Prey 2017 was an amazing game with some truly innovative ideas. Many dubbed it the best successor to System Shock that has ever been attempted and I feel that is half true, with the game focused on being its own entity more. It had innovative game design ideas and truly great enemy design, but where do they go from that experience? Enter Prey: Mooncrash.
Mooncrash is different than the main game but no less innovative. This time we are playing a side-story and are following more than one character, creating a narrative that is delivered very differently from the main game. I like the idea behind it, even if the payoff is not quite there and this feels like a very different game due to the rougelike elements now introduced here. You have five characters to control throughout the dlc and you will need to accomplish each character’s goals to advance and unlock the other characters. If a character dies, then the simulation resets and you must start over again. This can be frustrating, especially when weapons and enemies are now randomized to new areas, but I actually found this to be more appealing. There is also the corruption meter that must be monitored and taken care of constantly. if left unchecked, the enemies become more intense with each level increase until the corruption will crash the simulation and force you to start again. It can be reset though, and isn’t so bad once you get the hang of it.
What makes this expansion truly noteworthy is how it handles the different character paths you have to take. Each individual character run will impact the others, so you have to plan things out and be strategic. Taking too many healing items will mean less for the other characters and so on. Each run must end differently due to the options the game gives and therefore you cannot just rely on what worked in a previous run. This also opens up a lot of potential for replay value, as there are multiple ways to complete each run and experience something different each time.
Mooncrash takes the best ideas from the base game and combines them with the best ideas from other Arkane Studios games such as Dishonored. I didn’t expect to say this when I started to play Mooncrash, but I feel this is wasted as an expansion and could be a full price game on its own. It has everything it needs to be its own experience and that is the highest praise I can give an expansion. New weapons and gadgets, new ways to go all out with the environment and so on. Mooncrash is Arkane at their most inventive and builds perfectly on why Prey 2017 is a must play game.
I highly recommend this expansion for taking the game in a new direction and trying new ideas. This is the kind of creativity we need to see more of, and while it may not have told the narrative in the best way and the new weapons and gadgets may be a bit limited, the possibilities for what can be done are endless. Bethesda was not joking when they claimed Mooncrash has infinite replayability and I doubt anyone can lose interest in this game. It is very much worth checking out.
Reviewed on PS4