Prey: Mooncrash

 PC
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 100 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 100
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 100
  3. Negative: 26 out of 100

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  1. chrisjwmartin
    Mar 1, 2021
    0
    This is a truly terrible expansion, one of the worst gaming experiences I have ever had in my life. It is a horrifying violation of everything that Arkane used to stand for. There is no story: it is boring and pointless. There is no freedom of choice: the roguelike element makes it unplayable. Please, do yourself a favour and avoid this at all costs. Do not get this even if they are givingThis is a truly terrible expansion, one of the worst gaming experiences I have ever had in my life. It is a horrifying violation of everything that Arkane used to stand for. There is no story: it is boring and pointless. There is no freedom of choice: the roguelike element makes it unplayable. Please, do yourself a favour and avoid this at all costs. Do not get this even if they are giving it away for free.… Expand
  2. alona
    Jan 22, 2021
    5
    Not what I expected. The base game is amazing but DLC seems not being worthy getting.
  3. DeadlyQueen
    May 10, 2022
    0
    This looks like it's just a challenge mode.
    Doesn't seem to add too much to the story.
    Also -1 for "muh diversity".
  4. SilverOrlov
    Apr 6, 2020
    7
    "Run, Forest, run!" (c)
    I do not want to say that the game (DLC) is bad ... but it, unfortunately, is not good too. The main story, divided into five different small runs of different crew members of the lunar base in the form of simulations, is an interesting solution that greatly diversifies the fact that the lunar base is not very large. But since the very first game since 2000 I hate    "Run, Forest, run!" (c)
    I do not want to say that the game (DLC) is bad ... but it, unfortunately, is not good too. The main story, divided into five different small runs of different crew members of the lunar base in the form of simulations, is an interesting solution that greatly diversifies the fact that the lunar base is not very large. But since the very first game since 2000 I hate running against the clock. I admit that in some places and moments it is very suitable there or there, in the form of a trap or time to recover from the poison ... but when the whole game is on the timer ... and this timer goes fast enough ... and with every wave, enemies are re-spawn and become more difficult ... It becomes a disgusting decision.
    The game becomes not a Prey, that I loved very much. Yes, in the end you are "with all your power" and remember locations, and have "coins" to get many "time dilation items", but still, (1) you have to buy them a lot for comfort exploration of "game World" and (2) This is still only after the middle-game, and for many players it will be at the end. This "time dilation items" are not an excuse for bad mechanics that was done here. Such idea would be normal, maybe, as something opposite, but for DLC to a "measured study and viscous stress" game... it's a failure.    … Expand
  5. MaxmilianKohler
    Dec 2, 2020
    5
    The main game was enjoyable and immersive.

    The Mooncrash DLC is quite bad. It starts off seeming like it would be great, but it gets progressively worse, and super grindy. I liked the "no saves" aspect that made it seem more real and immersive. I played the main game without using any alien powers, and it seemed like this DLC was going to give you the opportunity to fight a bunch of    The main game was enjoyable and immersive.

    The Mooncrash DLC is quite bad. It starts off seeming like it would be great, but it gets progressively worse, and super grindy. I liked the "no saves" aspect that made it seem more real and immersive. I played the main game without using any alien powers, and it seemed like this DLC was going to give you the opportunity to fight a bunch of enemies with the powers, but you have to grind out lots of repetitive stuff to do so.

    You need a very good memory to remember where everything was, and what you have or haven't done on X run.    … Expand
  6. Poochingus
    Jan 20, 2021
    4
    Kind of wish I could suggest this, but I never would. In theory, it was a nice idea, to give you a chance to prove yourself with different play styles and get to each different goal. However it just doesn't do it chief. One aspect of game design I always hated, was to reward players who are good with an easier game, and to punish bad players with a harder game. So if you are good you willKind of wish I could suggest this, but I never would. In theory, it was a nice idea, to give you a chance to prove yourself with different play styles and get to each different goal. However it just doesn't do it chief. One aspect of game design I always hated, was to reward players who are good with an easier game, and to punish bad players with a harder game. So if you are good you will find all the secrets of a game, get the special bonus power ups you only get for being super good, etc. In this game it comes in the form of a game timer. Do you want to get the hang of things, explore, and think of a good way to play? Too bad, this is a mad dash towards the objective chevron. After I realized that there after each character, the world stays the same, I thought I could leave useful things for my future runs, but there is no time for that. Do you like stealth? There is no time for methodical and avoidant or sneaky game play.

