Don't Drink From that Cup (It's an Alien): Prey Review

I haven’t been excited for a horror or thriller game in a hot minute. Frankly, I dislike being scared or even the idea of being scared. I’m the guy that nimbly covers both his eyes and ears while watching a horror movie, because I’ll be damned if I’m gonna watch Alien and have an upbeat or excited attitude about it. And yet, in the last few days before its release this past Friday, I became very interested in Prey. This new sci-fi thriller game from Bethesda Softworks, a heritage publisher behind Doom, Fallout, and my all-time favorite first-person shooter Wolfenstein. Prey may not be explicitly horrifying as a movie like Alien, or a game like Outlast, but it’s still not a type of game I would go out of my way to play. Against my typical nature, I delved deep into the title, and I’m excited to review it. Prey is a fine game, with very few hold ups. Let’s begin.

Prey takes place in the not-so-distant future on a scientific research space station called Talos I. Players take the role of Morgan Yu, lead researcher and subject in a number of experiments and observations in regards to a hostile alien organism called the Typhon. The first-person game has an extremely strong opening, shedding light on a mysterious situation on Talos I, as well as the curious circumstances that led to Morgan being in the middle of a Typhon outbreak.

I first got a feel for the base mechanics of Prey during a quick introduction taking place in Morgan’s apartment on Earth. While familiarizing myself with the standard systems that allow me to store items in my inventory and walk around, I also discovered that I was not in my San Francisco apartment at all. After being freed from a simulation by a friendly helper, I discovered that Morgan has been aboard the Talos I in orbit around Earth’s Moon for three years already. TranStar, a the private company that operates Talos I, is now overrun with the Typhon ecology, which was under observation on the station since its discovery in the 1960s. With the help of our newfound ally January, Morgan’s goal is to destroy the station before the Typhon can escape.

While the scares start off stark, I was quickly enamoured with the fairly straightforward premise and cut and dry goal. I went to work.

Little did I know that going to work against the Typhon would be such challenging and terrifying work. “Jump scares” are the bread and butter of Prey, as the basic Typhon organism is a shadowy spider-like creature called a “Mimic” that can morph into literally anything - chairs, cups, even medical kits (that’s a low blow, you freaky little bastards). My first several encounters with the creepy crawlers consisted of being pounced at by the nimble and very fluid enemies. Armed with a trusty wrench, I bashed them and moved on. Prey cultivates great and natural scenarios during which you walk ever so slowly through a room smashing random objects expecting a Typhon, until you determine better ways to identify them.

Prey reminds me of BioShock in many ways. The way I was thrust into the compelling but ultimately vague situation was very familiar. Even some gameplay features are similar. There a lot of conventional weapons in Prey, but plenty of different means to kill a Typhon. As I progressed through Talos I in search of more clues as to how this happened, I was introduced to Nueromods. These intriguing “add-ons” to the human brain allow for new and fantastic abilities. Need to increase your health bar capacity? Neuromod. Want to learn how to morph into a coffee cup like a Typhon? Neuromod. This is of course incredibly reminiscent of BioShock’s many similar powers, available by injections. However, Prey does a great job packaging them as new and exciting. Each one helping me get the drop on the Typhon, which is a challenge that has a healthy balance between thrilling and frustrating.

Prey also does a great job not over complicating its systems, such as inventory, crafting, or ability upgrades. In fact, it does an even better job putting a unique spin on those age-old systems. The inventory is cut and dry, but dynamic in that weapon upgrades can be completed on the fly. Crafting is available through placed machines around Talos I, a la BioShock’s vending machines. Simply select which item you’re looking for (medical kit, neuromod, bullets, etc.), pour in some raw materials, press create and boom. It’s simple, unique enough to be enjoyable, and it adds a bit of value in knowing that collecting materials and items is the way to survive. When it comes to ability upgrades, neuromods allow for plenty of ways to navigate the “upgrade tree” in many different categories (human or otherwise).

Prey’s story is set a very comfortable pace, offering a number of interesting side objectives that can range from claiming lost supplies or recovering the bodies of fallen crew members. When accessing workstations, interactive touch screens across the station, I can access pieces of the story from multiple other perspectives. Some emails point me to stockpiles of weapons, others shed light into the experiments and circumstances around the Typhon’s escape. Talos I is damn big, so January often calls me to confirm that I’m headed in the right direction. In the middle of this black and white conflict between Morgan and the many Typhon creatures is Morgan’s brother Alex. Alex is the head of TranStar’s operations on Talos I, and responsible for Morgan’s abuse and conditions in his simulations, all of which have affected Morgan’s memory. Getting to him could also offer me insight into what happened to me.

While Prey's combat is a significant portion of the game, it can be avoided with cunning, upgraded abilities, and tact. Fighting Typhon organisms can be fun and thrilling, but it's honestly not what kept me glued to the TV the most. Prey, at its core, is a game about exploration. There are so many corridors to peruse, locked door codes to search for, and side stories and narratives to reveal. Workstations across the station even allow you to track each and every Talos I crew member, living or dead. This makes for a number of touching and exciting stories to experience, learning more and more about the people.

I mentioned I was not a fan of horror games, so let’s go into that aspect of the game. Prey is not a perfect game in any way, but it tries its hardest to entertain. Combat is difficult at times, but the challenge is welcome in most situations. The aforementioned mechanics and story are fairly solid, so no serious quips there. Now to the thriller aspect - Prey is honestly not as scary as I thought it would be. Don’t get me wrong, experiencing a Mimic or menacing “Phantom” (a human corpse taken over by the Typhon) is damn scary. But, some elements of the scare factor are more attributed to Typhon’s being so powerful, rather than scary. Many elements of the scare factor also seem a little off - creepy music sometimes go off at random times trying to get a rise, but gets a little old once you get used to it. A significant lack of intense gore also makes the fear a little more tolerable. Again, not exactly a criticism, but something to keep in mind. It very well could have been a result of being so unused to horror games - maybe I hyped myself up too much? However, I must the elements of horror that do work work very well. The dark corners of the station are barely illuminated, the drained and crippled bodies, and the eerie ambiance all make for a scary environment.

The engines behind Prey are pretty strong. While movement is quite rigid and often affects quick combat, the mechanics are generally easy to deal with. Peering around corners, upgradable reload times, and weapon handling updates all make for a more manageable fight against the Typhon. However, I recommend tuning that controller sensitivity way up. Zero gravity movement is not the best, but it’s a consistent feature that demands an understandable amount of attention and tact. The environments of the massive space station are commendable, as the detail driven by Arkane Studios developers are above average.

My experience with Prey has been an overwhelmingly positive one. It challenged me to think critically about my approach, entertained me infinitely at a narrative level, and cultivated a truly fun and unique playthrough. Charting my way across the many halls and levels of Talos I was exhilarating and interesting. While there are a few issues with mechanics and other aforementioned gameplay features, Arkane and Bethesda have produced an exciting game that I have no doubt will be enjoyed by fans of BioShock, Dishonored, and other classically unique first-person experiences.

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Ben Stembridge, Editor-in-chief

Ben leads the reviews and news coverage for Game Chop. He also offers opinions on games and the industry, covering a wide range of genres and platforms. Ben especially enjoys discussions on game narratives, design styles, and independent titles.

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