Prey

June 1, 2024

Good morning, Morgan

My initial impressions were that I was going to encounter a mix of Half-life and Bioshock, and I wasn’t far off.

Similarities with Half-life:

The intro is reminiscent of the first game in the series.
A very similar (or identical) sound is used for menu confirmation, characteristic of Half-life.
The small Mimics that jump at your face are akin to the “Headcrabs” from the mentioned title.

Similarities with Bioshock:

The feeling of isolation.
Voices coming from speakers addressing the protagonist and the recordings we come across.
The 50s/60s aesthetics are strongly present.
The ability to throw objects from the environment instantly brings memories of Rapture.

What I Liked Most

It allows experimenting with different strategies to reach the same place. For example, using the Gloo Cannon allows us to sneak into places we could simply enter through the door if we had hacking skills.
A very well-crafted UX:
- Different ways to access weapons.
- Simple and easy-to-manage inventory.
- Interactive objects are clearly identified.
- Difficulty can be adjusted at any time during the game.
- When we read an email or talk to someone who provides us with a code, the UI reminds us when we want to open a door, thus avoiding the need to write it down or search for it among all the files found.
- It’s not necessary to completely read all the texts associated with objects, simply interacting with them unlocks the mission, code, etc.
- When loading a game, it waits for the user to press a button to start playing.
The soundtrack is impressive, there’s little more to say on this subject, it reminds me of “The Last of Us”.
There are plenty of mechanics and mini-games that make the game varied and entertaining:
- Hacking
- Space walk
- Gliding
- Scanning enemies
- Collecting and throwing objects

The beginning of the game seemed a bit slow to me. It took a while before I could fully unleash the character’s potential.
The playback of recordings or NPC calls sometimes overlaps.
There are too many recordings, sometimes it’s hard to follow the plot.
The story isn’t bad, but it can be a bit confusing at times.