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[Cyberia]

First reviews are in (will update as more arrive):

Metacritic - 81/100
OpenCritic - 81/100

Prey (2017) |OT| Trust no one. Not even your shelf

Playstation Trophies - 9.2/10

A stellar piece of work, Prey deserves a place alongside the likes of BioShock as one of the most memorable and compelling narrative-driven first-person experiences around. Not quite perfect, with some protracted loading screens between areas and the rare performance issue that causes the frame rate to chug, Prey is nonetheless quite possibly one of the most definitive sci-fi survival horrors of all time, keeping the spirit of System Shock alive and well. Add to that a post-credits aftermath that will give you pause, multiple endings and more than ample motivation to go back and play it all over again, and Prey proves nigh-on essential.

IGN Italy - 9.1/10

Prey means deep space and deep gameplay. A huge space station hides thousands of game mechanics and dynamics ready to be explored by the solitary player. Its warfare is not infinite nor predestined, but makes up part of a bigger picture, a bigger game, where gameplay means much more than gunplay.

Attack of the Fanboy - 4.5/5

As far as first person action games go, Arkane Studios is probably the best in the business. Proving that the studio has no shortage of interesting ideas, Prey is the perfect blend of thrilling action and thought provoking story. Who needs a new Bioshock or Half Life game when we're getting experiences like these?

Gadgets 360 - 9.0/10

None of Prey's elements stand out on their own, but they work well in cohesion. Progressing through the story was a treat. Without spoiling much, there are a fair number of plot twists that keep you engaged. This is backed up with slick controls, responsive gunplay, cool neuromods, and stellar level design.

Clocking in at around 20 hours, Prey is well worth checking out even if you're not a fan of horror or sci-fi. It might not be wholly original, but that doesn't make it any less fun.

Press Start Australia - 9.0/10

Prey is another win for Arkane. It's a game where everyone who plays it will have a different experience. One thing is certain though – that Prey remains a consistent experience from beginning to end. Providing players with intuitive gameplay systems with great synergy, freedom to approach combat how you want and game design that rewards creativity are just three ways that Prey succeeds. And while BioShock was heralded as the spiritual successor to System Shock, Prey feels like a much more successful attempt. An absolute joy to play and experience.

Game Skinny - 9.0/10

In terms of style and feel, clear influences from Bioshock, Deus Ex, and Dishonored create a very familiar atmosphere in Prey. But it's taken to the next level as elements from those games are refined in this sci-fi setting. Whether on console or PC, this is a title well worth playing, and it will almost certainly be in my "best of 2017" list.

Gameblog - 9.0/10

If you're looking for a good science-fiction survival game with a ton of fresh ideas, deep and satisfying mechanics with a lot of replayability and, of course, a great setting... Well, look elsewhere, because Prey is not good: it's amazing.

Play! Zine - 9.0/10

Prey is an action exploration game that sends a love letter to games such as System Shock 2 and Bioshock. It takes the best from them and combines it with some of its own fresh ideas and innovative gameplay, to create an amazing journey. Set on the Talos I space station that has been compromised by an alien race, you assume the role of Morgan, a scientist who will have to explore, survive and discover the world of Prey.

Gamecrate - 9.0/10

Prey is the best BioShock-style game we've seen in years. It gets better the more you play it, and hides secrets that encourage repeat playthroughs. For fans of single-player titles, Prey is a game that belongs in Game of the Year discussions.

Everyeye Italy - 8.8/10

In the end Prey ends up being much more than a mosaic: thanks to its narrative and to the mobility of a gameplay that constantly evolves over over twenty hours of the main adventure, the game leaves a trace that ends up being unique.

Gamepro DE - 8.5

Demanding action game, which is prevented from getting higher scores by frustration and shapeless characters.

XGN - 8.5/10

Prey has become a great reboot. A breathtaking setting, well-thought plot twists and intriguing lore take sci-fi to a higher level. While borrowing a myriad of elements from other franchises, Prey also shows its own face. However it still has quite a few bugs.

