Developer: Venom Games (360) / Human Head Studios (PC)
Publisher: 2K Games /3D Realms
Genre: Shooter / Action
Rating: M (Mature 17+)
Platform: Xbox 360
Also On: PC

Prey Gallery

The Game

Sometimes I want to know what the heck is going on

E3 showcased Prey in a variety of modules, both on the Xbox 360 and PC platforms. In most cases several multiplayer games were running, and while the game looked interesting, it didn’t seem revolutionary with the exception of a few small gimmicks. Fortunately the retail version and especially single player showcase a far more unique run and gun game with a less linear feeling than a Quake or Doom. At its basics the modified Doom 3 engine not only looks good, but will literally turn your view of a classic shooter upside-down. After being in development for over a decade, Prey has come from a vaporware stage to center stage in grand fashion. Despite a few flaws, the game is worth at least a rental, if not purchase.

Just a word of warning to younger would-be gamers: this game is rated M for a reason. If you’re not comfortable with the human mutilation of Quake 4, the psychedelic horror storyline of F.E.A.R., or the demons popping out of the darkness in Doom, you’re probably better off with a different game. Keep an eye out for Viva Piñata, it is probably better suited for you (In all seriousness, Viva Piñata looks like a really neat game).

Assuming you’re ready to forge on into the gloom and doom of Prey, let’s plod forward with a brief cap of the characters and story. It is beyond the scope of this review to go into much detail, plus ruining the storyline isn’t any fun, but a bit of background helps explain some of the features within the game.

You will be playing Tommy, a foul-mouthed Cherokee native who not only thinks the legends of his ancestors are naught but bull, but wants off of the reservation where he’s living. (A side note, the developers could have picked any sort of religion here and made it work, it would have been nice if the Cherokee concept had some uniqueness within the sphere. But I digress.) Tommy is about as stubborn as one can get, a fact that might actually become frustrating to the people playing him, as being stuck with his personality forces the player to take paths common sense would avoid. Tommy’s grandfather, the sage-like Enisi serves as a guide for Tommy and brings a calm and balance I wish was used a bit more within the storyline. In addition Jen, our hero’s love interest, has an important role in the game as the damsel in distress. Unfortunately her weakness was a major disappointment; initially I had hoped for an Alyx Vance (a lá Half Life 2) type of character - good looking but able to kick some serious ass. Sadly the strength and spunk that made Alyx such a great heroine is nowhere to be seen with Jen. Still, we need a reason for Tommy to save the world, and Jen works just fine. On the other side of the fence two characters play the antagonist roles, a character thing called the Keeper and another called "Mother." In addition you’ll run into a couple of other humans who play a minor role in keeping the story moving, helping to add possibility for a sequel. The only one worth mentioning is their leader Elhuit. While her role is really almost trivial, you can expect to see her again in Prey 2.

The storyline is arguably lacking in a few areas. In the beginning one is rapidly drawn in since you must learn what the heck is going on alongside Tommy. This was one of the reasons I believe the Bourne Identity made such a good book, but there are a few lessons developers could have learned from it. Prey simply doesn’t give players enough information to understand what the concept behind the game is. Even by the end of it all there are simply too many loose ends that probably will never be tied. Tommy spends his entire time fighting on something which we don’t have much perspective of; between portals messing with any directional sense that could exist and mostly internal battlegrounds, big and ugly are about the only possible descriptions of the environment. Still the graphical beauty and tidbits of information cleverly delivered help keep interest piqued throughout the game. Without revealing much of the story (everyone needs a reason to play it after all), Tommy and crew (along with lots of people) are essentially abducted by an unknown bunch of aliens who intend to harvest humans for food among other things. And of course its Tommy’s duty to save the world and kill stuff in the process. In a couple of locations, childrens' spirits are somehow tainted and you have to fight the evil minions, but it doesn’t seem to play much of a role in the storyline other than to be really freaky (blood hopscotch anyone?). Speaking of spirits, let’s move on to the gameplay.