Prey [Gameplay #3] - Walking On Broken Glass
0I have now finished Prey, and for the most part it was a substantial and satisfying FPS hybrid with refreshingly open-ended level design as well as enough room for player choice to ensure that it must have been a real pain to program. The combat never quite came into its own and only felt reasonably balanced during the final hours; perhaps partially as a result of my choice to stick with the regular combat/hacking abilities and never explore the more esoteric skill trees. Aside from its art deco-inspired environments (one of many not-so-subtle references to the "Shock" games), Prey also lacks a distinctive style of its own. Neither the unfocused storyline or bland characters add anything truly memorable to the experience - and in a subgenre dominated by haunting locations like the city of Rapture and flamboyant villains such as Shodan, that's a real problem. Taking the time to explore those intricately interconnected parts of the Talos I space station proved to be a very rewarding activity, though, and overall Prey easily qualifies as the most engrossing gaming experience I've had so far this year.