PREY
Developer: Human Head Studios, Inc.
Publisher: 2K Games
Systems: XBOX 360, PC
INTRODUCTION:
After years of waiting, PREY finally steps up and takes a bow. The game that was in development for over a decade (yes, you read that right) hit in July, with a couple of surprises and a few questions for fans: What took so long, and was it worth the wait? 3DRealms (the same dudes behind DUKE NUKEM 3D and the notoriously-delayed DUKE NUKEM FOREVER) kind of explained itself with regards to the former (more on that later), but as for if the game is worth your money, read on.
GAMEPLAY:
Okay, short history lesson: in 1995, PREY was announced and was to be developed alongside DNF. A million-and-one designs later, project leader Tom Hall left to form Ion Storm with John Romero. Paul Schuytema was brought in, but after a showing at E3 in ’98, he left after technical problems arose trying to nail the game’s revolutionary feature: portal technology. Corinne Yu was brought in to revive the design, but the project was left on the shelf until 2001, when technology had caught up with 3DRealms’ dreams. The game made a showing at E3 2005, and the rest is history.
The game casts you as Domasi Tawodi (aka Tommy), a Cherokee garage mechanic and former U.S. Army soldier living on a Native American reservation in Oklahoma. While at his girlfriend Jenny’s bar, Tommy, Jenny and Tommy’s grandfather are abducted by an alien shuttle craft to be transported back to the massive alien starship called the Sphere. After docking, all three are strapped on a conveyor and given a mini-tour of the ship (the whole sequence echoes QUAKE 4 in more ways than one). Tommy is eventually freed in an explosion set off by an alien stranger who, despite being cybernetic like most of the Sphere’s occupants, appears to be rebelling against his superiors.
Tommy, armed only with a wrench he happened to be carrying when he was abducted, witnesses his grandfather’s death in a brutal alien device, and, while trying to find Jen, falls from a walkway and has a near-death experience where he meets with his grandfather’s spirit, who bestows him with spiritual powers. After returning to the world of the living, Tommy gains the power to perform astral projection, using his spiritual body to pass through force fields and reach places otherwise inaccessible to his physical form in another unique gameplay element. Unfortunately, the story for the game soon dissolves into the ‘rescue girl, save earth, kill alien cyborgs’ routine that has you looking for more stuff to blow up rather than trying to advance the story.
The big thing that PREY has going for it is its handful of unique innovations. Getting back to the portal technology (which despite this game being the first to exhibit it, Valve will probably take the credit with its own technology on the heels of HALF LIFE 2: EPISODE 2), the game has portals placed throughout its levels, which both the player and enemies can use to their advantage. They lend themselves to a couple of neat tricks, including one where you see yourself entering a portal on the other side of the portal. Try not to think too hard about that one.
The next idea is the game’s liberal use of changing gravity, which also makes for interesting multiplayer sessions. Throughout the game, you’ll encounter powered walkways that let you walk up walls and onto ceilings. Also, some portals will drop you into a room you’ve already been in, but you’ll be walking on what was originally a wall. And in a few other cases, you’ll be able to shoot objects to change the gravity, which forces your view to rotate as you fall to another surface. Obviously, these gravity segments are a no-brainer when it comes to dropping in your typical first-person shooter puzzle, but even then the puzzles aren’t difficult.
Despite all the cool portals, gravity and spirit walking, the game seems to be lacking in the difficulty department. Enemies will teleport in front of you for your shooting pleasure (a reprieve of sorts for DOOM 3 fans), and really don’t offer much of a challenge, though the AI is smart enough to take cover or toss a grenade in your direction if you’re not in their line of sight, and they’ll snipe you at a distance if you’re in the open. Other than that, the enemies aren’t going to dethrone F.E.A.R.‘s dudes anytime soon for smartness. The spirit walking, while a cool idea, kind of takes the challenge out of the game when you realize that death can’t stop you (when you die, you enter the spirit world and must shoot at red and blue wraiths to be revived).
As for the multiplayer portion, the wacky gravity settings are a plus, but the limited game types and small number of players (8 in all) has it pale in comparison to other multiplayer shooters. It’s also worth noting that the XBOX 360 version of the game can only be played via system link or XBOX Live. In other words, no split-screen.
