# Prey (2017 video game)
**Prey** is a first-person action-adventure game developed by [Arkane Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/arkane-studios) and published by [Bethesda Softworks](https://www.edgepedia.org/bethesda-softworks), released on May 5, 2017 for Windows, PlayStation 4, and [Xbox One](https://www.edgepedia.org/xbox-one).[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) The player controls Morgan Yu, a scientist aboard the Talos I space station, which has been overrun by the Typhon, an alien species capable of mimicking everyday objects.[2](https://www.metacritic.com/game/prey/) The game is an example of the immersive sim genre, a style of game that combines first-person shooting and role-playing elements with simulated, layered systems that allow multiple solutions to each problem.[3](https://blog.playstation.com/2017/03/02/the-developers-of-prey-love-when-players-improvise/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Developer / publisher | Arkane Studios (Austin); Bethesda Softworks[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) |
| Release | May 5, 2017; Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) |
| Setting | Talos I, a space station between Earth and the Moon, in an alternate history where President Kennedy survived his assassination[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) • [4](https://time.com/4769912/prey-review/) |
| Protagonist | Morgan Yu, an amnesiac scientist; the game opens shortly after neuromods are ripped out of the character's brain[5](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/prey-review/1900-6416678/) |
| Antagonists | The Typhon, amorphous black aliens whose Mimics disguise themselves as inanimate objects[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) |
| Signature tool | The GLOO gun, firing rapid-hardening foam used for traversal, blocking hazards, and disabling enemies[6](https://www.wired.com/story/prey-2017-hands-on-preview/) |
| Expansion | Prey: Mooncrash, a paid expansion released in 2017[7](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/10024/905991/2/Kullas_Lauri.pdf) |
| Price and rating | $60 at launch; ESRB M for Mature[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) |
## Setting and story
The game takes place on Talos I, a towering space station hovering between Earth and the Moon, built in an alternate history as a joint Soviet-American effort and later incorporated into the near-future of 2030.[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) The premise rests on an alternate timeline in which President Kennedy survived his assassination.[4](https://time.com/4769912/prey-review/)
The story opens in an apparently ordinary San Francisco apartment, which is revealed to be an elaborate simulation; Morgan Yu wakes with forced amnesia and must piece together events through a prerecorded self-message, emails, notes, and audio logs scattered through the station.[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) • [4](https://time.com/4769912/prey-review/) Morgan helped develop Neuromods, a Typhon-based technology that gives humans the power to enhance their own abilities.[5](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/prey-review/1900-6416678/) Morgan's brother Alex and a guide voice named January frame the mystery, in a setup reviewers compared to BioShock and Half-Life.[8](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/05/10/prey-review/)
## Gameplay
**Immersive sim design.** Creative director Raphael Colantonio described Prey as a combination of [Dishonored](https://www.edgepedia.org/dishonored) for its systems and simulation, Arx Fatalis for structure and crafting, and [System Shock](https://www.edgepedia.org/system-shock) for its RPG elements and mood, tracing the lineage back to Looking Glass and Origin in the 1990s.[3](https://blog.playstation.com/2017/03/02/the-developers-of-prey-love-when-players-improvise/) The design philosophy simulates as many systems and outcomes as possible, layered on top of each other rather than scripted in isolation, so that every problem has multiple solutions: a player can take stairs, activate a gravlift, or use the GLOO gun to build impromptu platforms up an elevator shaft.[8](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/05/10/prey-review/)
**Neuromods and powers.** Abilities are bought with Neuromods, injected through the eye with a large syringe-gun, which rewrite Morgan's memories to add capabilities such as hacking, repairing, lifting heavy objects, and, after scanning Typhon creatures, alien powers like shapeshifting into objects and telekinesis.[6](https://www.wired.com/story/prey-2017-hands-on-preview/) • [8](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/05/10/prey-review/) Typhon powers are entirely optional, and the game can be completed without using a single one.