Prey has got to be one of the best games of this generation, maybe even one of my most favorite games of all time, the story of Prey is about a person, either male or female, named Morgan Yu, who inside a huge station known as Talos I, after an incident at some test, you wake up in your apartment, yet something is up, after escaping, you must pick up the pieces, find out what's going on, and escape, the story is great, there are really interesting twists during the story, characters, and mysteries, the sense of freedom, and exploration is very well done here, while you are in Talos I, you are given the opportunity to explore several open areas, where you can find hidden items, supplies, and side quests, speaking of side quests, there are quite a lot of them to do, they can vary from simply searching for someone to finding maps to a treasure, the quests are quite fun and varied, the gameplay is also amazing, gunplay is smooth, visceral, and intense, and the horror elements add a sense of desperation, intensity, paranoia, and helplessness, which makes the game even more heart-racing, the game is also challenging, this is not a game where you run and gun like in call of duty, you have to think before you act and pick your battles, and the the AI is really good with a few problems, and there are supplies such as ammo, medkits, food, notes, neuromods, key cards, and side quests that will give you an incentive to explore, speaking of neuromods, they can give you the ability to upgrade Morgan Yu, with perks such as Hacking and Repair to increased strength and health, giving more replay value to the game, if you just do the story, it could probably be around 15 hours, but doing all side quests, exploring every nook and cranny around Talos I etc., will bring that up to 40 hours, with massive replayability through different builds and critical choices you make throughout the game, my playthrough was around 30 hours, but I still had several side quests and places that I haven't fully explored, this is a game that must be played and that is absolutely worth your time and money
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hectoragonzalez10 December 2017
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zohal-1323926 November 2017Almost perfect video game. This is a great game for getting scared. Really good horror. I originally played the demo on ps4 & it was so scary. Then did the entire game, with start do-over. It was tons of fun. The only reason I opted for 9 stars is because I felt like the game became too repetitive towards the end and I basically got bored & wanted to finish it quickly. Repetitive meaning especially in regards to creatures -- there were no more new horror creatures to explore! -- which was sad because I was thoroughly enjoying myself. The storyline is great, no complaints there.
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8512223 January 2020Greetings from Lithuania.
"Prey" (2017) is a very original video game. It has all requirement for it to be a first person shooter (which it kinda is), but its hard to compeer it to any first person shooter. It has great story, and only a kinda disappointing ending was the reason I did not gave it a 10/10. This game has very unique for its genre gameplay mechanics, were you can approach your goal in many ways, the game gives. Also I was constantly surprised of the world this game takes place in, because it really is a very good sci-fi setting.
Overall, I highly enjoyed "Prey" until its a bit of a lackluster ending. Other then that, its a very original game. -
Moviememmer30 October 2019Pros:
- Great story & Interesting characters
- Great Gameplay
- Intricate level design
- Pretty good graphics
- Recycling and crafting is great
- Mimics add a layer of horror and suspense
Cons:- World environments look rather similar
- A few more enemy types would be nice
Verdict: It is a damn crime that this game is this overlooked. This is a game that reminiscences innovations within games like Half-Life. Shame that games like COD are getting the attention.
8.5/10 -
hakobyanhakob8127 February 2018This is by far one of the most addictive games I have played recently, although at the beginning it seemed slightly disappointing mostly due to the graphics. Things however got better shortly, so don't judge it by the cower. As an RPG it has a lot of space and great maps. The level up system is detailed and fun. Creatures are nicely designed and not easy to kill unless you choose the easiest option. This is no shooter, make no mistake, this is a survival game. Prey can be a little disorienting at times, but if you love exploring, looting, finding hidden passages/shortcuts, you'll love it. The combat is very well done too. I personally got this for a very good price and enjoyed for almost a week. Would love to see a Dlc or even Dlcs.
