Prey Review

Game:  Prey
Year:  2006
Company:  dev. Human Head Studios, prod. 3D Realms
Engine: id Tech 4
Type:  First Person Shooter, Puzzle


Plot/General Gameplay

I picked this as my first review because this game is fantastic, and I think more people should check it out (I got a brand new copy for eight bucks on eBay),
The story follows protagonist cherokee Tommy, who, after being abducted, must fight his way through the living alien ship (The Sphere) to rescue his girlfriend and find a way home.  For fans of Doom 3 or Quake 4, some of the textures on the ship are going to look pretty familiar (they all use id Tech 4).
There is a Zippo instead of a flashlight.  Zippos get hot, so it makes sense that the player has to turn it off after a bit.  Unlike Doom 3, light and dark do not play a large role.


Audio

The soundtrack for this game is orchestral, and makes it feel like you are part of a movie.  The character talks occassionally, taking away from immersion value but adding to story-telling value.


What is Unique?

The most unique thing about this is the spirit walk ability, basically astral projection.  While spirt walking, the player can walk through forcefields and flip switches that affect the environment.
The best uniqe thing about Prey is gravity.  Players (and enemies) can walk on floors, walls, and ceilings by using a variety of methods.  Between this and spirit walking, there are some neat puzzles and totally unique ways to get around.


Combat

Prey doesn't have the usual shotgun/machine gun/rocket launcher buffet.  With the exception of a wrench, every weapon is alien.  Some can be described as "like a minigun with a grenade launcher," or "a spider grenade," but all are unique.  A somewhat limited supply of ammo means that the player can't go through the game just using one or two weapons, like a lot of shooters.
The enemies are creative.  Fighting in general is not too difficult.  If a player dies, they go to a different area for ten seconds or so and then come back to life in the same spot, so for once I didn't have to constantly hit the quicksave button.


Final Thoughts

Prey has something like twelve hours of gametime, so it is short.  However, this game is very cheap and very unique, a la Portal.  A sequal was given the green light in 2008.  In 2009, Zenimax aquired 3D Realms, but as far as there is to know, a sequal (in cooperation with Human Head) is in the works.  Take a weekend and play this game, you won't regret it.