1. The combat I saw in a trailer looked underwhelming. There were these ephemeral, ghost-like enemies, and when you shot them, it didn't seem to have much "oomph" or impact. It didn't seem like the shooting would feel satisfying.
There's an ephemeral quality to these aliens, yes, but they ARE aliens. I think.
And there is definitely a feeling of physical contact when you hit/shoot them.
2. The enemies didn't seem to be very interesting. "Scary ghosts, oooh." You know what I mean? Is there more enemy variety than apparitions?
These aren't ghosts, at least from the little bit of the story that I've gathered so far. And yes, there are other enemies of a more "physical" nature.
3. The environment seemed like it might feel too sterile and mechanical. In the trailer I saw, it was all metal corridors. Is there color and nature, or is that pretty much it -- indoor, mechanical, sterile, metal? Any beauty, so to speak?
I haven't seen enough of the ship to say, but it's a space station. Uh, sterile and mechanical sounds about right. There is plenty of "color" and variety within these walls, however, and the attention to detail is just amazing, in my opinion. And some really funny stuff along the way, too. For a comparison, I would say that if you felt Bioshock was varied enough for you, they you should have no problem or a reason to complain. Much of the environment is similar to that, except with Prey you are not limited to a linear path, and there is so much more to see.
4. In the trailer I saw, the only other people you came across were dead. Is it like Bioshock, where you're listening to audiologs as the main way of interacting?
Yes there are some audiologs like Bioshock that are used in the storytelling, but also emails like Deus Ex, video messages, sticky notes and even notes on chalk boards/walls. And without divulging too much of the story, there's another presence that is helping lead you and keep your character up to date. It's important to stress that Prey is a pretty cerebral affair, with a deep underbelly of a story that requires you to pay attention. If you don't enjoy divesting your time into learning that story's intricacies, YMMV, and I don't know if you'd like this.
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