Prototype 2: Complete Guide

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.

Quick Start

• Consume everything that matters. Consuming enemies restores health, and specific targets give you upgrades (46 in total through consumes). Most of Heller's growth comes from eating the right people.
• Use Hunt to find targets. Heller's sonar-style pulse points you toward whoever you're hunting. Follow the returning pulse.
• Stay disguised when you can. Consuming a soldier lets you take his form. Stealth consumes (out of sight) don't raise alerts.
• Clear the side content in each zone. //BLACKNET operations, Field Ops teams, Lairs and BlackBoxes all feed upgrades and Mutations.
• Mutations are your build. You pick them in five categories: Offensive, Defensive, Locomotion, Predator and Power Specialist. Choose ones that match how you play.
• Learn the Shield block and counter. Deflecting missiles and countering attacks keeps you alive against Brawlers and Blackwatch heavy weapons.
• Weaponize vehicles. You can rip the weapons off tanks and helicopters (a tank's Gatling cannon, for example). It's great fun and there are achievements for it.
• Play Normal first, Hard for the challenge achievement. "Master Prototype" needs a Hard completion, and changing the difficulty mid-campaign voids it.

Setting and Story (Light Spoilers)

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.

Zones

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.

Powers

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.

Combination and special moves (from the achievement list)

• Devastators: big area-wide power attacks. "Two for the Price of One" asks you to kill two Brawlers with one.
• Bio-Bomb: turns an enemy into a bomb. Throw them into a crowd ("You're the Bomb": 10+ kills with one).
• Black Hole: an area attack that pulls enemies in ("All Together Now": 10+ kills with one).
• Pack Leader: summons Infected allies to fight for you ("Sic 'em!": destroy 5 helicopters with it).
• Hammerfist dive attack: slam down from the air ("Cannonball!": 20+ kills in one dive).
• Whipfist helicopter mount: latch onto and ride a helicopter ("I Caught a Big One!").
• Finishers: cinematic kills that also work on vehicles ("Anger Management").

Defensive powers

• Shield: blocks attacks, deflects missiles back at the shooter and enables counters. Two achievements are tied to it (deflect 5 missiles; counter 20 times).
• Dodging (plus air-dashing out of trouble) is your other defense. The Shield's missile deflection is excellent against Blackwatch vehicles, so time your blocks when a tank or helicopter locks on.

Hunting, Consuming and Disguise

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

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:

• Locomotion first. Faster travel makes collectibles and side content far quicker, and it helps with the air-time achievements.
• Defensive next, for the Red Zone and Hard difficulty.
• Offensive or Power Specialist to match your favorite power.
• Predator to keep your health topped up if you consume often.

"Do the Evolution" is for acquiring 5 Mutations.

Development (Evolution) Upgrades

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.

Side Content Checklist

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.

Combat Tips by Enemy Type

• Blackwatch infantry: Claws or Tendrils. Grab and throw for crowd control.
• Tanks and APCs: Stealth-hijack them in disguise ("Hijack Be Nimble"), or tear them apart with Tendrils or Hammerfists.
• Helicopters: Whipfist to mount, then pilot or destroy. A Karate kick also works ("Arcade Action").
• Brawlers: Heavy Infected brutes. Use the Blade, dodge their big swings and aim for dismemberment ("Just a Flesh Wound").
• Strike Teams: Elite hunters sent after you when alerts escalate. Kill them fast ("Strike, You're Out." in 15 seconds or less) or break line of sight and change disguise.

Movement

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.

Achievement Plan (43 total)

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.

• Road Rage: stealth-hijack a tank or APC, then destroy 10 Blackwatch tanks, APCs or helicopters without leaving it. Keep moving so you don't lose the vehicle.
• Two for the Price of One: wait until two Brawlers are close together, then fire a single Devastator.
• Strike, You're Out.: kill a Strike Team inside 15 seconds; Gamepressure suggests using a helicopter.
• Sic 'em!: 5 helicopters with Pack Leader. The count doesn't need to be done in one session.
• So Above It All / The Floor is Lava: launch from the tall Red Zone buildings and chain glides and air dashes. For Floor is Lava, don't touch the ground or run on roads until half a mile is logged.
• Icarus: climb the tallest skyscraper; Gamepressure gives map coordinates 679, 263.
• All Growed Up / Finally Full: finish side content and hunt the remaining hand-icon targets post-game.

RADNET Content

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.

PC Notes

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.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Fighting everything in the open. Alerts escalate to Strike Teams. Use disguise and stealth consumes.
• Skipping side content early. Upgrades from consumes and Lairs make the Red Zone much easier.
• Ignoring the Shield. Missile deflection trivializes a lot of heavy-weapon fire.
• Using only one power. Swap between a crowd power (Claws/Tendrils) and a heavy power (Blade/Hammerfists).
• Leaving BlackBoxes to the end. Pick them up zone by zone while you're there.

Advanced Tips

• Chain consumes for health and "Compulsive Eater" in tight crowds.
• Hijack a tank in disguise and use it against Blackwatch bases for "Road Rage".
• Use Bio-Bomb and Black Hole on dense crowds and Infected hives.
• Dive-bomb with Hammerfists from rooftops into crowds to start fights on your terms.
• Break line of sight and re-disguise to drop alert levels instead of fighting endless reinforcements.

FAQ

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.

Sources

• Steam store page: Prototype 2
• Wikipedia: Prototype 2
• Steam global achievements: Prototype 2
• Gamepressure: Prototype 2 guide (missions, BLACKNET operations)
• Gamepressure: Heller's powers and Mutations
• Gamepressure: Prototype 2 achievements