How Long Is Prey The Game Playtime Hours

The main campaign of Prey typically takes players around 15-20 hours to complete, though this can vary depending on playstyle and exploration.

Curious about Prey and wondering how much time you’ll spend in its immersive world? Many players ask, “how long is Prey the game?”, before diving in. This is a valid question, given the depth and intricate design of the Talos I space station.

The length can actually change based on how much you like to explore, hunt secrets and tackle side quests. Some folks might complete it faster or slower. Ultimately, it is about the unique experience you have.

How Long is Prey the Game?

So, you’re wondering how long it takes to play through Prey, huh? That’s a great question! It’s not a simple answer, because it really depends on how you like to play games. Are you a speedy explorer who just wants to see the story? Or are you someone who likes to poke around in every corner, read all the notes, and take your time? Let’s dive into everything that affects the play time of Prey.

Main Story Length of Prey

If you’re focused on just the main story of Prey, without getting too distracted by side quests or exploring every nook and cranny, you’re looking at a playtime of roughly 16 to 20 hours. This means you’ll be following the main missions, learning about the strange things happening on Talos I, and fighting the alien threat to save the station. Think of it like reading a really good book – you’re eager to get to the end but also enjoying the journey. If you are trying to get through quickly, you might be closer to the 16-hour mark. However, if you’re taking a slightly more relaxed approach, you’ll likely spend about 20 hours on the main storyline.

Speedrunning Considerations

Now, if you’re someone who loves to speedrun games, then you can finish Prey even faster! Some incredibly skilled players have completed the game in around 2 hours. Speedrunning means you already know the game really well and know exactly where to go. It’s all about planning and precise movements. These players typically skip cutscenes, use glitches to get through areas quicker, and don’t stop for anything other than the bare essentials. So, while the average player will spend 16-20 hours on the main story, a speedrunner will finish it much faster. This is a totally different way to play the game.

Exploring the Side Content of Prey

Okay, here is where the hours can really rack up! Prey has a ton of fascinating side content and additional missions to explore. If you decide you want to do most, or all, of the side quests along the way, you can easily add another 10 to 20 hours to your play time. Let’s break down the different ways to spend more time with Prey outside the main story.

Side Quests and Character Stories

As you play Prey, you’ll meet other people – or at least, the echoes of other people left behind on Talos I. These characters often have their own stories that are woven into the main plot. These are the side quests. These side quests are great at fleshing out the universe and give you extra challenges and rewards. They’re worth checking out if you want a more complete picture of Talos I. These side quests offer more game play time and can add a lot of richness to your experience. They will involve discovering hidden areas, helping other survivors (or their remnants), and solving environmental puzzles.

Environmental Exploration and Hidden Areas

Talos I is like a giant space puzzle, and there are lots of hidden areas and secrets to find. These aren’t always part of quests, but exploring them will usually earn you helpful supplies, blueprints, weapons, or other valuable items. Some of these areas aren’t even on the main path. The environment has lots of little clues, and if you take the time to look, you will be rewarded! Players who enjoy this kind of searching often spend many extra hours discovering every corner of the space station. Some players love this aspect and take their time to see every single room, while others will skip it for sake of time.

Resource Gathering and Inventory Management

Prey encourages you to gather resources for crafting. You won’t be swimming in bullets, so you need to take advantage of the crafting system. You need to collect raw materials, use recyclers to break them down into usable parts, and then build what you need. This takes time and can really add to your playtime, especially if you want to be well equipped for your fights. Players who enjoy crafting games will find themselves spending hours collecting, crafting, and building. Resource gathering also means you need to manage your inventory, figuring out what to keep and what to recycle. This adds another small but important layer to how long you will be playing the game.

Playstyle and Its Influence on Game Length

Your own gaming style has a huge impact on the time it takes to finish Prey. Here are some things to consider.

Playstyle: Cautious vs. Aggressive Players

Are you the type to sneak around and take enemies one by one, or do you run headfirst into the action? If you play cautiously, you’ll probably spend more time making sure that you have the right tools and hiding from enemies. This takes a little more time because you will be moving more slowly and using your environment to your advantage. However, if you charge into every fight, you might have to reload if you get killed a lot, and the constant fights will also add game time. So, even playing aggressively can add to the total game time.

Difficulty Level

Prey has different difficulty settings, and the difficulty level you choose will change how long it takes to finish the game. Playing on a lower difficulty will make fights easier, and you can proceed faster. But, a higher difficulty forces you to think more carefully about combat and inventory. Higher difficulty levels will make you more cautious which will add extra game time. If you find yourself dying a lot, then you’ll have to reload and play through areas again. This can increase your total playtime even if you want to do a run through quickly.

How Thorough You Want to Be: The Completionist Factor

Some gamers want to do everything there is to do in a game. They want to finish every quest, explore every area, find every secret, and collect every item. These “completionists” can easily double or triple their playtime with Prey. This means taking the time to check every room, read every note, and finish all the side quests. If you fall into this category, Prey is a game that can keep you busy for a very long time! Other players might find that they prefer just to enjoy the main story, or just do a few side quest that interest them. This is okay too, and it will take far less time to play through.

Replayability of Prey

Once you finish Prey, can you play it again? Absolutely! Prey has several elements that encourage players to return for another go.

Different Playthroughs and Choices

Prey has some decisions that can change parts of the storyline. If you want to see the different story options, you’ll need to play through the game more than once. Even if you play the main story the same way, you can try a different combat or exploration style each time. Maybe one time you want to be stealthy, and the next time you want to go all-out with weapons. This changes how you go through the game and will make each playthrough a different experience.

Different Character Abilities

Prey allows you to use either human powers or alien powers, and the abilities you choose drastically affect the gameplay experience. In another play through, you can choose the opposite path from the last time, and have a whole new way to play. Playing with completely different character powers adds a fun element to replayability. This will be different from any previous play time.

Approximate Playtimes Based on Playstyle: A Quick Guide

Here is a table to give you a clearer idea of how long Prey might take you to complete, depending on your style of play:

Keep in mind these are all estimates. Your actual playtime could be slightly longer or shorter. A lot depends on how you interact with the game and what your personal gaming style is.

So, how long is Prey the game? It really depends on you! If you only want the core story, you’re looking at 16-20 hours. But if you love exploration, secrets, and side quests, Prey can provide 40 or more hours of captivating game play. No matter how you choose to play, Talos I awaits with plenty of puzzles and thrilling experiences.

I got a long version of this review for Prey too.

Final Thoughts

Prey’s length varies greatly based on playstyle and exploration. A focused playthrough can clock around 15-20 hours. Thorough exploration, side quests, and additional content extend that playtime considerably.

Many players spend 25-35 hours on a typical, complete run. This duration reflects the game’s emphasis on player choice and replayability. So, how long is prey the game? The answer depends largely on the player.