    I am not really upset because I got the game at such a good price, but it just wasn't anything like what you would hope it could be. If this game were a corridor on rails type thing, I would be okay. It works for Time Crisis for a reason. However this game gives you an open world to romp in, but punishes you for exploring it. It makes me think of zelda Majora's Mask and how that game actually drives you to focus on your task by giving you a very clear path before each reset. However it always gave you time, and even more you could slow it. Not here. It really sucks because this game has such an arcade style feel, but instead of giving challenge in a good way, it scuffs it, and uses the worst aspect of the arcade, which is trying to make you lose faster to get more money from you. But there are no quarters here to pop in a machine. Just the remnants of a stupid system. Why not give players an option? Like by putting a difficulty multiplier in that you can turn up to give bonus points? Why not also give points for restricting your own actions? Like another modifier that makes it so you can't use ability upgrades? This way a good player can rack up points faster, but a newer or more slow paced player can take their time, maybe doing a couple runs before getting the amount of points they need while giving each player the experience they would desire! A missed opportunity. Then on top of that you realize the game was made around the concept of exploration and story first, and combat second. So why didn't they improve the combat? Why not give us more weapons, and make the gunplay less clunky? There are a lot of things that should have been done different to get across what they wanted. However it was clearly just a lame attempt to smash one gameplay idea into an already finished game system that it was not compatible with. Shame really, because the replayability of this could have be great. Instead it just put me off trying to figure it out any further due to conflicts in gameplay.

    So is it worth it? Eh, if you get it bundled on sale, why not pay $1 more and see if you like it? But I think even people who like the arcade idea of this game will find the actual core movement and gunplay subpar for the idea too. So this game really isn't for anyone unless they can put up with a great game and a great idea making each other somewhat mediocre.    … Expand
  7. DimX-6600
    Jun 14, 2018
    4
    There is no story.
    Only 4 small locations.
    You must complete the game in a limited time!
    There is no way to explore the world well, because time is limited.
    After the second pass, it becomes boring (you need to go 5 times).
    Boring and monotonous game.
  8. Kompre
    Jun 16, 2018
    10
    A true gem of a DLC. The location is actually really big. A crater surrounded with 3 bases. Each of the base has 3 to 4 levels full of rooms. As in the original game, it's full of environmental storytelling, email to read, etc.

    At first sight, it might seem story, or randomness, are not going to be too important. But elements are in fact being brought one by one. It's extremely rich,    A true gem of a DLC. The location is actually really big. A crater surrounded with 3 bases. Each of the base has 3 to 4 levels full of rooms. As in the original game, it's full of environmental storytelling, email to read, etc.

    At first sight, it might seem story, or randomness, are not going to be too important. But elements are in fact being brought one by one. It's extremely rich, and the more you play it the more you get addicted. The narration is amazing: each character brings his own story. And they all cross path. It's a very interesting format of non-linear storytelling. Little by little you start to know everyone on the station, and it becomes very deep. Of course there is also a strong link with Talos I, and you learn some very interesting things on the original station.

    What can I say more. The gameplay is brilliant. As in Prey it's full of option. Each character pushes you in a certain way, which grants good variety. On top of it, the random generation brings you plenty of stressful situation when you need to improvise. And the clever design of all the elements that interact together makes you go through unique and quite amazing playthrough.

    Finally the timer. It seems to be the thing that some people blocked on. I think it should not be misunderstood. The timer is an interesting mechanic, that should not stress players in rushing. There is no need for rush at all. You can still read emails, take time to admire the landscape. The timer is just an interesting mechanic of ressources management. You can craft some elements to reduce the level of corruption. So you make your own choices, if you want to take risks but full of equipment, or less equipment, and with less ennemies.

    Entirely worth 20 USDs.    … Expand
  9. metaxyn
    Jun 22, 2018
    10
    People who say there is nothing to explore are paying to much attention to the timer. The DLC tells you, you will die a lot, the point is to explore, find the fastest way to escape and get the locations of items, do bounties with each simulation.

