Prey Preview

[bapenguin]

Shacknews (http://www.shacknews.com/) has a hands on preview (http://www.shacknews.com/extras/2006/020606_prey_1.x) as well as screenshots (http://www.shacknews.com/screens.x/prey/Prey/1/thumbs/060206_prey_02.jpg) of the upcoming PC/Xbox 360 shooter Prey. One of the game's unique features is the portal system.

This really wouldn't be Prey without crazy interspatial portals, the technology featured prominently in the original E3 videos. Basically, portals are 2D windows that open up in space, through which another area is visible. They can be shot through or walked through, as well. There seems to be a large degree of versatility in the portals' use. One room daisy chains a whole string of invisible portals at all sorts of angles, resulting in something like a crazy house of mirrors maze. It's possible not only to see yourself in the interconnected portals (from varying angles) but to follow yourself, and even shoot yourself through the portals as well (pro tip from the devs: "If you end up following yourself, you're going the wrong way."). Think of Halo's Chiron TL-34 multiplayer map, but much less stupid. And also on acid.
Release Date: 06/06/2006 (PC (http://www.gametab.com/pc/prey/4071/), XBox360)

Lots of hype around this one lately. Still a bit off though.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Hasnt this stuff been posted numerous times already? PORTALS!!!!!???!!!!! /cough

[baz]

I'm starting to get keen as a bean for this, sounds like its going to be fun, and fun is all I asked for in a FPS.

[Suicidal ShiZuru]

Its probably going to be too serious though. Although alien abductions kind of defy that aspect... but spirits and indians... cant wait for this game to get sued too.

[Akeldama]

The reasons there's a lot of coverage at the moment, including our preview at Boomtown (http://pc.boomtown.net/en_uk/articles/art.view.php?id=10514), is that Human Head's Tim Gerritsen recently carried out a press tour and the NDA ended yesterday. I met Tim the day after that whole "3D Realms has no Xbox 360 dev kits" story and he was very bemused by it, as Human Head has 10 kits and the 360 version is nearly complete.

Re the Native American stuff, it seems very respectful to me when I played the game, I don't think there's likely to be any worries about legal action.

[kokyunage]

It looks exactly like Q4 to me. Maybe the game is just FUN to play. Either way I'll wait until more information/reviews are available.

[XxSATANxX]

Re the Native American stuff, it seems very respectful to me when I played the game, I don't think there's likely to be any worries about legal action.

Playing GUN now. For fucks sake it's fine. They did not file ANY legal action they just pissed and moaned over what appears to be nothing.

[F3nyx]

It looks exactly like Q4 to me. Maybe the game is just FUN to play. Either way I'll wait until more information/reviews are available.It looks tons more interesting than Q4. Well-implemented portals, artificial gravity puzzles and miniature planetoids, living weapons (you can see these little three-legged Snark-like creatures in the video -- rip off a leg and toss them like a grenade, or enclose them in a membrane and launch them at high speed), the Native American aspect, genuinely gruesome and alien enemies (as opposed to the Strogg), jawdroppingly weird scenes like an "abducted" jumbo jet flying through the alien base and the little girl getting possessed. I'm not sure how you can even begin to compare that kind of innovation to Q4's bland, derivative gameplay.