System Shock 2 is finished. Now it's time for something new. I find myself faced with two choices, and I just can't make up my mind.

The first option is Prey. Played the demo when it came out, and it seemed like a fairly decent but entirely unremarkable shooter; like so many FPS releases these days, technically adept and artistically moribund. I moved through the levels, I shot the guys, I made the appropriate Homer Simpson-like "ooh!" noises at the visual quality, and felt no real connection otherwise. But I was in EB a couple weeks ago and saw the Collector's Edition for 15 bucks, so I grabbed it. Hey, there aren't many CEs I won't buy for 15 bucks.

Second choice is Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. Picked it up when it was released (Collector's Edition), played it, loved it. This game is like 17 different kinds of awesome rolled up into a ball and stuffed into a box. I'm think I'd very much enjoy playing it again, but it's covered ground. I've played it, and as much as I liked it, my gut reaction when I have something new sitting here waiting to be played is to play it.

And to maintain perspective, do remember that whichever way I go, I'll be following up System Shock 2, the unparalleled awesomeness of which will leave everything a little paler by comparison.

HELP ME

"Decent but unremarkable" is the perfect way to describe Prey. The intro is absolutely fantastic, as you watch most of your town, including the local bar, get sucked into an alien craft. After you get over the beautiful visuals and the gimmick of walking up walls, what you're left with is a fairly easy, extremely linear FPS. Many people were extremely irritated that you can't die in the game. If Tommy sustains too much damage, he goes to a spirit world where you're stuck playing a moronic minigame for a minute or two before being dropped back close to where you bought the farm.

Prey doesn't suck, but it's not going to knock your socks off, either. My advice? Go with a third option.

My advice: buy a modern console. (And/or "Landslide's mom.")

Russ Pitts:
My advice: buy a modern console. (And/or "Landslide's mom.")

I couldn't agree more. The 360's software library will finally mature over the fall/holiday season. Couple that with all the titles since launch and the hardware price drop...forget about it! It's a no-brainer.

Dude.

Landslide:
Dude.

This topic just begs for "That's what she said" jokes or "I would Prey on Landslides's mom with my Dark Messiah."

Yes this rampant objectivity and adhesion to topic is kind of creeping me out in light of the potential comedy at another's expense.

Sorry Land, looks like I'm going to need your mom's number.

And while I'm waiting for that, I decided to fire up Prey. Visually very nice. Played it for about 20 minutes, wondered why the hell I was bothering, and quit. Which isn't meant to imply that I hate it or that I won't go back to it, but competently average FPSs have a way of getting on my nerves every now and then, especially after playing something like SS2. "Competent" just isn't enough sometimes, but it usually fills the holes.

Also, Russ, thanks for the suggestion. I've added "buy a modern console" to my list of things to do, just below "stick a fork in my eyeball."

Heh, I found prey (bargain bin copy) was a good waste of time, I found some parts good, the visuals brilliant in places (seeing the entire spaceship and so on) and the portals and gravity fun. I got board, but then I finished it anyway, eventually...took a few tries to do the later levels - they get repetitive.

A terribly mediocre story, although the radios you hear throughout the game (and seeing bits of earth stuff stuck in the ship) are good.

Never played the other game though, if you are playing it, make sure to say what it was like :)

Prey actually turned out a lot better than I was expecting. Most of what was said above holds true - some of the vistas were amazing, and the Art Bell radio bits were a great touch. What I found annoying/amusing was how similar the game was to Quake 4, both in visual style and in plotting. Visually, the game might as well take place on Stroggos, and if you've played Quake 4 there will be at least one major plot point that'll make you think, wtf game am I actually playing here? But overall, a very solid FPS, great deal for 15 bucks.

And speaking of deals, Dark Messiah can be had awfully cheaply these days and is more than worth it. It took some criticism for its shallow RPG component, which was unfair given that it was not at all an RPG, despite the fact that you play a guy with a sword fighting orcs. (A topic which I will do my best not to get started on.) It's an action game, with far more in common with Prey or Quake than with Oblivion or Gothic. This is a big, big point to be aware of - if you're after a new first-person RPG, don't bother, you'll just be disappointed. But if you want to kick evil right square in the ass, up close and personal, it's pretty awesome stuff.

Of your 2 titles, I suppose Might and Magic is the way to go. I finished Prey on the 360, mainly just to see how it ended. It is an ambitious, but souless FPS with some pretty graphics.

Might and Magic is a fun game for me and more engaging than Oblivion, at least for me it is. If you wanted to move outside of those titles, I think Sacred: Underworld is solid, Lord of the rings Online is more expensive. but fun and wit the Orange Box of Half-life 2 goodies coming out, also a good choice.

I finished Prey a week or so ago, and reinstalled Dark Messiah last night. It's fun, and while the combat is leagues ahead of that in Oblivion, it doesn't come near it for overall value. On the other hand, I'm a bit of an Elder Scrolls spaz, so ymmv. DM is an awesome game for first-person melee combat, and given how cheaply it can be had these days, there's no excuse not to grab it and give it a go.

Also, Orange Box can go to hell.

Malygris:
What I found annoying/amusing was how similar the game was to Quake 4, both in visual style and in plotting. Visually, the game might as well take place on Stroggos, and if you've played Quake 4 there will be at least one major plot point that'll make you think, wtf game am I actually playing here? But overall, a very solid FPS, great deal for 15 bucks.

I was actually slighty disturbed by some of the.. Uh.. Visuals.

Landslide:
I was actually slighty disturbed by some of the.. Uh.. Visuals.

You walked in and out of that door repeatedly, didn't you?

Fired all my ammo at it too.

Landslide:
Fired all my ammo at it too.

" .. but they were all blanks."

There should be a hard to find knob hidden under some skin at the very top of the door, and it should take a while to find it and turn it. How the fuck do I open this door?!?!?! Is this working?

Frustration.

Frustration and shame.

I would get prey. It's an original game with some decent graphics and killer weapon design!

Russ Pitts:
My advice: buy a modern console. (And/or "Landslide's mom.")

I chose the same option. Although I guess if it's desperately out of those two (who knows, living off an Escapist salary might be worse than living as a student), go with Might and Magic. Nostalgia does wonders when playing a game you loved years ago.

EDIT: I just noticed how badly necroed this was, sorry for the quote of irrelevance Russ!