Update -
Game developer Human Head Studios and publisher 2K Games are bringing legends to life with their new upcoming Xbox 360 title Prey. This one is going to be a sci-fi shooter with a few supernatural elements mixed in as well. The hero of this game is a Cherokee descendant named Tommy, he leads a very ordinary life until he finds himself caught up in events straight out of legend. Now he must awaken the power of his ancestors if he hopes to save the world from this terrible menace.
In this game players will find themselves trapped aboard a huge alien ship. This ship has abducted the main hero and everyone in his town. From here you will begin to work your way through this vessel as you try to find out what has happened to the other people. The layout of this ship and how you move around it is very interesting though; you will be able to walk up the walls and ceilings to move about the level. Not only is this a fresh approach to level design it should also allow for some very unique puzzles.
As gamers move through the ship they will be looking for portals, these are like doorways but instead of opening up to a different room portals will teleport you to a different part of the ship. However players will need to keep a close eye on their surroundings, as the enemies are able to create portals at any time. This means that a seemingly clear room could become flooded with enemies without warning.
A new type of gameplay that has been added is the spirit walker feature, which lets players exit Tommy's body and move about the level in spirit form. This will be necessary for completing some of the game's puzzles and for dealing with some enemies. The spirit form will also let you resurrect Tommy's body if you get killed.
In Prey, gamers enter an unpredictable world where nothing can be taken for granted. Most of the game takes place within a living ship, a giant entity that can sense and react to Tommy's presence.
Prey makes use of Joseph's Campbell 's renowned story structure, "The Hero's Journey," for guiding the main character arc. Campbell 's extensive work on mythological story progression was made famous when George Lucas used it for Luke Skywalker's story arc in the original Star Wars.
- Built on an enhanced Doom 3 engine, the most impressive 3D engine used in a released game.
- Portal technology adds a new dimension to gameplay, allowing enemies to appear out of thin air and create new and completely original puzzles and gameplay styles.
- Several never-before-seen gameplay elements such as Spirit Walking, Wall Walking, and Deathwalk.
- Highly organic, living environment that itself can attack Tommy.
- A deep, emotional story of love and sacrifice.
- Tommy has a sidekick, a spiritual hawk that can help him fight enemies and decipher the alien language of the living ship.
- Multiplayer game support that takes advantage of the unique gameplay styles in Prey.
Prey looks like it will be a new addition to the horror series of video games. While it is a FPS many of the creatures and effects in this game look like they are geared towards scaring a player to death. The creatures are extremely gruesome and intimidating. Unlike other games I've seen in this genre it looks like Prey will give us plenty of ammo to defend ourselves with. One thing that I find interesting is the level design.
I don't think I have ever played a game that changes your orientation around so much. The constant switching from the floor to the ceiling and walls is a fresh addition to shooter games. I have to wonder if this might cause some confusion if you ever need to back track through a level though. Hopefully each area of a map will have its own distinctive look to make it easier to navigate through. This also brings up a concern with the game mechanics; but if Human Head nails the camera angles, we will be in for a treat.
As anyone can expect from an Xbox 360 title the graphics look top notch. The details on both the large and small things really stand out. The lighting effects on muzzle flashes are very realistic and the way the barrel of a gun glows from over heating is just a nice touch. This kind of realistic detail and the intense looking gameplay of this one should keep your pulse pounding from start to finish. I think this game will be a must have for horror fans and FPS junkies alike.
Written by XBS Previewer Pure Ego.