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

[Momock]

Okay guys, explain to me how quicksaves don't ruin the concept of mimics (it ruins everything, but we'll stick to the mimics for now).

Problem exists between chair and keyboard. If you believe quicksaves would remove tension, don't use them. The game autosaves.

Dude...

 

[Wesp5]

Endlessly respawning random enemies that you can't even see coming while backtracking through the same maps. I didn't like Prey either, I think only System Shock 2 was as bad and they should have named it "System Shock 3" anyway !

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

they should have named it "System Shock 3" anyway !

That's on Zenimax. The game was intended to be System Shock 3 during pre-prod. Once it changed to an original IP the working titles were "Neuroshock", "Psychoshock", and... one other that I can't recall (it also had "Shock" in the title). Zenimax just decided to slap the "Prey" title on it because their marketing department is staggeringly incompetent and apparently staffed solely by massive fucking retards.

 

[Kruno]

I am glad people are still discussing this game, as I have almost finished Deathloop and felt the game was a poor imitation of Mooncrash. I have revisited Mooncrash and wondered why Prey never got as much publicity of discussion outside of the Codex.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

“Poor imitation of Mooncrash” is a great way to describe Deathloop. Wish I had thought of that.

 

[Kruno]

Here is a review of Mooncrash made 3 days ago.



Every piece of media about Prey, especially Mooncrash, has been overwhelmingly positive. The Pit: Infinity (makers of Sword of the Stars) was also very poor but in very similar vein to Mooncrash.

I feel like we will never get another masterpiece like Mooncrash in our lifetimes purely due to how poorly received Prey and Mooncrash were.

Directly compares Mooncrash with Deathloop:

 

[Average Manatee]

Endlessly respawning random enemies that you can't even see coming while backtracking through the same maps. I didn't like Prey either, I think only System Shock 2 was as bad and they should have named it "System Shock 3" anyway !

I don't think mimics are endlessly respawning, they have scripted respawns with major plot progression milestones. The phantoms do have some infinite respawning ontop of the milestone respawns but it's pretty limited. If you are actually backtracking endlessly trying to figure out what to do you'll probably only run into one of the endlessly respawning ones every 10-15 mins or so.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I'm playing this for the first time. Inspirations are obvious. So far it's good, but I'm not thrilled. Feels like I've played this game before, though it does have some nice improvements.

Mimics are a great twist on the jump scare. No longer restricted to vent holes, closets, or portals--there is genuine tension with every object in the game. Brilliant, actually. My paranoia intuition is pretty good so far. Sometimes I'll carry a light but durable object around with me and throw it at things before I go into the room. Doing what I can not to quick load and own the consequences of my actions. I haven't had many oops, and the game is loaded with healing items--so quicksave hasn't been used much at all.

Right now my biggest issue is OCD on neuro-mod usage. I scrimped, saved, and suffered to rush the surgery mod. We'll see if it was worth it.

 

[JDR13]

they should have named it "System Shock 3" anyway !

That's on Zenimax. The game was intended to be System Shock 3 during pre-prod. Once it changed to an original IP the working titles were "Neuroshock", "Psychoshock", and... one other that I can't recall (it also had "Shock" in the title). Zenimax just decided to slap the "Prey" title on it because their marketing department is staggeringly incompetent and apparently staffed solely by massive fucking retards.

Weird how that keeps happening. Dead Space was also originally intended to be SS3.

 

[Wunderbar]

In case of Dead Space they've made the right call since that game have nothing to do with System Shock except that it was also a horror set on a space station.

 

[JDR13]

Not to mention the fact that it ended up being a great game in its own right.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I am having a good time with this. Level design is great. I also love how I can devise my own solutions. One of the best ways to get around barricades requiring L3 Leverage is simply to toss a gas cannister at them. Many such techniques make exploration a joy.

I have acquired the psychoscope and have a lot of alien skills researched already. I have 8 neuromods burning a hole in my pocket. I can't decide if I want to go alien tree. It seems really good, but I already have decent commitments in Engineering and Scientist trees. Many of the alien abilities appear redundant or would obviate skills I already have. I am a sucker for magic though, and I doubt I will be able to resist. I tend to use turrets a lot though, so that gives me pause.

 

[Multidirectional]

Turrets are garbage anyway, spells are way stronger. Also you can still use turrets by hacking them if you really must.

 

[ciox]

Yeah... that alien neuromod thing turned out to be one hell of a filter, which I don't really think is justified. You will be fighting Nightmares regardless of what you do, and turrets can be hacked or just nuked and then repaired.

 

[Multidirectional]

Though I was on OP as fuck on Nightmare when avoiding alien skills too. Combat Focus is just as op as any alien skill, if not more.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Combat Focus is easily the most broken neuromas in the game. RoSoDude ’s rebalance mod heavily needed it to great effect. Highly recommend dling it if you have any interest in a proper challenge.

 

[Infinitron]

https://www.eurogamer.net/arkane-really-didnt-want-to-call-prey-2017-prey

Arkane really didn't want to call Prey (2017) 'Prey'​

"It was never our intention to steal their IP and make it ours."

Raphaël Colantonio has revealed that nobody at Arkane Austin wanted Prey (2017) to be titled Prey, and how it felt "gross" to have release something under someone else's IP.

