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[Steez]

What does Prey have to do with System Shock 2? Why would Zenimax make a spiritual successor to it?

Why not? After they scrapped Human Head's version for whatever reason, they had to come up with something new. A Shock inspired sequel is probably closer to Prey 1 than the bounty hunter thing.

And it's not like the games would somehow become connected, they're just drawing inspiration from another IP in terms of gameplay and overall feel. The silly names in the concept docs are just there for reference. At least I hope they are just that.

Spoiler

It's totally going to be a prequel to System Shock, retconning Shodan into a former human rights activist.

 

[Breakfast at Noon]

If they target 2016, why would MS show it this year?

Well they wont shut the fuck up about gears and with halo 5 next year gears obviously wont release next to tbat specially as it only just started production.

 

[VibratingDonkey]

• Monkeys!

Alright.

 

[xiaxdragon]

I want the prey 2 that I saw first hand at PAX a few years ago.....was the greatest thing I ever saw.

 

[Sentenza]

I want the prey 2 that I saw first hand at PAX a few years ago.....was the greatest thing I ever saw.

I may be wrong but I don't think that was an actual game at any point.
It looked more like a concept video.

 

[Remachinate]

The easy answer would be "not enough good ones".

EDIT- Case in point: people are already mentioning Bioshock, as if it actually filled that gap.

What's important is that Arkane brings something new to the table. As much as I love System Shock 2, I'm not really interested in them effectively making the same game in HD. As much as BioShock was dumbed down from System Shock, it at least was novel from an environmental and thematic aspect.

One of the reasons I liked Dishonored so much was because it incorporated many strengths from Thief, Deus Ex, and Hitman, while still being distinctly its own game. I really hope Prey 2 turns out the same way: borrowing the depth and nonlinearity of System Shock 2 but adding in new elements that make it a substantially different experience from its predecessor.

 

[xiaxdragon]

I may be wrong but I don't think that was an actual game at any point.
It looked more like a concept video.

???? He was legit playing on stage you can see the joystick jerks

It seemed like most of the core planning of the development was done....why have so many systems already in place.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=UZBICVMQbPI

 

[lefantome]

I hope it's fake doesn't see, as imteresting as human head's and they spoiled us the plot

 

[SargerusBR]

I still wait for the return of SHODAN

 

[ConcealedBlaze]

The easy answer would be "not enough good ones".

EDIT- Case in point: people are already mentioning Bioshock, as if it actually filled that gap.

Yeah. I absolutely love Bioshock (one of my all time favorites, actually), but to claim it as a spiritual successors to System Shock 2 is just... really hard to support. The gameplay is nowhere near similar.

I played System Shock 2 (all the way through) for the first time about a year ago, and I was immediately depressed that no other game had followed in it's footsteps. Deus Ex (another favorite of mine) is kind of similar, but even it lacks the insane levels of character customization and intense survival-horror resource management.

Some day I hope we get a proper successor. Maybe Prey 2 could be it.

 

[Messofanego]

If Machinegames can successfully bring back Wolfenstein but still have it be its own beast with its own style, I hope Arkane can do the same with this Prey 2/System Shock3/etc like they did with Dishonored to reference back to Thief but still be its own beast. Or like Eidos Montreal did with Deus Ex Human Revolution. I want more great spiritual successors like that.

 

[Nirolak]

Someone put the slides on SCRIBD so I linked them in the OP.

It will also be interesting to see if they get taken down.

 

[RoyaleDuke]

Alright.

In the original, there were psi powered monkeys with exposed brains.

They were genetically altered and then came under the influence of The Many.

They were also one the most terrifying enemies in the game because they were powerful, and they made creepy monkey noises.

The only thing worse were the different types of giant cancer spiders.

 

[injurai]

I love how the design docs specifically focus on not invoking cliches or revisiting tired ground, but instead crafting a new amalgamation of atmosphere.

