A one-track mind

Monster munch ... Sgt. James Heller takes on a host of powers

Prototype 2. Xbox/PS3/PC, (£32.99 - 39.99)

As far as superpowers go, Sgt. James Heller’s have got to be up there with the best. 

Keep your power of flight – it’s a bit cliché now, to be honest – Heller is all about the power of might. 

Besides, with the unfathomable heights that he can leap to, you’re near enough Superman, anyway. 

Also charged with the ability to morph his hands into weapons, to turn other people into bombs and to ingest others and steal both their identity and memories, Heller is seriously bad-ass. 

Which is pretty handy – as he has a whole lot of pent-up anger to vent. 

The recurring, if not only, theme of 2012’s first must-have game is revenge. 

Lead protagonist Heller is on the warpath after the death of his family, fuelled by superhuman powers given to him by the man he holds culpable for his pain, Alex Mercer. 

A post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested city is a brave thing to try and do – as it’s such a tired genre, particularly in film. 

But Prototype 2’s gamble pays off, thanks to its superb gameplay. 

Set 14 months after its predecessor, Prototype 2 tasks you with inflicting vengeance – which you’re going to revel in as much as Heller does.

As you progress through the missions, Heller grows in strength and skills, giving scope for some pretty nifty attacks as you brawl your way through New York. 

With the multitude of powers that you pick up, it runs the risk of becoming an over-complicated button-masher – but, thankfully, controls remain simple. 

You can alternate between extravagant attacks deployed from great heights to a more subtler approach of sneaking into enemy territory, and absorbing someone from within. 

That way, you go undercover, and can sneak around until you’re ready to kick off. 

Which, inevitably, it does. 

Prototype 2 is like Infamous 2’s naughty big brother – ridiculously similar in premise, but a grittier, post-watershed alternative. 

Given that the game revolves around becoming the ultimate killing machine in Heller – and it doesn’t skimp on the opportunities to hone your techniques. 

The waves of attacks are relentless, meaning you’ll probably kill literally thousands of foes. 

Which is where I have my only, and admittedly very slight, misgivings. Yes, it’s a game about inflicting brutal revenge, but there really isn’t that much variety. 

Side missions soon blend into one but, when it’s so much fun to go on the rampage, this isn’t an insurmountable obstacle. 

Revenge is a dish best served cold, but Prototype 2 has lost none of its fire.