Prey Finally Gets the Co-op Experience It Never Had Thanks to a Fan-Made Mod
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Prey was designed as a single-player experience, but what if you could explore the Talos I space station with a group of friends?
That's exactly what Prey Coop is trying to make possible. This unofficial fan-made mod adds cooperative multiplayer to Arkane's 2017 sci-fi immersive sim, allowing multiple players to experience the campaign together.
It isn't an official multiplayer update from Arkane or Bethesda. Instead, it's a community project that modifies the game to synchronize important parts of the experience between players. And considering how much freedom Prey already gives you, the idea of turning Talos I into a shared playground is pretty fascinating.
What Is Prey Coop?
Prey Coop is a multiplayer mod for Prey (2017) that allows players to explore Talos I together. The project supports up to 16 players, although a smaller group may be a much more natural fit for a game that was originally designed around a single protagonist.
The mod aims to synchronize important elements of the campaign between connected players, including things such as progression, inventory, doors, hazards, enemies and other world interactions.
That means this isn't simply a separate multiplayer arena where you shoot things with your friends. The idea is to take the actual Prey experience and make its campaign playable cooperatively.
Why Prey Could Work Surprisingly Well in Co-op
Prey is already built around experimentation.
Talos I is packed with locked rooms, environmental puzzles, security systems, hidden passages and enemies that can be approached in different ways. You're constantly encouraged to look at a problem from another angle rather than simply shooting your way through it.
Adding another player could make those situations even more interesting.
One player might distract an enemy while another searches for an alternative route. Players could approach the same obstacle with completely different abilities, or split up to investigate different sections of the station before meeting back up.
There's also plenty of potential for the kind of completely unintended chaos that makes multiplayer mods so entertaining.
But 16 Players Might Be a Little Much
Technically supporting a large number of players is one thing. Making that number work with Prey's atmosphere is another.
Prey is at its best when Talos I feels isolated, dangerous and slightly unsettling. Having a dozen players running through the station together would obviously change that atmosphere dramatically.
For that reason, a small group could arguably be the sweet spot.
Playing the campaign with one or two friends could preserve more of the original experience while still adding the teamwork and unpredictability that multiplayer brings to the game.
It's Still an Unofficial Mod
There's an important distinction to make here: Prey Coop is not an official feature of Prey.
The project was created by the modding community and is still under development. Players should therefore expect some rough edges, bugs and compatibility issues that you wouldn't normally encounter in an officially supported multiplayer mode.
The mod also requires Chairloader, a separate modding framework created specifically for Prey. Chairloader provides the infrastructure needed to load and manage mods, while Prey Coop is the project that actually adds the multiplayer functionality.
How to Download Prey Coop
If you want to try it yourself, you'll need a legitimate PC copy of Prey, the Prey Coop mod and Chairloader.
Download Prey Coop:
Get Prey Coop from Nexus Mods
Download Chairloader:
Get the latest Chairloader release from GitHub
Chairloader's mod manager can be used to install and manage compatible Prey mods. Once everything is installed, follow the instructions provided on the Prey Coop mod page for setting up a multiplayer session.
Because Prey Coop is still being worked on, it's a good idea to check the mod page before installing it. The requirements and installation process can change as new versions are released.
Is Prey Coop Worth Trying?
If you've already played Prey and ever wished you could explore Talos I with a friend, this mod is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
It won't replace the original single-player experience. In fact, playing Prey alone remains the best way to experience the carefully controlled atmosphere and story that Arkane created.
But that's not really what Prey Coop is trying to do.
Instead, it takes one of gaming's most interesting immersive sims and gives players a completely different way to experience it. Suddenly, the strange problems you encounter aboard Talos I become something you can solve together, experiment with together, and occasionally completely mess up together.
And that's probably the biggest appeal of a project like this.
Prey never officially got the co-op mode some players might have wanted. The modding community decided to build one anyway.
If you're a fan of Prey and have a friend who hasn't experienced Talos I yet, this could be a pretty interesting excuse to return to one of Arkane's most ambitious games.
Watch Prey in Action
Before jumping into the multiplayer mod, here's some gameplay from the original Prey to get a feel for the atmosphere and gameplay that Prey Coop is modifying.
Watch the Trailer
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Webmastahhh is the creator of Mastanet, a gaming and technology website where he shares news, reviews, guides and personal insights about games, hardware, software and the future of digital entertainment.
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