Sierra Day 2008: GotGame Takes an Inside Look at Prototype and Spyro

When a game developer delivers big things, we come to expect bigger things. Sometimes, that happens… other times, it doesn’t.

Sierra, the publisher of such hits as F.E.A.R., Empire Earth and Spyro, has also delivered a few duds (50 Cent: Bulletproof? Really?). However, despite a few games that fell short, I still expect big things out of the company. And from the looks of Sierra Day 2008, we are not going to be disappointed.

Sierra previewed five titles, including Prototype, Ghostbusters, The Bourne Conspiracy, The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon and 50 Cent: Blood on Sand. Across the board, we were duly impressed, even the 50 Cent title looks far better than the original (although that’s not saying much…).

Prototype seems to be a cross between Resident Evil and The Incredible Hulk. The basic concept is that you are Alex Mercer, infected with a virus that allows you to shape-shift and control your genetic structure. From there, you go on a huge killing spree. So expect lots of blood and gore. Lots. Although the plot line is not particularly original, there are a few twists that will make this game stand out. For instance, Michael Thompson revealed that the main character will be able to absorb aspects of NPCs, capturing parts of their DNA and memories for his own.

The developers promise that Prototype’s game play is like nothing you’ve ever seen, highlighting the “Deceive or Destroy” controls, which enable gamers to control their characters according to distinct game play styles: be it mass destruction (kill everything) or a slightly more subtle version of mass destruction (sneak around and kill almost everything). In this respect, the controls remind me of Assassin’s Creed, which also employs two separate control menus.

The game is still in development, and as such there are certainly a few kinks that still need to be worked out, but it looks pretty promising. I’m not expecting this game to be a huge hit, but I think that it will appeal to a lot of gamers with its time tested mixture of action, gore and good combat sequences.

I’ll be the first to admit it: I played the first Spyro game for the original Playstation. But after that, I gave up on the series, moving on to more “mature” games. But when I saw the screenshots for Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon, I was immediately roped back in. The graphics are amazing; the game is like a visual orgasm of colored details.

Other bonuses for the game include: Cynder, another playable character; Spyro can fly; and, characters gain power-ups by collecting gems. Similar to its predecessors, environmental puzzles play a big part in the game.

Of course, those hardcore gamers who are too cool for school (and don’t have fond memories of the original) may not enjoy Spyro as much as I think I will.