Prey is the story of a person in the process of losing their humanity. Its player character, the drolly named Morgan Yu, awakes on the space station Talos I with uncomfortable holes in her memory. What’s more, she’s been the subject of an experiment to alter what it means to be human. That question is borne out in Prey’s weapons and abilities, which stretch from science and engineering skills we’d recognise on Earth to the shapeshifting traits of the Typhon, Arkane’s inky alien menace.
Hungry for more? Here’s everything we know about Prey.
We’ll tell you more about those below. Our playtime with Prey has left us with a pretty comprehensive look at Prey’s human abilities, plus a lingering glimpse inside the morphing and telepathy of the Typhon.
A small, explanatory note on some of the language used here: abilities are unlocked using Neuromods, brain-changing doohickies that allow the player to acquire new, sometimes strange skills instantly. And the Material Recycler is a device that lets Morgan, well, recycle any objects found on Talos 1 – while a Fabricator is a machine where those objects can be converted into new items via blueprints.
Oh, and when an ability promises to increase Yu’s “natural lifespan”? We’re pretty sure that’s flavour text, rather than a game mechanic. Although this is ambitious old Arkane we’re talking about, so who can say for sure?
Human abilities
Scientist
“Use knowledge of science, medicine, and specialized lab equipment to your advantage.”
Hacking (levels 1 – 4)
- Bypass security measures on computers and robotic systems.
Metabolic Boost
- Doubles both the duration of the Well Fed bonus and the health gained by consuming food.
Physician (levels 1 – 2)
- Your knowledge of medical practice increases the effectiveness of Medkits.
Necropsy
- Recover more valuable organs from Typhon remains. Typhon organs can be recycled for exotic material, which is used in the fabrication of Neuromods.
Engineer
“Specialize in modifying your gear, repairing, and crushing problems with your wrench.”
Leverage (levels 1 – 3)
- Lift heavy objects with ease and throw objects further. Thrown objects will damage enemies (at level 3, your brute strength can be applied to force open an unpowered door).
Repair (levels 1 – 3)
- Lvl1 – Fix broken Grav Shafts, Fabricators, and Recyclers with Spare Parts.
- Lvl2 – Fix broken Turrets, Operators, and Electrical Junctions.
- Lvl3 – Fortify Turrets.
Gunsmith (levels 1 – 2)
- Allows use of Weapon Upgrade Kits to upgrade security weapons beyond modification level 1 (allows fully upgraded guns at lvl2).
Suit Modification (levels 1 – 3)
- Upgrade your TranStar uniform with extra inventory space and allow installation of chipsets.
Dismantle
- Break down equipment in your inventory into Spare Parts and recover Spare Parts from destroyed Operators or Turrets.
Materials Expert
- Increase recycling yield by 20 percent.
Lab Tech (levels 1 – 2)
- Allows use of Weapon Upgrade Kits to upgrade non-standard tech weapons.
Impact Calibration (levels 1 – 3)
- Lvl1 – Reduce stamina cost of wrench attacks by 25%.
- Lvl2 – Wrench attacks deal 50% more damage.
- Lvl3 – Attacking with the wrench has a 25% chance to do Bonus Damage.
Security
“Boost your physical abilities, skill with firearms, and security tactics.”
Firearms (Levels 1 – 2)
- Increases damage with security weapons and increase chance to critically hit.
Conditioning
- Increase your health to to 115 and your stamina to 105. Run, sneak, climb, and sprint 5% faster.
Toughness (levels 1 – 3)
- Increase your health, natural lifespan increased.
Stamina (levels 1 – 2)
- Increases stamina.
Mobility (levels 1 – 2)
- Increase overall movement speed. Run, sneak, climb, and sprint faster. (Lvl2 increases jump height).
Combat Focus (levels 1 – 3)
- Enter a state of Combat Focus for 10 seconds in which time slows around you and actions cost 50% less stamina (higher levels increase duration, lower stamina use, and increase damage).
Stealth (levels 1 – 3)
- Lvl1 – Enemies take longer to detect you when you are sneaking or crawling.
- Lvl2 – Walk and run without making noise.
- Lvl3 – Sprint without making noise.
Sneak Attack (levels 1 – 2)
- Do increased damage to enemies while they are unaware of you.
Typhon abilities
We know less about these – Typhon abilities have to be learned by scanning aliens with the psychoscope, much as we once photographed Splicers in Rapture. As such, much of the Typhon skill tree remains a mystery to us – but what’s here is terribly tantalising.
Energy
“Harness the destructive power of electricity, fire, and kinetic energy.”
Kinetic Blast (levels 1 – 3)
- Create a physical blast that deals up to 50 damage and pushes away anything within 5 meters of the targeted area.
Lift Field (levels 1 – 2)
- Manipulate gravity to create a column of upward force that can trap enemies.
Electrostatic Burst (levels 1 – 3)
- Create an electrostatic burst that deals damage to the targeted area. Additionally the burst disrupts electronic equipment, stuns robotic and biological targets.
Electrostatic Resistance
- Takes less damage from electric attacks and hazards, and negate stun.
Electrostatic Absorption
- Absorb 50% of all electrical damage as psi points.
Morph
“Manipulate the psychoactive ether to change shape and dupe your enemies.”
Mimic Matter (levels 1 – 3)
- Camouflage yourself by taking the form of a nearby object.
Regeneration
- Regenerate health immediately after taking damage.
Phantom Shift (levels 1 – 2)
- Rapidly change position and leave behind a double that fools enemies.
Ether Resistance
- Takes 50% less damage from ether attacks and hazards.
Ether Absorption
- Absorbs 50% of all ether damage as psi points.
Phantom Genesis (levels 1 – 2)
- Create a Phantom that will fight for you from a human corpse.
Telepathy
“Use your mind as a weapon or manipulate technology and objects at a distance.”
Backlash (levels 1 – 3)
- Create a shield for 20 seconds which prevents the next enemy attack from damaging you. Enemies that attack the shield are repelled.
Psychoshock (levels 1 – 3)
Execute a direct psychic attack against biological targets and nullify psi abilities.
Mindjack (levels 1 – 3)
- Force biological enemies to end hostilities and fight for you. Also frees humans from typhon mind control.
Remote Manipulation (levels 1 – 3)
- Use your mind to retrieve distant objects and interact with devices.
Machine Mind (levels 1 – 3)
- Force robotic enemies to end hostilities and fight for you.
That’s everything we’ve got on abilities. Click through for more on Prey’s setting and story.