#i may want to replace the cube organizers with these actually but id need like 3 for that wall AND i would lose valuable poster real estate

[vampfucker666]

ok shelves are a major major major wip... i am. gonna need a second shelf. all of my rh dolls did NOT fit on here how i wanted LMAOOOO i got like 4 of them on the 'dont put dolls here cause the cats might become too tempted and its not even eye level' shelf. for Now. but at least i have space to move some of the shit off my desk FINALLY

[jackcarson-foxfutureworks]

I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT | PREY (Casual Game Review)

A THRILLING & PARANOID DAY IN THE LIFE OF MORGAN YU & HIS TYPHON TURMOIL ABOARD TALOS I

As anyone is when they are passionate about something, they like to talk about it. It isn't any different with myself and games.

These "casual reviews", as I like to call them, are in no way professional or official. I may try to sound and look like so, but believe me, this is simply me trying to coordinate my ramblings on stuff I enjoy or don't enjoy in games. I won't cover every last bit as there will be parts I miss or haven't experienced. On to it.

Beware of minor spoilers.

I don't quite remember the goings on of the original Prey of 2006, nor did I have much interest going forward when Prey 2 was announced, so I had little reaction to hearing of its cancellation. Fast forwarding to E3 of 2016 and the Bethesda conference where Arkane Studios revealed Prey would return but as a rebooted franchise, there was a strange part of me that caused my ears to perk up and think "Oh wow, Prey is back, can't wait to see what it's like" upon seeing that logo creep in. It would seem I did have fond memories of the original after all or was I just in a nostalgic stupor of late for games of days gone making their grand returns?

With MachineGames' Wolfenstein: The New Order kicking off this resurgence back in 2014 and then id Software and DOOM taking 2016 by the scruff of its neck and ramming a double-barrelled shotgun down its throat, would this new lick of paint for Prey really keep the ball rolling for Bethesda Softworks, Arkane Studios and reboots for decades-old franchises?

It is with great satisfaction that I say yes, Prey does exactly that.

I think the moment Prey stole my complete attention for the next several days after release was the immediate departure early on in the game from the every day bright and tranquil life of luxury that protagonist Morgan Yu woke up to each morning, filled with high-rise apartments and executive helicopter rides through a glistening and almost literal golden city. You begin to realise something is not quite right here, and you almost wonder why you'd ever get aboard Talos I in the first place with things not exactly running smoothly down on this side of Earth for TranStar, the company responsible for the research and development of neuroscience, run by yourself and big brother, Alex.

It's rare in my experience for a game to have such a standout opening that makes me question everyone and everything immediately and for the remainder of my time with it. I did just that when you literally break down the walls of your supposed reality and find yourself actually on Talos I, and for the past three years too. It's an incredibly strong opening that not only thrusts Morgan into the thick of it but it also never feels like the freedom that someone would experience from breaking loose of the simulated confines of Morgan's faux happy-go-lucky lifestyle.  It's this intrigue that creates a continuous need to delve deeper into Prey's background and uncover what life was like aboard Talos I before its Typhon infestation that kept me putting one foot in front of the other. If only moving forward wasn't my biggest fear.

While Prey's earliest moments are brimming with confusion and hesitation, nothing emphasises the latter more than the dastardly Mimics. Mimics are the first variety of Typhon you'll come across in your jaunt around this ghastly space station, and you'll start to wish they weren't. As the name would suggest, these creatures are very apt at blending in, and it's not just coffee mugs and lamps you'll be squinting at with increasing suspicion, but even the more enticing of items may not be the friend you're looking for. Even after the paranoia set in of watching my every move and pointing a great big finger at any object that even struck me as marginally out of place there were still moments throughout Prey, including late on, where I'd fall victim to a mimic in a disguise followed by varying profanity, most commonly of the "I f***ing knew it" kind. A heated firefight would often lead me to retreat for nearby health or cover, only to recoil in horror as my salvation bursts into a spindly black spider-like monstrosity. It's these moments where Prey becomes the tensest video game experience, although the feeling becomes a little dampened later on when access to mods for the binocular-esque Physcoscope allows detection of hidden mimics.

