Poor New York City. Everybody wants to take a bite out of the Big Apple in some form or another whether it be tourists ascending the Empire State Building to mutated super heroes out to save the day. The leading man of Prototype isn't any different, his unusual abilities helping him to take a chunk out of the big city. Amped up super-powered action meets sandbox gameplay in what is quickly becoming a title to watch in early 2009.

Prototype puts you in the role of Alex Mercer, a man capable of physical transformations by means of absorbing other people. Siphoning their essence not only grants him the ability to take on their physical form, but also unlocks information and memories. Obviously, this unlocks a world of possibilities for Alex, who wants to recover his own memory lost in his transformation from regular Joe to mutant. Finding answers will be hard, as Manhattan has been overrun by a mutating virus unleashed by a clandestine group known only as Project Blackwatch. Confronting the hordes of mutated citizens milling about the streets of New York City and beating back the military hoping to control the outbreak is the only way in which Alex can begin to track down the answers he seeks.

Alex's protean powers enable a wide range of abilities from devastating attacks to convincing disguises that make it possible for him to survive in a hostile Big Apple. The game takes on the mantle of sandbox game quite literally, letting you traipse about a dilapidated Manhattan pursuing enemies and donning disguises at will. The landscape constantly shifts as military forces combat mutated denizens, changing neighborhoods from neutral havens into militarized zones or even infected areas. Naturally, militarized or infected neighborhoods present more of a hazard for Alex, but you're more than welcome to roam about the city at your own risk. To be clear: missions offer specific objectives and scripted sequences, but it's possible to spend hours just wandering the streets toying with Alex's abilities.

It's these powers that give the game a unique angle, something that no other free-roaming game has to offer. Alex wields an assortment of combat abilities directly based on the manipulation of biomass. For example, he can trigger a ground spike to impale enemies at a distance by sending biomass through the ground. One of the most impressive offensive abilities--the tendril devastator--has Alex unleashing a barrage of biomass tentacles that whip enemies into a blood mess. Defensive abilities are included as well including biomass armor that ensconces Alex in a hardened shell that can withstand gunfire. Infected vision enables you to identify disguised mutants, a useful ability when attempting to dispatch some of the smarter enemies milling about the city.

It's possible to upgrade Alex's powers and even acquire new ones. By absorbing enough biomass, you're able to temporarily acquire specific abilities tied to the individual consumed. Take on the persona of a military commander, for instance, and you might gain the ability to fly a helicopter and direct a platoon in combat. Permanent enhancements come from infiltrating any of two dozen military complexes set up throughout Manhattan. Research completed by Project Blackwatch is stored in these bases; as such, you can steal them to gain new abilities and upgrade existing ones.