Stevivor - 8.5/10

Despite those rough patches, Prey is wholly engrossing, begging the player to solve Talos 1's many mysteries. It works well as a shooter, a stealth game and carries an 70s sci-fi vibe that is nothing short of a delight to experience.

3DJuegos - 8.5/10

We definitely want a second run with Prey to delve into its possibilities. Although it covers too much and neglects some of them, the great design of the Talos 1 keeps you in motion, developing your skills and accomplishing side missions with great interest. And although their wanting to offer so much occasionally plays against itself, it is certainly a solid and commendable experience.

Meristation - 8.5/10

The story is not the best and its difficulty is very high, but Prey gets the job done. Despite its shortcomings, it's an interesting game that appeals to a very specific audience and delivers an experience that should be played.

Polygon - 8.5/10 (PC) / 8.0/10 (consoles)

Arkane has the confidence to let Prey end on its own terms, even if it occasionally leans too heavily on its least interesting aspects. When it looks most like a shooter, Prey is merely competent. But as a mystery, a deep space haunted house with dozens of stories of tragedy and humanity to tell, Prey is a remarkably successful archaeological expedition — and it manages to compellingly ruminate on what it means to be.

Game Informer - 8.25/10

In Morgan Yu, Prey invites us to create a fascinating and complicated protagonist navigating a dangerous world filled with characters worth knowing. Arkane's fusion of player-driven storytelling and flexible gameplay remains strong throughout its first sci-fi outing, and makes Prey a stellar horror adventure in spite of a handful of flaws.

App Trigger - 8.0/10

Taken together, Prey is a brilliant but flawed descent into a world of science gone wrong, driven by a well told, cerebrally satisfying story which makes up for the mechanical inconsistencies of the experience. Comparing Prey to Bioshock only reveals the relative cracks which explains why the former doesn't quite live up to the expectations set by the latter, so it's instead best to enjoy Prey as its own thing, forgiving its flaws to marvel at the results of Arkane's intelligent approach to game design.

Game Revolution - 4/5

What Prey lacks in originality it makes up for with meaningful follow-through. It's drawn so many comparisons to System Shock, Bioshock, Alien: Isolation, and the list goes on and on and on.

But, rather than simply aping the superficial elements of its influences, Prey gets down to the core of what made them great and adds its own imaginative flare for good measure. While I may not remember its convoluted and potentially meaningless story, and can't forget soon enough its incredibly long load times on the PS4, I will always remember Prey's intricate level design, layered combat and the joy I got from exploring Talos I. Hopefully the day comes when I can say the same about Talos II.

USgamer - 4/5

Despite that, I think Prey is an excellent game. Between this game and both Dishonored titles, Arkane Studios has proven itself as a developer adept at reviving classic experiences. They know what worked about System Shock and other games of its ilk, and the results of that knowledge and a bit of development effort are apparent here. Is it perfect? No. Does it feel like a Frankenstein of influences? Yes. Can you call it wholly original and refreshing? Not really. Despite those answers, I still love Prey for what it is and like Dishonored 2, I'm ready for Arkane Studios to build upon what they've created here.

Videogamer - 8.0/10

Prey gives you all the tools you need, but allows you to decide how to get to your goal. The fear is constant, as is the joy from getting to safety. Despite a largely forgettable main story, I'll remember my own experience in Talos-1 for some time.

Trustedreviews - 4/5

I thoroughly recommend Prey, particularly to those who even remotely enjoyed Dishonored or BioShock – there's plenty here that will attract attention. It's a great game.

We Got This Covered - 3.5/5

Prey burrows beneath your skin and never quite leaves your waking thoughts, but it's also buggy and imbalanced, marrying a first-rate setting to uneven gameplay. Comparisons with Bioshock are inevitable, but with its peaks and troughs, Prey reminds me more of Alien: Isolation.

