Arkane PREY - Arkane's immersive coffee cup transformation sim - now with Mooncrash roguelike mode DLC

[Mynon]

It does not compute for Dishonored either. Stand back and think about his statement. If it works for Dishonored, it works for Thief too.

 

[Sam Ecorners]

I caught a look at the very first moments of this game (30 mins) and I'm confused. I get the System Shock 2-vibe from seeing all those "skill x required"-notifcations everywhere, but what really gets me are all the readables, and the Thief (FM) feelings I get from those that refuses to go away... maybe because there's so much damn reading going on.

Sneaking the credits into the skyline during the helicopter ride was a very clever idea (except for Arkane Studios plastering their name on the bridge) and the game engine seems to be capable of some clever things, but beyond that I'm not seeing anything here that justifies breaking either the "Never spend more than $20 on a video game"-rule or the "Don't touch it because it's a Bethedsa title"-commandment.

And that response from the dev about not having a PC demo because of how Steam works is just a fart into people's faces. Douchebags like that don't deserve having a job.

You actually seen the best part of the story for hour and hours, from the E3 trailer, you get the impression the story is going on a psychological mindfuck horror route with you talking with yourself and the Groundhog Day start but it fizzles out pretty quickly and you go doing a series of straight fetch quests afterwards. The impression I get with this game is that they thought "Humm, let's add Dishonored vertical level design with some of Deus Ex Human Revolution progression system and make it pass on an sprawling space station to be like System Shock." but while the game has elements of the three, and they are fun to play around, it is lacking some identity.

You know, oh, I need the strengh neuromod to pick up this heavy crate or I could blow it up to open this path I need to take, oh cool, there is a turret there that I can fix and use against my enemies, hey, if I stack crates or use the Gloo gun, I can reach places. This is basic stuff we see since the original Deus Ex but there are crucial elements missing like demanding resource managing, more advanced RPG elements with complex character building, well done storytelling that even System Shock 1 with its primitive lack of resources did alot better. The game is a collage of other games and can be fun because the elements on those games are fun but there isn't something major of its own that is new.

The psychological horror/weirdness mindfuck angle could be it but it is only present on the very beginning, the game pretend it will offer you a mindfuck experience as you seen on the trailer and on the first 30 mins but only delivers a competent Dishonored/Deus Ex Human Revolution/System Shock game that is kinda by the numbers on its delivery.

Unless you are dying to play this type of gameplay, its still a fun game but it is better to wait for it to become cheaper, especially if you are a third worlder. Those are my impressions, I didn't finish the game yet. I still think Dishonored 1 was the game where Arkane was most confident.

out of interest and not being facetious, when was the last time you played SS2?

 

[DeepOcean]

out of interest and not being facetious, when was the last time you played SS2?

First time it was a few years ago, last time it was two years ago.

 

[randir14]

The psychological horror/weirdness mindfuck angle could be it but it is only present on the very beginning

There are a few hints during the game that not everything is as it seems. And I can't elaborate without spoiling, but there is a major plot twist at one point.

 

[sullynathan]

And that response from the dev about not having a PC demo because of how Steam works is just a fart into people's faces. Douchebags like that don't deserve having a job.

Why should they even release a demo to begin with? Who else is releasing demos for AAA games these days?

Pretty much every AAA dev releases some type of demo or beta

 

[toro]

Finished the game. Hard mode. 27 hours in total but that's because I've explored a lot (except G.U.T.S) and in fact I got two achievements for reading all emails and listening all recordings.

Well, despite a promising beginning the game is not as good as SS2 however it's probably its best approximation. Which means that it's better than a lot of stuff out there ... *cough* ... new Deux Ex, Dishonored, Bioshock or Dead Space.

Some things about the game [SPOILERS]:

---

1. One of the game's problem is the lack of a convincing villain or at least with some personality. You meet two psychopaths and the Typhon but there is nothing like Shodan. This is not inherently bad but I would have preferred a more fleshed-out villain.
However now that I'm thinking about it, it's actually nice to realize that Typhon doesn't care about your persona and for once - you are not the chosen one that can stop the catastrophe.

