Prey is a first-person shooter video game developed by
Human Head Studios, under contract for 3D
Realms, and published by 2K
Games, while the Xbox
360 version was ported by
Venom Games. The game was initially released in
North America and
Europe on 11 July
2006. Prey uses a heavily modified version of id Tech 4 to use portals and variable gravity to create the environments the player explores.
The game's story is focused on
Cherokee Domasi "
Tommy" Tawodi as he, his girlfriend, and grandfather are abducted aboard an alien spaceship known as
The Sphere as it consumes material, both inanimate and living, from
Earth in order to sustain itself.
Tommy's Cherokee past allows him to let his spirit roam freely at times, and gives Tommy an edge in his attempt to stop the
Sphere.
Prey had been in development in one form or another since
1995, and has had several major revisions. While the general approach to gameplay, including the use of portals, remained in the game, the story and setting changed several times. The game received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success, selling more than one million copies in the first two months of its release and leading to the abortive development of a sequel.
Prey is a first-person shooter with the player in control of the protagonist Tommy as he explores the gigantic extra-terrastial craft Sphere and fights its inhabitants aboard. During the game, the player will collect a number of alien weapons, some comparable to typical first-person shooter archetypes, others more alien in behavior.
The game's engine introduces two unique aspects to exploration.
Portals in the game can transport the player from one area to another instantly; portals can be looked and shot through and can also be traveled in reverse. Unlike the later game
Portal, the player cannot create portals directly without the use of mods,[2] and portals remain fixed in space. The game also features variable gravity.
Special paths allow the player to walk along them, remaining upright regardless of orientation, though should the player fall or voluntarily jump off the path, gravity will reassert itself. Small planetoids inside The Sphere can also exhibit their own gravity fields, allowing the player to walk completely around the outside of it.
The player can detach Tommy's spirit from his body, allowing the spirit to roam freely for a short time. The spirit has limited interaction with the environment, though it is able to activate control panels and can use a spirit bow to strike at foes. The spirit force is often used to solve environmental puzzles within the game as well as to locate paths that are not visible to mortal eyes.
Two vehicles make an appearance; one is a flying vehicle used frequently for travel and attacking (as well as puzzle solving), and one is only used for a short period near the end of the game.
The bar that the game begins in is interactive, with usable restroom facilities, a TV with various channels (including a clip from
Duck and Cover), a fully playable Pac-Man-style game called
Rune Man (referring to a previous game by
Human Head entitled Rune), several video casino machines (including blackjack, draw poker, and a slot machine), and a jukebox that plays a small selection of licensed songs.
Built on an enhanced
Doom 3 engine, the most impressive
3D engine used in a released game.
Portal technology adds a new dimension to gameplay, allowing enemies to appear out of thin air and create new and completely original puzzles and gameplay styles.
Several never-before-seen gameplay elements such as
Spirit Walking,
Wall Walking, and Deathwalk. Highly organic, living environment that itself can attack Tommy.
Tommy's sidekick, a spiritual hawk, can help him fight enemies and decipher the alien language of the living ship.
Multiplayer game support that takes advantage of the unique gameplay styles in Prey.
Minimum and Recommended Requirements:
CPU:
Pentium 4/Athlon XP or better
CPU
Speed: 2 GHz
RAM: 512 MB
OS:
Windows 2000/XP
Video Card:
100%
DirectX 9.0c compatible 64MB video card with latest manufacturer drivers (
NVIDIA GeForce3+ /
ATI Radeon 9600+)
DirectX version: DirectX 9.0c (included)
Sound Card:
Yes
Free Disk
Space: 2.2GB of uncompressed free hard drive space
CD-ROM: 8X CD-ROM
CPU: Pentium 4/Athlon XP or better
CPU Speed: 2.5 GHz
RAM: 1 GB
OS: Windows 2000/XP
Video Card: 128 MB
ATI Radeon X800 series,
NVIDIA GeForce 6800 series or higher video card
DirectX version: DirectX 9.0c (included)
Sound Card: Yes
Free Disk Space: 2.2GB of uncompressed free hard drive space
CD-ROM: 8X CD-ROM
- published: 17 Oct 2015
- views: 301