Save Humanity from the Typhon Invasion! Five Prey Tips for Getting Started

Prepare to fight the Typhon invasion with some essential strategies straight from the Prey Official Strategy Guide author, David Knight! We asked him for the top tips a new player should know, and here’s what he told us:

As a huge fan of sci-fi/horror movies and games, I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to work on the guide for Prey. The game combines some of my favorite elements, mixing action and RPG gameplay with a rich story based on an alternative historical timeline. But even more compelling are the tough decisions the game requires of you, many with game-changing consequences. Will you play as the hero or the villain? Here are a few tips to help you get familiar with some of the game’s unique elements.

Neuromod Enhancement

Imagine instantly obtaining the skill, knowledge, and experience of a famed concert pianist or the accuracy and precision of a world championship marksman. Innovations in Talos I’s Psychotronics division have led to the development of the Neuromod, a revolutionary device capable of enhancing humanity with a variety of expert abilities and skills.

Throughout your adventure aboard Talos I, you’ll collect a number of Neuromods. But how will you use them? Will you install them to acquire new skills and improve your chances of survival? Or will you ignore them completely, opting to overcome challenges without Neuromod enhancement? You’re free to build your character in any way you see fit. But if you choose to install Neuromods, it’s important to understand how each ability functions. Not all abilities are equal—some have greater versatility than others. Furthermore, Neuromods are a limited resource, requiring you to select some abilities over others.

Many of the game’s achievements and trophies are tied to abilities, so take that under consideration before applying Neuromods. For example, the Split Affinity achievement requires you to complete the game twice. On your first game, only acquire human abilities. On your second game, only acquire Typhon abilities. Or complete the game without acquiring any abilities at all to earn the No Needles achievement.

Combos

As you acquire more weapons and abilities, you can attack enemies with greater confidence and efficiency. Still, it’s important to maintain the element of surprise. Immobilize enemies with the GLOO Cannon or stun them with the Disruptor Stun Gun before attacking with more lethal weapons and abilities. Many Typhon enemies rely on Psi-based attacks. You can temporarily disable these abilities by hitting them with a Nullwave Transmitter or the Psychoshock ability. When confronting robotic enemies, disable them with EMP Charges or the Electrostatic Burst ability. But don’t let up once an enemy is disabled. Attacking disabled enemies results in bonus damage. Get comfortable with switching weapons during attacks and experiment with different combos.

Chipsets

Your TranStar uniform and Psychoscope can be upgraded with chipsets that provide various benefits, boosts, and protections. Once acquired, install these upgrades via the Suit Chipset and Scope Chipset pages within your TranScribe’s Inventory tab. By default, your uniform and Psychoscope only have two slots each for chipsets. But new slots can be unlocked by investing in the Suit Modification and Psychotronics abilities, allowing you to benefit from an array of installed chipsets. Installing chipsets isn’t permanent. In fact, it’s a good idea to swap out chipsets on a regular basis, tailoring boosts and benefits to fit your current situation. For example, if confronted by a Thermal Phantom, equip the Thermal Shielding (*) 19.4GHz chipset to reduce the amount of damage you take from fire-based attacks. So each time you face a tough challenge, sort through your chipsets and install those that give you an advantage.

Recyclers

Recyclers convert unwanted items into synthetic, mineral, organic, and exotic material which can be used by Fabricators to construct new items. Insert unwanted items into the bin on the left side of the machine before initiating the recycling process. Recycled material fragments and blocks can be retrieved from the bin on the right. Any item in your inventory can be recycled to obtain material necessary for fabricating new items. Make a habit of recycling items in your inventory to free up space—recycled material fragments and blocks do not consume space. Consider acquiring the Materials Expert ability to increase recycling yield by 20%.

Fabricators

Fabricators use Fabrication Plans to create dozens of useful items aboard Talos I. Each item fabricated consumes some combination of organic, mineral, synthetic, and exotic materials. Search Talos I to find plans and materials. To fabricate an item, select the plan of the item you wish to create then insert the necessary material blocks. You can then begin the fabrication process and retrieve your new item. Acquire the Neuromod fabrication plan as early as possible—one can be found in Psychotronics, within Dr. Kelstrup’s safe. Fabricating your own Neuromods allows you to acquire abilities at a faster rate. And it beats scouring the station for Neuromods. After repeated use, you’ll eventually need to renew the license by paying a visit to Halden Graves’ office in the Neuromod Division.