<s>
Prototype	B-Application
(	O
stylized	O
as	O
 [ PROTOTYPE ] 	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
2009	O
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Radical	O
Entertainment	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Activision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
June	O
2009	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2015	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
alongside	O
its	O
sequel	O
as	O
the	O
Prototype	B-Application
Biohazard	O
Bundle	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Prototype	B-Application
,	O
players	O
control	O
an	O
amnesiac	O
shapeshifter	O
named	O
Alex	B-Application
Mercer	I-Application
as	O
he	O
attempts	O
to	O
stop	O
an	O
outbreak	O
of	O
a	O
virus	O
called	O
Blacklight	O
in	O
Manhattan	O
,	O
which	O
mutates	O
individuals	O
into	O
powerful	O
,	O
violent	O
monsters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
reviewers	O
compared	O
and	O
contrasted	O
it	O
with	O
Infamous	B-Application
,	O
a	O
game	O
released	O
one	O
month	O
prior	O
which	O
had	O
many	O
elements	O
similar	O
to	O
Prototype	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
Prototype	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
April	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prototype	B-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
and	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
open	O
world	O
based	O
on	O
modern-day	O
Manhattan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
character	O
,	O
Alex	B-Application
Mercer	I-Application
,	O
has	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
shapeshift	O
,	O
allowing	O
him	O
to	O
change	O
his	O
body	O
to	O
resemble	O
anyone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
can	O
perform	O
various	O
melee	B-Application
attacks	O
without	O
shapeshifting	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
more	O
gymnastic	O
moves	O
such	O
as	O
air	O
combos	O
,	O
sliding	O
along	O
the	O
ground	O
using	O
any	O
humanoid	O
enemy	O
's	O
body	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
high-speed	O
rolling	O
cannonball	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vision	O
modes	O
include	O
thermal	B-Algorithm
vision	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
Alex	O
to	O
see	O
enemies	O
through	O
smoke	O
and	O
other	O
obstacles	O
at	O
the	O
expense	O
of	O
a	O
decreased	O
vision	O
range	O
,	O
and	O
Infected	O
vision	O
,	O
which	O
highlights	O
those	O
infected	O
with	O
the	O
Blacklight	O
virus	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
military	O
units	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Falling	O
height	O
also	O
factors	O
into	O
several	O
of	O
Alex	O
's	O
melee	B-Application
attacks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
he	O
attempts	O
to	O
uncover	O
his	O
past	O
and	O
stop	O
an	O
outbreak	O
of	O
a	O
virus	O
called	O
Blacklight	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
overrun	O
Manhattan	O
,	O
Alex	O
comes	O
into	O
conflict	O
with	O
two	O
factions	O
:	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
Marine	O
Corps	O
and	O
Blackwatch	O
,	O
a	O
Fort	O
Detrick	O
special	B-Application
forces	I-Application
unit	O
dedicated	O
to	O
combating	O
biological	O
warfare	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Infected	O
,	O
people	O
infected	O
by	O
the	O
Blacklight	O
virus	O
,	O
which	O
turns	O
them	O
into	O
violent	O
monsters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alex	B-Application
Mercer	I-Application
wakes	O
up	O
in	O
a	O
morgue	O
in	O
the	O
basement	O
of	O
Gentek	O
,	O
a	O
genetic	O
engineering	O
company	O
based	O
in	O
Manhattan	O
,	O
scaring	O
away	O
a	O
pair	O
of	O
scientists	O
that	O
were	O
about	O
to	O
perform	O
an	O
autopsy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
by	O
Vivendi	O
Games	O
subsidiary	O
Sierra	O
Entertainment	O
on	O
August	O
10	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
revealing	O
it	O
would	O
release	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
in	O
the	O
summer	O
of	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
28	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
after	O
the	O
merger	O
of	O
Activision	O
and	O
Vivendi	O
Games	O
to	O
form	O
Activision	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
only	O
publish	O
five	O
Sierra	O
titles	O
,	O
with	O
Prototype	B-Application
being	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
five	O
titles	O
retained	O
alongside	O
fellow	O
Radical	O
Entertainment	O
title	O
Crash	B-Application
:	I-Application
Mind	I-Application
Over	I-Application
Mutant	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
Wii	B-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
rumored	O
to	O
be	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
leading	O
Activision	O
to	O
announce	O
in	O
May	O
2009	O
that	O
no	O
Wii	B-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
in	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
on	O
all	O
platforms	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prototype	B-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
as	O
well	O
as	O
in	O
retail	O
stores	O
and	O
topped	O
the	O
Steam	B-Application
sales	O
on	O
the	O
week	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
Prototype	B-Application
was	O
the	O
top	O
selling	O
game	O
of	O
June	O
2009	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
with	O
over	O
419,900	O
units	O
sold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
a	O
Platinum	B-Device
Hit	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Escapist	O
said	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
a	O
perfect	O
"	O
summer	O
fling	O
,	O
"	O
praising	O
the	O
combat	O
and	O
movement	O
systems	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
unique	O
mechanic	O
of	O
the	O
Web	O
of	O
Intrigue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prototype	B-Application
was	O
released	O
two	O
weeks	O
after	O
Sucker	O
Punch	O
Productions	O
 '	O
Infamous	B-Application
,	O
a	O
game	O
with	O
many	O
similar	O
concepts	O
including	O
a	O
character	O
with	O
superpowers	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
large	O
open	O
world	O
environment	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
traveled	O
by	O
climbing	O
up	O
buildings	O
and	O
gliding	O
about	O
the	O
city	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
his	O
Zero	O
Punctuation	O
review	O
of	O
Prototype	B-Application
,	O
Ben	O
"	O
Yahtzee	O
"	O
Croshaw	O
compared	O
the	O
two	O
games	O
point	O
for	O
point	O
,	O
and	O
determined	O
that	O
he	O
could	O
not	O
tell	O
which	O
was	O
the	O
better	O
game	O
-	O
Prototype	B-Application
won	O
on	O
open	O
world	O
gameplay	O
and	O
combat	O
,	O
while	O
Infamous	B-Application
won	O
on	O
story	O
and	O
side	O
missions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
his	O
surprise	O
,	O
both	O
development	O
teams	O
rose	O
to	O
the	O
challenge	O
,	O
producing	O
said	O
images	O
,	O
and	O
forcing	O
Croshaw	O
to	O
call	O
it	O
a	O
near-tie	O
,	O
edging	O
out	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
Infamous	B-Application
,	O
though	O
he	O
still	O
noted	O
that	O
,	O
like	O
their	O
games	O
,	O
both	O
images	O
created	O
independently	O
were	O
nearly	O
equal	O
in	O
the	O
themes	O
that	O
they	O
included	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
,	O
titled	O
Prototype	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
April	O
2012	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
in	O
July	O
2012	O
for	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
follows	O
a	O
new	O
protagonist	O
,	O
former	O
U.S.	O
Marine	O
Sergeant	O
James	B-Application
Heller	I-Application
,	O
as	O
he	O
pursues	O
vengeance	O
on	O
Alex	B-Application
Mercer	I-Application
,	O
who	O
serves	O
as	O
the	O
main	O
antagonist	O
.	O
</s>
