A fan favorite open-world game from the late 2000s could be making an unexpected return, as eagle-eyed fans noticed peculiar changes to the game’s credits following a suspicious new title update.
Prototype, the short-lived Activision franchise from developer Radical Entertainment, may be getting a much-needed modern update 13 years after its last game. As pointed out on Reddit, the first Prototype game received a surprise September 29 update that added new sections and names to the game’s credits. These include reference to a Ubisoft Connect version of the game, internal Activision studios Beenox and Iron Galaxy, and downloadable content.
Beenox and Iron Galaxy are known for their work remastering old games, with the latter most recently developing Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4. As for the mention of Ubisoft Connect, the French publisher struck a deal with Microsoft during the tech company’s bid to acquire Activision-Blizzard. Microsoft sold game streaming rights for Activision-published titles to Ubisoft in an effort to appease the FCC’s objections to the multi-billion-dollar merger, and Prototype coming to Ubisoft Connect certainly seems like the game’s getting a re-release of some sort.
Those digging into the game’s code pointed out that new test maps have been added, suggesting additional content is also on the way. The update also had some unfortunate unintended consequences, breaking a mod many players relied on to get the game running on modern PCs.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but it’s rare for titles as old as Prototype to get new content unless bigger plans are afoot. Prototype was a bit hit for Radical and Activision when it was released in 2009; it centers on Alex Mercer, an amnesiac who finds himself at the center of a quarantined New York City during a deadly viral outbreak. Mercer, who woke up with inexplicable shape-shifting powers, rampages across the city in search of answers amid the chaos.
It’s a bleak and violent game that emphasizes player movement and freedom, and despite some unfavorable comparisons to Sucker Punch’s Infamous, which launched around the same time, it was a commercial success. The game received a 2012 sequel and maintained a cult-following, having been re-released on last-gen consoles in 2015.
While I wasn’t a fan myself, I’ve long understood the appeal of Prototype’s brand of open-world action. Radical Entertainment was always transparent about Prototype being the spiritual successor to Hulk: Ultimate Destruction, the developer’s PlayStation 2-era game starring the green Marvel hero. Like Prototype, Ultimate Destruction focused on an open city where players are free to run up buildings, smash cars and people, and cause unprecedented levels of wreckage.
Prototype adds a bloody twist to that formula. While I’m sure fans will be pleased to see an old favorite return, I would’ve loved to see Radical’s old Hulk game make a comeback. It holds up today, and would fit right in alongside games like Insomniac’s Spider-Man, the upcoming Wolverine game, and Marvel Cosmic Invasion.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see if this all means the return of a beloved series. While open-world games have flooded the market, Prototype’s unique brand of chaos could offer the oversaturated genre an old hit.
