Re: Thoughts on Prey.......

**wildcat2000** · 07-17-2006, 03:50 AM

Finished the game, what a bummer ending. Games these days never end.

**Karkianman101** · 07-19-2006, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by CingularDuality

This is VERY true. They did amazing work with the Doom3 engine.

I disagree.

The main thing that impressed me was the gravity walkway thingies. Changing your perspective 90 or 180 degrees in any direction, instantly, was quite interesting and unique. It introduces a whole new perspective (literally) and will be fun to get used to... The incredible use of reflections and "cameras" (seeing yourself in one of those warp tunnels) was a pretty cool graphics trick, too.

Munchkin, tell me you've been playing with other TG members and I'm buying The Ship.

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the camera wasn't a special function. Portals are used all the time in games. Prey just makes them stand out and movable. For an example of a game that has already done Prey's specific portal trick, take a look at Narbacular Drop, which is the short game that Portal comes from.

As for perspective change, AvP did it better, and in such a way that it drastically affected the gameplay, whereas in Prey it was just slightly more complex platforming and aiming at enemies an unusual direction away.

Prey doesn't really do too much new

EDIT: Been doing some reading, and apparently it is kind of difficult to see yourself through game portals. So I guess some props goes to Prey in that regard, though Narbacular Drop came out in 2005, and it lets you see yourself one portal deep.

**Pfhor** · 07-20-2006, 02:38 AM

Prey is an example of a single-player FPS that is ruled by level design and story. The combat is fun enough that it (barely) survives the initial playthrough, but the main reason you keep playing is to see what kind of situation the game will throw at you next, as well as to see the story's conclusion. The obvious problem with this is the replay value suffers.

The game has some interesting and fun to use weapons, but the enemies don't have much variety to them. The more well designed enemies are much much rarer than the standard hunters, all of which carry the same rifle. Their AI consists mostly of standing in one place and getting shot at, which makes them pretty pathetic compared to the more menacing foes you face. Killing hunter after hunter gets kinda old.

Most people probably won't like the death walk minigame that makes the game like an arcade game with unlimited continues and forces you to motivate yourself to keep from dying. I personally think the idea is good, and it makes more sense in the context of the game than a save system. I really wish they would have given you more punishment for dying though, instead of putting you back exactly where you died.

I will say that the combat holds up much much better against live people. The multiplayer is standard deathmatch or team deathmatch, but the weapons and level design make it a worthwhile diversion. I personally like that your opponents flash different colors when you hit them depending on their level of health. It makes it easier for kill stealing whores like me to reach the top of the scoreboard. I can't see the multiplayer having much lasting value like other games though.

Prey is a 7 hour single-player game you will probably experience once, mess around with the multiplayer for a bit, and never play it again for a long time... and you will still feel like you got your money's worth. It is a testament to the strength of the level design and story that they can carry the game past it's problems and make it above average. Set a weekend aside for it, and you will be glad you played it.

Originally Posted by RGM-79N_GM_CUstom

Also face it you aren't going to die in any game. Not ones with quicksave and quickload atleast.

Almost every game that has quicksaving, also has a checkpoint system, which I always use. I have a hard time playing any game that doesn't because I hate quicksave whoring.

I would use the checkpoint system in Prey, but there is no easy way to load a checkpoint without going into the menu...

**aeroripper** · 07-20-2006, 02:53 AM

Actually, I'm pretty sure that the camera wasn't a special function. Portals are used all the time in games. Prey just makes them stand out and movable. For an example of a game that has already done Prey's specific portal trick, take a look at Narbacular Drop, which is the short game that Portal comes from.

Prey used portals long before ND back in 1998 when they were showing the original version off at E3.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...q=Prey+1998+e3

**Karkianman101** · 07-20-2006, 09:24 AM

Fine, I'll give it that. :P

**UnDeaD** · 07-20-2006, 10:06 AM

Jeez, its so crazy to see how a game changes over the years, epsecially when 3d Realms does it. Speaking of 1998 e3 trailers, I went and watched the Duke Nukem forever e3 trailer from 1998 and 2001, insane, graphics even were terrible in 01.

**AzrealDarkmoon** · 07-20-2006, 10:47 AM

Prey is an hour of boring followed by 15 minutes of excitement. I mean the schoolbus was cool, the Centurion was nice. But most levels consist of look a few more hunters to kill, ho hum ho hum.

Az

**Pfhor** · 07-22-2006, 03:19 AM

Prey Multiplayer was modded so you could spawn portals... KINDA LIKE ANOTHER GAME HMMMM??

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...94773800764468

I can't see this having any gameplay value like it does in Portal, but it seems like a fun little toy to play around with.

**UnDeaD** · 07-22-2006, 04:13 AM

That's pretty cool.

**wildcat2000** · 07-22-2006, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by AzrealDarkmoon

Prey is an hour of boring followed by 15 minutes of excitement. I mean the schoolbus was cool, the Centurion was nice. But most levels consist of look a few more hunters to kill, ho hum ho hum.

Az

That's exactly my opinion of the game. Very boring at the end. Too many of the same hunter.

**DOA** · 07-27-2006, 02:19 AM

I played it for a few hours, its not too bad but not too great. Story line is really sudden that could be a bad or good thing.

and thanks wildcat2000 for the spoiler

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