Prey is a re-imagining of the 2006 game. I have never played the original one so I can’t really compare the play style of this one to that of the original. But playing this game really got me excited to play it when it releases.
The Beginning Hour demo lets players play the first 60 minutes of the game. You play as either a male or female Dr. Yu. As you explore a space station called Talos I and try and survive an alien outbreak whose species are called the Typhon.
The Typhons are very formidable enemies as they can mimic any unsuspecting object. From a coffee mug or a printer or even that enticing medkit you thought you needed to heal you. You have to be very aware that they can mimic anything and everything and be ready when they strike. It really makes the game very tense and suspenseful. I find myself being surprised constantly far more than any other game I have played. It reminds me of Dead Space a lot as to how its enemies can just come out of anywhere. I am really liking the suspense it brings.
You might be thinking but where are the weapons? Have no fear because Prey has got that covered. This demo introduces us to a few weapons that you can find throughout the area. The ones I found were the Wrench, the Gloo Cannon, the Crossbow and a Silenced Gun. Now let’s pay some attention to the Gloo Cannon since the other weapons are self-explanatory. This cannon basically shoots a glue-like substance that renders the enemies immobile. This is just temporary though so it is best to follow up with a melee weapon or a ranged weapon if you’re feeling a little afraid to go near the enemies. My only complaint about their weapons system is that you cannot aim with your weapon just like in any other FPS games. You will only have to rely on the reticle on screen to assist you in shooting the enemies.
We were also introduced to how to traverse areas in this game. There were areas where an area needs a keycard to open but the game allows you to approach this problem in several ways. You can either find a keycard or try finding a vent that will lead you to the next room. Some other rooms require a passcode so you can either explore the area or hack the terminal once you get the corresponding skill that enable you to hack terminals. I like how the game gives us this freedom to play the game the way we want to. It almost feels like Dishonored with the choices that you can make.
Speaking of skills, you can acquire a lot of different skills by finding Neuromods. Neuromods is supposedly an enhancer which is a stored skill from the best talents of the world like hackers, athletes and so on. This means that the abilities you get could be hacking, repairing, or enhancing and so much more. The variety of skills that you can learn are plenty and I would suggest that you acquire each one depending on which you need at the moment so be careful and spend those points wisely.
Another feature that we were introduced to in this demo are the operators or machines that serve different purposes. One operator I found was a turret which helps in killing the enemies. There is also a medical operator which can heal you should you be needing some help. These machines are not invincible though so the enemies can attack them and get damaged. You can opt to repair a damaged operator if you unlock the skills that will allow you to do this.
Another interesting feature I found on this demo is the recycler. As the name suggests, it will let you recycle any trash you find. Instead of selling those junk that you see, you can feed them to the recycler and it will give you corresponding chunks of elements. These elements can then be fed to a 3d printer of sorts that will craft items and weapons for you. This makes scavenging really fun and enticing, knowing that anything you collect can still be useful, be it a busted motherboard or a lit cigar.
One last major feature that was shown in this demo is the ability to go through computer stations. The computers in this game provide a lot of intel including passwords for locked doors or other locked computers. Some may also contain a map of the area which you can download onto your system so you can look at it anytime.
As the main mission in the demo ends, it left me wanting more of the game. It doesn’t mean though that since the demo ended that you can’t continue exploring. There are lots of rooms to explore in this demo and I can say that the demo offers you a lot of what the game is about. They definitely made sure that the players know enough about the game so that they would want to play it. And I’m one of those that they have convinced. I cannot wait for May 5th to come along so I can continue Dr. Yu’s story. This is definitely a game to watch out for.