Among Bethesda’s E3 reveals this year was Prey, a brand-new game from Dishonored developer Arkane Studios. There was some confusion over what it is exactly, given that it uses the same name as an existing Bethesda series, but director Raphael Colantonio has now tried to better explain what to expect.
Echoing what he said at E3, Colantonio said in a newly released video, “Prey is not a sequel. It’s not a remake. It has no tie with the original. You have to look at it like a reimagining of the idea.”
Also, despite what you might have gleaned from the trailer shown at E3, Colantonio said, “It’s not horror. The psychological-thriller dimension is more around the theme of identity. Who are you exactly as Morgan?”
He also clarified that Prey is “not just shooting. It’s more like a hybrid game where there’s narrative mixed with action mixed with a little bit of [an] RPG layer.”
There is combat, though, where you’ll fight using powers learned from aliens in addition to weapons. These come in more traditional forms, like shotguns, as well as “some gadgets,” which Colantonio said are present because the game takes place on a space station where scientists are working. “There’s a lot of interesting gadgets that you can use that are not meant for combat but somehow work out.”
Throughout the video, he tries to express that this is an Arkane game. He doesn’t specifically call out Dishonored by name, but does say, “If you like Arkane games, those games that blend narratives and simulation and some choices and a lot of player exploration, Prey is going to be that game for you.”
You can see everything Colantonio had to say in the video above.
Prey 2 was in development at one point, only for it to be canceled. Bethesda confirmed the cancellation in 2014. A rumor surfaced earlier this year suggesting that a “completely reworked” version would be announced at E3.
The first Prey was released back in 2006 for PC and Xbox 360 by Human Head Studios, which has gone on to develop games like Dungeon Defenders II.