Graphics
The main thing that really got us interested in Prey in the first place (and a big reason why we included it in our “Top 10 Most Wanted Xbox 360 Games of E3 2006”) was the graphics. In the demo, however, the graphics can only really be described as inconsistent. It seems like the graphics were created at two different times (pre-Doom 3 and post-Doom 3) and the difference between the amazing looking alien ship levels and the rest of the game is pretty jarring. When Prey looks good it looks really, really good, but you start out the game looking at polished up Xbox 180 graphics for ten minutes which might turn some people off. Don’t worry, it gets a lot better looking.
Single Player
The gameplay is your standard FPS fare. If you have played Doom 3 or Quake 4 you’ll feel right at home here because it is pretty much the same. You walk around, shoot stuff, and things pop out and say boo. There are a couple of key differences that make Prey unique, however. First off, your character has mystical Cherokee Indian powers that he can use to separate his spirit from his body so you can use the spirit to walk through force fields and open up paths for your body. Another big difference is that you can manipulate gravity in the levels and part of the fun of exploration is finding the gravity switchers (which you change just by shooting them) and having the entire level flip on its side for you. The other unique feature is the portals that open up all over the place. The portals let you jump to new parts of the ship but they are also there to trick you. Occasionally you’ll think you see an enemy standing on the other side of a portal but really it is just your reflection and you’ll end up shooting yourself. It is all really tricky and cool and completely mind blowing.
Overall, single player is pretty darn enjoyable. There are a ton of interactive objects and a lot of cool little jokes and references and just plain neat stuff to experience. It’ll be worth playing through at least once.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer is also very solid. The portals and gravity stuff applies here as well which makes it very interesting when you can have enemies around completely surround you in a 3D space. The game moves at a very fast pace and just feels right. It shares a lot of similarities with Quake 4 multiplayer, but the unique parts of Prey make it stand on its own pretty well. Prey will make a fine addition to the already impressive shooter lineup on the Xbox 360.
Bottom Line
Prey will hit the Xbox 360 on July 11th, 2006 and it looks like it will be pretty good. Previews of the full version have said that the graphics and puzzles continually get better as you play through the game, which is a very good sign. Download the demo and get a feel of it for yourself before you decide to buy.
