3. Mercer is dressed to kill
Look, we like playing Barbie with our game characters as much as the next guy - and make no mistake, that’s what you’ll be doing every time you doll Niko up with a new set of threads.

But when it comes to altering our avatar’s appearance, we’d prefer something more utilitarian, like a pair of giant claws for shredding flesh, or a thick biological suit of armor that soaks up bullets. These are just a few of the shape shifting powers that Mercer will gain access to throughout Prototype.

4. Mercer makes Marcus Fenix look like Mickey Mouse
We have fond memories of slapping dead pedestrians over the head with a rubber dildo. But while the GTA series has always been known for its violent nature, be prepared for guts and gore like you’ve never seen in Prototype.

“We want to use this next-gen opportunity to create new ways to kick some f*cking ass,” explained lead game designer, Eric Holmes. Expect Mercer to deliver brutal beat downs to his foes that make Gears of War’s curb stomps and chainsaws look tame in comparison.

5. Mercer travels in style
After tearing through the streets of San Andreas with the fuzz hot on your tail, the prospect of hailing a taxi and sitting in the backseat in GTA IV sounds a little anticlimactic.

But you won’t need to bother with catching cabs or jacking cars in Prototype to get around New York. With incredible strength and cat-like agility, Mercer can outrun traffic, scale walls, and leap from buildings without wasting any time.

If we’ve got to choose between waiting through rush hour traffic from the backseat of a cab in GTA IV and using cars as stepping stones as we charge down the street as Alex Mercer, we’ve got to go with Prototype.