The sequel to Prey has had a problematic development but soon the game will finally see the light of day. Having passed from one developer to the other, we now find Prey in the capable hands of Arkane Studios. They are the team behind the critically acclaimed Dishonored series, now backed by heavyweight publisher Bethesda.

In Prey you will play as Morgan Yu, a volunteer for morally dubious experiments being performed on the space station Talos One. These experiments are designed to improve the human race but when aliens attack, Yu will have no choice but to use their newfound abilities to survive.

It’s a great premise, and one that came with a great reveal trailer. At first, we see Morgan awaking day after day, donning his spacesuit and worriedly inspecting his right eye as it grows redder and redder. Sinister figures in hazmat suits and the shadow of a gigantic monster soon follow, the trailer ending with Morgan quite literally talking to himself.

Arkane have been reluctant to label Prey as survival horror, and that final detail marks Prey as something more cerebral. It looks to be a psychological horror, as much about what is happening in Morgan’s mind as what is happening on the ship.

Now news outlets are starting to get a hands-on look at the game. Arkane has described the game’s style as a mix as a combination of System Shock and Metroid, and it shows. Smoky aliens, the tense navigation of gloomy corridors, futuristic weaponry – it’s all there. The GLOO gun, which fires epoxy and locks the agile extraterrestrials in place, is my personal favourite. That being said, Prey seems like a game that will value brains over brawn. The aliens can be killed, but weapons are in short supply.

Narrative is another important component of Prey. Morgan Yu is so named because you can choose at the beginning whether you want to be a man or a woman. This choice, among others, will affect the outcome of the game.

When Prey is finally released, we will hopefully see something like Dishonored but different, a game with plenty of mechanics that can be combined for innovative and enjoyable gameplay. One of these mechanics sees you transform into a cup and bounce through a hole in the wall, I kid you not.

If Arkane has more tricks like these up their sleeves, then Prey could very well be the game of 2017.

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