    It is an amazing DLC. Stop putting so much into the timer and corruption levels. Explore. On your final run, then rush cause you'll have    People who say there is nothing to explore are paying to much attention to the timer. The DLC tells you, you will die a lot, the point is to explore, find the fastest way to escape and get the locations of items, do bounties with each simulation.

    It is an amazing DLC. Stop putting so much into the timer and corruption levels. Explore. On your final run, then rush cause you'll have figured out the best routes and where all the helpful items are located.    … Expand
  10. Paulystan
    Apr 4, 2023
    0
    Infuriating, boring and just plain stupid. What a waste of time effort and energy by the devs. How to make an average game into total garbage.
  11. Frozenbyten
    Jun 21, 2018
    3
    That's not a prey i liked so much... just repetitive gameplay riped off the main game... No story, no exploration...
  12. Tibore
    Aug 4, 2018
    10
    Not sure why the low user score but this DLC is awesome! there's replay value, story for every character you play and scaling difficulty which depends on how fast you play! Highly recommend it.
  13. sarge945
    Nov 28, 2018
    8
    This seems to be one of the few roguelike games out there that actually understands progression, and how to keep the game interesting between playthroughs, rather than the standard "We didn't know how to make the game longer, so we slapped on a permadeath system and now it's a roguelike" attitude a lot of indie games have,

    Which is made even more surprising when this is done by a big    This seems to be one of the few roguelike games out there that actually understands progression, and how to keep the game interesting between playthroughs, rather than the standard "We didn't know how to make the game longer, so we slapped on a permadeath system and now it's a roguelike" attitude a lot of indie games have,

    Which is made even more surprising when this is done by a big studio, who had to follow up a legendary game.

    Check this out. Seriously.    … Expand
  14. garethvk
    Jun 26, 2018
    8
    During their E3 Showcase, Bethesda announced that PREY would be getting a free update with new features as well as a paid DLC called MoonCrash. The DLC was released shortly after the showcase and while covering E3, I got to play a level of the new content which was very engaging.
    I have been playing the full DLC for a while now and have to say it is engaging and streamlines the PREY    During their E3 Showcase, Bethesda announced that PREY would be getting a free update with new features as well as a paid DLC called MoonCrash. The DLC was released shortly after the showcase and while covering E3, I got to play a level of the new content which was very engaging.
    I have been playing the full DLC for a while now and have to say it is engaging and streamlines the PREY experience into smaller runs without compromising the experience and challenge.
    Playing as an operator who must remotely control five different characters, players will be tasked with escaping the base through a variety of means and surviving the Mimics who infest the base. Players will gain points for various tasks and defeating enemies, and they can use those points to buy gear to start each level. While there are opportunities to get new weapons, ammunition, and other gear on the levels, the smaller gameplay area makes planning ahead key as you do not have a massive space station to run through this time around.

    The goal is to get all five players out without dying but this is not as easy as it sounds as the maps change over time. I managed to get two players out and while getting a third to a goal, I discovered that a staircase I needed to get to my objective was now destroyed and high level creatures were now guarding the area.

    Adding to the challenge is a corruption feature which can cause your weapons and gear to malfunction. Imagine having a pistol with plenty of ammunition and the gun becomes corrupted. Instead of being able to quickly unload a clip into an enemy, you are forced to fire a single shot and then do a clear and load action before you can fire another shot. In the time you used to fire multiple shots, you can now fire two shots which does not help when faced with some of the baddies in the game.

    Although set in a Lunar Base, players will recognize items from the prior game such as Mods, food, crafting items, and such which will greatly help increase the chances of survival.
    The escape options are varied as you can do things like take an Escape Pod, pilot a shuttle, or other creative ways like using a portal or uploading your conscious. However this is not always as easy as it sounds as changing conditions may cause you to rethink your plans. Rushing to a computer terminal may find the stairs gone, trying to use a portal requires a repair that your character is not able to do with their current skill set. One mission required me to locate a Neuromod and program in piloting skills to my character so I could operate the shuttle.

    After using the Escape Pod to get one player to safety, I decided to use another pod to help another character escape after my planned option was no longer viable. I made my way to the pod and as I prepared to launch, learned the unit needed a Navigation Chip which was in another part of the lab and of course; surrounded by all sorts of undesirable enemies.