As for the rest of the game's line-up of deadly enemies, I'd get ready to see a whole lot of black shape-shifting goo of varying size because there's not much more to see outside of the Typhon organisms that stalk every corner, aside from a few mind-controlled humans here and there. Even if the aesthetic of each variation of these creatures isn't something to be marveled at, the difference between them always forced me to switch up my playstyle. The lesser evils such as Mimics and Phantoms are your run of the mill type, fast and dangerous, using a simple technique such as freezing them with the GLOO Cannon (more on that shortly) and then beating them to a pulp with the wrench will suffice. Moving on up are Telepaths and Technopaths, big floating cubes that either control people or machines. Blasting out your own Typhon abilities or the selection of ability blocking grenades against these menaces can do wonders. And then there's the Nightmare...which I'd suggest throwing everything you've got at it. Eventually, you'll come across other strains of Typhon and variants of familiar faces, such as a stronger Mimic, or a Phantom that harnesses electricity or fire, but dispatch method tends to be the same, albeit a few more whacks with the wrench or extra shell from the shotgun. Beyond the Typhon and humans, you'll meet operators, which are best described as desktop PC cases. These sometimes helpful robots can become corrupted and will fight against you, but as is with most of the enemies, not too out there in the realms of imagination.

In your bid to wipe out the Typhon threat from Talos I, you're given an arsenal that ranges from the standard gun-toting Silenced Pistol and Shotgun to the absolutely ludicrous Recycling Charge Grenade. While the selection of weaponry isn't wholly unique, there's a charm to some. Most notable of all is the aforementioned GLOO Cannon, a gun that can shoot big blobs of...glue, but this super tough and quick hardening glue is useful for stopping those pesky Mimics and co. in their tracks, perfect for any wrench flailing madmen to pummel. What the GLOO Cannon has over the rest is versatility, as it triples up as a puzzle solver and platforming device thanks to its ability to stick to most surfaces. Can't quite reach a ledge or balcony high up? Then just create a staircase of GLOO. Is a corridor blocked off by oil on fire due to a burst pipe? Simply plug up the hole and extinguish the fire with the power of GLOO. It's no surprise that I found myself relying on the GLOO Cannon more often than not to get myself out of a jam or into a tiny compartment that was otherwise unreachable. Think of it as Prey's Gravity Gun or Portal Gun, however, don't expect it to reach similar heights in the best ever video game weapons. In addition, each weapon (With the exception of the wrench and silly nerf inspired Huntress Boltcaster crossbow) can be upgraded using the countless upgrade kits laying about the station. The system isn't as in-depth as let's say adding a scope to the Q-Beam or Dragon's Breath ammo for the Shotgun, but it does allow for increased firepower, larger ammo capacity, better handling and faster reloading, with some relevant replacements for the more Sci-Fi weapons.

If a happy trigger finger isn't your style, or if you're looking to mix and match like a shapeshifting, elemental bending John Wick then Prey gives you the option of working through two distinct skill trees. Using these skills allows for some tailor fitting of whatever playstyle you're going for. There are paths for hacking and repairing if you're the kind who wants to see beyond every door or cash in on the goodies hidden in each safe. A junk hoarder would benefit from the suit skills which grant extra inventory space or maybe it's as simple a choice as wanting to soak up more damage with increased health. If that's not enough flavour on your plate then soon enough you can travel down the path of the Typhon. Here you can literally fight fire with fire with Superthermal as you lay down explosive proximity traps that roast Phantoms and Mimics where they stand, and even bend them to fight alongside you for a short duration with Mind Jack, which is also a useful tool outside of the Disrupter Stun Gun to incapacitating mind-controlled humans. Not all the Typhon abilities are of the aggressive kind, like Mimic Matter for example, which allows Morgan to beat the Mimics at their own game by morphing into most objects, including turrets further along the path. Another useful ability for getting into locked rooms should you not have the right hacking skill or keycard. I had fun figuring out which object to morph into in order to squeeze between security bars or split doors. Plus, a bouncing coffee mug is as about as much levity Prey can amount to. I personally kept to the human skills more as I never felt the need for many of the Typhon abilities, especially the powers for battle as I felt the guns did enough to dispatch most enemies I encountered. And upon learning that there were consequences to giving into the Typhon side of me, I was slightly disappointed to find that all it amassed to was the turrets would eventually recognise me as Typhon material and turn against me, forcing me to either break or hack them. I would've appreciated a little more consequence for dabbling in alien arts. That being said, I enjoyed the freedom and change of pace these skill trees gave me.

However, in order to use said skills you'll be needing Neuromods Luckily, just like the weapon upgrade kits, they are littered around Talos I, usually hidden away or rewarded for completing quests and you won't be starved of these precious upgrades. Finally, chipsets can be gathered and installed to your suit or PsychoScope to improve Morgan's combat prowess. Increased chance of criticals with a shotgun or resistance to energy attacks are just some of the many benefits from finding these. It literally is "play Prey your way".

