DUKE OF HAZARDS; GAMES & GADGETS: GAMES.

Byline: KEVIN LYNCH

WPROTOTYPE. .. . Xbox 360, PS3, PC. pounds 29.99-pounds 49.99 hen a deadly virus overwhelms New York City, Alex Mercer is turned into a walking biological weapon, able to morph his body into any shape he desires and take on the likeness of any person he touches. Reeling from his transformation, Prototype charges the player with uncovering the 40-year old conspiracy at the heart of Mercer's condition.

Despite being a good person at heart, he has no qualms about smashing up military helicopters with his shape-shifting abilities and causing general badass havoc wherever he goes. In the large sandbox NYC in which Prototype is set, the lack of a morality system is actually a blessing. You're allowed to revel in Alex's mutation without fear of reprisal, with bladed hands and super-human leaping just two of the skills at his disposal.

Visually excellent and often bloody, Mercer is a fluid, reassuringly monstrous character to control. In a neat touch, when you enter a heavily infected area, the screen takes on a red bio-hazard sheen adding a real sense of terror. Prototype's low point comes with its much-hyped stealth system - while it's great to be able to morph into any passer-by, in practice it's a muddled affair and you hardly remain inconspicuous while scaling a skyscraper in a single bound.

It may not be as polished as last week's Infamous for the PS3, but Prototype definitely makes up for it in sheer chaotic freedom.

GAMES

CAPTION(S):

INTO BATTLE: Mercer and his blade hands