Prototype 2 (2012)

This is how you go out with a bang.

Developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision, Prototype 2 is the sequel to the 2009 action-adventure game Prototype. In the original Prototype, a plague unlike any seen before is sweeping across New York and killing people en masse. You played as an amnesiac named Alex Mercer. Voiced by Barry Pepper, Alex Mercer discovered that while he had no memory of his past, he possessed incredible power including shape-shifting, durability, and immense physical strength, the kind of strength that allowed him to pull off such feats like drop-kicking helicopters. Eventually Mercer learns his powers come from the Blacklight virus which is the same virus that is destroying New York. I won't go into the specifics because it's a game you absolutely must play but long-story short Mercer saved the day as all video game protagonists do. Or did he?

Mercer. Heller. Heller. Mercer. Let's get it going.

Prototype 2 takes place two years after the events of the first game and centers on a new protagonist, U.S. Marine Sergeant James Heller. Sergeant Heller is returning home from Iraq and discovers his wife is dead and his daughter is missing. Not only that, but a virus strangely similar to Blacklight is slowly creeping through New York putting the city in jeopardy once again. Worse yet it seems that Alex Mercer himself may be at the heart of it. Heller rejoins the military and after encountering Mercer himself, is thereafter infected with the same virus Mercer contracted. When Mercer informs Heller that the situation isn't what he thinks it is, Heller's world is turned upside by a national conspiracy, a potential pandemic, and a Darwinian conflict that will bring the city to its knees.

Shepherd of Fire

From a narrative standpoint the game is mostly similar to the original. Protagonist gets viral powers and has to save the people of New York from a threat that no one else can stop. Like Mercer, Heller has to fight against the PMC (private military company) Blackwatch and the genetic research company Gentek. However, Mercer has his own faction which rounds out this black waltz and places Heller in a scenario where he can't trust anyone, even those who claim to be his closest allies. Similar to the first game there are plot-twists but here they're presented in a much more logical fashion and it's very effective to boot. The game is good at building a sense of paranoia and I found myself questioning if some of my allies were any different than the enemies I hunted down.

Allies or Enemies?

Cutscenes are presented using both in-game graphics and CG where everything is in black and white, and all colors are muted but red, blue, and yellow. It stands out immediately and gives the game's presentation a unique feel. The story is good enough to keep most gamers interested but it certainly helps that the gameplay is on a level of BADASS few games can touch.

Prophet is that you? This isn't Crysis.

For those who didn't play the first Prototype, it was similar to the Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction which was also made by Radical Entertainment. Prototype 2 follows suit and what this means is Heller can toss cars like they were nothing, rip tanks and helicopters apart with his bare-hands, and take an RPG like a champ. Heller can also turn his arms into claws, giant fists, a viral whip, a blade capable of slicing through a tank and then some. Heller's powers will also evolve when he gains a certain level of experience points which can be used to buy some seriously badass upgrades. These upgrades can be used to improve offense, defense, unlock new moves, and improve Heller's already existing abilities.

IT'S OVER 9000!!

For example, you can improve Heller's accuracy with firearms, his effectiveness at piloting tanks, helicopters, and so forth. There's even an upgrade you get early on that makes Heller completely immune to bullets. It's a good thing too because Prototype 2 throws everything at you. Heller will be attacked by tanks, combat helicopters, a hoard of infected, Brawlers, evolved humans, Blackwatch mercenaries, and the U.S. Army. I've had some truly epic battles in plenty of non-scripted, real-time gameplay scenarios. One of my favorite memories of this game is when I was chasing after an evolved while Brawlers, Blackwatch soldiers, tanks, and helicopters were gunning for me. After hitting a Brawler with a brainbuster, I threw a car at some Blackwatch mercenaries, before leaping over an enhanced soldier, pouncing a helicopter, and tossing the charred remains at a tank before continuing the chase.

Those infected have no idea what they're up against.

The challenge in Prototype 2 may be substantial or minimal depending on how well you play but to a greater extent the game is about empowering the player like few before it have done this effectively. Heller is immensely powerful and early on the skilled player will be tearing apart tanks and taking down helicopters with Shoryukens. The game's story and presentation justifies this level of strength as: 1) Heller is infected with the same virus that made Mercer the most powerful life-form on the planet 2) Blackwatch considers Heller a threat to the entire organization and 3) Gentek considers Heller a potential global threat.

