Arkane Studios has released an alternate version of Prey‘s recent QuakeCon trailer, revealing that gamers can play as either a male or female lead for the duration of the first-person sci-fi adventure.
Arkane notes that the player’s choice of gender has no bearing on Prey‘s storyline, and explains that the feature serves as “yet another way that Arkane is saying yes to the player.”
Announced at E3 earlier this year, Prey is a reimagined version of Human Head Studios’ 2006 first-person shooter of the same name. Trailers showcased in recent months indicate that the new Prey shares little in common with its 2006 predecessor, as the upcoming reboot features a new storyline and an alternate cast of starring characters.
Taking place aboard a space station that is under siege by an invasive alien race, Prey challenges players to survive close-quarters combat encounters using an array of futuristic weaponry. As gameplay progresses, players will seize control of supernatural powers — including the ability to assume the form of everyday objects like chairs and coffee mugs — in order to outwit their alien pursuers.
Developer Arkane Studios revealed earlier this year that the game’s starring character Morgan Yu can either be male or female, at the player’s option. Outside of changing the main character’s appearance and voice, however, the player’s choice of gender otherwise has no effect on the game’s core narrative.
“In Prey, players will not only define themselves through their actions, but they can also choose their gender,” the developer explained in a recent blog post. “While this choice won’t change the story or how you interact with the world — because Morgan Yu is Morgan Yu, and he or she will be defined by the choices you make — it’s yet another way that Arkane is saying yes to the player.”
“The theme of identity is central to Prey,” creative director Raphael Colantonio adds. “Who is Morgan Yu exactly? We want to give you the freedom of being a man or a woman, but we also don’t want to limit who you become when you make that choice.”
Prey is currently in development for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC platforms, and is set to launch in 2017.
