I’ve had prior experience with Arkane’s style of immersive sim via Deathloop, however it didn’t really grab my attention and I ended up shelving it. I picked Prey up while it was on sale a few months ago, and I certainly don’t regret it.
The game is gripping for the very beginning, with one of the most jaw dropping opening sequences ever. I ended up playing the game almost entirely on the Steam Deck while on vacation, and while the handheld formfactor diminished the punch of more tense encounters, I found the experience enjoyable enough with little compromise.
Talos-1 is an interesting setting, several sectors each wildly different from the last. There’s a sort of Metroidvania-esque approach to progression, however I found myself making use of the games GLOO gun to find roundabout entrances, which definitely made the experience unique (if not a bit tedious when I would later find the “proper” way to navigate). The alien creatures are varied in their design and a truly terrifying threat at times. The characters, particularly Alex Wu, are incredible, thanks in large part to the stellar voice work. Combat is incredibly similar to Arkane’s other titles, however I am a fan of their gun feel and so all I can really say if “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Should you decide to go out of your way and do side content, you are greatly rewarded with differing outcomes contributing to how the story unfolds.
Ultimately, for a game that only took a little over ten hours to make my way through, I’m incredibly happy with Prey. There isn’t a single bad aspect to this game, however, there are several flaws- such as slow skill progression and an overly restrictive ammo economy- which prevent me from giving it a higher score. However, a 4/5 is nothing to scoff at, and I truly recommend you give this game a shot.
The game is gripping for the very beginning, with one of the most jaw dropping opening sequences ever. I ended up playing the game almost entirely on the Steam Deck while on vacation, and while the handheld formfactor diminished the punch of more tense encounters, I found the experience enjoyable enough with little compromise.
Talos-1 is an interesting setting, several sectors each wildly different from the last. There’s a sort of Metroidvania-esque approach to progression, however I found myself making use of the games GLOO gun to find roundabout entrances, which definitely made the experience unique (if not a bit tedious when I would later find the “proper” way to navigate). The alien creatures are varied in their design and a truly terrifying threat at times. The characters, particularly Alex Wu, are incredible, thanks in large part to the stellar voice work. Combat is incredibly similar to Arkane’s other titles, however I am a fan of their gun feel and so all I can really say if “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Should you decide to go out of your way and do side content, you are greatly rewarded with differing outcomes contributing to how the story unfolds.
Ultimately, for a game that only took a little over ten hours to make my way through, I’m incredibly happy with Prey. There isn’t a single bad aspect to this game, however, there are several flaws- such as slow skill progression and an overly restrictive ammo economy- which prevent me from giving it a higher score. However, a 4/5 is nothing to scoff at, and I truly recommend you give this game a shot.