Constantly evolving.

In my playthrough I might have died once or twice but that's largely because I was familiar with the mechanics as they're nearly identical to the first game. But someone coming in fresh will likely find the game challenging and so Heller's OP status probably won't stand out that much for them. I don't think the difficulty or lack thereof is detrimental to the game in any way, but I felt the need to point it out. This game is about power and Heller has that in spades. There are some missions that require stealth but even if you get caught you can usually power your way through and complete your objective.

Can you hear me now?

Similar to other open-world games, Prototype 2 places you in a large, bustling city where you head to different mission objectives on the map. The main missions are given to you by characters you meet who are integral to the plot, while side missions are sprinkled throughout. Completing side missions will not only reward you with upgrades and XP but they'll also reveal additional secrets about what goes on in Gentek and Blackwatch via some very intriguing cutscenes that make use of quick cuts, eerie echo effects, and some disturbing dialogue that really shows how messed up some of these characters are.

Beats American Airlines.

Due to the infection Blackwatch has instituted martial law so some areas are restricted. To enter them you'll need to disguise yourself to slip in unnoticed. Heller will be attacked on sight if spotted by Blackwatch, but if you're disguised as a civillian they won't know it's you. Try walking onto a base however and you'll find yourself greeted by alarms and gunfire. So sometimes you'll need to sneak up to a Blackwatch mercenary or scientist while disguised as a civilian and then consume your target so you can take on their appearance and enter a particular base or area. Some bases have doors that will only work for a particular DNA and so you'll need to find the person carrying that DNA and consume them before being able to gain entry. And you'll need to do it covertly. Things like gliding, jumping off rooftops, and benching cars tends to standout no matter your disguise, so while the game allows you to go all out whenever you want, it's good at building scenarios where discretion is the better part of valor. In addition to an interesting story and fantastic gameplay it helps that the cast of characters is interesting even if leaning more heavily on tropes.

You wouldn't like him when he's angry.

Our main character U.S. Marine Sergeant James Heller is the Angry Black Man of the game but to an extent he has a lot of characterization that goes beyond that trope. Heller is coming home from his tour in Iraq and learns his wife is dead, daughter is missing, and he has to ally himself to the prime suspect to get to the truth. He's been dealt quite the hand and this is without the whole plague thing looming over New York. While Heller is prone to fits of rage we see he's very compassionate towards the people he cares about and doesn't hesitate to help people in need even if he knows he himself will be in a great deal of danger. Some of his dialogue is funny as he can be quite snarky towards people he has an uneasy relationship with, and he never backs down from anyone even Mercer. His angry black man status aside he's actually a good character I found myself empathizing with.

He is evolution.

Predictably enough, Alex Mercer serves as the games ultimate antagonist. Despite being the face of Prototype he turns heel in the sequel for reasons that aren't fully explained. While this is a short-coming of the script, Mercer himself plays an interesting and at times unpredictable villain. He's affable, forthcoming with information, but there's also a sinister, bone-chilling attitude about him when he discusses some of the most horrible plans he has in mind for the human race. His dialogue with some of the other characters also drives home just how dangerous he is because no matter how inhumane his orders are his followers act on them without question. Mercer stays one step ahead of everyone and when the situation between he and Heller reaches its breaking point it leads to a believable and well presented climax.

Talk about complicated.

Dana Mercer returns from the first game and pulls triple duty in not only fighting against Gentek, Blackwatch, and Alex, but also supporting Heller, and serving as a human character in this Darwinian conflict between people who have the potential to destroy the world. She knows what her brother is doing is wrong but she keeps moving forward, fighting against him because it's the right thing to do. She suffers more than anyone else in this story but she never gives up. Her resources and intellect make her the third most dangerous target on Blackwatch's hit list, surpassed only by Heller and her older brother. The gaming community can have their Lara Crofts and Fem Shepherds, but I'll stick with Dana Mercer.

As a whole the game's score isn't outstanding. The music isn't bad by any stretch, I just can't see any major reason to buy a soundtrack. However, I will say "Murder Your Maker", the theme played during the final showdown is not only fitting but very intense.

