Prey (2017)

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JaySevenZero
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Prey (2017)

Post by JaySevenZero »

Here's where you can contribute your memories and opinions of Prey (2017) for potential inclusion in the forthcoming podcast.

Friendly reminder to all that where feedback for the podcast is concerned, we love it - but self-editing (brevity) is appreciated. We do want to include a breadth of opinions where appropriate, but no-one wants a discussion podcast that’s mainly reading. Better to save yourself time and cut to the chase if you can.
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MarkHoog
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by MarkHoog »

Prey was shapeshifting up to be my favourite game of 2017, mostly because of its gorgeous level design. Making my way through Talos-I, exploring every nook and cranny, outsmarting the mimics and cheesing my way to off-grid areas using the GLOO Cannon, I experienced a sense of solitude and freedom rarely felt before in games. The moment I floated outside of the station I felt both calm and alone, and looking back at Talos-I in its entirety filled me with an almost palpable sense of scale. On top of that, I became genuinely interested in the (mostly absent) crew members and enjoyed learning about their lives, hobbies and relationships through emails and audio logs.

However, the game kinda fell apart in its final act. The combat was never my favourite part of Prey, and I had avoided it where I could. Hence, introducing a human adversary late in the game and giving him an army of annoyingly tough combat drones shifted my careful, at times even meditative experience into the realm of chaotic tedium. After so many hours of quiet exploration I suddenly found myself constantly on the run and being shot at – which is also where the long loading screens became a complete buzzkill. It’s okay to wait thirty seconds when you’ve just spent an hour going through crew quarters, but when running from A to B for some fetch quest and having to wait half a minute every twenty seconds, all momentum just flies outta the window into the vastness of space.

I still think Prey is a masterpiece in its level design and alternate history narrative, but that final stretch has made me reluctant to ever revisit the game using a different playstyle. I'd only really consider it if a next gen remaster would provide a seamless experience.
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The Baboon Baron
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by The Baboon Baron »

Take a drink every time someone mentions a game with “shock” in the title… you won’t make it past the 1-hour mark!

Wearing its influences not only on its sleeve, but positively tattooed on its wrist, Prey 2017 was several things all at once. It was: Brilliant, awful, scary, hilarious, original, derivative, predictable and surprising. I haven’t gone through such a spectrum of views on a game since I rage quit, then embraced, Demon’s Souls.

First off, it really is a (insert favorite) shock game. From the System shock-easque setting, to the plasmid style neuromod’s. BUT, the comparison is far deeper, as similar philosophical concepts are at play throughout these games. They also share stellar universe and plot building, multiple play approaches and atmosphere you could cut with a knife. Is that such a bad thing though? If you’re old enough to remember when Half Life was a “doom clone” like I am, you might be more forgiving. I see no fault in a “Bioshock game by the people who made Dishonoured” but perhaps it could have been slightly less obvious.

What is truly remarkable though is the world building. Each member of the space station has a unique life, personality and story line which is not only a joy to explore but directly affects gameplay. For example, the neurotic lab tech puts post-its on everything to ensure they’re not mimic aliens, so when you find one without a post-it, you’ve got an advantage. The ditsy secretary has her password stuck under her desk, the drunk engineer has figured out how to replicate drugs illegally… it all builds subtly to what was once a living and breathing world. It’s a marvel of storytelling, organic and thought provoking, giving echo’s of Gone Home of all things. But this story telling is never in your face if you’d rather run and gun your way through, allowing for a unique experience for each player.

But unfortunately, what is most pertinent to me is that like System shock, you can get Prey wrong. I got Prey wrong for the first 5 hours, I didn’t look for the right items, I didn’t invest my Neuromods correctly, and as a result I got smeared up the window of Talos 1. Make no mistake, this game drops you into its universe and expects you to pick it up quickly, and if you don’t you will suffer. Enemies will re-spawn behind you, wreak your day with near 1 hit kill attacks or homing attacks. Or perhaps what you thought was a bin will in fact rip your face off. It gets very tiring, very quickly. I nearly called it because of this quite cruel, difficulty curve.

