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First trailer of Valve's Portal released
One of the announced games to be featured alongside the upcoming PC and console versions of Half-Life 2: Episode Two is one that promises to obliterate your concepts of traditional level design and generally assault your brain with a large rolling pin. It's called Portal and, should the name not be explanatory enough, it deals primarily with gaping holes in time and space which magically transport you to different locations. Where Human Head's Prey took you for a wacky ride through these portals, Valve's title equips you with a sterile looking gun and urges you to make your own entry and exit points with wild abandon. The trailer (embedded in the second part of the post) aptly demonstrates the powers of the portal gun, the dangers of getting caught in an infinite loop and, of course, how using rampant teleportation can enable you to solve puzzles involving crates of some kind. As they say, hilarity ensues.[Thanks Easy_G!]
Get Prey on the cheap
Joystiq reports the wonderful news that Prey is deliciously region free. That's right, any copy of Prey from anywhere will play in any old 360 you happen to have lying around. As an added bonus -- and this is the real reason for this post -- you can pick up the heavily discounted Asian version from Play-Asia for $40 US plus shipping. See? Sometimes there are advantages to the 360's abysmal performance in the Asian market.[Via Joystiq]
Region-free Prey for only $40
Looking for a next-gen fix, but disgusted by next-gen pricing? We hear you; thankfully, Cheap Ass Gamer has come to the rescue by confirming that Prey is region free, so it can be played on any Xbox 360. Play-Asia lets you order the game, with full English support, from Japan for only $40 plus shipping (which is just over $3 to the US, CAG estimates) -- perfect for patient penny pinchers!We just got a copy of Prey and are tinkering around with it; with any luck we will have a review up by the end of the week.[via 1UP]
Metareview - Prey (Xbox 360)
Is this the answer to our summer woes? Well, let's put it this way: it's either Prey or Chromehounds -- if you're an Xbox 360 owner. We're goin' with the Cherokee alien abductee, even if Prey is a short-lived romp. This one's got 'summer blockbuster' written all over it... Detroit Free Press (100/100) is not noted for its gaming insight, but chimes in with praise: "This is one game any Half-Life or Doom fan can buy without reservations." 1up (80/100) wants more of the gimmicks: "If only the Native American mysticism had figured in more. If only the spirit "death walk" had developed into something more than a shooting gallery. If only the voice acting and storytelling were a little better." GameSpot (75/100) deals a low score -- by its standards -- summing it up: "[Much] of the game's potential for unique thrills feels wasted by its straightforward level design, and the multiplayer doesn't add much to the package."
Preyse for Prey
And you thought the parade of awful Prey puns was finished! Ha! But seriously, folks, reviews for Prey (PC) are starting to hit the net. Evil Avatar has the scoop on some of the first. GotNext praises the game for its first person story telling and unique level design: "Just as Doom and Quake seemed more concerned with what makes an interesting level than how its denizens might realistically design such a place, The Sphere is full of bizarre puzzles, portals used to create dizzying Hall-of-Mirrors-style confusion, and other tricks that could serve no practical function to the aliens living there, but would surely please M.C. Escher and Enro Rubik alike." The other review from the Detroit Free Press seems less informed -- does "Doom clone" even mean anything anymore? -- but gives the game high marks for weapon and level design. Both reviews knock the game for underdeveloped characters and a slightly lacking story. Also of note, the multiplayer is limited to deathmatch and team deathmatch only. Hopefully, we'll see some more game modes offered by Marketplace. Overall, GotNext gives Prey 4.5/5 stars and DFP gives it 4/4 stars. Not too shabby. [Via Evil Avatar]
360 games top the rental charts
Gamasutra has posted the 10 most requested games from Gamefly this week, and the list leans heavily toward our favorite curvy, white box. A full five of the top spots are occupied by 360 exclusives (six if you count the 360 version of BFMEII). Xboxic has gone to the trouble of making a numbered list, which I will politely steal utilize: Chromehounds (360 exclusive) Prey (360/PC) Over G Fighters (360 exclusive) LotR: Battle for Middle Earth 2 (360 version) Dead Rising (360 exclusive) NCAA Football 2007 (multi) Hitman: Blood Money (multi) Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (PS2) Gears of War (360 exclusive) Call of Duty 3 (PC/next-gen) Look at that list for a second. Notice anything? That's right, four 360 exclusives that haven't even been released -- Chromehounds, Prey, Dead Rising, and Gears of War -- are in the top 10. That means these games are more requested than games people could actually be playing right now. Crazy, no?