Time - 3.5/5

If you're in the mood for a corridor crawl modeled after the Dishonored series' "one problem, multiple solutions" approach, Prey has plenty to offer. Its pedigree is clear, an homage to design DNA you can trace back to Looking Glass Studios 1990s "Thief" and "Shock" games. There's no shame in iteration, and Prey does nothing worse than its precursors. The only question, given how familiar most of its ideas feel in 2017, is whether homage is enough.

The Guardian - 3/5

Prey might have the wrench in common with BioShock, but it doesn't have a Big Daddy of its own. Although Prey possesses an exciting arsenal of weaponry and abilities, and an attention-grabbing enemy in the Mimics, nothing ever becomes awe-inspiring or genuinely memorable in its borrowed offerings. What could have been a breakneck race around Talos 1 is hampered by constant plot detours, and an overly harsh kickback for investing in the best abilities in the game. The Arkane studios have an interesting approach to player empowerment: Dishonored provided an array of violent powers, but then asked us not to use them, while Prey dares the player to break the rules, but then punishes them for doing so.

In the latter game, as enjoyable as it is, this counter-intuitive approach has proved less successful.

Metro - 3/5

At times Prey skirts on the edge of greatness but ironically for a science fiction game it owes far too much to the past. Rather than looking to push the genre forward it's obsessed only with mimicking what already exists.

Twinfinite - 3/5

Despite its noticeable technical shortcomings, Prey still has some significant redeeming qualities. Its environment is one of the most enjoyable to explore and the way it weaves its overarching story into side quests only helps to accentuate the freedom you're given as a player. If you can overlook its unsatisfying combat and floaty controls, Prey's freedom and multiple endings provide a game that's worth experiencing.

Cheat Code Central - 3/5

Ultimately, I doubt I'll remember Prey much after I stop playing it. There's too much else going on in games in 2017, and Prey does not stand out amongst its peers. Its fiction is self-serious, despite being so derivative, and its systems are frustrating and constantly in conflict with each other. It feels like dozens of other games I've played already, but enjoyed more. Even when something interesting does happen, I still feel like my time hasn't been respected and my brain hasn't been stimulated as promised. Prey is competently made, it runs great on the CryEngine, and it seems like no expense seems to have been spared,, but it clings to what it's paying homage to, rather than reaching for new heights. Prey has an audience, but I doubt it will have a legacy.

CGMagazine - 6.0/10

Prey is a game that is a patchwork of other titles with no swatches of originality added to the mix.

Gamespot - 6.0/10

Prey is a game of uneven pacing and uninteresting characters. It opens with a poignant, thought-provoking premise, but fails to follow through until the end, when it claims a revelation it doesn't quite earn. Its gameplay falters out of the gate, eventually maturing into something worthwhile, if a bit familiar. As an homage to System Shock it's competent and at times even enjoyable. However, Prey fails to distinguish itself, and next to immersive sim contemporaries such as Dishonored, it feels stagnant.

TechRaptor - 5.5/10

Prey has all the atmosphere in the world but feels held down by its need to conform to what came before, its lack of enemy and weapon variety, and its refusal to let players choose their own path.

IGN - 4.0/10

Prey on PC showed me a fantastically explorable space station, but a game-breaking bug ended my run in frustration.

Eurogamer DE - Essential

Not so much a shooter but a survival-action-adventure of surprisingly old-fashioned nature, which - even more surprising - works fantastically.

Eurogamer - Recommended

There's the sense, at times, that Prey is another jumble of exotic raw materials thrown into a Fabricator, a button's touch away from brilliance. But if the chemistry between powers, terrain variables and opponents may fall short of Arkane's best work, the setting's gravity and the charm of certain individual systems is enough to pull you through to the finish. The new Prey began life under a cloud - to be specific, the cloud kicked up by the demise of its Human Head predecessor - but in Talos 1, Arkane has fashioned one of the greatest virtual environments, as ornate and soggy with hubris as BioShock's Rapture, yet far more open-ended. And in the mercurial applications of Mimicking, recycling and the Gloo Gun, there are tantalising hints of something arcane indeed.