But I didn’t. And I ‘m so glad I didn’t. I invested a handful of neuromods and changed to a melee approach. A wise decision, as the ol’ 1-2 of zap ‘em & smash ‘em proved to work a treat. Only then did the game really find its own. Exciting sub plots that weave throughout of each other underpin a subtle moral choice system which leads to what I thought was a clever ending. Graphically its Dishonoured in space, which is fine, though the uncanny valley of facial animations does show up as it so often does. Prey is also a loud game, with jagged blasts of synth and strings to under pin the surprise and violence of the Typhon. That said, it does also have large swathes of silence, which sometimes works and sometimes adds to the dullness of a long backtrack to fulfil a side quest.

I enjoyed my time with Prey, and I would recommend it too, though possibly give a quick guide a glance beforehand. Perhaps there’s something to the simulation hypothesis after all…
3WR- Zap, Bludgeon, Repeat
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FemalePheromones
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by FemalePheromones »

I first played Prey through the demo that was released either just before release or on release and it really reminded me of classic Half-Life so I quite quickly rented the full game.

Unfortunately after an hour or 2 I was so incredibly bored than I just gave up with it and have no intention on going back to it.

A part of me does hope that when I listen to this issue of the podcast I will hear enough that actually makes me want to jump back into it but we will see.
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HMSPolio
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by HMSPolio »

I think I downloaded and played the demo a couple of times, but, due to the combination of an incredibly tense atmosphere and unwieldy controls, didn't last long.

On a whim I bought the full game, overcame my reservations and really enjoyed my time with it.

Arkane's level and environment design is some of the best in the business. The wealth of play options and tools at your disposal allow scenarios to be tackled in a number of fun ways, and I enjoyed the puzzler aspect of trying to optimally stealth through.

The NPCs and story are engaging enough but I don't think anything touched the sides emotionally.

There are pacing issues, and some of the design decisions are questionable: the irritating sticky bombs in the outdoor sections, the reliance on finicky drone enemies, and the Neuromod inflation for certain skills are all good examples.

Overall though, the combat, weapons, and powers are mostly satisfying, and Talos is a marvel of (digital) engineering.
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Simonsloth
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by Simonsloth »

Quick question but will you be covering mooncrash at all? I hear it’s a 20 hour experience in itself?
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ratsoalbion
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by ratsoalbion »

We intend to cover the dlc too, but if we can’t get it played or contain the discussion within the time we might keep it for another time, a la Shovel Knight.

Sorry to not be definite at this point.
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matten zwei
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by matten zwei »

I really enjoyed the first prey for what it was: A daft shooter with a nonchalant story and some alibi-puzzle elements. I never knew if the game took itself seriously or not. Gaming in 2006 i guess.

When I read they were going to release another "prey" after all, I was really looking forward to it, because it ticked many boxes I love in other games: 80s synth-soundtrack, Horror-elements, Creepy Enemies. Unfortunately the came didn't use the original idea of "Prey" and just some new mechanics to it, it was a entire new game, which is fine for itself, but didn't work for me. I found the mission objects too bioshock-infinit-esque, the enemy-encounters reminded me of alien isolation and just being able to pick up EVERYTHING more or less useful isn't really my cup of tea. Bethesda I guess.

I ended up selling my copy of prey (2017) after a few hours playing it and I have no intentions buying it again or finishing it. Yeah, maybe the story has some great plot-twists, but I really can't see myself reading all these incredibly boring logs from employees or dealing with unfair checkpoints and one-hit-kills again. If Prey 2006 was dated at its time, Prey 2017 was it as well.
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Gingertastic01
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by Gingertastic01 »

First contribution to the games forum but had opinions.

After reading the generally favorable reviews I decided to pick this one up once the X patch came out. My initial impressions were strong, although the visuals didn’t blow me away I liked the design style and whilst the atmosphere wasn’t up to some of its contemporaries I thought it was pretty immersive. Additionally, the guns looked and sounded pretty good to boot (great shotgun). However, the more I was playing the more I was realising I wasn’t really enjoying it for numerous reasons.