Prey Demo now available on Xbox Live
Major Nelson kindly informed us that the Xbox Live servers are hosting a brand new chunk of code. At last, Xbox 360 owners get the opportunity to explore Human Head's topsy-turvy alien abductee sim, Prey. Contained within the 1.17GB demo (well over the 449MB PC version), you'll find a first-person shooter tinged with insanity and laced with opportunities to shoot yourself in the back. It's not often we get to play a corridor-crawler where the walls vomit body parts, your grenades attempt to bite you and the gravity behaves like it's trapped within some sort of interstellar tumble dryer. It's also not often that we get a Live demo on a Friday -- must be more alien meddling. Grab the demo and be sure to let us know what you think. Please note that the demo is not available in the regions of Germany or Japan, so folks living there won't get to prey it right away (sorry).
Our Preyers have been answered
Hey, remember that last post? That post that said the Prey demo was coming this Sunday? Well, screw that post. That post is dead to me. The long and short of it is that the Prey demo is available right damn now. Major Nelson himself hath emailed us and decreed it so....What? Are you still reading this? Go get it! At 1.17 gigs you'd best get started now. I have.
Preyse the lord, Prey demo is dated (again) [update 1]
OXM reports that the effing Prey demo we've all been waiting for will finally hit on July 2nd. If you don't have a calendar handy, that's this coming Sunday. Could it be true? Does this mean the end of all the awful Prey puns? Excitement for the demo might be somewhat deflated after the long wait, but hey, it's got to be better than the Chromehounds demo, right? By the way, if you can't wait for Sunday, be sure and read Joystiq's hands-on coverage. [Via openXBOX360]Update: ignore all of this. It's wrong. Click here for details. Seriously, click it. It'll make you happy.
Joystiq hands-on: Playing Prey on the 360
Out on July 11 for both the PC and Xbox 360, Prey is an FPS that is pretty much a mixed bag of every other shooter you've ever played and then some. As I took hold of the 360 version today, I found certain elements here and there that would hark back to another title in my gaming past. But Prey is more than your standardized Quake or Doom rip-off. It has elements of what's worked in thinking man FPS offerings, like Half-Life 2. So, with 360 controller in hand, I dove into the deep end of Prey to see just what this American Indian/alien abduction twist of a game was all about.
Prey is golden, will hunt on July 11th
2K Games announced today that Prey has gone gold. Developed by Human Head Studios "under the direct supervision of 3D Realms," Prey is the latest first-person shooter to hit the market. The official release date is July 11th for North America and July 14th for Europe. 3D Realms will be using their share to ramp up development on Duke Nukem Forever. We hope. The demo is available now for the PC. As for the Xbox 360 demo, don't ask Major Nelson -- he is a bit fed up with the inquisition.See Also:Xbox 360 impressions: Prey (multiplayer)
Prey Limited Editions revealed
We're only a few weeks away from the release of Prey, and 3D Realms is whetting the appetite of collectors with the announcement of the game's limited edition packaging. For an extra $10, you'll get the DVD edition of the game in a shiny metal box that includes a book of artwork and two pewter figurines (three, if you pre-order now). Come on, you know you want that Mutate figurine!See also: Prey PC demo available, Xbox 360 demo WRU?[via TeamXbox]
Demo Delay for Prey
Boomtown reports that George Broussard of 3DRealms has announced a likely delay in the release of the Prey demo for Xbox Live Marketplace. This likely comes as no surprise to those of you who stayed up all night waiting for it. In a posting on the 3DRealms website, Broussard made the following statement: "The 360 demo will not appear on Marketplace tonight [Wednesday]. I'm still waiting for specifics, but I'm being told that it's still in testing at Microsoft. From what I understand this isn't Microsoft's fault, and is more likely just an issue of timing. I'm hesitant to give any estimates for a release, but I've been told it should be reasonably soon after the pc release, but could be as long as a few days." As many of our commenters have already noted, if the demo doesn't hit today, it probably won't drop until Monday. There is one happy note: the PC demo is available if you've got the muscle to run it. [Via openXBOX360]
Prey PC demo available; Xbox 360 demo WRU? [update 1]
The demo for both the PC and Xbox 360 versions of Human Head's long-time-comin' FPS, Prey, were supposed to drop today. It's today and one's here, the other ain't. Just so we weren't left hanging, checking the Xbox Live Marketplace ad nauseum, 3D Realms' George Broussard donned an all too familiar cap to let everyone know the demo isn't coming ... at least not today:"We do not want 360 people waiting up for the demo or having false expectations. The 360 demo will not appear on Marketplace tonight."I'm still waiting for specifcs, but I'm being told that it's still in testing at Microsoft. From what I understand this isn't Microsoft's fault, and is more likely just an issue of timing."I'm hesitant to give any estimates for a release, but I've been told it should be reasonably soon after the PC release, but could be as long as a few days."We will post an update as soon as we have more solid information."Since we all know Microsoft isn't to keen on releasing demos on Fridays, we're looking at an early next week release. If you're rocking a PC capable of running the demo, you could always go that route also.[Via 360-Hq.com][Update 1: TV Guide's Joe Hutsko got word from 2K Games' Jay Boor who said ... wait for it ... "Should be up soon - hopefully today." Alright hopefuls, you can officially start bugging the hell out of the XBL servers! Thanks, Joe!]