2. Typhon sucks. There is somewhat inherently not-satisfying in fighting them. This sounds stupid but I would rather fight zombies, mutated humans or anything else with some flesh on it.
On the other hand, the playing field is somewhat leveled. The fact that you and the mobs have the same combat abilities it's brilliant (*with some exceptions). This is no longer Dishonored.

3. Firearms combat sucks for one sole reason: Typhon mobs are moving too fast. Some mobs have more vulnerable spots (head, eyes) but they move so fast it's hard to shoot them not to say it's almost impossible to do aimed shoots in combat.
Only with Combat Focus it is possible to slow down time and do actual damage by aiming at vulnerable spots. But it fucks up the combat pace. Why Arkane!? WHY??? I don't need VATS in my game.

4. Abilities tree is a mess. However it allows you to mess up your character and there are locations or rewards which are only available with things like Hacking 4 or Leverage 3. A few places.
There is probably an entire story about the abilities tree - it looks like Arkane had another game in mind and they ended up with this. But this is speculation.

5. Pacing issues towards the end. I don't know what algorithms they used but the entire game becomes hectic towards the end: forced backtracking and multiple respawns each time you backtrack to a location.
I had to gave up on combat and just ran past most mobs.

6. Problematic quests. One of the most fleshed-out quest is about a lesbian couple (probably written by MCA). Another one is about a black scientist thanking his AZN master for his generosity. Nothing intrusive but neither interesting.
One thing which rubbed me the wrong way is that a specific quest needs the active quest marker otherwise you will never find that specific data record.

+++

7. Word design is absolutely phenomenal (except G.U.T.S). You can access most of the space station from the beginning and there are 3 ways to access it: Lift, GUTS and Exterior.
Each location has personality, it makes sense and it can be explored in multiple ways. This is probably the reason why I buy and play Arkane's games (*low expectations).

8. AI is not brain-dead. They can jump around you like crazy, they can search for you, they can use their abilities but ...

Spoiler

... nothing compares to a Technopath which took my turrets and used them against me

9. Interesting NPCs. The story is told through them and I think this is one aspect in which Prey is better than SS2 (where for the most part you are alone and listening directly or indirectly to Shodan's orders).
Their mere presence make the story less horror but it makes everything else much more believable. This is one thing that I wanted from SS2.

10. Make your own quest. Find out about a person and track it down using the security console. It's terrific to find the person or its body and all the small details regarding its "existence"
They are also using environment story-telling (like lost notes, password scratched on a wall and so on).

11. Game mechanics. You can craft almost anything you need (even neuromods). You can upgrade weapons, your suit and helmet. You can hack or smash doors. You can deploy turrets and you can research mobs for more info.
You can use the GLOO cannon to build vertical paths or you can glide from place to place (in certain locations). Stealth is viable (without stupid Blink). Plenty of stuff to do. (*the hacking minigame is stupid but not unbearable)

12. Decent ending. The story is mediocre but it has an organic flow and there are moments of good writing. Anyway, it doesn't make sense until the real ending (the prologue chapter after the game credits).
I can only say that I don't want to see Prey 2 despite the fact that I really enjoyed this game.

Technical stuff: Great visuals, retarded audio (the music is really not suited for the game) and no critical bugs.

Conclusion:
Prey is somewhat derivative but it hits so many good points that it's hard not to like the game. As I said at the beginning, this is probably the first not-retarded successor to SS2.
And as SS2 this is not for everyone therefore I cannot recommend it on full price. But this should be on your radar if you liked SS2.

Free advice: Side-quests first.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

And that response from the dev about not having a PC demo because of how Steam works is just a fart into people's faces. Douchebags like that don't deserve having a job.

Why should they even release a demo to begin with? Who else is releasing demos for AAA games these days?

Pretty much every AAA dev releases some type of demo or beta

Yeah? Are you now comparing limited multiplayer betas to free singleplayer demos? Or where are those demos for Call of Duty, Assassins Creed, Halo, etc.?