The Alien design that started out as interesting shape shifting enemies soon gave way to bland repetitive foes that only had a couple of variations to them, and didn’t really capitalise on the aliens unique attributes. Additionally, The nature of their design made stealth trickier than it needed to be as it was harder to ascertain which direction the enemy was facing. Which when combined with poor audio / visual feedback when attempting to do stealth more often than not I would end up in gun fight. Which is a shame because it became apparent whilst trying to complete side missions that I was burning through more resources than I was getting. This issue is only exacerbate by the respawning enemies in highly traveled areas leaving me with a somewhat frustrating experience. It didn’t seemed as balanced as a good resident evil, Bioshock or Evil Within is with its resource management.

Full disclosure, I didn’t finish this game. It is very rare I don’t finish a game but ultimately I have saved myself into a hole in which I cannot get out. I know am close to finishing it but trying to get from one side of a heavily infested talos 1 to the other with little to no resources has left me with little to no motivation to finish it.
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by Hevi_Metaru »

Watching the SGDQ (Summer Games Done Quick) 2019 run of this game was endlessly entertaining. The GLOO Cannon breaks the game in so many ways (the escape pod can be unlocked by clipping in through the bottom of the ship).
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Retro Spectives
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Re: 385: Prey (2017)

Post by Retro Spectives »

Hey, Pat from the Retro Spectives Podcast here. Long time listener, first time poster on these forums. Prey is one of my favourite games and I wanted to share something about how I feel. There's a lot to talk about, but in the interest of brevity I'll hone in on one aspect.

When you play Prey it feels like you're building the ultimate modular swiss army knife. You get to determine your skills, what you spend your resources on, and how you plan to tackle the many obstacles that get thrown in your way. Its not about playing with 'stealth' or as a 'hacker', but instead using the tools at your disposal in the right way. A recycler charge deals damage to enemies, sure, but it also destroys environmental objects and gets you resources. The Gloo cannon disables enemies, but also puts out fires, temporarily shuts of electronics and gives you platforms to traverse across.

Getting stronger in Prey is about giving your character more breadth. As you gain skill points and find new weapons, you gain new ways to deal with problems. You turn into a mug, and can access security wells. A new fabrication plan lets you turn junk into the precious Q-Beam ammo. Find a nullwave grenade, and you can take on the big psychic Typhon in the pool area. You learn what works best against the various enemies and environmental hazards, and starting applying the right tool to the job.

It works fantastically for the early and mid-game of Prey, as you carve your own path through the station. But as you enter the end-game, and complete that swiss-army knife, it starts to lose its lustre. Once you've figured out how to overcome every obstacle in the most efficient way, and have the abilities and resources to do so, it becomes a bit repetitive. Nothing can stand in your way once you know how to deal with it - all the challenge and intrigue comes in figuring out the systems at work, and there's no grand systemic challenge to top off the game - just extended fetch quests and more elaborate combat.

(Small addendum on Mooncrash if you talk about it)

The joy of Mooncrash is that it fixes the endgame problem of Prey by giving you limited resources and abilities. It makes you demonstrate your mastery of all its tools by only ever giving you a restrictive set. Playing Prey you learn that you can open a blocked pathway with hacking, a crossbowed screen, picking up the heavy object, blow up some nearby explosives, finding an alternate route or turning into a mug and slipping through the cracks. Mooncrash will give you exactly one of these, but you need to know all of them to be able to use the right one at the right time.
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Re: Our next podcast recording (1.9.19) - 385: Prey (2017)

Post by Simonsloth »

I know I’m probably too late but will jot something brief down anyway.

Prey draws from some of my favourite videogames and although never quite becomes the sum of its parts is still a very very good game nonetheless. Bioshock, Deus ex, Dishonored and of course system shock. The atmosphere, setting and plot were excellent.

I found the game initially very challenging until I started making use of turrets. I spent the majority of the game lugging the same one around which I affectionately named Trevor. I would plonk him in a corner and skulk around while he did all the work. So when it came to upgrades I didn’t invest in any aliens mods for fear that Trevor would turn on me. I realise this made some parts difficult and closed off a whole dimension of the game but I fully intend to replay it doing the opposite. I can’t reallly think of many modern games which I would consider a second play through of so quickly. All in all it’s one of the best games released in the last few years in my opinion.
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Re: Our next podcast recording (1.9.19) - 385: Prey (2017)

Post by James »

Just in time, Simonsloth; we're recording now! :D
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