You're free to define your combat and play style, based on the available tools and weapons, and on abilities bought with Neuromods. But once I was able to parse the language of its sound design, I got a much better feel for when I was safe and able to explore without consequence. When I first played, I never felt like I could relax into an area to soak up the stories of its emails and audiologs, because I was always expecting yet another Mimic attack.
That also helped alleviate another early problem: the pacing. As I played, I started to pick up on the individual sound cues that hinted at a nearby threat. The sound design helps sell the eerie menace of these creatures.
But many of the other enemies add to the tense atmosphere that builds as you explore the station, and escalates as the Typhons take root in the various areas.
The presence of Mimics makes Prey feel like a bit of a chore. Above them are the Telepaths, Technopaths, and Weavers, all of them weird floating shapes that thoroughly creep me out. Phantoms are vaguely humanoid, and so act like the basic grunts-tough, but not terrifying. The aliens become more creepy the more, well, unknowably alien they seem. I like the visual design of the Typhons, but I also question the wisdom of having the most frequent foe be a small, spider-like enemy that's difficult to see in low light environments. Combat is at its worst when you're swinging wildly with a wrench, trying to hit a skittering, erratic Mimic. My dissatisfaction with combat was most keenly felt in the opening hours, before the Neuromod upgrades armed me with the relevant passive buffs and active abilities that make battles more interesting. I like the visual design of the Typhons, but I also question the wisdom of having the most frequent foe be a small, spider-like enemy that's difficult to see. After just a few hours they're little more than a frequent irritant, made worse by the fact that they're also annoying to fight.Ĭombat is at its worst when you're swinging wildly with a wrench, trying to hit a skittering, erratic Mimic. It's a cool idea in theory, but in practice it's an enemy built around fairly cheap jump scares-loud, generic horror sound effect and all. The most common, unfortunately, are Mimics, which take on the form of nearby physics objects only to attack when you approach. Prey's aliens-aka, Typhons, aka, shadow jerks-are a varied bunch, with each boasting different powers and attacks. It's relaxing because there's a low alien density, which is rarely true of the station proper. Often this is the most relaxing part of the game-akin to BioShock 2's underwater sections. Alternatively, and perhaps best of all, you can head to an airlock and float out into the space around the station's exterior. Or there's the GUTS, a zero gravity conduit designed to move power and air, but which also doubles as transportation for aliens and semi-terrified scientists. There's the central lift, for instance, that links the two main hubs of the Talos-I lobby and the beautifully designed Arboretum. But the various sidequests and secrets encourage backtracking, and there are plenty of shortcuts and alternate paths to make that easier and more interesting. There's a somewhat linear critical path to follow, which asks you go to specific locations, often (at least initially) via a specific route. It also looks great, with a contemporary art deco facade that gives way to a more traditionally utilitarian space station design in restricted areas. Away from the darker, more foreboding areas dedicated to weird science, there's a sense that this was a place where people lived and worked. There's an IT department, server rooms, medical centre, and even an HR office. Everything makes sense within the ecosystem, such as the crew quarters where people went to unwind and play pen-and-paper RPGs. I got a great sense of Talos-I as a functioning place, both through the design of the station and the stories found within. They're a bonus if you find one, not a guaranteed solution, and the space feels more realistic because of it. Prey has vents-or maintenance hatches, thus explaining why they're big enough for someone to crawl through-but they're less consistent, and sometimes well hidden. As such, the environment design, while satisfying, feels artificial. In Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, you always know that there's a vent that will take you closer to your mission objective. Moreover, it's one of the most natural feeling spaces I've crawled through in recent memory. Just as an individual office in Prey will offer multiple ways to enter, so does the station at large offer multiple ways to traverse it.
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