 

[jerry1594]

I don't expect games to ever avoid scifi cliches since the industry caters to and is pretty much totally operated by geeks. Is this game even related story or gameplay wise to the first?

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Wow, slides? Does Prey 2 live? :O

 

[m360]

Sound's like the early concept that was pitched before Human Head got the job. Shit's old i think.

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

Actually, that's the exact situation I was describing. Zenimax/Bethesda owns the game code and assets, so even though they have them in their possession, Human Head still can't do anything with them.

You're right. Apologies for that. I was meaning to quote the person you were talking to. I just getting used to the multi-quote system.

As you said, there's zero chance Human Head could take something as ambitious as Prey 2 to Kickstarter. Hopefully their ideas will surface in other titles down the line. I loved how your gun was holstered by default in Prey 2. More shooters need to borrow that.

 

[EVIL]

Sound's like the early concept that was pitched before Human Head got the job. Shit's old i think.

Nope, its new .. some of the concept art in the pitch is like 10 months old at least. (all composed of art that can be found around the internet on places like artstation.com)

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

I may be wrong but I don't think that was an actual game at any point.
It looked more like a concept video.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...cks-lie-that-prey-2-was-only-ever-just-a-demo

"This Prey 2/ Arkane rumour is giving new life to a lot of old lies," he said. "I'm been [sic] quiet about this whole business but can't stay so anymore.

"I was narrative designer / writer on Prey 2 for the last six months of its development at Human Head," he said. "It was a lot more than a demo.

"Prey 2 was a full game. And a crazy fun one. The team was small but you wouldn't have known it.

"What happened to Prey 2, from where I sat, was political. And petty. And potentially litigable [sic]. Human Head had a great game.

"I was heartbroken when Prey 2 went into limbo. Human Head deserved to have that game released. Frankly, they needed it."

Then: "But I mourn that Prey 2 won't belong to Human Head. I mourn that my friends won't get recognition for what they accomplished.

"Instead, they get the same old 'Prey 2 was never a game' and 'It was just a demo' thrown around. Shameful. And completely untrue."

- Jason L. Blair, narrative designer at Volition.

It's understandable why you would think that. Bethesda mislead the press into thinking the game wasn't up to snuff, which was apparently nonsense.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

Sound's like the early concept that was pitched before Human Head got the job. Shit's old i think.

Nah, some of that has the Arkane logo on it, who are rumoured to have picked it up after Human Head.

 

[~Kinggi~]

Those are interesting slides. I spot a wild Natalie Portman!

 

[IdreamofHIME]

I don't understand the need to call this game Prey 2.
Those 3 concepts are all wildly different from Prey 1 and is the 'Prey' brand so strong that a brand new IP would be less attractive?

I do love how they want unique enemies and then suggest aliens that spit acid and melt when killed. lol.

 

[ShodanMAN]

''• Avoid movie clichés - Alien’s slimy metal genitalia''

....This is now my new favorite phrase. We need less slimy metal genitalia in our games, you guys!!!

 

[SkylineRKR]

I don't understand the need to call this game Prey 2.
Those 3 concepts are all wildly different from Prey 1 and is the 'Prey' brand so strong that a brand new IP would be less attractive?

I do love how they want unique enemies and then suggest aliens that spit acid and melt when killed. lol.

Well Human Head's Prey was a reasonable success I think. It does have its fanbase and following. Their Prey 2 looked like fun also, rather fast paced FPS with platforming and verticality in its level design. Plus, this time they were the prey. Shame its been canned.

I think using the name Prey is for them better than a completely new name or IP.

 

[Praha]

I saw Prey 2 at E3 2011 and to be honest, I KIND OF get the reference to System Shock, even if at the time the whole "spiritual successor" rhetoric didn't surround the game as it does now with this new info.

There was A LOT to take in from the demo, and I left feeling confused but also very excited about the game. It had a Blade Runner feel about it, the graphics were crisp, and the gameplay had a level of depth I hadn't seen on a console FPS. There was a lot on show and a lot of different mechanics, and I always wondered how they would map all of them to a controller. I believe at the time the game was running on PC hardware but was played with a controller.

It was confusing but very intriguing, and unlike any FPS demo I'd seen in the past. I also sat in on Aliens: Colonial Marines that same day and Prey 2 seemed far more advanced (although, that isn't too hard, but at the time Colonial Marines looked very good - we all know how that turned out).

There was something different about it that I still can't quite put my finger on, and I've always been surprised at how the game just went into limbo. If anything I don't think it had to do with the game being bad, perhaps more to do with it just not being overly accessible, because from what I saw, I struggled to keep up with everything they were showing. It was confusing, but in a way where I just wanted to pick the controller up and learn for myself, not in a way that intimidated me (so, yeah, in the same way System Shock 2 throws so many different things at you but you just can't turn away).

It had potential. I think we'll never see that game, and Prey 2 is dead. I find any prospect of a new Prey bizarre. IMO they'll end of rebooting this current idea as something else entirely, and call THAT a spiritual successor to, well, Prey 1.

 

[No Love]

So when is somebody gonna make the spiritual succesor to Half Life 2, cause we know Valve isnt doing it.

Insomniac already did, it's called Resistance 3.

 

[Mr. Tibbs]

There was A LOT to take in from the demo, and I left feeling confused but also very excited about the game. It had a Blade Runner feel about it, the graphics were crisp, and the gameplay had a level of depth I hadn't seen on a console FPS. There was a lot on show and a lot of different mechanics, and I always wondered how they would map all of them to a controller. I believe at the time the game was running on PC hardware but was played with a controller.

It was confusing but very intriguing, and unlike any FPS demo I'd seen in the past. I also sat in on Aliens: Colonial Marines that same day and Prey 2 seemed far more advanced (although, that isn't too hard, but at the time Colonial Marines looked very good - we all know how that turned out).

There was something different about it that I still can't quite put my finger on, and I've always been surprised at how the game just went into limbo. If anything I don't think it had to do with the game being bad, perhaps more to do with it just not being overly accessible, because from what I saw, I struggled to keep up with everything they were showing. It was confusing, but in a way where I just wanted to pick the controller up and learn for myself, not in a way that intimidated me.

A former Human Head employee made a post about the controls on his website if you're interested: http://www.curiousconstructs.com/projects/game-controllers/

It certainly was an ambitious game, with loads of gadgets and weaponry, two factions vying for control of Exodus and three major hubs to explore (The Bowery, Locktown and Undercity) but I think it would've been manageable. For me, the 2011 game is closer to Deus Ex than System Shock.

Unfortunately, quality didn't have anything to do with why it was indefinitely delayed. According to Prey 2's lead narrative designer (currently works for Volition) the scope was manageable. It truly sucks their work won't see the light of day.

Prey 2 was a full game. And a crazy fun one. The team was small but you wouldn't have known it. What happened to Prey 2, from where I sat, was political. And petty. And potentially litigable. Human Head had a great game.

As for Arkane, I've enjoyed what I played of Dishonored. They have the chops. If the rumor is true, they'll likely do well with Prey 2. But I mourn that Prey 2 won't belong to Human Head. I mourn that my friends won't get recognition for what they accomplished.

http://www.pcgamesn.com/prey-2-was-lot-more-demo-claims-ex-human-head-employee

 

[KillerIsJed]

Insomniac already did, it's called Resistance 3.

Never played it, but is that a true statement? Or just being silly?

 

[Screaming Meat]

Sounds splendid. Doubt it'll come out like that though.

Danielle Sho? I see what they did there.

 

[Canis lupus]

Never played it, but is that a true statement? Or just being silly?

True statement, R3 felt like Insomniacs take on a spiritual successor to Half Life 2.