Faster, Better, Crushier: Prototype

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THERE ARE MANY GAMES with so-so graphics, gameplay issues and story lines that don't make sense.

What's much rarer is when all of those iffy circumstances come together to form a game that is not only a guilty pleasure to play, but also a wildly entertaining ride. Developer Radical Entertainment has pulled out all the stops to deliver just such a ride in "Prototype" (Activision).

The game tells the tale of Alex Mercer, a normal human who wakes up in a morgue with amnesia. This would be troubling enough if he hadn't also woken up with enhanced speed and strength. Now he wants to find out what happened to him and why New York is slowly being taken over by a mutagenic virus.

Before long, Alex develops the ability to shift his shape, allowing him to change parts of his body into weapons, glide short distances, grow armor and change his physical appearance to become anyone. Mix these abilities with a sandbox environment a la "Grand Theft Auto," and you end up with a game with massive potential for creative destruction.

Drawing from its experience with the similarly chaotic "Hulk: Ultimate Destruction," Radical replicates a lot of game mechanics here, only this time they're greatly expanded: If you ever wanted to be able to transform your arm into a whip, use it to grab a passing helicopter, then hijack said helicopter, this is the game for you.

The many options and abilities make some of the button presses required to pull off these maneuvers a touch unwieldy, though the controls are always tight and responsive.

Faults aside, "Prototype" is a blast to play. No other game gives you as much freedom to be an out-of-control superbeing.

Photo courtesy Activision