E3 2016: Bethesda announces Prey reboot for 2017 with a 'psychological twist'

Prey is alive! Publisher Bethesda has finally announced that Dishonored developer Arkane Studios is currently working on a new Prey "with an added psychological twist" at its E3 press conference in Los Angeles. However, the new game will no longer be a sequel in the sci-fi FPS series, but a spin on the original Prey game world with a much darker edge and a new, revamped storyline.

Prey 2, which was initially announced at E3 2011, was in development for years as a Human Head studios project. It was eventually cancelled by Bethesda in 2014 because it never "got to where it needed to be."

A reimagined version of the original 2006 game, the new Prey looks entirely different from the Prey 2 that was shown in 2011. Set in 2032, Prey will see players cast as Morgan Yu, the key subject of some "morally dubious experiments" meant to alter humanity forever.

In the announcement trailer, Yu wakes up three times aboard a space station called Talos 1, on the same day, in the same year — 15 March, 2032. Every time he does, he monitors his right eyeball that seems to be turning into a darker, dangerous shade of red every 'day.' Of course, something goes wrong, and you are tasked with uncovering "the secrets hiding in the depths of the space station" while being hunted by a mysterious, deadly alien force that has attacked the station.

"You'll have to rely on the tools you find on the station — along with your wits, weapons and mind-bending abilities — to combat the growing threat and, hopefully, survive," the game's description reads.

The Prey 2 that was shown in 2011 starred a federal air marshal taking on the role of a bounty hunter on an alien planet.

"At Arkane, our passion for creating unique worlds where you can improvise, experiment and play your way has driven our vision for Prey," said Raphael Colantonio, president and co-creative director at Arkane Studios. "We're excited to show you more of the sci-fi world we're creating at QuakeCon this summer."

Chris Avellone, game industry veteran and the lead designer on Fallout: New Vegas, also announced that he is working on the new Prey as well in a tweet.

Despite its long, troubled development period, the pseudo-sequel to Prey does look intriguing.

Prey is set to release in 2017 for Xbox One, PS4 and PC. More details on the game will be revealed at QuakeCon, which runs between 4 and 7 August in Dallas, Texas.

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