Prey vs. Control

[Kyra]

LTTP?: I just started Prey and I'm starting to really like it. It's becoming obvious why people say its overlooked. The game seems to be pretty special if you are a fan of sci fi action adventure type thingmobobs. As I think I am at this point. I am only a couple hours in, so I dont have too much to say but Prey is like a great mix of Metroid, Bioshock, and Resident Evil and has fascinating lore and atmosphere that is perfectly engrossing. I hope the quality of the game maintains to the end. The game is quite the steal on Gamepass as well.

Haven't played Control but I see people raving about it and I noticed the games may be similar. I was wonder for the poepl that have played both. How similar are they really and which one do they think is better? One similarity i can see already is they both seem to be games that maybe deserved to sell better. Back to Prey I go.

 

[Mifec]

The games are not similar. Prey is an immersive sim. Control is a TPS with very lite metroidvania elements.

Both are great though.

 

[roguesquirrel]

in terms of mechanics theyre not that similar but i felt both captured the sensation of being about a well defined place with well written lore that enriches existing in that place. If you liked the atmosphere and metroid-lite aspects of Prey, you'll probably pick up on a similar vibe in Control even if they have completely different bullet points on the back of the box

 

[CannonFodder52]

Only played Prey so far, but it's definitely one of my top games of this gen. I think it's my favorite shock game since System Shock 2 as well.

I love the game's setting, it's so well designed and believable. It's got that satisfying metroid adjacent exploration. They've got the crew members named, with stories, physically existing on the map, that just blew me away.

 

[Sotha_Sil]

Only played Prey so far, but it's definitely one of my top games of this gen. I think it's my favorite shock game since System Shock 2 as well.

I love the game's setting, it's so well designed and believable. It's got that satisfying metroid adjacent exploration. They've got the crew members named, with stories, physically existing on the map, that just blew me away.

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Talos-1 is the most well-realized game world I've ever played. By a long shot.

Control, while being a different genre entirely, appears to share a lot of design principles with Prey. I can see where the OP is coming from. I hope to play it soon.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

What they have in common is that they're both overlooked. Great games, but not all that similar in terms of gameplay.

Control is one of my favorite games of the year, Prey is one of the best games of this gen.

 

[Fiery Phoenix]

Prey started out great but I found that it became increasingly bland as I advanced through the campaign. Plus the loading screens were terrible.

Not yet played Control.

 

[henhowc]

Haven't finished control yet but I liked Prey a lot more so far.

As mentioned they don't really play similarly. Control is more of a full on action game and you can't play it any other way.

Also I don't like reading. There are so many text collectibles 😂

 

[SunBroDave]

What they have in common is that they're both overlooked. Great games, but not all that similar in terms of gameplay.

Control is one of my favorite games of the year, Prey is one of the best games of this gen.

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Pretty much this. Prey is one of the best games I've ever played.

 

[Kyra]

Haven't finished control yet but I liked Prey a lot more so far.

As mentioned they don't really play similarly. Control is more of a full on action game and you can't play it any other way.

Also I don't like reading. There are so many text collectibles 😂

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Prey had a lot of text too but I love the feel they give to the world. One thing is prey doses seem to have a lot of the same notes and magazines paying around.. Sometimes I get halfway through a text popup only to realize I've read it already 5 times lol.

 

[Optional Objectives]

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[Arkanius]

Both were comercial failures and thats it

I love both but one is an immersive sim and the other is a Metroidvania

 

[Deleted member 8861]

Played Prey through fully, and I'm a decent bit into Control (20% maybe? 10%? 15%? Just finished the second sector).

They're both amazing games, and some of my favorite IPs from the generation.

 

[Deleted member 18379]

Not similar at all and I think Prey is better. Prey is a thinking person's game that rewards slow planning and more unique powers. Control is just another shoot em up with some cool powers and world building. Prey allows you to be much more creative in how you tackle situations and has better atmosphere and storytelling.

 

[Shelbyville Milhouse]

There is really no similarity at all between them

 

[Slim Action]

Everyone should play both, they're great and they both undersold.

 

[henhowc]

Prey had a lot of text too but I love the feel they give to the world. One thing is prey doses seem to have a lot of the same notes and magazines paying around.. Sometimes I get halfway through a text popup only to realize I've read it already 5 times lol.

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I felt like I could understand Prey just moving through the world. Control feels a lot more sterile. Like if you miss something you don't know why certain areas actually exist in the game world. But I guess that's in line with the lore with the objects of power and awe, and the house

I dunno how far I am in the game tho.

 

[FelipeMGM]

I do actually think they have similar initial vibes. In both games, you are thrown into this place without much backstory of why and quickly become/learns that you are actually someone extremely important to how these corporations work.

And yeah, more people should have played both of them

 

[Donniewahlberg]

100% Prey for me. Control is cool and I see the rough comparison, but Prey is a top game of this gen for me.

