In today’s somewhat-annoyingly “glitchy” video, Bethesda has given us a primer on the basic gear and tools available in Prey through an in-universe “2032 Hardware Update for Talos 1,” as the narrator stammers out through static at the close of the video.
First up is your PDA, called the Transcribe. This is your main in-game menu, where you’ll manage your inventory, your ability-granting Neuromods, read and play text and audiologs and navigate through the station. It’s pretty standard stuff, but the fact that they are justifying a game mechanic with a specific in-universe piece of technology shows that Arkane hasn’t lost their lust for immersion and meticulous worldbuilding. The inventory screen shown off briefly in the video seems to be one of limited space, with grid squares to arrange things on much like Resident Evil 4 or Deus Ex. Pack rats like myself are likely going to have to make some hard decisions unless we want to jab ourselves in the eye with Neuromods until our puny muscles can carry more junk.
The video continues to detail a couple of thrown gadgets, starting with the Recycler Charge. The charge deconstructs matter into the base components needed for crafting (which will hopefully turn the prospective chore of gathering material into an amusing loop of destroying the environment to build more things with which to destroy the enemies and environment), and comes with a cool warping effect as things are sucked in and dismantled. The other thrown gadget shown is the Typhon Lure, a “psycholuminescent night-light” that will attract Typhon aliens; it can also be placed as a trap. Apparently, the effectiveness of the tool is not guaranteed, as the narrator so helpfully states that “testing whether Typhon react to psycholuminescent stimuli requires increased safety measures.” So get out there and test, guinea pig!
Also briefly discussed are the station’s Engineering Operators, floating robot workers who have shielding plates for their electronics, circuits which are stated to cause aggression when damaged. I’m sure everything will be fine!
Finally, we are shown perhaps the most interesting weapon in Prey, the Gelifoam Lattice Organism Obstructor (yeah, I looked up the spelling), or Gloo Cannon. It is demonstrated binding to and quickly immobilizing Typhon creatures so that operator can escape or follow up with a lethal attack, though in the past it has also been stated to be a tool for navigation and hazard mitigation. There’s something about the way the foam puffs out and spreads that looks satisfying, and between that and the sheer versatility, I’m sure this will become the weapon that people remember Prey for, like Half-Life 2’s Gravity Gun. This will surely make the nightmare of its development worth it.
Prey is out in one month, on May 5th. Until then, I’ll be sure to jump on any new videos or previews Arkane or Bethesda put out, and keep a lookout for my review once the game drops.
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