    MoonCrash does not have the story depth of the original game or the multitude of side quests that players had with the first game. It does give players a challenging and fun experience that does still allow for creative and diverse ways to accomplish their goals.
    The graphics of the game are in keeping with the first game and the sounds of the game do a fantastic job of adding to the immersion.
    MoonCrash is a very enjoyable addition to the game and is a must for fans of the original game.
    4 stars out of    … Expand
  15. ZainSalah
    Jun 25, 2018
    10
    One of the best games every made it inspired by the 90 fps system shock half-life and with impressive graphics and game design like bioshock it’s a modern classic a with Innovative game play haven’t seen in years it’s a real must play
  16. Glic2003
    Dec 7, 2019
    9
    A very interesting twist on Prey. A bit confusing and repetitive at first, but it gets very compelling with each bit that you gradually unlock. The areas are also very large and interesting to explore.
  17. xephnid
    Dec 5, 2018
    10
    This is the best DLC, I've ever played. Ever. It's also the one DLC that deviates most from the base game. Mooncrash changes things up so much that the game switches genres. The latter is what makes this DLC a bit difficult to recommend. If you enjoyed the base game, there's no 100% guarantee you will enjoy Mooncrash. And vice versa.

    The base game discouraged rushing and rewarded    This is the best DLC, I've ever played. Ever. It's also the one DLC that deviates most from the base game. Mooncrash changes things up so much that the game switches genres. The latter is what makes this DLC a bit difficult to recommend. If you enjoyed the base game, there's no 100% guarantee you will enjoy Mooncrash. And vice versa.

    The base game discouraged rushing and rewarded careful exploration. This DLC reverses that. You're always on a timer and you might want to not read every email (at least not right away), not explore every nook and cranny (at least not right away) and not fight every enemy (at least not with every protagonist). But don't worry about dying either! Death is a minor setback. The simulation will simply start over. Mooncrash is a roguelite i.e. every bit of progress you make carries over to your next run. The simulation has more than one protagonist too. You will - eventually - play all of them consecutively. They're all more specialized than the protagonist from the base game. None of them will become good at everything but they all have theirs specific strengths and more importantly: They complement each other.

    Mooncrash feels like the next evolution of the immersive sim genre and I do hope there's a lot more where this came from!    … Expand
  18. raorian
    Mar 28, 2020
    10
    an ingenious piece of gameplay design
    10/10
    but i guess it's not for everyone
  19. alanjiang
    Dec 20, 2018
    10
    This is what a DLC should be. A great game with same spirit of Prey 2017 with roguelike gameplay.
    Mooncrash takes the best parts of the base game and use them to build a highly replayable rogue-lite experince that is as much fun as it is addictive.
  20. Muismi
    Apr 28, 2020
    8
    Prey: Mooncrash es una expansión que realmente expande bastante las horas de juego en el universo de Prey. La misma ambientación y enemigos, pero nuevos escenarios, personajes jugables y ... ¡elementos aleatorios!. Esta expasión es muy rejugable y recomiendo jugarla a todos los que posean Prey.
  21. 1Warfen
    Feb 7, 2022
    8
    If someone wasn't enough after Prey then this DLC can fill their needs. We have here mostly what we have in the main game - the story of the crew of the station on the moon, the heavy atmosphere and the difficulty of survival. The big difference here is the simulation mechanics. So we'll visit Pytheas Station multiple times, but each playthrough will be completely different.There areIf someone wasn't enough after Prey then this DLC can fill their needs. We have here mostly what we have in the main game - the story of the crew of the station on the moon, the heavy atmosphere and the difficulty of survival. The big difference here is the simulation mechanics. So we'll visit Pytheas Station multiple times, but each playthrough will be completely different.There are several hours of gameplay here. Unfortunately, some people will not like the lack of this freedom or the very mechanics taken out of roguelikes.… Expand
  22. SewAwOw
    May 29, 2021
    7
    Я не знаю, зачем они так намудрили с длс, но его не прошел потому что надоело. Надоело постоянно следить за сраным таймером, надоело бегать по бесчисленным лабиринтам, надоело драться со спавнящимися более сильными версиями обычных тифонов после очередной порчи данных, надоело возвращаться в те же локации и муторно зачищать их заново, чтобы выбраться за разных людей, на которых вообщеЯ не знаю, зачем они так намудрили с длс, но его не прошел потому что надоело. Надоело постоянно следить за сраным таймером, надоело бегать по бесчисленным лабиринтам, надоело драться со спавнящимися более сильными версиями обычных тифонов после очередной порчи данных, надоело возвращаться в те же локации и муторно зачищать их заново, чтобы выбраться за разных людей, на которых вообще плевать. То, что нравилось в оригинальной игре, здесь только бесит. Жаль, что не сделали простое приключение в духе оригинала, без всех этих дурацких симуляций.… Expand
  23. maluigario
    Dec 7, 2022
    6
    TL;DR: Tangentially-related story to the events of the first game, non-linear gameplay, and odd mechanics make this an enjoyable experience, albiet not one I'd recommend unless you really enjoyed the base game.