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vasilijsloginovs27 March 2018When i started to play PREY, I was a bit skeptical. When I finished it I was almost in tears. Weeks past by, but I couldn't stop thinking about this game. This music.. horror like sounds.. Approximately for 1 month after finishing PREY, I couldn't play anything else, because all other games seemed so dum and boring. This game brought me a fantastic experience. Very immerse and with ideal story. Even had issues with my wife, because the only thing I could do when I had a free time, was to play PREY. In my opinion this game is one of the best computer games humanity ever had.
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Pjtaylor-96-13804426 August 2020'Prey (2017)' is a first-person 'immersive sim' set aboard a space station that's been recently overrun by a whole host of otherworldly aliens, including the elusive 'mimick' which can disguise itself as any object on board. The name of the game here is choice, with the player being given free reign to complete their objectives in whatever way they want. Exploration is more than encouraged and, usually, all solutions are valid. That's what's so satisfying about the experience. It gives you a set of systems, which evolve somewhat over the course of the game but always remain consistent, and lets you loose with them. Its heady story, full of twists and turns, is meant to be engaged with on an intellectual level; you're supposed to think about what you're doing and why you're doing it. It's great fun that's incredibly immersive from start to finish. It's also rather unique, despite being obviously inspired by games such as 'System Shock (1994)', 'Bioshock (2007)', 'Deus Ex (2000)' and Arkane Studios' previous 'Dishonoured (2012)'. It's a game you won't want to stop playing. It's absolutely fantastic. I'll almost certainly be returning to it in the future. 9/10
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goriknak15 May 2021Prey is one of those games that somehow got overlooked and almost forgotten. Picked it up by chance and haven't put it down since. Probably up there as one of the best games of all time, they story, the atmosphere, everything about this game just makes it awesome.
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sawbonesprod26 May 2022If you are a fan of survival horror games and you haven't played this yet, drop everything and get this game IMMEDIATELY.
It's challenging in all the right ways, it's innovative in its resource/leveling system. All aspects of the gameplay are infused with the story and setting. It's one of the most cohesive and rewarding game experiences of all time.
Nothing shows this better than the map itself. Talos1 is a 1:1 completely fleshed out Space Station/Research Facility and by the end of your playthrough you will begin to see it's grand design and understand it's genius as every area is meticulously placed both inside and outside of the station. Most areas have airlocks that allow you to fly around the station and jump the different locations (some through hull breaches in the stations walls). There is also a grand lift that shoots through the middle taking you to the three main hubs. Then there is the G. U. T. S that allows you to float through the maintenance tunnels of the station and get around that way. It's so creative and well thought out and each zone has its own story and they almost all intermingle in some way.
Which brings me to another point, the story is DENSE. Specifically the world building and the personal stories of everyone in the ship's crew. More than any other game I've played the creators spend an incredible attention to detail compared to other games of this genre. When you see a dead body in a hallway or stuffed behind a maintenance shaft, they have names, and usually a specific story as to what they were doing before everything went to hell and how they ended up there; to the point that you can literally look up EVERY crew member of Talos1 by the various security terminals in each zone. This game is DETAILED.
So go do yourself a favor and pick up this game and enjoy not wanting to play anything else for the next month or so. -
heath-jeffrey7 February 2023Pros -- The story is amazing. Oozing suspense and intrigue, with plot twists that blow the mind, characters whose motives are unknown, and a constant doubt about who to trust (possibly including yourself). All that while dealing with a mysterious, unnatural enemies. You even get suspicious about how you 'level up' your character, in a way. And you need to make deep, ethical decisions based on the often limited information you have.
Collectible texts and audio logs, unlike many other games are not just for history and world building: they provide clues, secret codes, technical tools for unlocking certain areas, and tips for tackling certain enemies. It's integrate well.
The 'world design' and degree of openness ve linearity is perfect. It's neither one of those games where you just run from one area into the next battle after battle, nor one of those ones that just dumps you in a sprawling, 'open' world with little guidance. Instead, it starts off with access to a small area, with access to larger and more areas expanding as the storyline progresses. It ultimately does end up entirely open (and is surprisingly massive), but it builds towards that in a semi-structured and guided manner. Again, it integrates well (story and world access).
