Game Review: 911: Prey

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)

I'm not sure if escape rooms are as popular as they were a few years ago, but it's always surprised me that there doesn't seem to be many video game representations of those types of experiences. I guess one can say that many survival horror titles, or even adventure games really, have elements of them, but that's not really what I think of when I think "escape room". 911: Prey is a horror-themed game that probably comes the closest to what I'd expect a game like that to be, but one has to wonder if it manages to meet those expectations. I guess we'll have to play it to find out! Currently available on the Nintendo Switch, PC, and even mobile devices, we're going to be taking a look at the Switch version today. Let's dive in!

911: Prey places you into the shoes of a kidnapped teenager who is at the mercy of a cannibalistic killer who wears a pig mask. There is a bit more backstory to the character you play as, which is mainly told on the title screen via a file and a 911 recording, but that's really all you need to know to get into the swing of things. You are currently trapped in a cage in the dining room of a cabin in the woods, and you probably don't have long before you're on the dinner menu. Thankfully it doesn't take you long to free yourself from the cage, but escaping the cabin itself is a bigger obstacle. Your only way out seems to be the large window in the room you're currently located in, but breaking it silently and safely are your new biggest concerns as you don't want to find yourself immediately recaptured. From here you carefully traverse the house and find items that will help in your escape, hoping to do so quickly. You'll encounter some locked doors, rooms that look like they were ripped right out of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and even the killer himself, but your only real goal here is to escape. You have no way to defend yourself beyond simply hiding, and absolutely no forms of attack. It's all pretty simple really, and that's where the problems of the game begin to show themselves.

I actually find it somewhat hard writing a full review for this game, as it is very small in scale. You only have a few rooms available to explore, and I believe that there is only one true solution to the game. There is a reference to "multiple endings" in the eShop description, but I can only assume that this refers to the various game over scenarios you can encounter if you're not careful. That's another thing too. There is something of a life system here, where you can die three times before you have to completely restart. The thing is, I managed to beat the game my first time through without dying once, and only discovered the lives system when I was messing around with the game to see if I had somehow missed anything in my first playthrough. It's odd that parts of the game can sometimes feel more complicated than they need to, when most of the game is truly as simple as can be. I'm sort of getting ahead of myself though, so let me back up and explain how 911: Prey is actually played.

The only actions available to you in 911: Prey are movement, ducking, and picking up and using items. You have a limited inventory, but it's rare that you'll find that you can't pick something up. You also have the ability to put items back that you don't need, or have already used. Many items seem to be red herrings, and the only items you ever have to truly worry about finding are keys. Speaking of red herrings, there are several locked doors that you never actually get to open in-game. I personally found this to be very frustrating, and I mention it now only in hopes of saving future players the same headaches I got trying to get them open. Besides exploration, there is a hide-and-seek element to the game. Every so often the killer, who I guess is named Frank of all things, will decide to check on you. A counter then appears, and you have to get back to your cage as quickly as possible. Getting back to the cage in time isn't enough though, as you also have to make sure you close any doors or cabinets you may have opened. The last point is very important, as the killer will check if anything is changed before leaving. You can also be caught by the killer the old fashioned way, as in by being seen accidentally, and you can also trigger an instant countdown if you do something during your explorations that makes too much noise. There are a couple more advanced puzzles in the game, but most are just the "use item on thing to advance" type. It'll most likely take the average player about 30-45 minutes to beat the game their first time through, and you can easily clear it in 10-15 minutes once you've figured out the solution.

I'll admit that I had some fun with the game, but it did leave me wondering where all the content went. Unused areas aside, there are also several items that have either no use, or seem to exist only to confuse the player. Most of these are harmless distractions, but I couldn't help but feel that they represented puzzles that the developers either left unfinished, or just cut out entirely. Missing content aside, the game isn't actually all that hard either. There are times when RNG is so on your side, you'll be able to clear the game without the killer coming down to check on you even once. What about the horror? Well, there isn't much of that either. The atmosphere is very hit or miss, the voice acting isn't all that great, and the entire game seems to be made from stock assets. I'm not claiming that the game uses the latter per se, but that's just the vibe it gives off. At the end of the day, 911: Prey just feels very incomplete. While researching the game I learned that it has a prequel of sorts called 911: Cannibal. This game weirdly enough makes use of rooms and items left out of this one, so the two sort of make up a complete whole from what I understand. The next obvious question is why isn't that other game included here? It might not have fixed all the problems, but it at least would've made it so that the game didn't feel so unfinished.

I'm not really one to hate a game just for its brevity, but 911: Prey really takes the cake in terms of how much content it offers. I went in rather slow, taking screenshots and trying out different things, and still beat the game in well under an hour. I then messed around a bit, and found that I could beat the game very quickly now that I knew what to do. As a matter of fact, I also discovered that this game has a decently active speedrunning scene. My earlier estimate of 10-15 minutes might be a bit generous actually, as I've seen people online beat it in less than five. I really don't know what else to say, there isn't a lot of content here, and there is absolutely no reason at all to play it once you clear it. This wouldn't be so bad if the game were priced accordingly. At five dollars or less, I'd say that it might be worth picking up for the casual player, but it currently sits with a price tag of $9.99. This just blows my mind, and really leaves me at a loss for words. Adding insult to injury, I think the game is available on mobile devices for free.

Before I give my final thoughts, I do have to admit that 911: Prey mostly succeeded in pulling off what I was expecting as far an escape room video game goes. It's not a bad take on those types of experiences, but it's also not a very good one either. It's short, it's not very original, and it doesn't even nail down the horror very well. It also comes at a price that I feel is quite a bit too high. There are honestly very few redeeming factors here, and I don't think I can give it any sort of recommendation. Pick it up if you absolutely must, but at least wait until it goes on sale if you can't hold back. Other than that, there are plenty of other games worth your time and money. I guess I'll just have to keep looking for that true horror-themed escape room experience... See you in the next one.

Check Out 911: Prey on Nintendo Switch:
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/911-prey-switch/

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Story: C
Gameplay: C-
Graphics: C
Music/Sound: C
Value: C-

Overall: C-

Pros:
+ Manages to replicate parts of the escape room experience decently enough, and includes some hide-and-seek horror elements too.
+ The title screen presentation, with its 911 call log and file, are examples of great presentation.
+ The core elements of hiding from a killer who checks on you randomly is good at its heart.
+ Due to the overall short nature of the game, it's perfect for speedrunning.

+/- I think you can play this game for free on mobile devices.

Cons:
- Not exactly deep or difficult, most players will clear it in well under an hour.
- The eShop description promises a branching story and multiple endings, but the game doesn't really have either.
- Locked rooms you can never visit, and items that have no in-game use, give one the impression that there is a lot of cut content.
- Beyond beating a time, there isn't any reason to play the game again once you complete it.
- At $9.99, the game feels quite overpriced.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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My thoughts exactly...

#911Prey