Video game review by ERIK LEIJON

During the summer months, film studios will release one vapid blockbuster after another and movie-goers will eat them up and ask for seconds. Consider Prey (PC/2K Games, Human Head) to be the Superman Returns of gaming—what it may lack in storyline, interesting characters and overall depth, it makes up for in sheer carnage, stunning visuals and a disregard for the laws of gravity. Prey is not only one of the prettiest games of the year, but it’s far and away the most violent.

Prey is an FPS based on the Doom 3 engine. They share the same sci-fi look, claustrophobic tunnels and near constant darkness that only reinforce the impossible and frightening conditions our hero, Tommy, finds himself in. The game starts in his favourite local watering hole, where his girlfriend Jen works. After administering a beating on some drunken louts, an absolutely gorgeous alien abduction scene occurs and off we go. The game’s protagonists are from the same Cherokee band in Texas, and there is a ham-fisted attempt to convey a social message about how natives live, but it’s really all window dressing for what the game is really about: a chance to blow up some puss-spewing aliens and satiate that itchy trigger finger.

When it comes to action, Prey really gets the job done. The AI at the default difficulty is nothing special, but the bad guys come in waves and get progressively bigger and meaner. The alien ship where this takes place is a living entity too, and the walls and floors are blood- and gut-spraying enemies as well. The action never stops (there are no cutscenes to advance the story) and the developers refused to even let something as trivial as dying ruin the pace. When you die, Tommy enters the death world, where he shoots down red and blue birds to replenish his health and spirit powers; and in a matter of seconds Tommy is thrust back into the bloodbath to kill again.

Worrying about ammo supplies would be a complete buzz-kill as well, so the developers made the alien weaponry rechargeable, with stations located in nearly every room. The most interesting aspect about the alien weapons is how they are alive too, and are constantly squirming around in Tommy’s hand.

The gameplay is unoriginal, but the ship Tommy is trying to escape defies the laws of physics with impressive results. By activating the marked fluorescent blue surfaces, Tommy can walk the walls and ceilings. Floating portals will also open throughout the game and send you into different areas. These effects are very impressive graphically, and there’s something more rewarding about killing aliens while standing on the ceiling.

Prey looks amazing and the gameplay is incredibly tight. The familiar themes and lack of innovation will mean there’s little reason to come back after completing the eight- to 10-hour single-player mode (there is a standard deathmatch included), but Prey does succeed in being a fun, mindless, macabre, action-packed FPS.

Will play games for money

Ever fancy a job that required playing video games eight hours a day in return for very little pay? Redmond, Washington-based VMC Game Labs has set up shop at the Sun Life building (1155 Metcalfe) and needs an army of over 250 game-testers.

Despite the job title, the work isn’t exactly all fun and games. Testers need to be passionate about playing (40 hours a week in this case), at least 18 years old, and can write reports in English. Other positions are also available, as are flexible hours.

I now have a place to direct my ire if the new NHL is a bug-ridden mess. Send your CV to montrealgametesting@volt.com.