This guide covers James Heller's campaign in Prototype 2: how the powers and Mutations work, how to use Hunt, Consume and disguise, which side content to clear for upgrades, a spoiler-light story outline, and a 100% achievement checklist.
Researched September 2026, current as of the final PC release (July 2012 PC launch; no further patches). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.
It's 2009 in New York Zero, a quarantined Manhattan split into the Yellow, Green and Red zones. Sgt. James Heller comes home from Iraq to find his wife and daughter declared dead after a new Blacklight outbreak, and he blames Alex Mercer, the protagonist of the first game. After Mercer infects him, Heller hunts him down with Mercer's own powers. Key characters include Father Luis Guerra, Heller's spiritual advisor; Maya, Heller's daughter; and a set of antagonists: Gentek scientist Dr. Anton Koenig, Blackwatch's Col. Douglas Rooks, and Sabrina Galloway, one of Mercer's Evolved. The factions are the military force Blackwatch, the research company Gentek, and the Infected.
The campaign runs to 31 main missions, from MEET YOUR MAKER to MURDER YOUR MAKER. Others named in the achievement list include RESURRECTION, NATURAL SELECTION, FALL FROM GRACE and LABOR OF LOVE. Side operations are started by hacking //BLACKNET terminals rather than stumbling on random events as in the first game.
| Zone | Character | What you'll do |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Zone | Refugee slums and military checkpoints | Early story, basic powers, learning to hunt and consume |
| Green Zone | Military-controlled city | Heavier Blackwatch presence, more bases |
| Red Zone | Infection-heavy quarantine | Infected-heavy areas, Lairs, the late game |
Each zone has its own set of side content. Clear it as you go so you aren't underpowered later.
Heller unlocks five major powers through the story and can equip two at once for quick switching.
| Power | Unlocked (per Gamepressure) | Style | Best against |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claws | Mission 4, Operation Flytrap (after the Brawlers) | Fast slashing, good all-rounder | Infantry and Infected packs |
| Tendrils | Mission 6, Project Long Shadow (after the Hydra) | Grab, tear and fling | Vehicles, crowds, pulling enemies apart |
| Blade | Mission 16, The White Light (after Commander Gallagher) | Heavy damage | Big targets like Brawlers |
| Hammerfist | Mission 17, A Nest of Vipers (after the Juggernauts) | Heavy blunt smashing, dive attack | Armor and vehicles; the dive attack hits crowds |
| Whipfist | Mission 25, Last Resort (after an Evolved) | Long-range whip | Distant enemies and pulling helicopters in |
Because Blade, Hammerfist and Whipfist arrive in the second half, the power-specific achievements (Cannonball!, I Caught a Big One!) can't be done early. Don't waste time trying.
Hunt. The sonar pulse sends out a wave, and a return pulse shows the direction of your target. Walk toward it, then pick out the right person with the target indicator.
Consume. Grab and absorb an enemy to heal and take their form. Stealth consumes (unseen) keep your disguise intact. "One by One" asks for 50 stealth consumes of Blackwatch troopers.
Disguise. In disguise you can walk into military bases, use Blackwatch vehicles and pick targets off quietly. Doing anything superhuman in view breaks the disguise and triggers an alert.
Upgrades from consumes. Certain targets (often //BLACKNET targets and special personnel) grant permanent upgrades. There are 46, and "Finally Full" asks you to get them all.
Mutations are passive perks spread across five categories (33 Mutations in total, per Gamepressure). "Hard to Please" is for getting one in each.
| Category | What it boosts | Example Mutations |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive | Damage and special attacks | Revenge Boost, Devastatingly Beautiful |
| Defensive | Damage reduction and energy | Hard Boiled, Healthy Appetite |
| Locomotion | Movement | Jumpy, Dashing, Extra Dashing |
| Predator | Energy and biomass from consuming and fighting | Protein Boost, Hungry Boy, Masterful Strikes |
| Power Specialist | One Mutation per major power (five total) | Pick the one for your main power |
You earn Mutation points by completing //BLACKNET operations and by finding every secret of a given type, so side content directly feeds your build.
Priority:
"Do the Evolution" is for acquiring 5 Mutations.
Separate from Mutations, experience earns development points that you spend in six categories: Movement, Health, Regeneration, Shapeshifting, Mass and Finishers. "All Growed Up" (fully upgrade Heller) comes from maxing these, which happens naturally if you clear most side content. Put early points into Health and Regeneration so Hard difficulty and the Red Zone feel fair, then Movement.