 

[toro]

I caught a look at the very first moments of this game (30 mins) and I'm confused. I get the System Shock 2-vibe from seeing all those "skill x required"-notifcations everywhere, but what really gets me are all the readables, and the Thief (FM) feelings I get from those that refuses to go away... maybe because there's so much damn reading going on.

Sneaking the credits into the skyline during the helicopter ride was a very clever idea (except for Arkane Studios plastering their name on the bridge) and the game engine seems to be capable of some clever things, but beyond that I'm not seeing anything here that justifies breaking either the "Never spend more than $20 on a video game"-rule or the "Don't touch it because it's a Bethedsa title"-commandment.

And that response from the dev about not having a PC demo because of how Steam works is just a fart into people's faces. Douchebags like that don't deserve having a job.

You actually seen the best part of the story for hour and hours, from the E3 trailer, you get the impression the story is going on a psychological mindfuck horror route with you talking with yourself and the Groundhog Day start but it fizzles out pretty quickly and you go doing a series of straight fetch quests afterwards. The impression I get with this game is that they thought "Humm, let's add Dishonored vertical level design with some of Deus Ex Human Revolution progression system and make it pass on an sprawling space station to be like System Shock." but while the game has elements of the three, and they are fun to play around, it is lacking some identity.

You know, oh, I need the strengh neuromod to pick up this heavy crate or I could blow it up to open this path I need to take, oh cool, there is a turret there that I can fix and use against my enemies, hey, if I stack crates or use the Gloo gun, I can reach places. This is basic stuff we see since the original Deus Ex but there are crucial elements missing like demanding resource managing, more advanced RPG elements with complex character building, well done storytelling that even System Shock 1 with its primitive lack of resources did alot better. The game is a collage of other games and can be fun because the elements on those games are fun but there isn't something major of its own that is new.

The psychological horror/weirdness mindfuck angle could be it but it is only present on the very beginning, the game pretend it will offer you a mindfuck experience as you seen on the trailer and on the first 30 mins but only delivers a competent Dishonored/Deus Ex Human Revolution/System Shock game that is kinda by the numbers on its delivery.

Unless you are dying to play this type of gameplay, its still a fun game but it is better to wait for it to become cheaper, especially if you are a third worlder. Those are my impressions, I didn't finish the game yet. I still think Dishonored 1 was the game where Arkane was most confident.

Well. Fuck. This is spot on.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

*snip*

Agree pretty much except I do recommend it at full price. I want Arkane to continue making immersive sims rather than getting mothballed by Bethesda.

 

[Drakron]

More like how smart of them.

By who?

Considering this is about "Prey 2", there is what happened with Human Head Studios were Bethesda delayed payments to put then in a situation were they would either be "rescued" by being brought or go under and they had done the same trick with Arkane.

ZeniMax is the same or worst that EA.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Speaking of villains, they could have developed Walter Dahl hunting you down a bit more. Instead I got to whack legions of military operators ruining the pacing and depleting my ammo before I could get a proper impression of this SOB. Then I made him my bitch and it felt lacking.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

More like how smart of them.

By who?

Considering this is about "Prey 2", there is what happened with Human Head Studios were Bethesda delayed payments to put then in a situation were they would either be "rescued" by being brought or go under and they had done the same trick with Arkane.

ZeniMax is the same or worst that EA.

They're certainly smart enough to drop hacks like Obsidian while having enough faith in Arkane's talent to give them proper resources and let them do their own thing. If they were as bad as EA, they would be doing Mass Effect-levels of retarded shit and bleeding out talent in no time. Bethesda at least allows their studios to take risk, and retain their talent and company culture.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Agree pretty much except I do recommend it at full price. I want Arkane to continue making immersive sims rather than getting mothballed by Bethesda.

Be grateful that Drakron pointed out what I was going to say, because that let off quite a bit off steam (the regular kind, not the digital distributor).

That said, SHUT THE FUCK UP, YOU ADVERTISING PLANT.

Seriously. Get. The. Fuck. Out.

