Prey Reviews

A very strict rail shooter that earns extra points for the imaginatively weird alien spaceship environments and the game's unique foundation steeped in Cherokee mysticism. Wallwalking and gravity-changing rooms add excitement, and dying to the spirit world to restore strength and spiritual energy gives respawning a whole new challenge. The handful of puzzles are good ones where you really have to think "what am I supposed to do here??" The story eventually sort of fizzles out and your character Tommy is a Grade-A asshole in a leather jacket, but overall I enjoyed the madness. Completed in about 11 hours.

Prey was stuck in development hell for almost a decade. Initial anticipation was fervent, but when it was finally released in 2006, no one really seemed to care.

That is a shame because not only did Prey offer some enticing gameplay gimmicks with its portals and gravity defying gunplay but it also served up a rather stellar story. The atmosphere and environments experienced by Tommy as he strives to save his loved ones from an alien menace.

It is one of a few first person shooters that actually tries to humanize its characters and it, in my opinion, serves up one of gamings more memorable and likeable leads in reluctant Native American Tommy. It treats his back story and heritage with a respect not often found in the stereotype filled gaming world. Combine that with tricky, puzzles, solid gameplay and great writing and you have one of the more under appreciated shooters of the last decade or so.