[8](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/05/10/prey-review/) Reviewers noted that the game strongly hints, as Dishonored did, that Typhon powers lead to tragedy, and choosing which upgrades to commit to carries a heavy opportunity cost.[9](https://www.pcworld.com/article/406693/prey-pc-review-system-shocks-spirit-lives-in-this-mammoth-intertwined-space-station.html) • [1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/)
**Survival pressure.** The early game deliberately makes the player feel vulnerable, arming Morgan with only a wrench and the GLOO gun, and ammunition remains scarce enough that blasting through every problem is rarely viable.[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) Typhon enemies include Mimics that disguise themselves as everyday items and lunge with surprise attacks, tall shadowy Phantoms capable of elemental attacks, and larger threats; the station's own turrets and defenses can also be turned against the player.[1](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/) • [8](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/05/10/prey-review/) Nearly every object in the station, from crumpled paper to biohazard waste, can be transformed into raw material by recycling units and rebuilt into useful items at fabricators.[4](https://time.com/4769912/prey-review/)
## The name controversy
The 2017 game shares its name with a well-received 2006 sci-fi shooter about a Native American man abducted by aliens, and with a famously canceled [Prey 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/prey-2) sequel; Arkane's game has next to nothing in common with either.[10](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/former-bethesda-marketing-vp-says-he-fought-against-reusing-the-prey-name-for-arkanes-2017-immersive-sim-i-definitely-pissed-some-people-off-internally-over-that/) • [11](https://www.the-independent.com/games/prey-review-2017-ps4-xbox-one-pc-a7773616.html) The project rose from the ashes of the canceled Prey 2, which Human Head Studios had been making before Bethesda rebooted the project and assigned Arkane Austin to it.[12](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/prey-boss-talks-influences-aliens-pc-version-and-m/1100-6449757/) A former Bethesda marketing vice president later said he fought internally against reusing the Prey name for the game.[10](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/former-bethesda-marketing-vp-says-he-fought-against-reusing-the-prey-name-for-arkanes-2017-immersive-sim-i-definitely-pissed-some-people-off-internally-over-that/)
## Reception
Critical reception was divided. Some reviewers ranked it among the strongest games of 2017; one PC review called it a strong contender for 2017's Game of the Year and praised the meticulous construction of Talos I.[14](https://www.metacritic.com/game/prey/critic-reviews/?platform=pc) • [9](https://www.pcworld.com/article/406693/prey-pc-review-system-shocks-spirit-lives-in-this-mammoth-intertwined-space-station.html) Others found it derivative: The Guardian wrote that nearly everything good about Prey was pulled from a game released in the decade before it, and a GameSpot reviewer judged that next to immersive sim contemporaries such as Dishonored it felt stagnant.[15](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/08/prey-review-sci-fi-shooter-bioshock-dead-space-dishonored-bethesda) • [16](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/prey-2017-review-roundup/1100-6450002/) Common criticisms included dimwitted AI on some Typhon, lengthy load times, and weak human character models.[8](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/05/10/prey-review/)
A 2025 retrospective in [PC Gamer](https://www.edgepedia.org/pc-gamer) argued that Prey merged [Half-Life 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/half-life-2)'s novel use of physics with the play-your-own-way ambition of the immersive sim and does not get enough credit for it.[18](https://www.pcgamer.com/2017s-prey-is-the-true-spiritual-sequel-to-half-life-2/)
## Sales and legacy
Prey's sales were judged disappointing relative to its critical reception, a gap noted when Microsoft closed Arkane Austin in May 2024 following the poor launch of Redfall.[19](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2024/05/07/arkane-austin-tango-gameworks-microsoft-ferme-quatre-de-ses-studios-de-developpement-de-jeux-video_6232087_4408996.html) The game made appearances on many Best of 2017 lists, and after its release creative director Raphael Colantonio left Arkane to found WolfEye Studios.[20](https://higround.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5-Key-Moments-in-Arkane-History.pdf) • [21](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-last-time-i-liked-everything-about-a-game-was-probably-baldurs-gate-3-raphael-colantonio-co-founder-of-arkane-studios-talks-us-through-the-games-installed-on-his-pc/) Ken Levine, creative director of [Ghost Story Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/ghost-story-games), has called Prey and Dishonored two of his favorite games of all time.