Bars, Aliens, and Cherokee Indians...Huh? A Review of Prey.
Developer: Venom Games
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre(s): First-Person Shooter
Release Date: July 11, 2006
*Warning Mild Spoilers*
"When I first heard of Prey my first thought was "great it's Doom or Wolfenstein in a new coat of paint." However I am glad to see at that I was wrong. This is a video game that I was absolutely wrong with my expectations of. While Prey is classified as a First-Person Shooter to me it feels like a tried and true puzzle game. And while I am not a fan of puzzle games, Prey is very enticing even for somebody like me.
The story of Prey isn't exactly original you play as a Cherokee named Domasi Towadi or "Tommy" who along with his girlfriend Jen and his Grandfather Enisi are transported to a massive alien space ship and after witnessing the death of his grandfather Tommy is determined to rescue Jen from such a grim fate.
Okay this is not the most original story in the world, however the aspects of the game that make Prey so interesting is its Spirit Walking. Tommy has the ability to leave his body at anytime and move around the enemy undetected or get through force fields. The perspective changes are another thing Prey brings to the table. Sometimes you'll be on the ceiling, or on the walls and the first time this happened to me, I thought I was tripping. It is definitely a nice change from the cookie-cutter FPS's I have played recently.
However, while the game is definitely innovative and interesting, I have to say after playing for a couple hours I got kind of, not bored, but I can't really explain it. But the longer I played the more and more the enjoyment for the game lessened. Without the things I mentioned above Prey wouldn't stand out from other FPS's at all. And while I did have fun with the game, the lackluster story and average characters pulled me out of the game. Tommy is relatively likeable but his character did nothing to stand out to me, like Gordon Freeman, or Master Chief has.
The graphics are exceptional and the audio is ok, but the gameplay music while it does its job well is forgettable. All in all Prey is a good time if you are interested in trying it, you will enjoy yourself. But like me you just may walk away with a bad taste in your mouth afterwards.
+Innovative Gameplay Ideas
+Good Graphics
-Lackluster Story
-Forgettable Characters
-Forgettable Music
7.0/10
Silver Seal of Recomendation