ACG - Buy

 

[purseowner]

Please be the Bioshock fix I've been craving.

 

[Shancake]

Our review is HERE! Absolutely loved it.

http://press-start.com.au/reviews/pc-reviews/2017/05/05/prey-review-system-shock-way/

 

[rtcn63]

Please be the Bioshock fix I've been craving.

If you played Bioshock for the combat/aesthetics, you're probably not going to get it with Prey.

 

[Plum]

Really surprised to see such a relatively major game have so few reviews out on launch day. Must be indicative of Bethesda's new policy, but I'm not 100% certain.

As for the game, the demo didn't impress me (though mainly because of the horrible input lag) but if it reviews well I'll get it on PC down the line.

 

[The perfect Dark]

Eurogamer.de

"Essential"

http://www.eurogamer.de/articles/2017-05-04-prey-test

 

[Trickster]

How are reviews out already? thought no review copies would be given out?

 

[jabuseika]

I expected low 80's.

 

[AllGamer]

Off to a good start.

 

[GHG]

Oh shit it's actually really good.

What's the ps4 pro version like?

 

[Synth]

If you played Bioshock for the combat/aesthetics, you're probably not going to get it with Prey.

I saw this before the edit, and was like "who in the hell played Bioshock for the combat?".

 

[Ashtar]

Really surprised to see such a relatively major game have so few reviews out on launch day. Must be indicative of Bethesda's new policy, but I'm not 100% certain.

As for the game, the demo didn't impress me (though mainly because of the horrible input lag) but if it reviews well I'll get it on PC down the line.

Id say that's the major reason, no early copies = no early reviews. I hope it is good I'd like to play it but still have to finish Zelda and mass effect (lol)

 

[GinoFelino]

Guess I didn't need to cancel that preorder after all.

Still, shame on Bethesda for screwing over consumers. I love Arkane, but I don't want to support their practices by buying Bethesda day one.

 

[Cyberia]

Our review is HERE! Absolutely loved it.

http://press-start.com.au/reviews/pc-reviews/2017/05/05/prey-review-system-shock-way/

Eurogamer.de

"Essential"

http://www.eurogamer.de/articles/2017-05-04-prey-test

Added, thanks!

 

[Karak]

Thanks for posting mine.
Absolutely incredible game.

 

[ISee]

Oh shit it's actually really good.

What's the ps4 pro version like?

No improvements over the ps4 version, atm. According to reports in the OT.

 

[Backfoggen]

Looks better than expected. The demo did absolutely nothing for me.

 

[rtcn63]

I saw this before the edit, and was like "who in the hell played Bioshock for the combat?".

A lot of people. Even the first one, as jank as it was to actually play, was set up to be combat-focused. Multiple weapon/abilities with multiple ammo types and multiple tonic augments. Bioshock 2 in particular went full ham.

 

[Always-honest]

I saw this before the edit, and was like "who in the hell played Bioshock for the combat?".

Combat was great in Bioshock.

 

[Heyt]

I think this is the kind of game that reviews greatly but it actually isn't as good. It happens a lot with this type of games.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Looks like 2017 keeps on giving.

I think this is the kind of game that reviews greatly but it actually isn't as good. It happens a lot with this type of games.

What? Arkane has a great track record.

 

[GHG]

No improvements over the ps4 version, atm. According to reports in the OT.

Damn. PC version it is then.

 

[Trickster]

I think this is the kind of game that reviews greatly but it actually isn't as good. It happens a lot with this type of games.

What does that even mean?

 

[Djostikk]

I think this is the kind of game that reviews greatly but it actually isn't as good. It happens a lot with this type of games.

You mean like Breath of the Wild.

 

[Gurish]

Hey that's not bad at all!

I thought the demo's impressions were bad, does it get better afterwards or it's just fans not aligning with critics?

 

[RAWRferal]

You mean like Breath of the Wild.

Oh boy.

 

[KodaRuss]

Damn... sounds really good so far. Maybe ill pick this up today.