And maybe you're like me, that inner treasure hunter that rises to the surface, eager to find every Neuromod, every upgrade kit, and other special items to improve Morgan as a whole. So chances are you'll be bounding back and forth across the numerous facilities that Talos I has to offer, once they've become available of course, and thanks to non-linear level design, Prey's environments, despite the limitations you might think of for a large tube in space, are sprawling. The likes of BioShock and Deus Ex come to mind, and obviously, Arkane's other franchise Dishonored, with regards to exploration in Prey. In that, Prey encourages you to stray from the beaten path, scoping out alternate routes to your objective or uncovering a dark secret within a restaurant kitchen. It's simple in thought, you have three doors to one room but each door presents a different challenge, whether the challenge you pick is easier or harder than the others, is up to you, but Arkane have woven it in a way that not only feels complex but super rewarding when you reach that tiny hidey-hole in the rafters of a common room crammed with supplies and gadgets galore. In what most would experience as an around estimated fifteen hours long game, my play time reached an unexpected twenty-six hours, because I was drawn to every inch of Talos I, and I'm still sure I have much to discover on a second playthrough. Movement around the station is smooth sailing thanks to the abilities and tools you'll acquire but if I had to have one gripe with my voyage through Prey's bountiful space station it's that the sections involving zero gravity were often clumsy, disorientating and slow, never more apparent than when floating in the outer space of Talos I's exterior where items of interest are few and far between.

If at any point the idea of retracing your steps through the same environment over and over again sounds about as appealing to you as a slap with a wet fish then I don't blame you. You'll be pleased to hear that roaming Talos I is far more appealing than that. Prey is definitely not a powerhouse in terms of graphical fidelity but the pseudo-alternate history angle really lends itself to the aesthetic. It's a perfect blend of progression, exploration and environmental story-telling that I haven't seen in a long time. Every part of Talos I has something to offer. Whether it's the opening hub of the Lobby with many layers of elevation or the colourful plantation and thick forest sections of the Arboretum to the chilling emptiness of the G.U.T.S, I was never tired of returning to each area as I was always discovering something new. Each location, big or small, had a story to tell about the people of Talos I before most of their unfortunate demises. You'll collect audio logs, notes, read emails and more as you start to piece together how things went terribly wrong, but it's also more personal than that, as you'll be stumbling across interrupted games of Dungeons and Dragons, complicated and typically doomed love affairs, and echoes of your own past. In some cases, I become more engrossed with characters I'd never meet and their intimate and tragic stories than the living, breathing survivors I saw.

Morality is a massive theme throughout Prey, as you can be faced with many an ultimatum and as Morgan, you're tasked with destroying Talos I in hope to prevent the Typhon spreading to Earth so I was happy to be faced with a choice regarding the outcome of this supposedly doomed space station and the passengers on board. I'm certain I'm in the larger demographic with my choices, as I found I'd often choose to save as many people as possible. This, coupled with my mission to destroy Talos I, made for some interesting weighing up of each of my choices. At one point I had the option of allowing a ship, that left Talos I just before the outbreak of Typhon, to safely make it back to Earth, or blow it up due to the possibility of Typhon presence onboard. This isn't a decision which has a right or wrong answer, nor does it allow you to find evidence to further lean towards saving them or killing them. It is a decision you must make then and there and it's refreshing to be confronted with a question that isn't morally black or white. In hindsight, not only did that choice completely contradict my decision with a similar choice further down but upon reflection, I still wasn't sure why I changed my mind. Was it because the latter choice leaned more towards a typical black or white choice? Or did a sense of regret have me looking for redemption? It's a testament to Prey's open decision making which has me still looking back and questioning if I made the right choice when the credits rolled.

And when they did I initially felt a little let down by Prey's conclusion. If it wasn't for a pretty standard main story, which is totally outweighed by the personal ones, then I'd be sticking Prey way up there, possibly even higher than the likes of BioShock and Dishonored. Yet, it's hindered by a jarringly sudden end with little resolve right up until the quite predictable post-credits reveal. There's enough to warrant a second and maybe even a third playthrough with more abilities to test, stones yet to unturn and choices to make but don't expect an entirely new experience.

MY VERDICT

Prey won't please everyone, and it certainly will miss out on a few game of the year nominees from some, but that doesn't stop it from being a solid, sci-fi action adventure. Only slightly let down by a par for the course main story, some sluggish zero-g and pedestrian combat, Prey is best when things quiet down and you're whisked away from the fight to poke your head into every nook and cranny of Talos I and the very personal stories it's once thriving community have to tell. As for me, this thrilling and paranoid day in the life of Morgan Yu and his Typhon turmoil aboard Talos I is well worth the trip to the stars.

Reviewed on PC

Until next time.

Stay inside. Play video games.

Just another reason to hate Mondays.