[Prototype]

So here's the premise; you're a regular guy, you suddenly gain super powers, and go out on a quest for revenge. Sounds like the most overused and clichéd storyline in the book, right? And yet, Prototype touches it and turns it into pure storytelling gold. The storyline for Prototype is one of the best I've ever seen in a game. Very very rarely have I been compelled to replay a game again because the storyline was so gripping. Mystery? You got it. Betrayal? That's there too. Action? By the bucket full. Pretty much any good quality plot theme or story device you can think of, Prototype uses it to maximum effect.
However, it has always been time honoured video game tradition that you can't have a strong story and excellent gameplay. There has always been a compromise. Think about it. Ace Combat 6 has gorgeous visuals and fantastic gameplay but the story will make you cry inside. On the other hand, Abe's Oddyssey had a brilliant storyline but pretty bland platforming gameplay (though this was considered cutting edge at the time and I admit I quite enjoyed it). Prototype however breaks the mold and has not only an excellent storyline but also some of the best gameplay on current generation consoles.
Switching between the various, quite well balanced powers is incredibly fluent and you can do it all on the fly - often literally - and have exactly the right ability on hand just when you want it. A good example of this fluid changing of powers is the ability to use one power to pull yourself up to a helicopter and hijack it, then during that, switch to a second power, jump from the helicopter and use that power to punch a hole in another helicopter, or a tank on the ground below. You never feel slowed down by changing your abilities and this genuinely surprised me. I was expecting horrible flow-breaking menus but what I got was a wonderfully layed out and intuitive menu that didn't even pause the game to use, instead it slows the gameplay down to a crawl while you quickly and easily select which power you want with the right thumbstick. Brilliant.
But the awesome doesn't end there, oh no. Not only does Prototype excel at the things it actively sets out to achieve, such as the storyline and the great gameplay and challenging boss fights, but there are also hosts of unscripted events that you can create or just observe. For example, I was leaping across rooftops when I noticed a large cloud of smoke billowing up from the street opposite. I went over to investigate and found that a civilian had stumbled into the road, causing a van to swerve into a tree near a crossroads which then caused a large pileup of cars. The high speeds they were travelling at when they crashed caused a couple of them to set alight and cause the smoke. You'll also come across many minor conflicts between the military forces and the infected (if you hadn't figured out that there was an infection involved by now after all the hype and media coverage, you need to come out from the rock you live under), which you can either watch or participate in. In an extension of that, you can also get the military's attention and lead them to the infected zones to start a confrontation, or blow down the doors of a military base and let the infected flood in and the festivities begin.
The much hyped Web of Intrigue lived up to expectations aswell. Over time feeding you 131 short, highly stylised video clips using both live action film, real-life photographs and in-game screenshots and video that give you insight into the reasons and motives that drive the main storyline. They're all given in a random order, leaving you to piece it all together for yourself. This makes for very interesting discussion between friends, and the information, when pieced together, is so deep and complex that it could be counted as a seperate, second storyline all together.
All in all, this is a stellar game and I would highly recommend getting it. Also, these rumours I hear of multiplayer downloadable content being released if the game does well in retail make it all the more worth getting.