Available on all systems.

The game isn't perfect. Some of the missions (infiltrating bases, hijacking intel drops) can get repetitive, the motivations behind Mercer's heel turn aren't exactly believable, and if you're looking for a really challenging game you probably won't find it here. But the gameplay is addicting, it has a great presentation, characters that made me care about them, and some truly great battles. A very much appreciated New Game+ feature is also in place to ensure that your powers carry over in successive playthroughs and there are plenty of Blackwatch secrets to collect. If you're looking for a fun action-adventure game look no further.

Darksiders 2 (2012)

"He has always been there. He has shaped our beliefs."

Developed by Vigil Games (now defunct) and published by THQ (ditto), Darksiders 2 is a 2012 action/adventure/RPG that takes place during the events of the original Darksiders. In Darksiders, the End of Days had come to mankind and War rode forth to usher in the Apocalypse but to his dismay the other Horsemen did not ride with him. The Charred Council, given the role of protecting the balance between heaven and hell by the Creator, accuse War of starting the Apocalypse on his own and dooming all mankind. War is given a chance to prove his innocence and finds himself being used as a pawn in a conspiracy that threatens to tip the balance. Death learns of these developments and immediately deduces something is wrong. War is the most honorable of the Four Horsemen and Death knows he would not ride before his appointed time. Darksiders 2 follows Death on his quest to prove War's innocence and bring mankind back from extinction. Unbeknownst to Death he too is being used in a celestial game of chess, but to save War the Pale Rider will reap all of creation if he must.

Darksiders 2 takes a fascinating approach to story-telling which while not inherently new on its own, is something not often done with video games. The narrative in Darksiders 2 is told concurrently with the narrative in Darksiders and this creates a very ambitious story arc for this world which has many implications both thematically and artistically. 

"Death will be our savior."

The Darksiders games have always been good at characterizing a concept or idea and with the first game we saw in War a character motivated by revenge but also possessing a strong sense of honor and adherence to order. The tagline of Darksiders 2 is "Death will be our savior" and this is something the game explores remarkably well without shoehorning in this aspect of Death's character. His quest shows that he will go to any lengths to save his brother and resurrect mankind even if it means going against heaven, hell, and the Charred Council. He's a force of nature who doesn't take sides, and reaping the living is his job. It also helps that Death is given a very different personality from what you might expect given his name and purpose.

Death and his boys coming to collect.

Michael Wincott, best known for playing the role of Top Dollar in The Crow voices Death and he does an absolutely fantastic job at nailing each and every nuance of this character. Death is presented as being an affably neutral party. He doesn't get involved in the battles between heaven and hell and seems content with just doing his job. He has a dry wit and is pretty sarcastic especially when talking to someone who annoys him. He's not big on trash talking but he won't back down from anyone and he can return any verbal or physical offense with more than equal favor. Some of his banter with the other characters is quite amusing particularly when some take jabs at Death despite the grim fact that Death doesn't have to negotiate or really talk to anyone when he can just kill them. 

Death and an Old One.

But there is an honorable and to a certain extent compassionate aspect of his nature which the game explores really well. When Death arrives in the Forge Lands he helps the people there almost unconditionally and with the exception of some snide remarks Death is known for he doesn't really complain. Some of the characters even question if he's as bad as legends claim. What makes this work is that the game doesn't de-fang Death so to speak but merely touches upon various sides of him as a character because make no mistake, Death is the baddest mofo in this game.

Just chilling.

Darksiders 2 has action/adventure/RPG elements. Similar to Zelda or Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver where you travel across enormous worlds fighting monsters, interacting with different characters, and there are numerous side-quests sprinkled across the game as you advance the story and traverse the realms. Some of the environments in the game are stunning and every world you visit has a different feel to it. The Forge Lands have a similar feel to World of Warcraft, while Earth is a literal wasteland thanks to the apocalypse. The game has complex puzzles to solve which really do require some thought and practical thinking and some very fun platforming segments which is something I never thought I'd say in this generation. Death is almost catlike as he jumps across planks, wall runs across lava pits, and jumps from wall-to-wall. It's very Prince of Persia-esque and it's done with like quality.

"Got some rare things on sale stranger."

