Prototype is to Video Games what Danny Phantom is to cartoons
Mid range early 2000s properties that were popular for their time but didn't survive past their era and are now relatively obscure.
Unique dark horror theming made them stand out as pioneers within the superhero genres in their medium, with many works in those mediums today building off the stepping stones they set.
Tended to play the role of "second best" to other franchises in their niche, with Prototype struggling to compete with inFAMOUS and DP getting upstaged by Spongebob and Avatar.
The remaining fandom now survives off the unfulfilled potential of their premise, featuring an inhuman protagonist struggling to unpack what it means to be human. A plot point the main series either completely dropped or never entertained at all.
Close ties with Spider-Man, both in fandom and creative influence.
Inhuman, overpowered shapeshifting protagonists who manage to be great trans metaphors by complete accident.
Too enraptured and held down by the conventions of the early 2000s to see past their own noses and embrace their true potential.
The ending absolutely fucking sucked, with many character arcs just getting completely dropped without payoff.
Playing Spider-Man 2 has never made me wish more for a new Prototype game with even more traversal skills and powers.
Alex Mercer is one of my fav characters and I even really liked James Heller too. I loved both 1-2. It’s just one of my favorite series and I wish they came back. I even have a bunch of wishlist ideas for a potential 3.
I hadn't actually played the sequel before but here I am, conflicted because it's a good game but I fundamentally disagree with what they did to Alex RIP
Alex Mercer and James Heller swap roles in Prototype 2. Alex is the playable character once again while Heller is the final boss. After Mercer consumes Heller, it’s revealed that Pariah empowered James.
In Prototype 3, it’s Pariah as the final boss. After Alex consumes Pariah, Alex becomes the final purpose of life on earth, as such he is genetically perfect in every way and can control his own adaptations, evolution, and personal physical age at will.
He evolves the ability to replicate another’s shape, memories, experiences and abilities without consuming them, he’s also evolved to control emotions. The one emotion Alex primarily controls above all others is humility. Alex Mercer completes his journey from villain, to anti-hero to ideal hero.