Prey, the upcoming sci-fi/horror shooter from developer Arkane Studios, owes a debt to cerebral sci-fi fare like Alien, Moon, and Solaris. Like in those films, protagonist Morgan Yu is trapped in space, here on the luxurious space station of the mega-corporation TranStar. Morgan suffers from amnesia, which is terrifying in itself when all the people around you appear dead.
But Morgan isn’t alone. The experiments of Transtar have spawned a plethora of terrifying new beings called Typhon that roam the space station. Let’s take a closer look at each of the Typhon types in more detail.
Mimics
At first glance, Mimics bear a visual similar to the Headcrabs of the Half-Life series. Similar to Headcrabs, Mimics possess arachnid-like bodies. But Headcrabs are loud, easy to spot, and generally not the biggest of nuisances.
Mimics, however, are key to making Prey an exciting (and terrifying) experience. These shadowy, cunning creatures have the ability to replicate objects, lying in wait to suddenly spring at a victim and violently shoving an appendage down their throat
So that coffee cup there? Maybe it’s just a Mimic waiting for you to take a sip of death. Entered a dark room? Think twice before reaching for the light switch. Prey manages to make every room you walk into a deeply unsettling experience.
Cystoids
Cystoids are as gross as their name implies — black globules covered in spikes. They’re the smallest Typhon creature you will encounter. The good news is that they’re not the most intelligent of the Typhon enemies. The bad news is they tend to travel in packs and take up residence in nests. Upon sensing any movement, the Cystoids launch a kamikaze mission, exploding on impact.
Unlike Mimics, Cystoids should be fairly easy to spot while you’re playing. Throwing objects to trigger their motion sensor response will guarantee you safe passage.
Phantoms
The most humanoid enemy you’ll encounter on the Talos-1 space station is the Phantom. In fact, they used to be humans themselves. Phantoms are the corrupt bodies of the crew members who succumbed to Typhon energy. Similar to Mimics, Phantoms present a ghastly figure that is completely black. In addition, Phantoms can speak — a garbled noise that will certainly stand your hair on end.
Not all Phantoms are created equal, either. There are three different types of Phantoms on the Talos-1. Thermal Phantoms are pyromaniacs that light anything in the environment on fire. Etheric Phantoms emit toxic clouds that damage matter. And lastly, the Voltaic Phantom can electrocute you with its lighting attacks.
A trifecta of terror, Phantoms will always keep you guessing.
Weavers
What’s worse than a Mimic? A lot of Mimics. When certain areas possess high energy levels, a swarm of mimics will come together to create what is known as a Weaver.
Weavers are quite talented and serve a handful of purposes. They can create something called “Coral” and have the ability to create Phantoms. By invading the husk of a disposed human, Weavers can use those bodies to create phantoms to occupy the space station and scare the crap out of you.
It’s a neat facet that shows how the Typhon creatures can evolve from Mimics, Weavers, all the way to Phantoms.
Nightmares
“Nightmare” is an appropriate name for the game’s strongest enemy. A massive creature that can shapeshift to accommodate the confines of Talos-1, Nightmares present little opportunity for escape.
Prey fans have already made the comparison to the legendary Nemesis monster from Resident Evil 3. A Nightmare’s sole purpose is to eliminate you. Worse, as you continue to install more neuromods, the Nightmare becomes more attuned to your presence. You’ll hear a distant roar when the Nightmare is looking for you, so stay alert.
Poltergeists
Somewhat like a wandering spirit, Poltergeists are the closest thing to a “traditional” ghost in Prey. The only enemy with the ability to render itself invisible, Poltergeists are actually not exclusively hostile. Their actions can be random and the player may not even notice them until objects in a room are thrown or played with.
But of course, Poltergeists can also be jerks and cast a levitation spell on you — leaving you vulnerable to other attacking aliens. It’s difficult to theorycraft a viable strategy to defend yourself against this foe. They can slip in and out of the visible spectrum and their appearance is yet to be known.
Telepaths
“Floating mind-slave machine” might be the scariest of all the descriptions for an Typhon on this list. Telepaths are one of the toughest enemies you’ll face in Prey, as they’re able to avoid environmental obstructions and can dish out powerful psychic blasts of energy. They act in a somewhat territorial manner — hoarding a cluster of humans it’s taken over and using them as pawns.
Similar to the sentinel from the film The Matrix, Telepaths float above the ground and have long black tentacles. Will you be able to kill your fellow humanoids that are under the wrath of the Telepath?
Prey comes out May 5 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.