Colantonio, known as the founder of Arkane Studios, served as the game's director and writer. He announced his departure from the studio shortly after the game's release, citing burnout and a desire to spend time with his son.

The fact that the game was never envisioned to be a part of the Prey IP isn't new for fans of the game or Arkane. It was documented by NoClip last year, in which Colantonio and other leads on the game explained that Bethesda was insistent that Arkane's next project had to be called Prey. Colantonio described the decision as a "non-negotiable compromise".

In an interview released a couple of weeks before Noclip's documentary went live, Colantonio said that he was "a little bit resentful" and bummed that Bethesda had mandated the project be called Prey, but stated that he maintained a friendly relationship with Bethesda.

Now, in a new interview with The AIAS Game Maker's Notebook Podcast released earlier this week, Colantonio shared more about his own thoughts and the sentiments within the development team as they had to transform their original sci-fi space pitch into a part of the Prey IP.

"I think that I was a little at odds with some of the management [regarding] the decision of calling Prey [2017] 'Prey', that was very hurtful to me," Colantonio revealed. "I did not want to call this game Prey and I had to say I wanted to anyway in front of journalists," he continued. Colantonio said he hates lying and although it wasn't a "personal" lie, he still felt bad fronting to press that he had wanted to continue the Prey IP.

The decision wasn't unpopular with just Colantonio. "Not only me, but nobody in the team wanted to call this game Prey," he said. He stated he was grateful for the financial security of having a corporation behind him and his team, but was insulted when he was told the game had to be called Prey. "You go like, ‘I don’t think it should. I think it’s a mistake'."

Colantonio already knew that the idea it would help with marketing the game would not be true. "It's a sales mistake," he called it, "because it backfires from older [fans], [they] are not going to be happy. Then the [people] who did not like Prey, they're not even going to look for our game, [so] they're not going to find our game." He was right, as the sales for the game were "horrible".

He continued to describe his discomfort with the situation, stating that he wanted to apologise to the team behind the original Prey of 2006. "It was also a kick in the face to [them]," he stated. "I wanted to apologise to them many, many times. I didn't really have a chance because I don't really know those people. It was never our intention to steal their IP and make it ours. It's gross and that's not what I wanted to do."

Colantonio said at this point, he knew he had to leave because he had realised he was "not in control of [his] own boat" anymore. This was a direct contradiction to the "full artistic control", with no interference from higher up the chain, Arkane had been promised in their acquisition deal with Bethesda in 2010.

The corporate structure took its toll on Colantonio, but burnout wasn't the only reason why he decided to leave Arkane. He felt that his time with the company was at an end, having seen it from birth to winning GOTY awards. He wanted to start something new, but he didn't know what. At the time, he said he was "exhausted and frustrated", and wanted to take a break to travel, make music, and spend time with his son.

After parting with Arkane, he spent a couple of years consulting. He stated he didn't know if he wanted to make video games anymore, but couldn't go back into development yet as he was under a two year non-compete clause with Bethesda. He consulted for various different studios and leads, including Julien Roby who was previously an intern under Colantonio during development of Arx Fatalis.

"The itch was there again," Colantonio said, after speaking with Roby, "but this time I wanted it different." The two of them formed a new studio together, WolfEye Studios, and Colantonio set out his goals to Kusters. "I wanted to stay independent for real and make games that are cheaper... The more you have to make a game, the more budget you have, you never make great decisions. Everything has got so much pressure."

 

[Child of Malkav]

Colantonio said at this point, he knew he had to leave because he had realised he was "not in control of [his] own boat" anymore. This was a direct contradiction to the "full artistic control", with no interference from higher up the chain, Arkane had been promised in their acquisition deal with Bethesda in 2010.

So, it's exactly as I said. Arkane is not in control of what they are making. Good to have confirmation. Yet again Bethesda sabotaged better, more competent devs. First Obsidian and now Arkane. RIP.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

In other breaking news: water is wet and the sky is blue.

 

[Spukrian]

Yet again Bethesda sabotaged better, more competent devs. First Obsidian and now Arkane. RIP.

I'd say Human Head was first.

 

[kites]

i still have fond* memories of this game (*!!!: especially w/ RoSoDude's fixes); could it have used more of an "Alien:Isolation"-type darker art direction? maybe.. though, of course, much more time to flesh out enemies/systemic interaction/late-game power-tripping/the last 1/3's robo-spam filler etc, was clearly needed..

but being careless and creating your own bad circumstance, left with lint in your pockets and a body full of traumas.. trying to use the tools you have left to get out of it - that's a big highlight about these sort of games to me. after Prey, Arkane doesn't seem like much to get excited about w/o Colantonio involved

(rip mca)

 

[Darth Roxor]

This was a direct contradiction to the "full artistic control", with no interference from higher up the chain, Arkane had been promised in their acquisition deal with Bethesda in 2010.

imagine making a deal with the devil and complaining that it backfires

 

[Ismaul]

imagine making a deal with the devil and complaining that it backfires

there is only devils to make deals with

 

[Spukrian]

I hope Microsoft treats Bethesda just like Bethesda has treated others, that would be karma, divine justice.

 

[Silverfish]

I hope they don't, if only because I don't want Id and Arkane caught in the crossfire.