Death is able to equip different weapons, subweapons, and armor that you find in various dungeons and locales throughout the world. Weapons, equipment, and gold are often found within treasure chests but sometimes enemies drop them upon being killed. You can purchase new weapons and armor in towns or from a travelling merchant who seems to know his way around the realms. Death can use scythes (obviously), but also axes, hammers, gauntlets, spears, and other weapons. He's Death so it makes sense that he's intimately familiar with any weapon he picks up. Scythes are your main weapon and is mapped to the square button while any subweapon is mapped to the triangle button and Death can switch weapons on the fly even during combos. The weapons get better as you go further into the game and you eventually come across elemental weapons that can electrocute your enemies, freeze them, or set them on fire.

Comprehensive inventory information.

You will also come across at least a couple of possessed weapons during the course of your journey. Possessed weapons actually have the power to EAT your other weapons and equipment and take on their attributes. You can feed your scythes to axes or axes to scythes and the devoured weapon passes on its stats to the other weapon. So you can have a weapon that hits an enemy with two or even three types of elemental type damage instead of just one. You can also feed your possessed weapons to other possessed weapons to make them ridiculously overpowered. Not only does this allow you to change the look of said weapons but you can even name them. I named one monstrously OP scythe DEATHBANE and another one Kinslayer. I would've gone with Mittens and Big Rhonda but that would have been silly. 

Death is rarely the biggest character but he's always the baddest.

Death has a dozen or so different stats including offense, defense, resistance to elemental attacks, exp gain, money gain, critical hits, and others that are all affected by his equipment. This is similar to Diablo and proves equally effective here as it allows you to customize Death in a way you typically can't with characters in a game of this kind. This allows you to change the way Death plays depending on what stats you focus on such as offense, defense, or magic. During my playthrough I gave Death a balance of physical and magical techniques but someone else might go entirely in one direction or another.  Death will get stronger depending on his equipment but his stats also increase when he levels up similar to an RPG. 

Tremunt Malleo

Whenever Death levels up he also gets a skill point which can be used for physical arts or spells. Death can learn various skills such as teleport stabs, defense buffs, offense buffs, and he can even summon crows and ghouls to attack his enemies but it doesn't stop there. Whenever you unlock a new skill, that skill can be further enhanced. Let's say you choose to summon the undead. Initially you can only summon two but you can increase that number to four eventually. You can also make those ghouls stronger by leveling up that skill so they have more health, more offense, and more defense. You can increase their power further by giving them a fire attribute where not only do they do damage with regular attacks but they'll set your enemies on fire as well. And you can even add another attribute to them where they self-destruct upon being defeated to give your enemies a nasty surprise. It might appear to be daunting at first but the menus are very user-friendly. The weapons and equipment all look different depending on their affinity (warrior or warlock) and even your threads will ensure Death looks like he stepped out of a thousand nightmares. 

Death's True Form

Speaking of nightmares, Death also has a Reaper form. Similar to War's Chaos form from the first game, Death is able to take his true form for a short-time by activating Reaper Mode. When Death takes damage and inflicts damage, his Reaper energy accumulates and once it's at maximum you can transform. All stats including offense, defense, and speed increase allowing Death to make quick work of any foe so the form is best saved for boss battles. Death will also transform during some of his finishing moves which is another point for the game's combat and presentation. Death is agile, very quick, and the combat is fast and smooth. Death executes all manner of stylish poses, back flips, spins, and is quite the dance battler which makes every fight an exercise in elegant badassery. Regular enemies aside, Death never kills his foes in the same ways and the battles show that not only is he creative but he knows how to adapt.

Death hands the Archon ultimate power. And no, Death isn't worried.

Death meets numerous characters throughout his adventure including those from the original Darksiders and some new faces as well. What's great is that many of these characters aren't just dropped into the world for the sake of being there. Each of them have some connection to the events that affected War even if it was in some small way. Some also have deeper connections to Death and the universe as a whole. Even if you haven't played Darksiders the game does a good job of making sure the gamer knows what's going on and what's at stake.

Someone is about to have a bad day.

