Prey is a 2017 immersive sim shooter developed by Arkane Studios.
You play as Morgan Yu, a scientist aboard the Talos I, a space station involved in researching the Typhon, a hostile alien species. When all goes horribly wrong and these creatures escape confinement, it becomes your mission to survive and find a way off the station.
Prey was built as a spiritual successor to 1999’s System Shock 2. There are always multiple paths to complete a certain objective – be it a run-and-gun approach, a stealthy, pacifist attitude; it is a cohesive and convincing open world. From the outset, the player can go off-course and explore all of Talos I. Access to most of the station will be locked however, but can be opened up through the completion of quests. During your time on the station, you will find various weapons, each offering vastly different options for fighting your foes. In addition, your character can install “neuromods”. In essence, modifying your brain to acquire new skills. These range from more health and stamina, to quieter sneaking, or even gaining Typhon alien abilities.
Commendable is the dedication to making any selection viable. You won’t be stuck due to picking the wrong options: The game can in fact be finished without upgrading anything. This variety in playstyle leads to a high degree of replayability, with each playthrough being unique. A “New Game+” option also allows starting a new run with all unlocked Neuromods still being present.
When starting out, it is by no means an easy game. At first, enemies are tough, and figuring out how to effectively fight each Typhon variant is part of the ride. Like Todd Howard’s list of lies, your quick save button will experience constant usage. In addition to the the around 15 hour main storyline, there are many sidequests that can freely be completed, fleshing out the world and adding exciting content. A completionist’s playthrough can easily reach the 30 hour mark.
Wrapping everything together neatly is the outstanding audio design. Not only is a master class soundtrack brought to the table, but its ambient music fits the atmosphere to a T. Further, Typhon sound foreign, alien, menacing. All in all appropriate.
Low-end computer owners will be happy to hear that the game boasts amazing optimization. Smooth framerates on high settings are easily achievable, enabling every player to explore Talos I with its marvellous and spine-chilling graphics.
Prey wears a rarely seen crown, inscribed with: “Almost no faults.” There are some unfortunate, non-game-breaking bugs here and there. Some AI issues. A rare enemy type with not-so-stellar game design. Otherwise, it’s all-around impressive.
The Talos I, a technophile’s art-deco paradise, feels alive by feeling dead.
The nail was hit on the head in terms of ambience. Moving forward, entering rooms, picking up objects; every single action carries a certain sense of tension. Fear is present. It’s an immersive space, with not a single room or corridor feeling out of place or missing props in order to make it believable. The environment conveys countless stories like few games do. Innumerable e-mails, notes, fictional book excerpts create a grander world, a world that truly does seem to be inhabited.
And story is where the game’s heart lies, taking a look at humanity and what makes it such. The nature of empathy. The striving for immortality. Questioning what makes us “us” – solely past memories or intangible, higher purpose? In Prey, you have a choice. Each of your actions bear impact. This manifests itself organically through moral dilemmas, not in a contrived Mass-Effect 3-esque manner. Neither is it “in-your-face” about these choices. There is no right or wrong. You’re not being told how to think.
Further, NPC characterization is well done and achieved in no time at all. You care about others’ fates on the Talos I, and yet, not all will survive. A “happy game” is an unsuitable descriptor.
A haunting piece of entertainment, leaving imprints in the mind. Worth its full price any day of the week as one of the best games in recent years. Anyone with a liking for System Shock, Deus Ex, Thief or Bioshock, will no doubt find immense enjoyment here.
Prey is a masterpiece.