Prey (Xbox 360 & PC)
- June 29, 2006 18:14 PM PST
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We're not going to be modest on this one: Prey might be the top action game of the year. Its unique mind-bending level design, quirky weapons, and sublime presentation make it the rarest of all games -- a must-play.
Deathmatch gets a whole new perspective with Prey's wall walking
3DRealms's fingerprints are all over Prey. The Garland, Texas-based developer -- best known for the ground-breaking, wise-cracking Duke Nukem games -- is known for fortifying its games with eye-catching details and memorable minutea. And though the 3DRealms developers didn't directly design Prey, their influence is unmistakable.
Sniping is an important gameplay element
Case in point: not two minutes into Prey, you find yourself in a dingy back-alley bathroom. The commode is fully functional; the condom machine is broken; the mirror gives an accurate reflection. While these opening scenes are unnervingly realistic, the rest of the game takes a complete 180 degree twist by plunging you into a surreal, nightmarish world where the normal rules -- gravity, space, time -- no longer apply.
The Sun beam is a phenomenally powerful variation of the Leech gun
Pay to Prey
The gameplay starts as Tommy, the Native-American protagonist, is sucked into a mysterious alien spacecraft. Inside the massive ship, which is nearly as big as the moon, the walls ripple with musculature and mucous membranes. It won't take long for you to grasp how technologically advanced Prey's graphics are, and it's no surprise: the game is built upon a tweaked version of id Software's innovative Doom 3 engine. All those technical advantages still apply in Prey, so you'll see eye-poppingly realistic lighting and shadow effects, superior bump mapping, and dazzling particles. Make no mistake: Prey is an absolutely gorgeous game, and not just on a purely technical level.
The special effects are simply stunning
Portal technology is one of Prey's key innovations
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