Prey, Arkane Austin’s masterpiece, still deserves your attention
polygon.comA brutal year of gaming industry layoffs has led to the unceremonious closure of studios that many believed to be the definition of successful. There’s a lot of ink worth spilling on each studio, but one closure that stood out to me was Arkane Austin, which Microsoft said on Tuesday would close its doors. (The French side of the business, Arkane Lyon, will continue on.)
Arkane Austin was behind one of the best games of the last decade: Prey. Prey is a testament to human imagination, and one of the best immersive sims ever made.
Set in an alternate history, Prey puts players in the role of Morgan Yu, a researcher freshly recruited to work on the space station Talos I. Morgan begins a battery of medical tests and procedures when a Typhon – one of the alien antagonists, made of black goo and malice – attacks one of the supervising medical personnel. Morgan awakes once again, back in their own apartment, but quickly realizes that this is a simulation. In a phenomenal sequence, Morgan then shatters the window of their apartment and steps into Talos I to find the station deserted and full of dead bodies.
While this classic horror setup is stylish, the true genius of Prey emerges once Morgan acquires a few tools to get around the station. Much like a Metroidvania, there are plenty of locked doors and barred paths, and only by acquiring new upgrades and backtracking can Morgan find all of Talos’ secrets. Morgan’s progression triggers the arrival of tougher Typhons, but even the basic Mimic – which can disguise itself as anything it pleases – is a threat.
My favorite tool is the Gloo Cannon, a massive gun that shoots out quick-drying foam globs. Gloo can be used to seal up a fire, create a bunch of stairs for sneaky platforming, or trap foes by drowning them in Gloo. It’s a non-lethal weapon, but who cares? Sometimes utility is much more exciting than ultra-violence. Prey is a fantastic immersive sim because the player has so many options, including using Neuromods to
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