Prey 2 formally announced for 2012

Human Head Studios will deliver the sequel to its mind-bending shooter to PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2012, publisher Bethesda has announced.

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We'd heard little of Prey 2 since it was confirmed back in May 2008, until today's announcement from publisher Bethesda Softworks that it'll be released for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2012.

Creator Human Head Studios is developing the sequel to its gravity-flipping, mind-boggling shooter upon an unspecified version of the id Tech engine. One can only hope that it'll be the Rage-powering id Tech 5, giving us gruesome and disturbing organic architecture rendered in greater detail than ever. The original Prey used id Tech 4, the Doom 3

"We are thrilled to be working with Bethesda on Prey 2," project lead Chris Rhinehart said in today's announcement. "Prey 2 will provide gamers the opportunity to explore a new facet of the Prey universe, one that offers fast-paced action in an open, alien world. We're excited to show gamers the title we have been working on and hope they will be as excited by this title as we are."

Bethesda and id's parent company ZeniMax Media acquired the rights to Prey in 2009.

More details are due in the May issues of Official Xbox Magazine and PlayStation: The Official Magazine.

Back in 2008, Prey 2 was said to see star Tommy framed for the disappearance of his family and girlfriend ("aliens did it" presumably being a poor excuse), escaping "an Earth that no longer wants him for a future that cannot survive without him." A lot can change in three years, though.

From The Chatty
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    March 14, 2011 8:00 AM

    Comment on Prey 2 formally announced for 2012, by Alice O'Connor.

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      March 14, 2011 8:14 AM

      If prey had delivered on time, it would have been a hell of a game. But being delayed as it was, FPS gaming had evolved to the point where prey just wasn't that special.

      I still enjoyed it, however.

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        March 14, 2011 8:37 AM

        [deleted]

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          March 14, 2011 9:26 AM

          The original game was announced, I want to say, in the mid 90's. I remember my friend telling me it was going to have "portals" and that was an impressive video game tech when it was announced. That should tell you how old it is.

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            March 14, 2011 11:03 AM

            yeah wasn't American McGee working on that when he left id?

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            March 14, 2011 2:47 PM

            I don't have any of my old PC Gamer mags (the one's that were as thick as a paperback novel) but I believe the announcement for Prey came either in the same issue as Duke Nukem Forever or very near to that time-frame (before PCG switched to the slim content offering). I can neither confirm nor deny the fact that McGee was working on that title, just that 3DRealms was developing the IP at its inception.

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            March 14, 2011 6:42 PM

            I remember an issue of Computer Gaming World with a cover feature on "Quake Killers". Highlighted were Unreal, Prey, Blood 2, Sin, Daikatana, and Half-Life.

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      March 14, 2011 8:36 AM

      i wonder how much will change from the original. i don't think that type of shooter has a lot of legs in today's market. i'm curious what bethesda will do, will they RPG it up, give it an open world or do we get basic (boring) run and gun with more of the gravity mechanic?

      sounds like we are getting an open world but i wonder how open.

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      March 14, 2011 8:37 AM

      I really enjoyed Prey, I'm not sure why people like to hate on it so much.

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        March 14, 2011 8:37 AM

        Subpar gunplay.

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          March 14, 2011 8:40 AM

          I guess I just wasn't playing it for the combat at the time. I was much more interested in all the interesting gravity/portal aspects. The combat was just there to mix it up a little bit.

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            March 14, 2011 8:40 AM

            Yeah, but it's a shooter, it needs up be up there.

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          March 14, 2011 9:41 AM

          If its gunplay matched its level design then the game would have been truly amazing.

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          March 14, 2011 2:54 PM

          I thought the gunplay was fine. Not everything has to be COD-style whack-a-mole.

          I have to say if you don't like prey's "gunplay" you're definitely not going to like Duke because it was pretty similar, I felt.

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        March 14, 2011 8:40 AM

        it was awesome.. multiplayer was a big let down however.

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          March 14, 2011 8:46 AM

          I really enjoyed it because of all the gravity stuff. Made you really think in all directions. Plus a lot of the weapons felt overpowered, but it was fun because you had to run away when someone had a rocket launcher or that acid shotgun thing. Felt old school. The netcode was pretty terrible though.

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        March 14, 2011 9:43 AM

        Toward the end of the game, I felt that they ran out of time or ideas. The final portion just seems to be more bad guys with better resistance to bullets. I thought the whole thing went pear shaped during that last "in the spirit world" sequence. I thought there was going to be the last Power Up/New Feature thing, but instead it's just a "kill off the waves for X amount of time" thing and then I'm returned to the alien ship for more slogging through bullet sponges. That's where I got bored with it. :(

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        March 14, 2011 9:58 AM

        Same here. I really enjoyed Prey, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing what they do with the sequel.

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        March 14, 2011 11:03 AM

        boring, bland, not fun

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        March 14, 2011 11:28 PM

        [deleted]

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      March 14, 2011 9:07 AM

      Now we just need original Prey on Steam again. Bethesda owns the IP, and it was Human Head's project when it released, so there aren't many obstacles.

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        March 14, 2011 9:21 AM

        Yeah that's pretty dumb they took it off. Prey was my first purchase from the steam client.

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        March 14, 2011 11:56 AM

        Huh, I never noticed, though I guess it makes sense with the whole 3D Realms issue. Looks like current owners can still install it, and that it can still be activated via CD-Key so if it were to be purchased through another service or physically...

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      March 14, 2011 9:40 AM

      Am I reading that righ: open alien world? ala Rage?

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      March 14, 2011 11:01 AM

      Hm... I really enjoyed Prey. But another sci-fi shooter in the style of the old would be meh. So I trust they will change it up for Prey 2, otherwise I'll pass.

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        March 14, 2011 1:18 PM

        I'd totally rather have another CoD-a-like with bloody screen (so real)

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          March 14, 2011 4:52 PM

          No, I don't want a CoD-a-like either. I only own CoD 4 & 5 and haven't even finished 4 cause it's all just so... meh. How about Prey ala Metro 2033, Stalker or Borderlands (with better narrative). That I could get into.

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      March 14, 2011 11:13 AM

      Though it doesn't say id Tech 5 in the press release, it does say the id Tech engine they're using is "cutting edge."

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      March 14, 2011 11:17 AM

      Any word if Gary Whitta is back doing the story?

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      March 14, 2011 5:03 PM

      Prey looks amazing and adventurous today for not being yet another lameass down the sights shooter and having a few puzzles here and there, what a shame.

      For the sequel I do hope they try something more interesting for the alien ship designs. Metal paneled dungeons aren't very alien anymore.

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      March 14, 2011 11:26 PM

      Wish they'd put the original back on Steam, I'd like to try it.

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