Prey Won't Have PC Problems Like Dishonored 2, Says Dev

Prey developer Arkane Austin has said it is working on ensuring the PC version is "flawless," in hopes of avoiding the situation its Lyon-based sister studio encountered with Dishonored 2.

Speaking on the Game Informer podcast, creative director Raphael Colantonio addressed DIshonored 2's "rough launch" on PC.

"In development you never know what you're going to see, most of all with PC because there are so many different configurations," he said. "Unfortunately it is what it is. It shipped, then it got patched, and now it runs really well.

"So of course we are paying double-attention to making sure that this time, the PC version [of Prey] is really flawless when we ship."

According to Colantonio, Prey will have "a little bit more QA time" to iron out performance issues on PC. Additionally, the game is being developed on a more stable engine, which should provide a stronger foundation for the game on PC.

"It’s a different engine, so the constraints are different. In the case of Dishonored, we created a new engine ... even though it’s based on idTech, most of it has been redone," he explained. "The risk isn't the same, in the case of Prey we’re using the CryEngine, so it’s an engine that has already shipped things before. So it’s not the same configuration."

"Nevertheless, we are of course aware of [potential issues] now, and were back then already, but it caught us by surprise a little. This time we’re paying more attention for sure."

Dishonored 2 launched on PC version with a number of issues. However, many of these have been fixed with subsequent patches. Game director Harvey Smith said these problems arose despite extensive testing.

"There were certain combinations of things that we just didn't expect, despite extensively testing the game; very high-end CPUs with low-end GPUs, and older drivers, things like that," he said. "I'm a PC gamer. There is nothing like running on a super high-end PC. But it's also the most varied platform to support. It's way, way more complicated than consoles."

Colantonio previously described Prey as "a hybrid game where there's narrative mixed with action mixed with a little bit of [an] RPG layer."

Prey 2 was in development at one point with Human Head Studios attached, however this version of the game was cancelled in 2014. The first Prey was released back in 2006 for PC and Xbox 360 by Human Head Studios, which has gone on to develop games like Dungeon Defenders II. Arkane's title is complete reboot of Prey.