In a recent interview for Prey it was revealed that Prey could end up being a new horror game based on how the AI works with its abilities
Up to now Prey has been generally shown off as a nice action filled space adventure, of sorts, but since a recent interview on how some of the creatures react in the game it looks like Arkane Studios may have also made a horror game in the mix. At least if the AI of the game has anything to say about it as it looks like those Mimics in the game are not going to be scripted events but all how the game will react at will. That’s right, Prey‘s little beasts will create random jump scares and tense situations just by doing what they do in general. It’s happy little accidents like this that make most of Bethesda‘s titles just that extra level of awesome.
Of course, we shouldn’t go in thinking that Prey is going to be a true horror title in the ways that we think it all now and we shouldn’t look for blood and gore galore in the game. But as the most recent interview has shown, the creatures will turn corners and “hide” in the game just as their abilities allow so the creepy little shadow spiders will retreat and them mimic any object they choose in the room. Leaving the randomness of what could be an inanimate object and what could be a Mimic up to us to find out and deal with. Mostly by just shooting everything and hoping for the best it would seem.
Of course the game would stay in a solid horror area instead if we were constantly paranoid about everything in Prey so it looks like the team will also be setting it all up so if we just had a bunch of the beasties to deal with in one area then the next will have only a few. Of course, that doesn’t truly lower the paranoia when you think about it all but at least it isn’t all scripted as it could be. That is what I think will be the truly horror aspect as it will be different every time and for everyone. At least if the AI is done well enough so the patterns are truly random instead of a few different scripts that they could take.
Is Prey The Next Great Horror Game?
In much the same way that BioShock had its fair share of jumpscares and unsettling moments but wasn’t necessarily a horror game, Prey from Arkane Studios straddles an interesting line. While visiting the studio (that created Dishonored) for the cover story on Prey, Game Informer spoke to the game’s lead designer Ricardo Bare about whether or not the immersive game set on an alien-riddled space station will appeal to pure horror game fans.
What do you think about this new-ish revelation for Prey that we have leading it to a horror title of sorts? Does it sound like it will keep that tension from start to finish or will they have ironed it all out to keep the core feeling of the game with just some horror elements? Do you enjoy other instances of things like this in Bethesda‘ other title? Let us know your thoughts on all of this down in the comments and feel free to discuss. For more on Prey, no matter how big or small, be sure to stay right here as we’ll keep it all coming out as best we can.