The first hint that this guide was not written in the same fashion as the Dishonored 2 guide was before the book was even delivered. The photos on the guide's page showing a "sneak-peak" at the "strategy" sections revealed that the author is going for a more direct, deliberate approach to puzzles rather than showing you various options to tackle each situation.
For example, in the page photo containing the section "Simulation Debriefing" the author tells you: "The room also contains a safe. Enter the code 5150 to enter the safe and retrieve some supplies." While this is well and good for the straightforward player, it takes away from the true experience of this game to nudge the player in the right direction but let them figure it out themselves. THAT's the rewarding way to play this game that Arkane intended. In the aforementioned example, what the author should have written is this: "The room also contains a safe. While we could have told you what the code is, try waiting until you watch the video that's in Morgan's office. It's a video taken from this room. Notice the smudged message written on the dry-erase board? Keep that in mind."
Case in point, the Dishonored 2 guide author did this same fashion of writing, and it impressed me. For instance, in the Dust District there is a locked door that leads into the Black Market from the back (to steal from the merchant). The author writes: "Read the Note up there near a wedding silvergraph. This gives you clues about the shopkeeper’s wedding anniversary. Then, look at a calendar on the wall. You see a day circled during the month of rain (the 4th month). That month and day are your code to the market door. Enter 4xx (with xx being the day marked on the calendar) into the black market back door." This kind of writing is ingenious, and allows the player to still experience the game the way the developers intended. If the player cannot do things themselves, nudge them into how to figure it out. This is rewarding strategy.
Think of when you were in a math or chemistry class. You were stumped on how to solve a problem. Sure it was easy to ask a friend "Hey, what's the answer to number 12?" But it's more rewarding to have that person instead "show" you how to solve it, rather than just give you the answer. It gives you that "Ah-ha.." moment, which in turn makes you feel confident on tackling the next problem. Arkane Studios make their games in this loving fashion. They work hard to give the player the opportunity to "Play Your Way." It's one of the first tutorial messages that pops up on the screen. If you can't get into this locked section, look around- you might stumble upon something you never thought of before. That's the job of a strategist. That is how the author wrote the guide for Dishonored 2. This author for the Prey guide, however, does not.
"Oh, it's a locked safe. Here's the code. Moving on.."
"There's a couple of heavy boxes blocking the way. You need Leverage III to move these boxes out of the way before you can get the items inside. If you don't have the neuromods, you can come back later. Moving on.."
There's a side-mission called "Mixed Signals" - I read this section last night just to see what "hints" it had to get into a locked moon door. Here's what the author said: "Here you must repair the controls to the moon door, requiring the Repair III ability and eight spare parts. If you don’t have this ability or the necessary parts, consider completing this objective later." Really?? The moon door, after closer inspection, has a small opening for ventilation in the corner of the door. Too small for a human, but not too small for an object the size of a.. suit chipset which is so conveniently located behind the moon door on the floor. Use the Mimic Matter I ability (costing only 2 neuromods) to mimic that chipset and hop through the opening to access the Override controls and open the door from the inside. Sure, what I wrote was deliberately written, but the author could have mentioned: "If you have the Repair III ability, you can open the door with ease. If not, take a closer look at the moon door itself. There might be another way inside.. if you were a small object."
Another gripe I have with this guide is that it's written in a way that makes finding side-quests very difficult. The table of contents lists all of the main story missions in order, but the side-quests are embedded throughout those missions in the guide, and without an index or reference to find them, are completely lost. You'll find yourself flipping through the pages scouring for the colored side-quest boxes to find the one that has the title of the one you are trying to read about. And if you did find it, it could be only one of many references to that side-quest because all side quests aren't listed from start to finish once they are introduced. I understand why the author had to do it this way: he separated the guide into different ship sections of Talos I in the order that the main missions present themselves. But this game plays a little more like Fallout 3/4 in which, yes, there is a main story arc, but the order in which you tackle side-quests can be irrespective to which story mission you are on. If they wanted to separate the guide into ship sections, that's fine- but keep the side quests in a separate chapter altogether, and write each one referencing tips and strategy of the quest from start to finish, notating which section of the ship to complete each objective. Instead you might come across the side-quest you're looking for but realize it's a "(Continued)" section. Hence, the scavenger hunt for the side-quest part you're looking for starts again.
There's a Foreword written by Arkane Studios that states: "But with all the freedom of a true Arkane title comes a daunting task: determining the best way to help you progress through the treacherous, contiguous world of Prey. In this strategy guide, the team at Prima Guides will walk you through Talos I, [and] show you the best paths through each mission [...]" - I'm not sure Arkane truly looked at this guide. It goes against everything that they stand for, and it's a slap in the face for their diligent work at creating a game that rewards players for "Play Your Way" tactics. After reading and enjoying the Dishonored 2 guide, I had high hopes for this guide to be written with the same non-spoiler, attention to detail, and rewarding literary strategic style. I was poorly mistaken. The book serves more as a "My Visit To Talos I" memento that I can use to relive my experience of the game after completing it- but I'm not using it while I enjoy the game for myself.
Buyer Beware.
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