Review: Prey game

The Phantom of the Menace, the second Stone Roses album, and now Prey; all were years in the making, with anticipation among fans reaching fever point. But unlike the shambles that was the comeback Star Wars film or the flawed mess that The Second Coming album turned out to be, this has been worth the wait.

Ten years in the making, Prey  isn't quite the best game of all time that some might have expected, but it’s an undeniably stunning first-person shooter.

Starting out in a Native American reservation, it soon turns into an alien abduction mystery, with you taking control of the curiously named Tommy whose family are seized by an otherworldy menace.

The game soon moves to a battleground called The Sphere, where you’ll need to use a variety of nifty tricks to succeed.

It looks absolutely stunning: with brilliant design that’s a mixture of Giger-esque post-modern imagery and more typically brutal video game visuals. Adding to the presentation are the neat gameplay twists that lift this above simple Doom-style blasters.

The two unique-selling-points that have had message boards buzzing about Prey are the use of portals and out-of-body control. The first is a Stargate-esque concept that allows Tommy to zip around from place to place on The Sphere.

This might sound like nothing too inspired but what makes these particularly cool is the way they are utilised, allowing you to blast through them or use them to solve puzzles.

Once you experience the game, you’ll realise how nifty they are.

The second uses the classic movie theme of Native American pseudo-spiritual activity. Tommy can leave his physical form and take to the skies. What makes this so exciting are the dangers involved, as you’re prone to attack in the so-called real-world.

Adding further mustard to the mix are further gameplay touches, such as an adaptive system that adjusts the game to your skills. Obviously this is difficult to judge but repeat play proves this to be a successful system – on further play you might actually find it harder than on your first attempt.

There’s even a trickier difficult setting that really offers a full-on challenge. Also of real merit to both gameplay and presentation is the game’s original take on gravity, which can be manipulated to make environments change in an instant; learning how to use this properly is both highly entertaining and incredibly strategic.

Adding the finishing touch is the excellent range of weapons on offer that have obviously been inspired by the game’s natural rival – Half Life 2 Episode One. They’re sublimely fun to use and fit well into Prey’s excellent design.

As a multiplayer offering, it’s extremely capable, with maps that are perfect for relentless melee conflicts, and we’d expect this to become a massively popular online fragfest in no time.

It won’t win any prizes for originality but Prey integrates its many themes into a brilliantly conceived and superbly playable offering. Plus there's a free demo to be had from the Prey website.

Related reviews 
Half Life 2 Episode One 
Half-Life 2 Episode One is an excellent game, but it's all too brief. Here's hoping future instalments will give us something more to sink our crowbar into
Rating: 4/5
Price: £20

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