    In Mooncrash, you play the role of some guy working for a rival corporation to the one your main character from the base game works for, and you use the super future tech and a    TL;DR: Tangentially-related story to the events of the first game, non-linear gameplay, and odd mechanics make this an enjoyable experience, albiet not one I'd recommend unless you really enjoyed the base game.

    In Mooncrash, you play the role of some guy working for a rival corporation to the one your main character from the base game works for, and you use the super future tech and a black box recording to relive the experiences of 5 people who were on the moon when the events of the base game take place. (NOTE: The base game does NOT take place on said moon, so it's not the same location being reused.) You start with only one "scenario" unlocked, and completing specific objectives will slowly unlock the other 4. You are meant to replay these scenarios over and over, so a roguelike element was introduced to change up what enemies and environmental difficulties you'd face. Playing well nets you points you can use to equip your characters in better gear before each attempt. It essentially turns Prey into a roguelike dungeon crawler: multiple characters to play as, multiple objectives to hit, all of them trying to get off the moon alive. This can make the game feel a little repetitive, since the actual layout of the moonbase never changes, only which paths through it you may traverse.

    Another gripe I have is that I found the map very difficult to navigate. Your objective may have you needing to go to one area of the base, but the way to get there has been disabled by the RNG for your run, and you can't remember the long way to get there, and you spend forever trying to figure out how to get there. Considering the base layout is more or less circular, there are always 2 or more ways to reach any given area, but the wayfinder doesn't do a great job of helping you find the way that is actually available. Then in later scenarios, the game starts throwing in this "corruption" meter that basically acts as a time limit for you to complete the scenarios. This means I spent a lot of time rushing around trying to beat the clock and desperately trying to find my way somewhere.

    Overall, I had fun with the DLC, but unlike the base game, I see little reason to go back and play it again.    … Expand
  24. PavelHr
    Jul 27, 2023
    0
    Godawful. You have to beat the same level probably 50 times to 'win' so you collect incrementally better weapons and abilities each run so you can.. wait for it.. clear the level slightly faster. The point of roguelikes is diversity of experience, diversity of enemies and diversity of environments, this fails on all 3 criteria, there is no story to give it a 1. Just skip and play betterGodawful. You have to beat the same level probably 50 times to 'win' so you collect incrementally better weapons and abilities each run so you can.. wait for it.. clear the level slightly faster. The point of roguelikes is diversity of experience, diversity of enemies and diversity of environments, this fails on all 3 criteria, there is no story to give it a 1. Just skip and play better roguelikes or the base game if you want actual Prey experience.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

94
#94 Most Discussed PC Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Dec 31, 2018
    60
    A solid expansion which moves the game in a direction that won´t be for everyone. If you enjoyed fighting and overcoming obstacles by itself in the original Prey, then you will also enjoy the challenge offered by repeatedly passing through the lunar base. [Issue#288]
  2. CD-Action
    Sep 27, 2018
    80
    One of the fullest and most clever realization of the DLC concept I have ever encountered. Instead of lazily rearranging old bricks Mooncrash takes familiar elements and really squeezes new quality out of them. [08/2018, p.82]
  3. Games.cz
    Jul 13, 2018
    70
    Addition to Prey is decorated with fresh mechanics and an interesting change in the overall pace, but some of the positives of the original have also been sacrificed. In particular, exploration of the environment, atmosphere build-up and the possibility of slow approach. Mooncrash is still worth playing, thanks to the catchy rogue-lite system, meaningful storyline and great music and sound.
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