Prey is now available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. While we thoroughly enjoyed the game (no seriously, go check our review here), I particularly couldn’t help noticing a lot of similarities between it and one of the best games of the last generation, BioShock. I decided to tally up a list of things I found eerily similar. And you know what? They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Warning there are a few minor and major spoilers ahead.
1. Physical and Narrative Environment
Prey is set in space as opposed to BioShock’s underwater utopia, but that’s just the background. Both games take place in environments apart from the general population where scientists may push limits without regulations and end up “enhancing” themselves with twisted science. Both locations start as some sort of sanctuary/haven and are quickly ruined by mankind’s need for more power. This leads both protagonists to get a nice reminder of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. There is also a lot of backtracking when it comes to solving side quests, puzzles, and hunting for items after gaining new abilities in both games.
2. Weapons/Abilities
Both games have similar weapons with 4 of the 6 being nearly identical including the pistol, shotgun, wrench, and crossbow. While BioShock has a machine gun, chemical thrower, and rocket launcher, Prey doubles down on the sci-fi elements with the Gloo gun, stun gun, and Q-beam.
Now as for abilities in Prey, they are obtained by injecting Neuromods into your brain where they retrain the neurons in your brain to learn new knowledge and abilities. BioShock has you splicing your DNA by injecting yourself with syringes of ADAM. Both games have an in-depth ability system, and it boils down to having a lot of similar abilities based on the elements like electricity, fire, and telekinesis.
3. Helpers
Helpers or other NPCs, I should say, make the world go round. Without them we wouldn’t have memes like, “I used to be an adventurer.” These often make or break games, and BioShock and Prey both did well, mainly because they have nearly identical ones. Each has little autonomous helper drones that fly around and offer support. BioShock drones are damage based while Preys are support based (healing, repairing, etc). Then there are the other living helpers in the world. While BioShock requires you to separate Big Daddy from the Little Sisters to get their ADAM, Prey instead has you either saving or killing crew members for precious Neuromods (skill points) or materials for crafting. While you don’t have to help/save all of them, the more you interact with, the more bonuses you have access to.
4. Story Elements Resulting in a Twist Ending
They kind of start with the protagonist waking up with no clue of who or where they are. That is until they receive a call from a “friend” and are set on the fastest course to figuring out how to fix their problem. Each game has a surprise twist ending. While they are nowhere near the same, they both use very similar plot structures to get you to the twist ending. BioShock has you learning that what you believed to be your trusted ally is actually the big bad and has been controlling you without your knowledge. This is a huge revelation towards the very end of the game and propels the player towards the final showdown. Prey, on the other hand, plays musical chairs when giving information to the player about which controlling force in the game truly is the main antagonist. Eventually, you will have to take a side and pick which side of the moral road you lie on and these moral choices will have an effect on your post game evaluation that leads to even more of a revelation in the twist ending.
Bonus Similarities
Both games will have the player collecting audio logs to dive deeper into either game’s rich backstory. They will also be able to collect info to solve puzzles and complete various side quests.
There’s a big emphasis on hacking and eating junk food you find lying around. Let’s hope you’ve practiced your minigame skills and are hungry for random articles of food that for some reason is left in every cabinet, trash can, and container. Seriously who stashes this stuff in these places? Also, both games let you get drunk because you know, alcohol is important when trying to recover from amnesia.
This is just a short list of similarities I found when playing Prey and BioShock. Did you catch something we missed? Or maybe you noticed Prey is eerily similar to another game? If so let us know in the comments below.
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