There are two styles of gameplay, depending on which part of the world you're in. I'd spoil it if I was to say exactly how - but what is important os that it adds to the variety, as well as tying into that 'mind blowing' impact the game often has. It never gets monotonous.
Weapons and abilities are generally vastly different from each other, and many are unique to the game. Resources gathering (for 'ammo' and for building tools, weapons, and equipment) is almost perfectly balanced. You're constantly on the edge of running out, without being left stranded with nothing for long. Tension without frustration.
There are a range of enemies, of very different types, and a certain type of enemy gets more and more impressive/scary at just the right stages in the game. Additionally, the final stages of the game really ramp up the pressure, creating an increasing sense of urgency as the story reaches its climax.
To top it all off, it's one of those games where there is often more than one or two ways to do something. You can develop your character in a range of ways; you can gain access to 'locked' areas in a range of ways; you can find secrets all over the place; and you make meaningful plot choices that impact on the final outcome (yet manages a satisfying conclusion no matter what decisions you made).
Cons -- The music and atmospheric sounds are fine, but aren't especially impressive.
Open-world style bugs, although very rare, do exist. (ie. Some 'quests' or 'characters' can fail to appear if you explore areas in a particularly unexpected order).
The art is pretty mediocre - especially human faces. The characters and dialogue are well-developed with human/realistic personalities and relationships, but you can still feel like you're interacting with mannequins due to the plastic-y and emotionless facial expressions. -
nammage10 August 2018Basic plot: You're Morgan Yu (name for both male/female character) and you are a scientist who is conducting an experiment on yourself using alien DNA to advance human abilities in physical and mental ways. Something happens and aliens have broken containment and are taking over. At first you think you're on Earth but find out you're on a research station in near orbit of Earth. You have to figure out what happened, why you don't have certain memories and who's working with you or against you.
I was hoping the game would be more space station and less aliens, though the further you get into it, and while still aliens, it becomes more space station than aliens. When I was going around looking for bodies (still) 40+ hrs in, it got real quiet in many places. No aliens, no people (except dead ones) with the occasional PA announcement (which, at a point in the game you can turn that off.) I have to admit I started this game over multitudes of times before beating it. The first time: I ran out of food/medkits (standing at a fountain or sink or cooler takes a long time; clocked in 20 minutes one and the only time.) Second time: ran out of ammo while battling Nightmare (wasn't able to evade, or reload another save.) Third time: forgot what I was doing and got lost (stepped away a couple of weeks for personal issues.) Fourth and Fifth time: seeing what my limits were and what not to do, and Sixth time: got the code for extra gear in locker but it wasn't there (it actually showed up after a couple of updates to the game made the game not play and I had to unplug my Xbox One and plug it back in; it showed up in the last five minutes of the game.) It was a learning experience, though. It's a slow game with some action. Not a bad thing, at all. Though, by the end of the game I had 60+ Medkits. I fabricated food and drinks I picked up. Every little bit helps.
There are things I didn't care for such as the timed missions. I play open world games primarily because it's not a point A to point B game and you don't get timed. True the 'open world' of this game is limited but it's still considered open world. There's like six or seven timed missions. You're able to turn off your locator beacon but is it really off? No. Go to any security station and it will tell you where you are. Don't know if that's a glitch or the gamemakers just applied it to the character of Alex. Chipsets: most of them are the same as others you have, or will have. Two Mimic abilities equal you're more alien than human. Just two! That's all I got were two: changing into things: level one; pulling things toward you: level one. Ridiculous. When you get to a certain point - and this happened to me, don't know about anyone else - the Main Game actually pauses and tasks you with another part to the Main Game (that happens to everyone) but it didn't tell me that; if it did, it wouldn't consistently tell me to keep going to one section to get something; and I kept going there and it was never there. It should have locked that part out so you could focus on the other part. It didn't, at least not for me. Took me forever (sarcasm) to figure it out. In New Game + you can't redistribute Neuromods.
