Many reviewers compared and contrasted it with Infamous, another open-world action-adventure game released one month prior to Prototype. The game was a critical and commercial success, with critics praising the game for its originality and engaging gameplay. Parallel to the game's storyline is the ability to play the game as a sandbox-style video game giving the player freedom to roam Manhattan. During his quest, Alex tries to uncover his past while also coming into conflict with both the US military and a black operations force called Blackwatch. Set in Manhattan, the game follows a powerful amnesiac shapeshifter named Alex Mercer who must stop an outbreak of Blacklight, a plague that mutates individuals into hideous violent monsters. Separate versions of the games became available in August 2015. Versions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released on Jalongside the sequel as Prototype Biohazard Bundle.
The game was released in North America on J( PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360), in southwestern parts of North America ( Microsoft Windows) as well as Oceania on June 10, and in Europe on June 12. Prototype (stylized as ) is an open-world action-adventure video game developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision.