I played a lot of great games this year, but this is easily in my top 5 so far
I havent played enough SS2 to make a good comparision, but I think this feels even more open and freeform than other immersive sim revivals like Deus Ex HR/MD. Deus Ex lets you choose between action, stealth, etc. but at least in the new ones, I always felt those options were both kind of segmented (ie needing to choose loud/quiet, close/ranged at the start) and a tad meaningless because you could so easily switch between aggressive and stealthy if you wanted. You never really had to commit
In Prey, you have to commit. Your choices matter, not merely because it's going to dictate how you can approach enemies and obstacles but because the world itself will react. Risk and reward, consequences, make your choices matter and it's all systemic and dynamic
In term, the game's design gives you the freedom to commit how you want, and the tools to experiment and adapt. You don't feel railroaded, but rather mold your style through exploration, research, upgrades, and so on. It feels natural, and the gameplay encourages planning and thinking of how to use your toolset and the environment to even the odds.
I was worried about the enemies from trailers and footage. They seemed boring and too visually dull. But Arkansas made the Typhon a worthy foe. They feel truly alien, in their design and movement, and they're ruthless. Much like Bioshock's Big Daddy fights, if you don't prepare, you will die.
