E3 2011: Prey 2 Preview

Walking out of the Elder Scrolls V demonstration, my expectations when it comes to demos had been set pretty high. How was I supposed to get excited about Rage or Bethesda's other shooter, Prey 2? It turns out, my skepticism was premature because the demonstration for Prey 2 ranks among the best games I have seen at this years E3. While many people will question the choice to associate this title with a practically irrelevant IP, nothing could have prepared me for the onslaught of fresh game-play mechanics that permeate this title.

While Prey 2 may share a title with the game that came out several years ago, the only thing tying the events of this game to the previous iteration is a cameo appearance from the original game's protagonist. Gone are portals and spirit walking and in it's place, an innovative concoction that can only be described as a cross between Mirror's Edge, Batman Arkham Asylum, and Oddworld Stranger's Wrath. Do I have your attention yet?

In Prey 2, players control Killian Samuels, a U.S. Air Marshall who is abducted by aliens during the same event that kicked off the original game. After waking up with a severe case of Amnesia on an alien planet known as Exodus, Samuels eventually makes a name for himself as a rogue bounty hunter. It is this concept that makes up the core concept of Prey 2 and ultimately makes it so innovative. Being a bounty hunter, Samuels is free to accept or decline bounties at will based on the reward payout and the long or short term benefits to the player. Objectives will differ from bounty to bounty and NPC's can oftentimes become clients depending on the players attitude towards said character.

Perhaps most notably, Prey 2 ditches a linear game structure in favor of a full open-world to explore. All of which is fully rendered in a stylish, "alien-noir" (dubbed by Human Head) visual style. Going into this demonstration, I was most skeptical of how open a "Bladerunner-esque" world can be in a video game and luckily, segments of this neon city are strung together logically and smoothly. Not only is this world large and open for exploration, it is also surprisingly vertical, allowing players to navigate the world using a "parkour" system. Players can now scamper up walls, jump across chasms, and grab onto ledges which adds a bit of challenge and intensity to chase sequences.

After tracking down targets using a slick environmental scanner, players will be able to choose the best way to approach the situation. Since your gun is holstered by default, unholstering your firearm will often be interpreted by NPC's as a threat and will result in panic and aggression. In the demonstration, the bounty (who was wanted alive) took off running after being approached in a bar at gun point. Samuels took off running, taking out thugs, climbing onto ledges, and leaping without hesitation with some nifty hover boots. While hanging from ledges, it is also possible to shoot with one hand while using the ledge as cover from oncoming fire. After finally catching up to his target, Samuels was able to incapacitate his "PREY" in a bubble while he decided whether to take him alive, interrogate him for information, or kill him. To add an extra layer of depth to this encounter, bounties will often try to bargain for their freedom with information, valuable contacts, or money. Depending on who the client is and how the player chooses to portray himself, the decision may not be black and white. In the demo, the developer chose to honor his promise and teleported his bounty back to his client in a flash of light. This entire sequence was absolutely stunning visually and completely seamless.

A game like Prey 2 will most likely suffer thanks to its association with the Prey brand but there is no denying that the mechanics and presentation of this game is top notch. Instead of relying solely on tired FPS mechanics, Prey 2 provides choice and engaging environment traversal in a fresh new way. Human Head was only able to confirm a 2012 release window but I can assure fans of Science Fiction and video game innovation in general that the wait will be worth it.