If you've gotten bored of constantly playing the superhero, but aren't quite ready to take the leap to super villain, I have a solution for you. And if you just want to be as anti-social as possible while reveling in the destruction you can cause, I've got what you need.

It is called Prototype. And it dispenses with the moral ambiguity that confronts you in most games, instead going for the anti-hero style of play. The problem with most of these villains, however, is that there are usually qualities about anti-heroes that resonate with people. If you're a wrestling fan, you may remember a character named Stone Cold Steve Austin. He was the quintessential anti-hero in that he swore, flipped his boss the finger, and wasn't above using his fists to make a point, but despite all this there was still an innate sense of goodness that drove his actions. In Prototype, there is none.

Now, fast forward to June 2009. You play Alex Mercer, and you start off the game in the worst possible way—you're dead. In the story that follows, you discover that someone has released a virus into the main subway of Manhattan, turning people into vicious creatures and infecting the entire city. A special branch of the military, called BlackWatch, is dispatched with orders to contain the virus at any cost. Basically, these guys are at liberty to do whatever they want.

Alex Mercer also has the virus. The difference here is that he has control of it, allowing him to morph his limbs into things like giant claws, whips, and shields. In addition, he has the ability to run up, down, and sideways on buildings, and eventually can even glide through the air. Far from wanting to fix things, Alex just wants to find the people that did this to him, kill them, and regain his memories from before the event. And he really doesn't care what he has to do to achieve that goal. I like him already!

At the start of the game, you're treated to a fully powered up Alex. This level also serves as a tutorial in controlling him, as well as showing off some of his most powerful moves. Then, the games takes you back in time to when this all started (seeing Alex on a slab was a jolt let me tell you). From here, you have many different ways that you can gain the experience points needed to upgrade your character. Consuming people, completing missions and just generally being yo' bad self will all work. And the game isn't stingy about giving you points, either. In fact, it seems to want you to upgrade as quickly as possible, and this is where an RPG aspect comes into play.

You have the choice to upgrade and add additional powers such as your speed, jumping ability, and glide time, to name a few. Remember how I talked earlier about consuming people? This is a staple of the game and is handled exactly the way it should be. You simply grab a pedestrian, run up a building (well I did, though you can do this in the street, with the risk of getting shot) and consume them. What this does is turn you into them completely—you are consuming them at the cellular level and take on all of their characteristics. This is essential to keep a low profile (trust me, you will want to at times), as well as to regenerate health and accumulate points.