When you're able to get super boost for your jetpack, get it. So when you fall from great heights (and you will), you can use it on the way down so you don't die. Use your flashlight in dark to darker areas. If you have the scope, places like the Yellow Tulip/Volunteer Quarters - don't use the flashlight there but the scope; unless you know where you're going. It was a good game. I enjoyed it. In the end it took me 50 hrs 23 min with two minor failed missions (didn't use a device in a certain place, and didn't arrive at the destination the way the game wanted me to.) Located all possible bodies. Didn't really care for the Dallas (the original TV show) moment at the end but if they make a second Prey game based on it: that might be cool. -
CANpatbuck366414 January 2024The plot for Prey is lengthy and would resemble a small novel as opposed to something that could be well summarized into 2 or 3 bullet points. The quickest I can distill the story is that the game takes place in an alternate version of history, the year is 2032 and the Transtar corporation is conducting research on board the ship Talos 1. The Soviet Union previously discovered a race of dangerous aliens called the Typhon and they co-operated with the United States government to subdue them. The US government helps keep this quiet and eventually takes over the project when tensions rise between the two nations. Study on the Typhon continues until the year 1980 when the Pobeg Incident occurs. Scientists are killed by the Typhon aboard the former Soviet satellite the Kletka. The research project Axiom is abandoned and the satellite is left with the live Typhon aboard. Transtar purchases the satellite in 2025 and re-institutes the research with the goal of creating "Neuromods." These are injections that grant super power like abilities based on what the Typhon can do. We join Morgan Yu (you can choose whether the protagonist is male or female) in 2030 as a high ranking member of Transtar about to travel to Talos 1 (the re-branded Kletka) to join his brother Alex Yu in developing the neuromods. Things go array QUICKLY and in ways that you wouldn't expect (I don't want to spoil it, the opening reveal/twist is something that should be experienced in the moment). Prey's story is surprisingly layered and while it might not spell everything out for you immediately, the reward is in the gradual unveiling. Things are not what they seem aboard the Talos 1 and that's outside the shape-shifting aliens that want to rip you limb-from-limb.
It's easy to categorize Prey as a FPS but you'd be shortchanging the game with that assumption. Where other games wall you off from certain parts of the map or rigidly manage where you go, Prey largely lets you traverse Talos 1 unimpeded. There's an amount of freedom in the game that you don't always get in this genre. There are puzzles to solve, resources to manage (the game requires you to recycle junk to give you the raw material to craft things like ammo, health or gun upgrades) and several different ways to arrive at the solution. One weapon specifically plays a large role in this, the GLOO cannon freezes enemies in place and allows you to more easily melee or eliminate them. But the GLOO gun can be used to scale walls, create bridges etc. It's a nice complement to the solid action and it's another way in which the game refuses to just hand it to the player (the effectiveness of this idea is mixed, more on that later).
By the time I finished Prey, I had completely gotten on board. There's been some complaints about the effectiveness of the ending but I think it was a bold and inspired choice. Any game can end in a big fight and the world is magically saved, I appreciated that they tried something different. They pay some lip service subtly to a morality system throughout the game and it affects which ending you're presented with. There are also hints that there's a larger game afoot so while the conclusion was surprising, it didn't feel like dirty pool. I really dug it and I'd actually encourage more developers to take a page from Arkane's book.
I only have 1 complaint when it comes to Prey and while it may come across as a little petulant, I'm not the only one with this view. Prey is HARD at the beginning, to the point it passes past the point of an enjoyable challenge. Your character is deliberately under-powered and you can run into high level enemies in any given area. Some have argued that it encourages puzzle solving, stealth and exploration to pick up items and gain XP but I found that hard to believe as I was terrified to go anywhere but the waypoint on the main quest because I would die so quickly. Eventually, I levelled up to a point where I could investigate other areas and gain new abilities. But I'm not going to begrudge anyone for getting frustrated when starting this game, it's tough and it takes some fortitude to acclimate to how punishing Prey can be.
