In 2006, I bought a game. In fact, I bought a collector's edition game. Developed by Human Head Studios and instigated by 3D-Realms, the company who spent all their time on Duke Nukem Forever, Prey was an interesting take on the standard first person shooter. The game told the story of Tommy, a Native American fella who is abducted by aliens who traveled to earth to reap the rewards of all organic life. Aboard the ship, he sets out to save his girlfriend and stop this alien race from destroying the earth. It sounded pretty typical on paper but it was the mind-bending gravity and portal mechanics that drew my attention. It also touched on some interesting story arcs like Tommy's constant attempt to resist his Native American heritage and the revelations that he ultimately has thanks to this other worldly experience. All of this worked really well together to create a really unique atmosphere and give the game a life of its own in a time when shooters were everywhere.

Ironically, despite not being developed by 3D-Realms directly, Prey suffered from a painfully long development cycle, having been in development in some form since 1997. The game finally released on the PC and XBox 360 in 2006 under the 2K games banner and garnered a positive critical reception despite it's short length (I finished the game in 4-5 hours). Now, nearly 5 years later, it looks like we may be on the verge of an official announcement of a sequel. Kotaku ran a story yesterday posting the following cover for the next issue of the french gaming magazine, Joystick:


Prey 2 magazine cover

While a sequel was certainly hinted at in the original Prey, the length of time since the release and the transition of rights from 2K to Bethesda softworks had me wondering if a sequel would ever be made. It turns out, Bethesda Softworks has been working really hard to establish themselves as a major publishing powerhouse since the release of Elder Scrolls IV a few years back. While Bethesda is a name that is strongly associated with RPG's thanks to the success of Elder Scrolls and Fallout, that hasn't stopped them from picking up the publishing rights for major action shooters like WET, Rage, and Brink.

After being acquired by Bethesda parent company, Zenimax, in 2009, Id software, the high profile team behind such titles as Doom and Wolfenstein has now handed over the publishing rights for it's title to Bethesda. Now, Bethesda will not only be publishing the highly anticipated open-world shooter, Rage, and Doom 4, It will now be adding another high profile shooting IP to it's repertoire in the form of Prey 2. I personally can't wait to see what advancements will be made and what will be changed to ensure that Prey becomes a successful and profitable IP for Bethesda. Let's just hope the game has more to show for it's years in limbo than a 4 hour campaign.


[UPDATE] - Bethesda's email went out this morning making Prey 2 an official thing. Human Head Studios is confirmed to once again be working on the series.  Prey 2 is set to make it's return to consoles in 2012.

[SOURCE: Kotaku]

Comments

  • Avatar
    Megadave
    13 years ago

    Is it weird that i just finished the game 30 minutes ago?

  • Avatar
    JonS90
    13 years ago

    I always wish I'd played prey all the way through, I borrowed it off a friend but had too much work on to ever make it past the first hour.

    But I have to say, the intro to Prey was one of my favourite game opening sequences ever. Being in the bar, all the signals cutting out on tv, seeing lights outside and hearing the dog barking, "don't fear the reaper" inexplicably starting to play on on the jukebox, the roof getting ripped off and then awakening on a conveyor belt of human samples hurtling through the ship, getting separated from your loved ones along the ride. It really set itself up amazingly.

    It really gave a better sense of panic, and knowing that they were all fucked, than most games and films. I hope this goes well.

  • Avatar
    roival3ternal
    13 years ago

    I liked the first prey. Albeit, not my favorite game ever, it was an invigorating take on the sci-fi FPS genre that doesn't receive much attention anymore. Definitely gonna be looking out for more info on this.

  • Avatar
    Megadave
    13 years ago

    Prey and Duke have about the same development cycle. So id say if duke is anything as good as prey ill be happy as hell

  • Avatar
    Comradebearjew
    13 years ago

    Oh man, I loved the first Prey. Some of the coolest set pieces ever.

  • Avatar
    mydawghatesme
    13 years ago

    Still remember the amazing "Don't Fear the Reaper" scene. Can't wait to see how this is shaping up.

  • Avatar
    SJ_1S8
    13 years ago

    Loved this game. It wasnt even the type of game i usually played back when it came out but i honestly really enjoyed the story and gameplay. And for all of the flack ive seen its death mechanic take, i enjoyed the way it worked. What drove me through prey wasnt the usual motives that let me enjoy other fps.

    Really hope a sequel can live up to its predecessor.

  • Avatar
    Nick091
    13 years ago

    Might be too long after the release of the original. Prey isnt really a well known title. Too many other Halo's and COD's.

  • Avatar
    incrediblehulk180
    13 years ago

    I remember the first one was a lot of fun i am rather surprised it took so long for a sequel.

  • Avatar
    SuperCeller
    13 years ago

    Honestly, Prey is my all time favorite FPS on the 360 and the fact that it's getting a sequel is one of the most exiting things I ever heard.

  • Avatar
    G_money
    13 years ago

    I'm rather confused at the wording of this article. It seems rather obvious that this is a little more than a "hint". It full on tells you on the cover. You don't even need to know French.

  • Avatar
    Razlo TPD
    13 years ago

    Yeah I'd pretty much take this as a given that rey 2 is definitely coming (or at least, they intend to.)

    I realy enjoyed the first Prey. As a game in itself, I don't overly love it. It has good and bad points but I enjoyed it for it's full length. One thing that does stand out to me though is that intro sequence. I thought it did the whole 'Alien Abduction' thing in a very creepy and impressive manner. Regardless, Prey 2 is something I'll look forward to.

    Here's hoping it retains a lot of what made Prey fun and doesn't just turn into another 3rd person, cover-based shooter with standard-type weapons.