Prototype: Complete Guide

A guide to Alex Mercer's open-world rampage through Manhattan: powers and what to buy first, consuming and disguises, the military and infected zones, story tips, and how to get the 2009 PC version running well today.

Researched September 2026. Current as of the Steam release (Radical Entertainment/Activision, 2009). The game no longer receives patches. Check the linked sources if something differs.

Status and PC Notes

• Release: June 9, 2009 in North America, June 12, 2009 in Europe and on Steam. Developer Radical Entertainment, publisher Activision. There are no official updates and no Steam achievements on the PC version.
• Sequel: Prototype 2 (2012) continues the story with a new protagonist.
• Running it in 2026: Prototype is an old DirectX 9 port. Most issues are about the framerate, the mouse, and modern multi-core CPUs:
  • Cap your framerate (GPU control panel or an external limiter) to a steady value such as 60. Some physics and scripted moments misbehave at very high framerates.
  • Try compatibility mode for an older Windows version if the game won't launch or crashes at the menu, and run it as administrator once so it can create its config.
  • Mouse feel: the default camera has noticeable smoothing. Lower the in-game sensitivity and turn off any system mouse acceleration. A controller is a very comfortable alternative.
  • Community fixes: PCGamingWiki's Prototype page collects current community fixes (widescreen, crashes, core-affinity workarounds). Check it before you install unofficial patches.

Quick Start

1. Consume everything. Grabbing and consuming a human heals you, can give you their disguise, and sometimes their skills (piloting, weapon training) or memories.
2. Evolution Points (EP) are your currency. You earn them from story missions, events, kills and collectibles, and spend them on powers and upgrades in the Upgrades menu.
3. Buy mobility early. Upgrades to sprint, glide and air movement make everything else, including escaping, easier.
4. Use disguises to lose the military. Break line of sight, then consume or disguise as someone who wasn't seen.
5. The Web of Intrigue is the lore. Special targets marked on the map hold memories. Consume them to fill in the conspiracy.
6. Get into military bases to learn to fly helicopters and drive tanks by consuming the right personnel.
7. Blade and Claws carry most of the game. Whipfist and Hammerfists are strong specialists.
8. Critical Mass fuels Devastators. When your health is overfilled with extra biomass (or, alternatively, when you're near death), you can unleash a huge area attack such as Tendril Barrage or Groundspike Graveyard. Save it for bosses and big crowds.

Core Systems

Powers

Only one offensive power and one defensive power can be active at a time. Switch quickly with the power selector.

Consuming and disguises

• Consume in combat to heal. It's your main healing in fights.
• Stealth consume out of sight to take a disguise without raising an alert.
• Blending in: walking like a normal person in disguise reduces suspicion. Running on walls and leaping buildings gives you away.
• Special personnel: some soldiers and officers give you skills (for example operating vehicles) or let you order strikes while disguised.
• Framing a soldier: a disguise upgrade lets you point out another soldier as the "real" Mercer so the military turns on them. Look for it in the Disguise section of the Upgrades menu; it's great for escaping.
• The disguise only lasts while you stay inconspicuous. One visible power use or superhuman leap in front of soldiers and they're back on you.

Factions and zones

Manhattan is split into zones that change as the story advances:

• Blue zones: military control. Lots of patrols, bases and checkpoints.
• Red zones: infected control. Hives and infected hordes.
• Purple zones: contested areas where both sides fight. The chaos is useful cover for you.

Bases and hives appear in these zones. Destroying hives and infiltrating or destroying bases are major side goals, and some are required by the story.

Alert and escape

• The military raises alerts when it sees you use powers or leap around. The higher the alert, the more units (and eventually heavy hunters) arrive.
• To escape: break line of sight, then change disguise. Rooftops are safer than the street, but helicopters can spot you there.
• Hunters and heavy units: the toughest responders. Avoid long fights with them until you've upgraded.

Upgrade Priorities (spend EP in this order)

Rule of thumb: always check the Upgrades menu after a story mission. New powers unlock as the story progresses, so EP you saved may have a better use now.

Story Guide (spoiler-light)

• Premise: Alex Mercer wakes in a Gentek morgue with no memory and shapeshifting powers. His investigation reveals the Blacklight virus, government experiments going back to a 1969 incident in Hope, Idaho, and the containment unit Blackwatch.
• Key figures: Elizabeth Greene ("The Mother") controls the infection. Captain Robert Cross ("The Specialist") leads Blackwatch operations. Dana Mercer is Alex's sister and helps investigate.
• Structure: a linear chain of story missions set in an open city. Side content (events, Web of Intrigue targets, collectibles) unlocks as you go.

Boss and set-piece tips

Side Content

• Events: timed challenges (movement courses, consume/kill challenges, war scenarios). Gold medals give the most EP. Early movement events are also the best practice for the parkour.
• Web of Intrigue: consuming marked targets unlocks memory clips about the conspiracy. It fills in a lot of backstory the main missions skip.
• Landmarks and hints: collectible orbs around Manhattan. They pay EP and give you a reason to explore every district.
• Bases and hives: take out military bases (or infiltrate them for skills) and destroy infected hives to shift territory.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Fighting the military in the open for too long. The alert escalates. Break line of sight and disguise.
• Spending EP on flashy moves before mobility. You'll struggle with chases and escort missions.
• Ignoring defensive powers. Shield and Armor make late missions much more forgiving.
• Forgetting to consume in fights. It's your main heal. Don't wait on passive regeneration.
• Running uncapped framerates on modern PCs. Cap them to avoid odd behavior.
• Skipping bases. Learning to pilot helicopters and drive tanks makes several missions easier.

Advanced Tips

• Combo air attacks: many of the strongest moves are aerial. Jump, then use your active power's air attack to hit crowds.
• Throw cars: Musclemass plus thrown vehicles deletes groups and helicopters.
• Hijack helicopters: a stolen helicopter is excellent for clearing hives and bases from above.
• Disguise-cancel alerts: during a chase, drop to the street out of sight, consume a pedestrian, and walk away calmly.
• Replay events: earlier events are short and repeatable. Gold medals are good EP farming.
• New Game+: after the ending you can replay with your upgrades intact. Great for chasing collectibles and gold medals.

FAQ

Is Prototype still on Steam? Yes. Prototype (App 10150) is on the Steam store. It hasn't been patched since release.

Does Prototype have Steam achievements? No. The Steam stats page shows no achievements for this app.

Does Prototype run on Windows 11? Generally yes, with tweaks: cap the framerate, try compatibility mode if it won't start, and check PCGamingWiki for current fixes.

Should I play Prototype before Prototype 2? Yes. Prototype 2 continues the story and its twist lands better if you know Alex Mercer's arc.

What's the best power? Blade and Claws handle most of the game. Whipfist is great at range and Hammerfists are great in crowds. Upgrade two powers fully rather than spreading EP thin.

How do I learn to fly helicopters? Consume a qualified pilot, typically found at military bases. You gain the skill and can then hijack helicopters.

Sources

• Prototype on Steam
• Prototype on Wikipedia
• PCGamingWiki: Prototype (community PC fixes)
• Steam stats page for Prototype (no achievements)