The point of this debate rests not on the notions of superiority, but the complexity of the genre that has evolved with the advent of the concept of sandbox. First witnessed in a three dimensional arena in “Body Harvest” and then dilated by an oft forgotten game that was the progenitor of the current lineage of sandbox games called “Urban Chaos.” The only point of commonality that both games comprise of is that they belong to this wide genre and are characterized by agents who are entrusted with abilities that lie beyond an average human being that wanders around New York or Empire City.
1. Pedigree:
Almost every review for both games have failed to recognize the base on which both these games were constructed and designed by their respective developers. Radical, the developers of Prototype had Hulk, Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, Scarface and Simpson’s Hit and Run to their sandbox credit list. If Prototype’s core gameplay is looked upon, it mimics a lot of these games that laid heavy emphasis on relieving the player running around in a constricted environment. Both Hulk and its highly under-rated sequel focused on the aspect of being powerful and destruction of most obstructions within a sandbox environment, thereby making mobility an instant option as opposed to a deferred one. This has been carried forward within Prototype where the player does not feel constricted within the boundaries of the sandbox whilst being glorified with power. The constant need to find modes of transportation has been relegated to giving the character powers that allow him to traverse and feel powerful from the moment he lays hand upon the controller.
Looking onto Sucker Punch’s creation which one point in time looked eerily similar to Midway’s “Psi-Ops”, was their first outing in the genre of sandbox. However adjusting our lens to the game we find that Infamous is famously riddled with numerous platforming elements that were designed and incorporated in their flagship “Sly Cooper” series. Clamoring up walls, using pipes and wires have been popular modules of transportation for the Raccoon who was last seen hunting for honor among thieves. Solving puzzles using these in and around Empire city showcases the core idea that was drawn upon whilst conceiving the game. Hence we see both games have clear imprints of their previous development forays, which have somehow been turned a blind eye from during the numerous debates that pit both these games in each other’s face.
2. Gameplay:
Although both games are structured and tagged as “superhero games”, the notion of power is significantly charted out differently which makes the gameplay for both games a different affair. Prototype beings its journey under the guise of an anti-hero Alex Mercer who is on the trail of vengeance. The premise of an anti-hero gives developers not to interfere on the consequences of gameplay mechanics which allows it to be a linear affair. Hence we see Alex imbued with insurmountable powers right form the start which allows the player to weak havoc around New York irrespective of the consequences. The notion of being powerful strays all throughout the game sans any form of moral obligations thereby ensuring a high degree of violence and destruction throughout the game. The story of the game has also been modeled in the way of the “Hulk” emplacing the notion of anger and hatred which leads to a chaotic scenario with the progress of the game.
Infamous, on the other hand, follows a much livelier narrative giving players to choose and decide upon his course of actions, thus the “karma” system constantly affects the players surroundings. Power cannot be utilized in a haphazard manner, the consequence of a player’s action bears witness to his surrounding plain in the form of posters, crowds, regular updates from his friend. Although there is a dark side which the players can opt to choose, the essence of this negative aura does not rest on pure vengeance. It exploits a human’s basest desires encapsulated within a world that is steaming with chaos and filth.
3. Fun Factor:
This is a slightly skewed topic of discussion that has caused numerous fanboy flame wars to start off with which takes an ugly turn since Infamous is a PlayStation 3 exclusive. The fun factor of both games is completely subjective and we have narrowed down to a couple of options that might assist users who still have not purchased the game on any platform. Prototype is targeted towards an audience who believe in not creating a meaningful experience in a sandbox environment. The game lunges most of Mercer’s powers right in the beginning of the game only to take them away a few minutes later. Even without the powers Mercer remains a formidable foe to his opponents and recovers most of his powers without any significant amount of frustration. The city is ground for breeding and executing models of chaos, a line that a sociopath would love to inherit and be subsumed in. Players turn their darkest desires into reality by consuming memories of humans and mutants at will, reminding one of the monstrosities that lay within mythological fables. Greed is extremely well mapped within the game and the thirst for power seems to grow with each passing mission allowing players to neglect the horrible repetitions that the game is full of.
Infamous is structured keeping the essence of the narrative and gameplay mechanics in tandem with each other, Cole is not a powerful character to control, the level of progression is slow and structured and in accordance to the choices the players make the powers are made available to him. Since the game lays emphasis on morality, an individual cannot strut across the sandbox feeling that Empire City is at his mercy. Cole is in the mercy of the city and his advent in light or dark depends on the choices he makes across missions. There is much variety to the game which goes beyond the boundaries of the story and hence will keep players engrossed for a fairly lengthy period of time. Since the pace is methodic, the fun factor does not seep in instantly but allows the players to savor its contents piece by piece.
4. Glitches:
Both games have several common glitches within them. The visuals for starters are strictly average, both New York and Empire City are riddled with horrendous draw distances, shoddy textures on objects and NPCs around the environment and an unstable framerate that somehow is not commendable given how beautiful Liberty City managed to look. None of the protagonists can swim, since once is an electric battery and even though the other has no reason not to swim he jumps out like a frog whenever encountered with a pool/puddle of water. The artificial intelligence is rather low in both games. Whilst Infamous covers this by placing enemies at distances where it is almost impossible to spot them, Prototype sends in dozens and dozens of enemies (military/mutants) incessantly sans any mercy which hunts him down (reminds one of the Hulk who is also perpetually hunted by the military). Boss battles feel cheap and not even worth mentioning,
Closing Comments: Prototype constructs and progresses on the notion of repetition that increases the module of power for Mercer as he progresses through the extremely clichéd plot. The objective of the game is power and destruction which it fulfills in a satisfactorily manner. Infamous brings the notion forth the notion of morality changing the contours of the city accordingly, although the story has its share of clichés, it plays out piece by piece testing the patience of players and resists the feeling of instant gratification through means of violence. Both games try and redefine this genre of sandbox a mash of which had already been seen in Crackdown.