Solid gold soul walking
If the picture didn't clue you in, then know that Prey has gone gold according to GamePro. The game will hit stores in a few weeks, and the demo is scant days away. All of your spirit walking dreams are about to come true. Color me excited. Wow, it's weird to see the 3D Realms logo on a video game again, isn't it? [Via openXBOX360]
Prey demo hands on
Gamespot got their hands on an early PC copy of the upcoming Prey demo. The preview manages to unearth some new info concerning the game's portal system. For example, you won't necessarily retain your previous orientation when you pass through a portal. That is to say, you could walk through a portal and instantly fall toward what looked like the ceiling moments before. Also, your character can even change size when passing through a portal -- making your enemies and environments gigantic. Multiplayer gets a few breaks from typical FPS fare thanks to the gravity defying physics and the addition of weapons that are unavailable in the single player campaign. Gooey biomechanical chaingun? Yes, please.Hit the read link to enjoy the whole preview and some fresh videos. [Via openXBOX360]
XBLM seeks its Prey (demo) [update 1]
Hey, remember that game, Prey, that 3D Realms has been working on for like 10 years? The one with the reluctant anti-hero/Native American guy? Well, 3D Realms insists that this game is actually coming out this year. What's more, they claim a demo is going hit marketplace on June 21st 22nd. That's a mere two days away for those who are keeping score. Frankly, I'll believes it when I sees it. Seriously though, this game looks pretty fun and the demo is supposed to be 5(!) levels long. And, unlike some games, I have faith that it will release this year. [Via QJ] Update 1: It looks like my source had it wrong, and the demo is actually coming out on June 22nd, not June 21st. Joe Siegler of 3D Realms was kind enough to inform me of the mistake. Thanks, Joe!
Prey web site fully operational
2K Games and 3D Realms have re-launched the web site for Prey, their new sci-fi shooter powered by the Doom 3 engine. In addition to updated screens and wallpaper, you'll find some gameplay vids that demonstrate main character Tommy's wall walking, death walking, and spirit mode abilities. Prey ships on July 10 for the PC and Xbox 360.See also: Xbox 360 Prey now in the hands of 2K's Venom Games
Xbox 360 impressions: Prey (multiplayer)
Great multiplayer action with some fun twists. The game is an intense first-person shooter where, in some locations, you can walk on walls and ceilings; the effect does not feel gimmicky, and adds to the level design. The weapons are what you'd expect from the game, and it played very smoothly with no loss in framerate. The graphics are what you would expect from a second-generation 360 game, with great lighting and shadow effects. Prey will not reinvent the wheel, but it is very fun and gorgeous.
Porting Prey
The coders and artists behind the Xbox 360 version of Human Head's Prey comment on the specific challenges of bringing the game to the next-gen console (The logos above are from the game's Xbox Live achievements). Predictable issues, but still an interesting read. According to these guys, the PC version of the gravity-defying FPS is already "pixel perfect." Having heard great things about this effort, I'll be praying that Prey is a flawless port. [Via Team Xbox]
