Despite some small flaws, Prey is a great game.
The same happened with Prey. I was searching all kind of Doom 3 lookalike games on Gamespot and I got to Prey. The title sounded good, I read the official Gamespot review and I said "it looks ok, let's try it".
Although it was not exactly what I expected, it was a great experience and somehow fun to play it.
The plot is quite simple. You're a Cherokee Indian named Tommy. You were a soldier, you've done your duty to the country and now you just want to settle down. The game starts revealing you in the bathroom of a bar, looking in the mirror and arguing with yourself for not having the guts to tell your girlfriend you want to get together with her (something like that). After that, a woman voice calls you and you go to the bar. There you find an old Cherokee dressed up the traditional way. His name is Enisi and he's your grandfather. The girl working at the bar is Jen and she's the one that Tommy likes (yes, she is Cherokee too). Some minor chat follows between Tommy and Jen. Tommy wants her to go with him out of the reservation where they are living and find a better life. Jen isn't as enthusiastic as Tommy. A fight between Tommy and two outlaws takes place and after that the actual game really begins. Strange and powerful noises are coming from outside and if you look through the window you see cars being lift up by a green light (abducted by aliens, that's right). The same happens to the bar and everyone inside it. In a matter of seconds you find yourself in a strange room with huge windows that reveal a terrifying picture: planet Earth.... You are in space, on an alien ship....
The atmosphere is very convincing in the beginning. You hear people screaming in terror, strange soldiers with strange dog-looking pets walking on walls, making you question yourself: what the hell is going to happen to me? Tommy manages to escape the pod he was trapped in and starts his biggest adventure, an adventure so intense in the exchange of the lives of his beloved ones, Enisi and Jen.
The game uses Doom 3 graphics engine, so it looks great. The levels and all the things you interact with are beautifully designed and make you feel like you are really there. The story and the course of the game however are entirely different. Also, you'll never find the scares and tense moments from Doom 3. So, as for this aspect, the game let me down a bit. But, I quickly got over it. In my opinion, the games starts very well and leaves you to discover its mysteries. After you blast you way through the first levels, you always have a deja vu feeling. Been here, done that. Many times while playing I got quite bored because there wasn't much action to attend to. Also, Tommy's quest seemed to be something very "domestic" (he's just looking for his girl). The last levels however, really made up for it. They were not only very intense, but very interesting too.
The best part of this game and most innovative is the wall walk and spirit walk. The wall walk can be done only on adequate surfaces. You'll recognize them by being lightened. When you walk on them, there is no gravity. You are virtually stuck on them. When you jump, you'll fall down until you reach a normal surface or in worst cases, you'll die if there is nothing to land on safely. And now, the best part of the game, the spirit walk. In the first levels you walk on bridge and that bridge falls with you, killing you. It's something you can't avoid. After you die, you are sent to the sacred place of the Cherokees, where your grandfather teaches you how to use your spiritual powers. He also gives you a sacred bow that can be used only when you have activated the spirit walk. This spirit walk is very useful to enter rooms otherwise inaccessible and get supplies or to turn a force field off that will allow you to pass in human form. Also, there are many puzzles throughout the game that can only be solved while spirit walking. Most of them may take time to figure out. The best part is that when you die you are teleported to a sacred place with flying spirits circling you. They are colored red and blue. You must shoot (bow only) red ones to replenish your health and blue ones to recharge your spirit walk indicator. After about 20 seconds you are teleported back to continue your fight. That is a great idea all and all, because you don't have to save often and rely on loadings in case you die. Still, it can't get annoying doing this often.
The weapons are very well put together and look nice. They combine the looks of conventional high-tech weapons with alien organic parts. They also sound good and many of them leave quite a scar on your enemies.
The enemies are also well designed and behave well, although their AI is not something you won't handle. Best thing is that most of them drop weapons for you to use. In my opinion, some of them are quite gross, but still there is no doubt in my mind that the producers spent a good time trying to come up with them and they did a good job.
As a conclusion, Prey is a worthwhile experience which offers you a gameplay you've not seen frequently. If you are patient enough to get past the middle of the game, which is somehow boring, you'll be greatly rewarded in the end, although this may not be a game to replay soon. However, despite a few flaws, Prey is a solid creation, that is worth playing.