Does anyone else find this game incredibly difficult?

[Mr. Gilly]

I grew up in the age of similar titles (System Shock 1/2, Deus Ex, etc) and found them challenging but accessible. On the contrary, I find Prey stupidly difficult. I get trashed by any room with more than one mimic and usually just sneak around anything else remotely more powerful.

I've heard the game becomes a bit easier later on. Is this true? I love the atmosphere and don't want to quit on it.

[Bankai9212]

I wouldn’t call the original deus ex or as games accessible. If the game is hard turn down the difficulty. Or just get stealth damage upgrades, once you have some skills it’s gets really easy.

[Ashley]

New to this and yes finding it a bit difficulty. Especially since things are so hidden I have zero idea if i'm missing critical stuff

[Schrader]

Because it's a good game not pandered for little kids, meaning it takes skill

[dtt.scanner]

The game does get easier, especially when you are able to pick up the Neuromod format for the fabricator. Mimics are easy to hammer out with the wrench. Use multiple fountains or sinks to recover health if there is no medical operator around, and save your medikits and food for emergencies. Phantoms can be taken out with a pistol and serious dodging (don't stand in front of a wall... radius of effect will still nail you). Lead them into the open where you can dance with them. Stronger phantoms (flame, ethereal, and shock) can be taken out by sneak attacks with a shotgun. Perk in stealth. Perk up your shotgun. Perk up the Q-Beam to take out big targets if you can't get close with the shotgun (like in space). NIghtmares can be taken out with the shotgun -- get close for more damage but not too close. Keep backing up and firing until they are down, so that you don't get stomped on.

Sneak everywhere, unless you know the coast is clear. Use Z to use your headgear to track targets, and you can zoom in and out with the mouse wheel to get a closer look or better distance shot.

Cystoid nests and cystoids can by taken out with the gloo gun (really cheap ammo and you pick up a lot of gloo.) Gloo can also put out fires, seal breaches in gas lines, stop electrical discharges while you fix electrical stations, form stairs or paths across electrically charged floors. It is a really handy tool... in addition to freezing an opponent (temporarily). If you use the stun gun, you have to hold the trigger to discharge a decent charge. If you just click like a pistol, it will do nothing.

[V I D A L]

Why not turn down the difficulty?
I'm playing on Hard and I'm managing ok. I get killed if I face a phantom head on, but that is the idea.. to get the drop on them and be smart about it.

[dtt.scanner]

Also you can go back and revisit every area (and you will need to) so there is opportunity to pick up things that you missed once you are more familiar with things to look for, or didn't have the skill to pick up yet.

[Mr. Gilly]

I'm being very thorough with exploration, checking every drawer, under desks, and exploring verticality using the Gloo gun. I think hitting the mimics is my biggest obstacle. I'm using a controller, so keeping up with them is a nightmare. On that note, I do appreciate the patience and skill required to move forward. On many occasions, I've lured enemies into recycler grenades or moved explosive containers to trap them. It's a fantastic game, just very difficult to start.

[Schrader]

Originally posted by Mr. Gilly:

I'm being very thorough with exploration, checking every drawer, under desks, and exploring verticality using the Gloo gun. I think hitting the mimics is my biggest obstacle. I'm using a controller, so keeping up with them is a nightmare. On that note, I do appreciate the patience and skill required to move forward. On many occasions, I've lured enemies into recycler grenades or moved explosive containers to trap them. It's a fantastic game, just very difficult to start.

Turn down the difficulty if its too hard

[Mr. Gilly]

Originally posted by God Himself:

Originally posted by Mr. Gilly:

I'm being very thorough with exploration, checking every drawer, under desks, and exploring verticality using the Gloo gun. I think hitting the mimics is my biggest obstacle. I'm using a controller, so keeping up with them is a nightmare. On that note, I do appreciate the patience and skill required to move forward. On many occasions, I've lured enemies into recycler grenades or moved explosive containers to trap them. It's a fantastic game, just very difficult to start.

Turn down the difficulty if its too hard

Isn't Normal the lowest difficulty? Lmao

[steverock]

yes, the game is quite punishing and opaque. here are a few things that helped me:
- early on, it may be best to just run/sneak past enemies.
- if you can't, good ol' circle strafing is quite effective in dodging most attacks..most.
- get used to using the GLOO gun a lot to first disable enemies. some enemies, like the Telepath, are hugely weak to GLOO - which is odd, but hey it works.
- when upgraded, the pistol can get a little OP. it has UNLIMITED FIRING RATE. as fast as you can click. so upgrade that ♥♥♥♥!!

[Lar Dass]

You do realise you can stealth this game? Well most parts atleast especially where mimics and phantoms are concerned. This makes the game 10x easier even on nightmare

[Hezz]

Initially, yeah, I found this really hard. Mimics and Phantoms were easy enough, though it took a little bit of learning on how to approach Phantoms without being slapped around while saving on resources, but elemental Phantoms and *especially* Technopaths were really painful to me. As I got Neuromods and Weapon Upgrade Kits, as well as learning how best to approach these enemies, they started becoming easier, until it got to the point where I was almost playing it like Doom, running and leaping around, smacking some things with the Wrench and shotgunning others. Stronger enemies I almost always led off with a quick EMP or Nullwave.

[Ashley]

Update since I took the advice to go for stealth bonus. If you're struggling with regular phantoms i'm using a one damage upgrade shotgun with the 200% damage and I one shot with it. Can't speak for the purple and element phantoms tho. Haven't tried it on them.

That's at least one early game enemy made easy. If you don't have the perks just open with the gloo gun from and spam the pistol at them. It works probably a bit more risky then just blowing a phantom away at point blank in 1 shot. Finding if I do that the phantom won't get off a psy attack.

Also explore more and try to follow leads if you can. I restarted and probably found 1-2 new patterns I didn't know of and at least 5 neuromods i missed. Because I looked into leads and explored a bit more extensively.

[Mr. Gilly]

Originally posted by Lar Dass:

You do realise you can stealth this game? Well most parts atleast especially where mimics and phantoms are concerned. This makes the game 10x easier even on nightmare

How do you stealth mimics? I've landed stealth shots when I knew the object they were mimicking, but never able to avoid them entirely.

[Bankai9212]

Originally posted by Mr. Gilly:

Originally posted by Lar Dass:

You do realise you can stealth this game? Well most parts atleast especially where mimics and phantoms are concerned. This makes the game 10x easier even on nightmare

How do you stealth mimics? I've landed stealth shots when I knew the object they were mimicking, but never able to avoid them entirely.

You get a scope that can allow you to see mimicked objects.