The third upgrade track is the consume upgrades: enemies marked with a hand icon over their heads grant a specific upgrade when consumed. These are what "Vitamin B-rains" (10), "Eating Your Way to the Top" (30) and "Finally Full" (all 46) count.
| Activity | What it is | Reward/Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| //BLACKNET operations and dossiers | Hack terminals to pick missions; hunt and consume targets | Mutation points and upgrades; "Project Closed", "Who Watches the Watchers?", "//BLACKNET Hacker" |
| Lairs | Infected nests to destroy | Progression rewards; "Lair to Rest", "Spindler's Search" (all) |
| Field Ops teams | Blackwatch squads to eliminate | Progression rewards; "Up to No Good" (all) |
| BlackBoxes | Hidden collectibles in each zone | "Follow Your Nose" (all) |
Clear these zone by zone. The Hunt pulse and your map markers help track them down.
Heller can wall-run, glide, jump high and air-dash. "The Floor is Lava" asks you to travel half a mile using only these, "So Above It All" wants 25 seconds airborne, and "Icarus" is for reaching the highest point in the world. Rooftop travel is faster than roads and avoids most alerts.
The rarest Steam achievements (global unlock rates as listed on Steam) are the ones worth planning for: All Growed Up (about 9%), Road Rage (about 9%), The Floor is Lava (about 10%), So Above It All (about 10%), Master Prototype (about 10%) and Sic 'em! (about 12%). None are hard with a plan.
Step 1: Story on Hard (or Normal, then Hard). The story achievements unlock automatically: This is a Knife, It's an Epidemic, I Want Some More, Religious Experience, The Mad Scientist, Something to Live For, What a Bitch and Murder your Maker?. If you're confident, play your first run on Hard for Master Prototype and don't touch the difficulty setting; otherwise do a Normal run first.
Step 2: Side content as you unlock each zone. //BLACKNET operations (12 operations, per Gamepressure), Lairs, Field Ops and BlackBoxes give Mutations and upgrades that make the story easier. Spindler's Search (all Lairs) can be finished after the campaign, so nothing here is lost if you fall behind.
Step 3: Grind-style counters along the way. These build up naturally if you play for them:
| Achievement | Requirement | How to farm it |
|---|---|---|
| Wanted Man | Trigger 50 alerts | Consume or fight in view of Blackwatch whenever convenient |
| One by One | 50 stealth consumes of Blackwatch troopers | Pick off stragglers while disguised |
| Over-Equipped | Weaponize 10 vehicles | Rip weapons off tanks and helicopters |
| Back Atcha! / The Best Offense | Deflect 5 missiles / counter 20 attacks with Shield | Equip Shield in fights with rocket troopers |
| Anger Management | Destroy 5 vehicles with a Finisher | Weaken a vehicle, then finish it |
Step 4: Deliberate set-ups.
RADNET was a set of 55 downloadable drops released weekly from 24 April to 7 June 2012, free for pre-orders and first-run copies. It added extra challenges and bonuses on top of the campaign. None of it is needed for the story or the 43 base achievements, so don't worry if your copy doesn't have it.
Prototype 2 is a 2012 PC port, and some modern systems have compatibility issues. If you run into crashes or performance problems, check the Prototype 2 page on PCGamingWiki for current community fixes before anything else. A controller is comfortable for combat, but mouse and keyboard work well for aiming Whipfist and throws.
How many upgrades can you get from consumes? 46. "Finally Full" asks for all of them.
How many Mutation categories are there? Five. "Hard to Please" is for choosing one in each.
Do I need to play Prototype 1 first? It helps with context, but Prototype 2 opens with a new protagonist and tells you what you need to know.
Which difficulty for achievements? Hard for "Master Prototype". Everything else can be done on any difficulty.
Where does the game take place? New York Zero, Manhattan split into Yellow, Green and Red zones.
Is there more Prototype after this? No mainline sequel was released. On 28 June 2012 Activision announced layoffs at Radical Entertainment, reducing the studio to a support role. The game was later re-released on PS4 and Xbox One in the Prototype Biohazard Bundle (2015).
Which Mutation should I take first? Locomotion Mutations such as Jumpy and Dashing speed up everything else, including collectibles and the air-time achievements.