I didn't love Prey from the beginning, I actually contemplated giving up on it at around the 25% mark. The story was impressive and the mystery of Talos 1 was great (along with the surprisingly stacked voice cast, Benedict Wong's work as Alex is hugely underrated in helping Prey deliver) but I just kept dying over and over again. I stuck with it however and through my stubbornness, I got better at it and finished the game. This game is exceptional in many areas and I now get why it's on everyone's list of criminally underrated games from the previous generation of consoles. I didn't even touch on how scary and varied the Typhon types are (if you don't like jump scares, this game might be a little annoying for you). Prey deserved more attention and bigger sales and if you get the chance to play it, I'd absolutely recommend you to do so. -
thewriter-9237727 October 2020Brief Synopsis - The year is 2032. You play as Morgan Yu, who keeps living the same day again and again in a simulated environment, with no memories of the previous day. You are part of an experiment involving Typhons (the aliens in the game). One day you break out of the simulation and realise you are on a Space station, Talos 1 and its filled with Typhons, who kill almost all the humans aboard the station. You have to scavenge for resources, defeat the Typhons, find other humans and get the hell out of the station.
Pros 1. Great environment, very much inspired by horror classics such as Resident Evil, Dead Space etc. The emphasis is less on action and shootouts and more on survival horror, where you have to scavenge for resources, conserve ammo and items and choose when to act and when to run away. 2. Since it is developed by Arkane Studios (the studio behind Dishonored series), its influence is also seen, with the player unlocking various abilities, sandbox levels (choose how you play) with various nooks and crannies to explore, side missions which take you all across the map with great rewards in the end etc. 3. The game gives you a good reason to collect and hoard items, junk and other resources. You can choose to recycle various waste items into various materials to build ammo, Neuromods, items such as med kits etc. 4. Human and Typhon abilities are awesome. It's great fun to mix and match abilities and playstyles. You can choose to develop only Human or only Typhon abilities. Alternatively, you can choose NOT to develop any abilities, just like Dishonored. 5. Mimics are scary. And the Nightmare... and the Military Operators. 6. Great graphics and sound. The OST is great and the background sounds are really scary and fit the atmosphere.
Cons 1. Loading times. While it's not a big issue, but whenever you enter a new area, you first have a loading screen. This is more prevalent and irritating once you unlock side missions or progress further into the story where you have to travel all across the station. 2. The contrast between the two styles i.e. sandbox and survival horror, is not executed perfectly. Stealth build / playstyle is a joke compared to Dishonored. You have various tools, but the items and ammo are very scarce and half the time you have to choose whether to build ammo or items, which is very frustrating. 3. While you do have various tools, it still feels that there is a lack of variety, especially in weapons. You have the godly wrench, the always handy Gloo gun, semi-automatic/burst silent pistol, shotgun, laser shooting Q-beam, the not-at-all useful Huntress Boltcaster. Human enemies such as security guards do not use any assault rifles or SMGs. Enemies such as corrupt operators use shock rods, flamethrowers, and turrets have machine guns. How come we don't get to use that? 4. While the Typhons are terrifying at first, it soon becomes a chore to fight them, due to their huge numbers. After a while you become numb and dread these encounters, not because it's hard, but due to Typhons being bullet sponges. 5. It's a good story with a bad ending. The developers pulled a MGS5 on us. Spoiler - You are not playing as Morgan, but a Human-Typhon phantom or hybrid who has Morgan's memories and are reliving Morgan's memories in a simulation. The real Morgan is likely dead. Your "brother" Alex created a you, a hybrid being to test if a Typhon can have any human traits or not. All your allies are actually drones (Mikhaila, Dr. Igwe, Eliza etc.). The earth is conquered by the Typhon and midst of a war (I think?), so none of your actions on Talos 1 made any difference, coz it was a simulation after all. All these revelations come in the last 5 minutes, just like MGS5. It's a simulation inside a simulation inside a simulation. A Simuception. As lazy and mind-numbingly frustrating as it was in MGS5, it's the same in Prey 2017. 6. However, it's kind of obvious when you first unlock a video of Morgan talking to the you, the player (you as Morgan are a mute protagonist). And in many of the audio and video logs you find as you play through the main campaign, Morgan does speak and has a very distinct personality. Just like Big Boss. And you play basically play as his "mute phantom" (literally?)