[19](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2024/05/07/arkane-austin-tango-gameworks-microsoft-ferme-quatre-de-ses-studios-de-developpement-de-jeux-video_6232087_4408996.html) A Thief designer has cited [Dishonored 2](https://www.edgepedia.org/dishonored-2) and Prey as landmark immersive sims backed by a big publisher, while arguing the genre's audience is too small for AAA budgets.[22](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/thief-designer-says-that-the-immersive-sim-audience-is-too-small-for-aaa-games-theres-quite-a-few-of-us-who-think-the-way-to-do-it-is-be-iii-or-aa/)
## References
1. [Prey impressions: Underpowered and loving it, Ars Technica (Kyle Orland, May 5, 2017)](https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/05/hands-on-in-prey-youll-love-being-weak-vulnerable-and-hunted/)
2. [Prey Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/prey/)
3. [The Developers of Prey Love When Players Improvise, PlayStation.Blog (Raphael Colantonio, March 2, 2017)](https://blog.playstation.com/2017/03/02/the-developers-of-prey-love-when-players-improvise/)
4. [Review: 'Prey' Is a Beautiful Retread of Old Sci-Fi Shooter Tropes, TIME (May 10, 2017)](https://time.com/4769912/prey-review/)
5. [Prey Review, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/prey-review/1900-6416678/)
6. [Prey review: a jarring mix tape of other games, WIRED (May 12, 2017)](https://www.wired.com/story/prey-2017-hands-on-preview/)
7. [Lauri Kullas, thesis on immersive sims, Theseus](https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/10024/905991/2/Kullas_Lauri.pdf)
8. [Prey Review, TheSixthAxis (May 10, 2017)](https://www.thesixthaxis.com/2017/05/10/prey-review/)
9. [Prey (PC) review, PCWorld](https://www.pcworld.com/article/406693/prey-pc-review-system-shocks-spirit-lives-in-this-mammoth-intertwined-space-station.html)
10. [Former Bethesda marketing VP says he fought against reusing the Prey name, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/former-bethesda-marketing-vp-says-he-fought-against-reusing-the-prey-name-for-arkanes-2017-immersive-sim-i-definitely-pissed-some-people-off-internally-over-that/)
11. [Prey review: Discovering the familiar, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/games/prey-review-2017-ps4-xbox-one-pc-a7773616.html)
12. [Prey Boss Talks Influences, Aliens, PC Version, And More, GameSpot (Eddie Makuch, May 5, 2017)](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/prey-boss-talks-influences-aliens-pc-version-and-m/1100-6449757/)
13. ['Prey' Is a Very Good Sci-Fi Shooter You've Played Before (So Far), TIME (May 5, 2017)](https://time.com/4769176/prey-first-impressions/)
14. [Prey critic reviews (PC), Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/prey/critic-reviews/?platform=pc)
15. [Prey review: sci-fi shooter mashup is less than sum of its parts, The Guardian (May 8, 2017)](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/08/prey-review-sci-fi-shooter-bioshock-dead-space-dishonored-bethesda)
16. [Prey (2017) Review Roundup, GameSpot](https://www.gamespot.com/articles/prey-2017-review-roundup/1100-6450002/)
17. [The top 100 PC games, PC Gamer (2025)](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/the-top-100-pc-games-2025/)
18. [2017's Prey is the true spiritual sequel to Half-Life 2, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/2017s-prey-is-the-true-spiritual-sequel-to-half-life-2/)
19. [Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks... Microsoft ferme quatre de ses studios, Le Monde (May 7, 2024)](https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2024/05/07/arkane-austin-tango-gameworks-microsoft-ferme-quatre-de-ses-studios-de-developpement-de-jeux-video_6232087_4408996.html)
20. [5 Key Moments in Arkane History, Higround](https://higround.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/5-Key-Moments-in-Arkane-History.pdf)
21. [Raphael Colantonio talks us through the games installed on his PC, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/the-last-time-i-liked-everything-about-a-game-was-probably-baldurs-gate-3-raphael-colantonio-co-founder-of-arkane-studios-talks-us-through-the-games-installed-on-his-pc/)
22. [Thief designer says that the immersive sim audience is too small for AAA games, PC Gamer](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/sim/thief-designer-says-that-the-immersive-sim-audience-is-too-small-for-aaa-games-theres-quite-a-few-of-us-who-think-the-way-to-do-it-is-be-iii-or-aa/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Video games and digital play › Games and gameplay › Individual game titles › Individual PlayStation-platform game titles › Shooter games*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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