Gameplay: 7.5/10
While there’s some genuine fun to be had with the game, the weak story combined with rehashed multiplayer elements and lack of difficulty leaves the game falling short. You’ll catch yourself at points thinking that this is a great DOOM 3 mod, which is probably what you also thought of when you played QUAKE 4 multiplayer. An interesting pattern, I’m sure. Despite the setbacks, the game boasts a solid romp for those in need of a ‘weekend warrior’ fix, and ushers in a new style of gameplay with the use of portals and varying gravity.
GRAPHICS:
Given that PREY uses the DOOM 3 engine, it’s easy to see that the game looks gorgeous. However, the game looks too much like DOOM 3 and QUAKE 4 at times because of it, particularly with the enemies. Thankfully, it’s not as dark as DOOM 3, and the environments offer more of a feast for the eyes, especially near the end of the game. In terms of which is better graphically, the obvious answer is the XBOX 360 version, which has a crisper look to it and some nice consistent framerates. PC fans aren’t left in the cold when it comes to the sweet graphics, either, as the game doesn’t require a monster rig to have all the bling onscreen.
On the downside of things, despite being on the XBOX 360, the game has no support for HD, and also lacks a proper widescreen resolution. Also, the character model of Jenny looks as though it belongs in LORD OF THE RINGS, with the pointed ears and longer than normal neck. But hey, nickpickers aside, this is one gorgeous game that will please everyone.
Graphics: 9/10
Another successful use of the DOOM 3 engine. Great models and environments, with enough detail to leave everyone happy across the board. Lack of true widescreen support and HD are a bit of a pain, especially on the XBOX 360.
AUDIO:
Sound-wise, PREY is a feast, but has some bad potato salad thrown in amidst the juicy steak. The sound effects manage the task of bringing noises to creatures, weapons, devices, and locations that don’t exist into reality. Unfortunately, the music doesn’t fare so well, as it gets lost in all the action (despite being composed by Jeremy Soule, who did ELDER SCROLLS IV: OBLIVION). The weapon sounds, while effective, lack punch in some respects. The designers did put some thought into the game by obtaining licensed music for the bar at the start of the game, such as Heart, Ted Nugent and Judas Priest (I chuckled a bit when Blue Oyster Cult started playing when Tommy was being abducted). Strangely, the soundtrack was originally going to have KMFDM behind it, but that idea was dropped when the game underwent its many changes, even though the band already had some songs written for the game (which are no longer on the soundtrack).
The biggest annoyance overall is Tommy and his thought-provoking lines like ‘That was f*cked up!’ and ‘What the f*ck is that?!’, which wouldn’t be so bad if they weren’t so unbelievable. A Duke Nukem, he isn’t. Still, it is better than Gordon Freeman’s silent treatment.
Audio: 9/10
Despite the weapon sounds, the game boasts some awesome sounds to back up the visuals. Great use of the 5.1, the game is that much more immersive. Tommy needs to cut down on his whining and use expletives in a believable way if he’s going to be taken seriously, though.
FINAL VERDICT:
Unlike John Romero’s DAIKATANA, which took forever and a day and was eventually released to no fanfare and no love (for good reasons), PREY comes out of its long development hell smelling like a rose for the most part. Fans who have been waiting for the 10 years of development to end on a happy note can relax with this one. An innovation such as the Portal technology looks to become the next big thing in FPS games if implemented properly.
However, the game has difficulty standing on much else, as it falls into the same pits that DOOM 3 and QUAKE 4 occupy, with a forgettable storyline, inadequate difficulty and weak multiplayer system. Still, if blowing shite up with little to no thinking is your thing, and you’re sick of CALL OF DUTY 2, rent it for the weekend to practice your virutal aiming.
NOTE: The game is available in Regular and Collector’s Editions, the latter of which includes a special metal packaging upgrade, two die-cast pewter figurines including Tommy and the alien Hunter, a free DirectSong download to the PREY soundtrack and “The Art of PREY” book featuring collected conceptual and development images.
FINAL SCORE: 8/10
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