Here's Bethesda's shtick:

#1: Hire independent studio to develop game.
#2: Make large, encompassing, littered-with-fine-letter contract about development of said game.
#3: Once development is somewhat underway, threaten developer with canceling production of game by withholding payments for vague milestones NOT included in aforementioned contract.
#4: Watch as Zenimax (parent company of Bethesda) steps in and makes an offer "too good to refuse" to help out struggling developer get out of their "contractual" bind.
#5: Become the bitch of Zenimax AND Bethesda Studios for untold eons.

This is what Arkane went through. This is why Arkane, a studio BURSTING with ideas, innovation and potential, is stuck developing shit title after shit title for Bethesda/Zenimax.

And you're telling us to spend money on this game because... why again?

Fuck you, and everything you stand for.

Go on, deny this.

Go on, pretend this didn't happen.

Go on, rate this post "Retadred".

Go on, ignore this and keep up your stupid shilling crap.

FUCK. YOU.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

You're completely delusional and retarded, Unkillable Cat

Where did Zenimax ever threaten Arkane?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Prove me wrong, motherfucker.

PROVE. ME. WRONG.

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Prove me wrong, motherfucker.

PROVE. ME. WRONG.

I have no idea what's up with your delusions, so I can only comment on what Bethesda is *doing*, and what they are doing is doubling down on investment in their studios and expanding their development capacities. I don't care about the mistakes of their past (Human Head Studios fiasco, Oculus/Facebook lawsuit) or any of that shit, I care about their output and it's superior to the shit that EA, 2K and QueerEnix is shitting out.

 

[Infinitron]

Zzzzzz. More critiquing games, less arbitrating of business ethics plz.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Zzzzzz. More critiquing games, less arbitrating of business ethics plz.

Shut up, you incompetent moderator, I'm crucifying a heretic here.

I have no idea what's up with your delusions, so I can only comment on what Bethesda is *doing*, and what they are doing is doubling down on investment in their studios and expanding their development capacities. I don't care about the mistakes of their past (Human Head Studios fiasco, Oculus/Facebook lawsuit) or any of that shit, I care about their output and it's superior to the shit that EA, 2K and QueerEnix is shitting out.

How awfully convenient, just IGNORE everything that's come before this point.

Are you for real? How do you think they got into the position of being able to "doubling down on their investment"? BY SCREWING THEM OVER.

We can start here (plus the links provided).

(And I hope people can realize how much I loathe linking to these fucks, but...)

We can also move to NeoGAF to see more of the same.

Anyone with half a brain should know by now: Bethesda and Zenimax are NOT friends with anyone sane in the gaming industry.

Yet here you are, defending them, and telling people to spend MAXIMUM BUCKAZOIDS on their products!

Fuck off. Just. Fuck. Off. You have plugged various titles in the past here as "Day 1 Purchases", yet not a single one of them has been proven worthy of the title. Hence the smiley.

You yourself didn't play SOMA (a game you plugged so badly) until more than 6 months after its release.

Any last words, you mong?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

"Shady business practices"



You should probably then stop buying any games, or any products at this point.

 

[Darth Roxor]

Shut up, you incompetent moderator, I'm crucifying a heretic here.

careful, saying bad things about recently released darlings might just get you a thread split buried on the 5th page of the gazebo

 

[Cazzeris]

Unkillable Cat you realize that Morgoth is already in jail, right?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

Listening to this while Unkillable Cat suffers a mental breakdown is satisfactory.

 

[toro]

Speaking of villains, they could have developed Walter Dahl hunting you down a bit more. Instead I got to whack legions of military operators ruining the pacing and depleting my ammo before I could get a proper impression of this SOB. Then I made him my bitch and it felt lacking.

Agree. There are so many ways to improve the story but it looks that narrative is low priority for Arkane. They would not like to be called storyfags.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Listening to this while Unkillable Cat suffers a mental breakdown is satisfactory.

Paint it as you want, I feel immensely better over here having unloaded a lot of bad emotions at you.

It's rare I get a "righteous target" to unload them at, but when in Rome...

 

[ciox]