Final review - For me the game is 7/10. I haven't played Mooncrash DLC and I'm not going to, at least for some time, coz playing the main game drained my mental stamina A LOT (and often in a good way). This game deserves a sequel and hopefully the developers show an interest in making one. -
michelleuniversal12 June 2023The game is so unbelievably hard that I believe I have died more in Prey than in Elden Ring and the Demon's Souls remake combined; and I have only played for 4.5 hours or so. Trust me, I like when a game presents a challenge; however, when I say that this game is "hard", I do not mean it as a compliment, but rather a design flaw. For context, I am playing on normal difficulty (blows my mind knowing there are two even harder difficulties). A lot of the enemies just one or two shot you, and it feels like you can't even fight back. The combat is very clunky: there is no dodge button (you can only try dodging enemy attacks by running away or jumping, which feels extremely awkward) and you can't even ads with the guns. I just spent around an hour trying to kill a guy by exploiting his weaknesses but nothing would work and he'd just one shot me. So I quit. Don't think I'll be coming back to the game.
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supersonic30318 March 2023Very few games will I ever repeat, let alone several times. I absolutely loved this game especially for the one thing that hasn't been commented on. The sound design. Mick Gordon has injected so much atmosphere into this game it's literally scary. Don't be expecting Doom type heavy distorted guitar riffs. This is something more akin to what vangelis did for movies. The music and SFX fit together and with the game so perfectly. The gameplay and story which have already been commented on make this a great game. Mick Gordon's sound design takes this great game to being one of the best of all time. I am yet to find a game that transports my senses to another place like this one does. Playing late at nite took me back to my days of playing doom with lights off. It's been said before but this game truly is a masterpiece and much credit must go to the sound design.
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"Prey" (2017), developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks, is a standout title in the realm of science fiction video games, blending immersive storytelling with challenging gameplay to create a truly captivating experience. Set aboard the sprawling space station Talos I, the game plunges players into a richly detailed world teeming with secrets and fraught with danger, thanks to an alien menace known as the Typhon.
From the outset, "Prey" distinguishes itself with its deep narrative structure. The game skillfully weaves a complex story involving themes of identity, human experimentation, and the ethical limits of scientific pursuit. Players assume the role of Morgan Yu, and the path they choose through the game affects not only their own fate but also that of the space station and its other inhabitants. This choice-driven approach ensures a high level of replayability and personal investment in the outcome of the story.
Gameplay in "Prey" is as robust as its narrative. It offers a hybrid model that combines first-person shooter mechanics with elements of role-playing and stealth, allowing for a flexible approach to combat and exploration. The innovative use of the Neuromod technology-a system that grants players alien powers-provides a wide range of tactical options in dealing with threats and solving puzzles. Additionally, the environment of Talos I itself is almost a character, rich with detail and atmosphere, and it requires strategic thinking to navigate effectively.
Graphically, "Prey" is a masterpiece. The design of the space station combines utilitarian space-age structures with touches of luxurious living spaces, creating a believable and immersive setting. The visual representation of zero-gravity environments and the eerie, unpredictable nature of the Typhon creatures are particularly noteworthy.
The sound design deserves special mention as well, with a haunting score that perfectly complements the tense and mysterious atmosphere of the game. Audio cues are also expertly utilized, providing not only environmental immersion but also critical gameplay information.
"Prey" (2017) is a triumph of the genre, offering an intelligent, open-ended gameplay experience that respects the player's intelligence and curiosity. With its stunning visuals, compelling story, and innovative gameplay mechanics, it is not just a game but an experience that stays with you long after the credits roll. Fans of thought-provoking narratives and rich game mechanics will find much to appreciate in this bold and engaging adventure. The ending is also great or I can say best.