 

[Truant]

I think this is the kind of game that reviews greatly but it actually isn't as good. It happens a lot with this type of games.

What are you talking about?

 

[GinoFelino]

I think this is the kind of game that reviews greatly but it actually isn't as good. It happens a lot with this type of games.

This phenomenon can most readily be described as 'opinions'.

You mean like Breath of the Wild.

Edgy as fuuuuuuuuuuuc

 

[giapel]

In Arkane we trust.

 

[Jawbreaker]

I was hoping so bad that this game would deliver (not that I doubted it would). Can't wait to get the full game! Arkane is awesome.

 

[Josemsar]

It looks like Arkane just keeps delivering. Can't wait to get it!

 

[SomTervo]

Oh shit it's actually really good.

What's the ps4 pro version like?

Only 6 reviews in, man.

I think this is the kind of game that reviews greatly but it is actually way better. It happens a lot with this type of games.

FTFY

 

[Skyr]

Started it yesterday on PC.
And wow, after reading a few mixed reactions to the demo (which I didn't play), I am pleasantly suprised about how good this game really is.
The beginning of the game is really cool and it's bioshock 1 feelz all over again.
I can't wait to explore further later after work.

 

[GlamFM]

Wait what? It´s good?

Nice surprise - at least for me.

Buying it tonight.

 

[TannerDemoz]

I'm expecting 70/80s from the big boys

 

[dlauv]

I've played this accidentally for like 4 hours. It's fuckin' good. I'm just not sure how I feel about the combat just yet. Guns feel good, but the little enemies feel more suited to a mouse. Also, the PC port is solid: max @ 1080p, 3770k, 970. Doesn't drop very much. Maybe 50s at worst.

 

[Kenzodielocke]

How long is it?

 

[Anno]

Arkane is one of three developers I'll buy sight unseen because I trust them that much. Nice to see this is bearing out critically, too.

 

[GinoFelino]

How long is it?

You go first

 

[Karak]

I can't wait for more folks to finish up. There is a level of almost subconscious information that is occurring in Prey. I spent an hour talking with another reviewer who completed it and he just kept saying "wait what?" because some of it is so subtle that it almost feels like reading the notes of someones book and guessing the novel just by the writers random notes and then when you do...its like booom

 

[AgentOtaku]

Please be the System Shock fix I've been craving.

Fixed that for you

 

[Bishop89]

87, calling it

 

[Sevenfold]

How long is it?

Dev post said between 16 and 24 hours with one member of the team taking 34. The way I'm going it's probably going to be twice that

Spoiler

I'm nosy and they like their email gossip.

 

[Alpende]

Good for Arkane Studios. I really liked Dishonored 2 so I'll definitely pick this up, not on day one though.

 

[UberTag]

Bad news for Bethesda.

I cancelled my discounted pre-order 'cause of their silly no reviews pre-embargo policy... and yet had I known quality reviews would have dropped so soon I would have kept it.

Now I will wait for it to go on sale and they'll get less money. Glad it's reviewing well, at least. Probably going to do Dishonored 2 sales numbers, though. Hope they're happy with that.

 

[Kenzodielocke]

Dev post said between 16 and 24 hours with one member of the team taking 34. The way I'm going it's probably going to be twice that

Spoiler

I'm nosy and they like their email gossip.

That's a lot, what are reviews saying though?

 

[AgentOtaku]

Yeah, cause of Bethesda's questionable business practices, I didn't preorder this initially

Thankfully GAF and this thread came thru and got all the validation I needed (^____^)

Steelbook is still in-stock for free with purchases at BestBuy, FYI

EDIT - better image

 

[Djostikk]

Yeah, cause of Bethesda's questionable business practices, I didn't preorder this initially

Thankfully GAF and this thread came thru and got all the validation I needed (^____^)

Steelbook is still in-stock for free with purchases at BestBuy, FYI

Wow, this looks amazing.

 

[oti]

Nice surprise!