Snap Judgement: Prey

Snap Judgment articles are meant to be just a really quick snap shot of a game after playing for several hours.  As a parent I don't get a ton of time to game but still want to get my impressions of newer and older titles out there.  Take a look and let me know of any games you'd like to see in the future on these

Prey

If I had to sum up Prey very simply put I would say 'tense'.  From the beginning of the game the atmosphere and the tone of the game makes itself very apparent.  Not since the first Bioshock has a environment and setting for a game presented itself in a way that it feels very integral to the game itself.  Prey actually makes me feel trapped on the station and it helps ratchet up the tension of the game.  Add in limited ammo, supplies, and enemies that can literally jump out at you from anywhere and you have got a game that get your heart racing in all the best ways.

Arkane studio does what it does best with this game and that is player freedom.  Just like there Dishonored games before it, Prey gives you a fantastic set of tools to add to your tool belt and lets you go out and attack the game from any angle.  Need to sneak into a office but cant unlock the door.  Use a power and turn your self into a coffee cup to roll through the open window.  That doesn't sound good?  Try getting out your crossbow that shoots plastic nerf arrows and shoot it through that same open window to hit the control panel to unlock the door.  Large crate blocking your way into a room?  Use the un-lockable skills to make yourself into a superhuman who can lift it out of the way.  Or use a grenade that sucks in anything not nailed down and turns stuff into itty bitty cubes for you to use in crafting.  The possibilities it presents are astounding.

Only being about 5-6 hours into the game the story has only started to take shape but it feels very much in the spirit of System Shock or Bioshock.  And the aliens were trying to stop are pretty creepy in there own right.  The Mimics can do just that, mimic anything around.  So if you see 2 coffee cups on a table you might start smashing things with your trusty wrench just to make sure you are not going to get jumped from behind.  The Phantoms are quick and can take you out very quickly if your not careful.  They are also smart.  If you have a turret setup to try and help take them out they will knock that over first before trying to go after you.

Overall I am enjoying the game and looking forward to sitting down and really sinking some time into it.  If it sounds like something you might enjoy there is a free Demo of the first hour of the game up on PS4 and Xbox One to check out.  Well worth your time.

Score:  4 mimics out of 5