Prey has changed me. I used to be a care free human being, who would enjoy life, prance through the flowers and pick up anything shiny and interesting. That changed the moment I played Prey.
Prey is a reboot of a previous franchise, one which I didn't have any previous experience with. However it's not a requirement at all. Bethesda have done a phenomenal job at making this both a game for enjoyed the original game and for those picking it up for the first time.
Prey begins quite simply. Waking up for your day at work. The first things that struck me as I kicked off my stint playing was the graphical delight in front of me. The mixture of color on the screen, combined with the lighting and the level of detail the studio have become synonymous with was on a different level. As the game continues on, the pacing is on point. I constantly found myself feeling like I could explore and find secrets, but it never dragged on. I was limited, but still had an open world around me to tackle and enjoy.
Story wise, I will choose to hold onto the facts, but the writing is fabulous. The plots weaves around you and never takes anything away from the gameplay. I found myself picking up every transcribe to listen to, every book to read and every email to scan. This rewards you even more through bonus areas and pickups that you would otherwise miss out on.
Now, this game is already great. But gameplay hasn't even been discussed. There is a gorgeous blend of FPS, Sci-Fi and Horror here. I'll begin by discussing the FPS. Weapon wise, you start with a wrench (very Half-Life esc). You never feel too powerful with it and quickly feel like you need something with a bit more of a punch as the difficulty curves. But this is where the horror bursts in. You begin by encountering Mimics. If you don't know what a Mimic is, they are a type of creature that can disguise themselves as another object. Completely identical until you get too close and it's on you. See that chair? Yup, that's a Mimic. Paper note? Mimic. Wrench? Mimic. You get a jump scare when they attack, but they're not too tough. Couple of wrench hits and gone. But bigger, nastier creatures begin to lurk, those you can't kill with a wrench, let alone get close enough to before dying.
It's nearly halfway through 2017 and I must admit, I think I've found my game of the year. 10/10. Go and play this.