User Friendly

One of the first things I noticed while inside the ship is that alien technology is far more advanced than human technology. I've seen people spend hours trying to write a document in a word processor and I know people who can't even use the mouse, but our Cherokee hero is able to use the alien computers with just a push of the screen, even if they are written in an alien language; that is ease of use! The computer screens are one of the many ways to control the main new feature of the game: the ability to change the gravity of the room you are in and the ability to transport from one part of the ship to another using portals. This is a very interesting feature that makes for fresh puzzles, but I have two main objections to it. The first one is even said by the main hero when he changes the gravity for the fist time. He says that he's getting dizzy and throws up. Well, you will be dizzy too, especially in some of the later puzzles where you have to change the gravity lots of times to advance and your character begins to spin in weird ways.

The other thing I hated was all the portals and changes of gravity make you feel completely lost all the time, frequently the only thing that told me I was walking in the right direction were new enemies spawning. The moment I didn't see bad guys I knew I wasn't going in the right direction. When I say I felt lost most of the time the game sounds very non-linear, but nothing is further from the truth. Most of the times there's only one way through and you just have to find how to get through (sometimes there are switches in the ceiling, sometimes you have to use a computer panel behind a force field).

Cherokee Power

Soon after starting the game you will be transported to some Cherokee sacred place where the souls of your ancestors watch over you and offer you training. In English this means you will get 'spirit walk' (when you press E you will become a spirit which can walk through force fields to turn the switch on the other side off). You will also be granted the ability that every Cherokee has: to come back to life (so why worry so much about a girl if she can come back to life? I'll never know). When you die you will be transported to a set of rocks where lots of red and blue things fly in circles near your body. You have to shoot these things in order to recover life or Cherokee power and eventually the rocks will start to disappear, and your body will fall through and the game will continue in the same place where you died.

This is a very interesting alternative to the usual continue screen and I really liked it the first twelve hundred times I died, but after dying so many times the reviving process becomes really frustrating - especially when you are fighting a boss who just killed you, and when you are sent to this place you don't manage to recharge much life so that when you revive the boss kills you again instantly. Coming back to life, on the other hand, makes the game very simple since no matter how many times a boss kills you, you can always resurrect in the exact same place.

To Prey or not to Prey?

Prey is an interesting game with fresh ideas and amazing level design. The puzzles feel unique and even the weapons, while not being really different from the usual generic first person shooter weapons, have a different feel to them. While I really didn't like the story because it's extremely predictable, I have to say it's engaging and you will find yourself frequently wanting to know what happens next (I can't believe they actually did that, I could see it coming from miles away. But surely they can't do this). Prey is definitely a good game that deserves to be bought, or at the very least you should give the demo a try.