Darksiders 2 isn't entirely flawless. The gameplay is loads of fun but the game occasionally crashes. These aren't the game-breaking bugs we've seen in Arkham Origins mind you. The game autosaves frequently and you can save at any time but it still breaks the momentum when it happens. When you enter a dungeon the game isn't always clear about where you're supposed to go and what you're supposed to do. This was a big problem in the first game and so Death's crow Dust is supposed to be a helper of sorts by giving you hints, similar to the Watcher from the first game. However, Dust does little but prove he's just as inept helping Death as the Watcher was at helping War. It's frustrating at times especially when you get to the larger dungeons which have different objectives for each floor. 

War vs Death

And while this next thing isn't so much as a con I feel that I should address the difficulty. The game is quite challenging in the early goings and I've also heard some gamers say the end sections are brutal. However, aside from the first few hours and some powerful hidden bosses I didn't have that many problems. I completed a number of side-quests and collected some rare equipment and so by the time I made it to the end boss Death was so OP it literally only took two or three minutes (tops) to put down the final boss. Bear in mind it probably depends on your play style too and how you customize Death but it's because of those outliers it's hard for me to say which demographics might find it too difficult or too easy. 

"Is he the end of the all things? Or the beginning?"

Overall Darksiders 2 is a spectacular game and undoubtedly one of the best titles released this generation. It has its flaws but nothing that really detracts from the game. The music, voice acting, boss fights, and gameplay are all solid, and it has one of the best characterizations of death I've ever seen in fiction. If you're looking for a great adventure and you have an Xbox 360 or PS3 this is one game you need to have in your collection.

Bloody Roar 2 (1999)

Gado The Lion and yes, he's every bit as BADASS as he looks.

Created by Japanese developer Eighting/Raizing and published by Hudson Soft, Bloody Roar 2 is a fighting game released for the Playstation in 1999. In the near future, a small number of humans have reached the next level of evolution due to a mutation in their genetic makeup which allows them to transform into werebeasts. A shadowy corporation known as Tylon learns of these people and classify them as zoanthropes. Tylon begins kidnapping these zoanthropes and uses them in experiments to create the next generation of bio-weapons, but a small group of zoanthropes manages to destroy the corporation and attain their freedom. However, in doing so the zoanthropes have revealed their existence to the world at large and the globe is thrown into panic. Violence breaks out between humans and zoanthropes, and world governments struggle to maintain order. At this time the Zoanthrope Liberation Front (ZLF) appears on the scene and promises to fight for zoanthrope equality. In reality however, what they really want is zoanthrope superiority and it doesn't take long before the ZLF starts committing acts of violence against not only humans but zoanthropes who advocate peace or neutrality. Once again, our heroes from the first Bloody Roar must rise up and stop the ZLF once and for all. But against an army of zoanthropes, can they really make a difference?

Yugo The Wolf - Bringer of the New Age

Called Beastorizer in Japan, the first Bloody Roar, while not a record-breaking success, was a sleeper hit. It received little in the way of marketing and was released at a time where Tekken, Dead or Alive, and Soul Blade (Soul Edge in Japan) had gobbled up a large portion of the fighting game market. Yet Bloody Roar still found an audience thanks to its fast-paced combat, transformation gimmick, and for being one of the few fighting games whose story didn't revolve around a fighting tournament. Back in its heyday Bloody Roar had a cult following and Bloody Roar 2 builds upon its predecessor in every way a sequel should.

Uriko has mellowed out since being the first games antagonist.

Nearly every character from the first game returns in some form or another even if at times their move lists go into a new character. Mitsuko and Greg for example, while absent have had their moves integrated into Stun's move list, and Fox's move set went to Jenny. Fan favorites like Yugo, Long, and Gado are among the returning characters but they all have different roles in this game. This game features a younger, faster, shinobi named Bakuryu who shares the codename and beast mode of the original. Some of these characters might sound like palette swaps but they all play a bit differently from their core construction as well as each other. The characters Beast Modes play a larger role in the gameplay this time around as well.

