Seven Trials?

I finished Prey on the 360 last night. Quite an old game now but available very cheap. It's not bad but a little disorientating when the floor can suddenly become the ceiling. None of the puzzles are actually that difficult but it can sometimes be hard to actually see where you're supposed to be going.

Anyway that's not really what I'm writing about... the bit that confused me more is a short level right near the end where you meet up with your spirit Grandpa. In it he tells me I must complete seven trials but strangely I never found these, neither were they ever mentioned again. In fact within around half an hour of being told about this I'd finished the game. Maybe the game was intended to be longer and these trials didn't make the final version? Maybe the developers thought I wouldn't notice? Anyone know what the old fool was on about?

"Earth's savior doesn't want the job." There are worse jobs on the GAMEOV3R Forum believe me...

Down on your knees and...

...PREY?

If you have a 360, like FPS games, and have yet to experience PREY, where have you been? You may have been in the same place I was. I was on Planet Yysiab. No that's not one of the planets from Geometry Wars Galaxies, it's Planet Yea Yea Seen It All Before. I was so completely nonplussed by 3D Realms offering that despite buying it because it was cheap I still didn't play it. That is until about 4 weeks ago when, inspired by a returning interested in FPS games, I decided to give it some of my attention.

If Venom Games decided that PREY was going to get into training for the Beijing Olympic Games it's chosen event would be high diving. PREY would go straight for the highest board and it's first attempt at a flying forward one-and-a-half somersaults pike would earn it straight 9's. Easily.

Vertigo is not something that PREY has a problem with. Prey prefers to stand at great heights, play with gravity and generally mess with your head. I was in awe of this game's use of gravity when I first walked up a wall and then stood on the ceiling firing round after round at the alien invaders. Certain large rooms contain new born planets, very Magrathea, and once you get yourself onto one the gravity changes, relative to the size of the sphere you're on. It's very elegant and seeing the main chamber from all angles while you run around the baby planet blasting aliens is a lot of fun.

The main character, Tommy, has the special ability to Spirit Walk and to visit the Spirit World. He is a Cherokee after all. Ok, so it's a bit cheesy but it works incredibly well and adds a fresh element to the game. When Spirit walking you are separated from Tommy's body and can go where Tommy normally couldn't go. This adds plenty of opportunity for puzzles and little bit of thinking outside the box for the player. If Tommy loses all his energy he's returned to the spirit world where you play a mini game shooting red and blue spirit wraiths to try to return your health and spirit levels before returning to the real world. This all keeps the story flowing along nicely and I personally enjoyed it far more that just restarting at the last check point.

Built on Unreal technology the levels are both gorgeous to look at and superbly designed. If you've ever looked at one of M.C. Escher's' impossible pictures you'll know what to expect with PREY's levels. The only difference is that there are more aliens that you have to destroy in Prey.

PREY isn't particularly challenging if you're into FPS games but it's a gaming experience well worth playing. The only area that seems to cause players difficulty is the cube puzzle on level 16. I can honestly say I was out of the cube and back to adventuring and blasting within minutes. It's really not difficult at all and just requires a bit of spatial awareness.

There are moments in this game so awesome that you will stop playing and stare goggle eyed at what's happening on screen. The rest of the time you'll be adventuring and blasting and loving every minute.

I've seen PREY in Gamestation for £7.99 so, while you wait for GEARS 2, do yourself a favour and walk the spirit walk. You won't regret it.