[OpenMaw]

Let's show the original Prey some love. A game from an era when 3D Realms was on a path of absolute ass kickery and could have taken themselves to the tippiest top with just a few different choices. Let's talk about the game that saw probably just as much shift in tech, tone, look, and feel before finally releasing many years after it's conception (nearly 10 if i'm counting right. 1997 to 2006?)

We'll start with the best, the obvious:




I find it very interesting that the level of ambition was so high that they were calling this the FIRST game, implying they would make more Prey games, that it wouldn't just be an off shoot.



The child-like glee of the interviewer here. I love the look and feel of this game. It's almost as much of a crime that this was just disbanded and tossed away as the 98 and 01 versions of DNF.

They were really pushing boundaries for 1998 here. I would love to know just how much was done when this version was junked. I feel so bad for these guys. It's obvious just looking at it they put a lot of work and love into it.

What other OG Prey content do we have?

[OpenMaw]

The 1997 interview which, hearing the direction intended for 3D Realms at that time it's just... Man. It sounds like they had their direction in perspective.

[jkas789]

I actually finished a play through of Prey early this year and I must say it still holds up really well! I especially like the level design and overall atmosphere. Weapons are kinda meh though. i Dig the organic look however I think they could have done better.

[cybdmn]

OpenMaw, on 05 January 2020 - 05:39 AM, said:

(nearly 10 if i'm counting right. 1997 to 2006?)

AFAIR development for Prey started right after the release of ROTT. It was rather disappointing to see how far the final released game differs from the concept of the 90ies 3DR Prey. No Talon Brave anymore, just this generic guy named Tommy. I never actually finished it.

[jkas789]

To be fair, Tommy is still a indigenous american (Is that what you call them? Im not american so I genuinely don't know.) so I don't think anything more was lost in the design of the protagonist.

[NightFright]

He mentions Duke Nukem Forever without having the slightest clue about its fate and what kinda mess Randy will turn it into 14 years later. Kinda tragic when you watch that video with this info in mind.

[MusicallyInspired]

I recall the original description of Prey being about an indigenous American who's a successful businessman "striking against the stereotypes." I'm glad they never went that route.

[Sanek]

I liked Tommy, he was a cool hero. I played the original Prey a very long time (I don't think that I ever played it since the year of it's release) and while I liked the game, I don't think I want to play in it's entirety ever again. There's some tedious and not-fun-for-me spots here and there, and I'll skip some of the levels if'd ever gave it a second shot.

But anyway, I liked Prey a lot. Too bad that the press didn't like it and the whole game became obsolete once Portal came out. Still, I consider Prey as the last "true" title from 3D Realms, not DNF.

[MusicallyInspired]

I still haven't finished it actually. Need to get back on that. I thought the story was wonderfully fascinating. Having the spirit world linked to aliens was a really cool move. It also had more than one great gameplay highlight. It had portals before Portal, walking on walls/ceilings was cool, and the spirit world and the fact that death =/= game over. I have to finish it someday.

[NightFright]

What was fun about Prey was the fact that you basically don't die. It just depends on how much spirit and life you recover in the spirit world before you go back. If you do well, you stand a better chance against what finished you off before. However, I remember the final boss fight was an insane spirit world festival. But still a good idea to maintain gameflow without quicksave/quickload abuse.