Prey Creative Director Confirms DLC Plans, Talks Longevity and Playstyle

Prey 2017

Creative Director Raphael Colantonio of Arkane Studios spoke with AListDaily at a recent New York City demo event regarding their imminent release, Prey.

Among the many things discussed was Prey’s replayability and its similarity to other recent titles. Regarding the former, Colantonio had the following to say:

“It’s impossible to see all the alien powers in one playthrough…so, you would have to play again and get different powers. Also, at some point, the story branches and you have choose between doing one thing or another thing. They’re mutually exclusive, so you can’t do both. So, replaying is a way to see what happens if you make a different choice. There are also a few other mutually exclusive quests that have nothing to do with the ending.”

This happily addresses one of the concerns I had about the game going in, and falls in line with Arkane’s design philosophy in the past with the Dishonored series.

Regarding his comment about the game being more like BioShock than Resident Evil, Colantonio elaborated:

We have some horror elements, but that’s not what the game is trying to do. It’s not trying to be a survival horror game—it’s more like a plain survival game where you have to escape this place. We’re not trying to creep you out with gore and horrific moments. Although there are horrific moments, the goal is to put you in a simulation where you get to explore this place and find the best way to survive.

The word “simulation” comes up a few more times, and seems to indicate once again that Arkane is ensuring the game remains compelling and enjoyable throughout by creating an environment of interlocking gameplay systems that can be experimented with, manipulated and exploited, but retains a sense of unpredictability and discovery.

Colantonio also assured that they will taking full advantage of the story and setting, stating that “When a player finally finds the answers to a question, we start another mystery, so they always want to know more. The horror is more of an aside than the goal…”

This philosophy helps reinforce the “BioShock” assertion even further, given that that series was itself a successor to the System Shock games, sci-fi FPS/RPGs that weaved compelling stories and tantalizing mysteries while always keeping the tension taut. Prey seems to be continuing this tradition, opting for a player-driven story that is more about each individual’s journey and experiences as they unravel the enigmas of Talos 1.

Regarding DLC, Colantonio confirmed that the team plans to support the game with both updates and new content, though he stated that “[w]e don’t have any plans to announce yet…” Probably for the better, given the controversy that always follows announcing your DLC before the base game releases.

Prey is out next Friday, May 5th, and we’re excited to bring you our review. In the meantime, why not check out the demo for the game, available tomorrow?

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