Prey

"A good shooter, but with some serious flaws"

First off I'd like to say that I really enjoyed this game. However while playing through it I couldn't help but notice all of the flaws that really keep this good game from being a great game. Hopefully a sequel will be released that fixes these issues.

Graphics - 8/10
Everything in this game looks very nice, except for the environments. Characters, enemies, and weapons all look fantastic, but then when you look at the floor and the walls around you, it really takes away any realism. The effects of some of the weapons look great though.

Sound - 7/10
Nothing special here. Everything sounds the way it should, but they could have done more as far as having good background music during levels.

Gameplay - 8/10
The single player for this game is really good. The game balances between throwing enemies at you and having you solve puzzles involving switches that switch gravity and portals that teleport you. You spend a good portion of this game walking on walls and ceilings. My biggest problem is the difficulty. Even on Cherokee, you really can't die, so there isnt anything to stop you from just charging at the same enemies over and over no matter how many times they've killed you.

Multiplayer - 7/10
The multiplayer is pretty solid, although not nearly as good as some of the better fps's out there. It's more like unreal tournament than halo. What I like best about the multiplayer is the fact that ANY of the games weapons can be deadly in skilled hands. If you know what your doing, your rifle can be just as deadly as the rocket launcher. I have been hearing a lot about lag problems, although I have not experienced any and have played over 20 matches.

Story - 6/10
I found this aspect of the game to be by far the most dissapointing. In my opinion the plot is paper thin. The first 15 levels of the game are spent explaing what is apparent in the first 3. Near the end of the game there are a few plot twists, but nothing jaw dropping. Basically you are a Native American guy named Tommy who is abducted by aliens and has to save his girlfriend. Tha sums up about 75% of the games story right there.

Replayability - 6/10
You can play through on the harder difficulty, but it isnt a big difference than on normal, and you still can't die. Multiplayer is a lot of fun, but in my opinion the levels should be a little bigger and there should have been more player customization.

Overall - 7/10
If you are looking for a fun fps you will probably like this game a lot, you just have to understand that it is by no means a perfect game. If you are unsure I would definetly recommend making this one a rental.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/14/06