 

[Druffmaul]

Prey was never really on my radar as I wasn't into the original and just didn't pay much attention to previews. After it was out for a month or so, I became aware that it's a "0451" type game, which I usually love... so I ran out and bought it. But I didn't stick with it for very long, probably not even four hours. I didn't think it sucked or anything, quite the opposite. It just didn't hold my attention, I can't say exactly why. I do recall it stressing me out more than I prefer. I'll probably go back to it someday.

Meanwhile, I played Control from beginning to end twice back to back, then a couple weeks later I started my third play-through and am almost done with that. Remedy's best game ever, IMO. Great exploration, great combat action, great David Lynchian weirdness... can't get enough.

 

[Ploid 6.0]

Gamepass force downloaded Prey on my computer last month, at first I thought it was a blessing in disguise, but I got annoyed by the controls (PC) and small enemies that could be anything and uninstalled. 30+ gigs, never again, I'm not even looking at Gamepass unless I know I want to download something on it (canceled Prey over and over, days later GP decided to download it in the background).

Deus Ex Mankind Divided was more enjoyable. Control seems a lot different than Prey and Deus Ex. It feels more like a third person thriller mystery.

 

[Nephilim]

Not similar at all imo.
Prey has much more layers, systems and variety in how you like to play.
In Prey you get rewarded for your creativity and intelligence, even the combat has more options and rewards thinking in multiple ways.
Prey is just more complex, more immersive and more rewarding.

Don't get me wrong, Control is absolutely worth a playthrough, because it has a great lore, unique world and solid tps gameplay with superpowers, but at the end it doesn't go as deep as i hoped in the gameplay department.

Prey is a gem, Control is good.

 

[Window]

Finished Prey just this week. Took like 35 hours to beat it. Fantastic game and one of the best this gen (even though its difficulty curve is totally busted). I've been very keen to play Control because it gives very similar vibes in style.

 

[AllMight1]

Prey started out great but I found that it became increasingly bland as I advanced through the campaign. Plus the loading screens were terrible.

Not yet played Control.

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Same for me. I always thought it was weird to read users on era call it the game of the generation.
Gameplay's great tho. Could've used more enemy variety.

 

[Kyra]

Update: About 25 hours in and I'm still loving Prey. Talos 1 is an amazing game world and the twists and turns with the story are really keeping me on my toes. The side quests here are also top notch wiht lots of interesting tidbits to find out about the crew members and their fates. Navigating the station can be a pain in the ass sometimes but its still cool to go through derelict sectors and find new supplies. I think i can now see how Control could be very different. Prey at its heart isn't even really a shooter. It actually seems to have more in common with resident evil at times. Anyways, Prey is very high quality and its a shame it didn't do better.

 

[Love Machine]

Also re-installed Prey recently, and really enjoying it. Taking my sweet time on Easy mode, and absolutely loving the atmosphere and world building aboard Talos 1. Turning over every rock and uncovering every note is immensely rewarding when you're in the mood for this kind of game.

Don't care much for the combat, but on Easy it's not much of an issue. The more aggressive Typhon encourage me to use the environment and more supplies, and I like having that balance. Even when the rest of the game isn't posing much of a threat, it's still very tense, thanks in part to amazing sound design.

 

[FlintSpace]

I tried PREY after CONTROL just to get my sci fi itch satisfied. Prey really feels and looks like a game stuck in last gen.

I get the Bioshock and System Shock appeal but the movement, the difficulty at the beginning, the weird FOV and the damn black forgot the name attacking you discouraging you from actually exploring.

 

[CloseTalker]

For me, Control by a mile. I put ten hours into Prey and ended up just putting it down, it didn't grab me the way it did so many others. But that's just me

 

[Dodgerfan74]

What they have in common is that they're both overlooked. Great games, but not all that similar in terms of gameplay.

Control is one of my favorite games of the year, Prey is one of the best games of this gen.

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Two games that sold an incredibly small fraction of what they should have. The stuff that succeeds/fails in gaming is mind-boggling sometimes. As a cherry on top, Prey Mooncrash is one of the best rogue-likes ever made.

 

[Magic Mushroom]

Two games that sold an incredibly small fraction of what they should have. The stuff that succeeds/fails in gaming is mind-boggling sometimes. As a cherry on top, Prey Mooncrash is one of the best rogue-likes ever made.

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Totally agree. I did my part at least and double dipped on Prey and Mooncrash.

 

[Box]

I feel I may be partially responsible for this thread lol

Talos-1 is the most well-realized game world I've ever played. By a long shot.

Control, while being a different genre entirely, appears to share a lot of design principles with Prey. I can see where the OP is coming from. I hope to play it soon.

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Agree about Talos 1. Such a joy to explore. I get a very similar feeling from Control. The oldest house is a satisfying location to discover, with lots of secrets. It's a shooter that doesn't feel like one. It's hard as nails at times, and funny, and clever in its use of FMV. It's one of those games that's hard to describe how it got under your skin.

Two games that sold an incredibly small fraction of what they should have. The stuff that succeeds/fails in gaming is mind-boggling sometimes. As a cherry on top, Prey Mooncrash is one of the best rogue-likes ever made.

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Yep. Criminal.