Alice The Rabbit vs Jenny The Bat

The gimmick in Bloody Roar revolves around the Beast Mode. Because your fighters are zoanthropes, they can transform into werebeasts during combat and everyone transforms into a different animal-human hybrid which provides different benefits during combat and even changes the way some characters play on the fly. Bloody Roar 2 continues this trend but also build upon it. In the original Bloody Roar, the character's human forms weren't that effective and so it came down to players only trying to build their beast gauge so they could transform and really get down to the grit. In Bloody Roar 2 however, the cast is more than capable of holding their own even in their human forms and become absolute BEASTS when they transform no pun intended. Offensive and defensive attributes increase, health regenerates, and every character gains additional moves and combos that can only be done in their transformed state.

Slash Marvel!!

While in beast mode you can also unleash a super move which will inflict massive damage (50% every-time) on your opponent. This move can change the ebb and flow of battle in an instant so if you use your super move you better make sure it hits. There is a risk versus reward system here because whether your attack hits or not, it will empty the beast gauge completely. Once the beast gauge is depleted it can be refilled by inflicting damage as well as taking it. Because the characters all have different fighting styles and different beast modes, their super moves are different as well. Some characters like Yugo can combo into their super, while Gado's is telegraphed, and Long's is something of a parry.

First rule of Bloody Roar: no casuals.

The combat in Bloody Roar 2 delivers whether you're playing with a friend or against the computer and this is due in no small part to the responsive controls, varied fighting styles, and really capable AI. Bloody Roar 2 is an old-school fighting game and by old-school, I mean it was a game that required a player to have skill. There are no patches, the characters aren't balanced (in part because they're not supposed to be), and in order to really play and beat this game you have to actually be good at it. The game requires skill and technical mastery of the characters and combat system to come out on top. Gado (pictured above) for example can and will dish out 60% damage with only a 3-hit combo while characters like Long and Shenlong can repeat combo strings and take out the average player before they even get a hit in. This is especially true on higher difficulty settings.

Leaving the past behind.

There is a captivating story mode which explains each characters involvement in the game and why they enter into the conflict with the ZLF and to the games credit, not only are all these stories interesting, some are a bit unorthodox, and none of which have anything to do with a fighting tournament because there actually isn't one. In each characters story, a different event puts them on the path to take on the ZLF and we'll go into a few of these without delving into spoiler territory. Yugo's adopted brother Kenji gets kidnapped by one of the games antagonists and so Yugo sets off to rescue him, encountering the other zoanthropes and having to fight them in the process. Shina is searching for her father Gado who disappeared while investigating the ZLF, and signs point to him being part of the organization. While Long is approached by Uriko who needs help rescuing her mother who was kidnapped by the leader of the ZLF - a man who bears a striking resemblance to Long himself. The fighting in Long's story is further justified in that the other zoanthropes attack him on sight because he looks exactly like the ZLF's leader. The overall point here is that there is a reason the characters are fighting each other that goes beyond "I must progress to the next level". "No I must progress to the next level. We must fight"!

Long The Tiger

The artwork in Bloody Roar 2 is stunning, very detailed, and there aren't any characters in any other fighting games that look like the cast of Bloody Roar 2 and it really gives the game a unique aesthetic.

The game has a rocking score provided by Jun Kajiwara, a well-known guitarist in his native Japan. Every character has their own theme and stage which is not only fitting but gives every battle a tone of its own. The slow, heavy guitar riffs on Gado's stage immediately let's the player know that what they were up against before is nothing compared to the battle they're about to face. And Shenlong's theme, appropriately called "You're Dead" really drives the point Shenlong is wild, fast, unpredictable, and a monster game-changer.

Mole versus Tiger? Let's see where this goes.

There are some technical issues with the game depending on which version you play. For whatever reason, the game has massive and I mean massive lag on the PS3. We're talking "sip your Mountain Dew between Long's combo strings" lag. This lag wasn't present in the Playstation version. I've read that PSVita owners haven't had any issues so it appears to be a PS3 problem. With that said I highly advise buying a Playstation copy off Amazon or from a mom and pop store and playing it in your Sony console of choice, and avoid the PSN version unless you're playing it on your Vita.

The New Breed

Bloody Roar 2 is an excellent fighting game and undoubtedly one of the best from the Playstation era. If you're a fighting game fan who doesn't mind the dated graphics this is a must own title. And you'd better get it fast because there's a reason those Amazon prices are inching closer and closer to $80. Not only is this game the high-point of the Bloody Roar series but it's one of the best old-school fighting games of its time.