Prototype, Prototype 2 has impressive visuals and fantastic animation. One thing that quickly stood out though is the change in the field of view.

The player model for James Heller is smaller on the screen which allows players to see furher into the distance, more of what is in front of him and more importantly, more of what is on the side and behind him. This quickly changes up the gameplay as a player can relax a little more without the constant fear from the original of a rocket launcher off screen delivering a killing blow from out of nowhere.

The combat of Prototype 2 seems fairly consistent to the first meaning it is both brutal and fun. This game gives new meaning to collateral damage as players may be aiming at the Blackwatch soldiers but end up tearing through hordes of innocent New Yorkers in the process. Some of the classic powers return as well as updates on the tendrils which in effect turns a target into a magnet for every destructible item close by to come flying at it as seen in the game’s most recent trailer.

A few of our The Flickcast faithful are attending New York Comic Con this week, so expect to see some things from the event coming soon. Until then, we’ve got a new trailer for you, and more, from Activision’s upcoming sequel Prototype 2 that’s been newly released during the con.

Here’s some info bout the sequel, directly from Activision:

As the game’s all-new infected protagonist, Sgt. James Heller, players will cut a bloody swathe through the wastelands of post-viral New York Zero (or more simply…NYZ) with unparalleled locomotion, building up a vast genetic arsenal of deadly, biological weapons and abilities as they hunt, kill and consume their way toward the ultimate goal – to kill…Alex…Mercer!

The game is currently in development for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC. Look for it to be released on April 24, 2012.

In the meantime, check out the new trailer and more after the jump. By clicking through you certify you are 18 years of age or older. Sorry, they make us say that.

Earlier this week we brought you a teaser trailer for the upcoming game Prototype 2. This was in anticipation of the full trailer being released during the Gamescom event in Germany.

Now that that event is in full swing the full trailer has hit and we, of course, have it for you right here. Not only that, we’ve got more screenshots from the game for you as well. And it’s not even Christmas.

In case you forgot from a few days ago, here’s bit of scoop on the game itself:

The sequel to Radical Entertainment’s best-selling open-world action game of 2009, PROTOTYPE 2 takes the unsurpassed carnage of the original PROTOTYPE and continues the experience of becoming the ultimate shape-shifting weapon. As the game’s all-new infected protagonist, Sgt. James Heller, players will cut a bloody swathe through the wastelands of post-viral New York Zero (or more simply…NYZ) with unparalleled locomotion, building up a vast genetic arsenal of deadly, biological weapons and abilities as they hunt, kill and consume their way toward the ultimate goal – to kill…Alex…Mercer!

Check out the trailer and screenshots after the jump. Prototyoe 2 is currently in development for Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and Windows PC. Look for it in April of 2012.

By clicking through you certify you are 18 years of age or older and are able to view and comprehend awesome stuff like this trailer.

One game we are definitely looking forward to playing when it finally hits store shelves is Prototype 2. The first game was a real crowd pleaser at The Flickcast offices and from what we’ve seen of the sequel, it looks to raise the stakes and be even better.

We’ve got a new trailer for the game to share with you today in celebration of Gamescom in Germany. In it, we get a taste of what to expect from the full trailer being released later this week and, more importantly, the “Evolution of Awesome.”

Here’s a bit of scoop on the game itself:

The sequel to Radical Entertainment’s best-selling open-world action game of 2009, PROTOTYPE 2 takes the unsurpassed carnage of the original PROTOTYPE and continues the experience of becoming the ultimate shape-shifting weapon. As the game’s all-new infected protagonist, Sgt. James Heller, players will cut a bloody swathe through the wastelands of post-viral New York Zero (or more simply…NYZ) with unparalleled locomotion, building up a vast genetic arsenal of deadly, biological weapons and abilities as they hunt, kill and consume their way toward the ultimate goal – to kill…Alex…Mercer!

Check out the teaser after the jump. Prototyoe 2 is currently in development for Xbox 360, PlayStation3 and Windows PC. Look for it in April of 2012.