Injustice 2 vs. Prey: Which Should You Buy?

Injustice 2 vs. Prey

May has already brought with it a pair of major AAA releases in the form of NetherRealm’s Injustice 2 and Arkane Studios’ Prey. While one is a fighter, allowing fans to battle it out with their favorite DC heroes and villains, Prey offers a story-driven, atmospheric adventure through an alien-filled space station.

While inherently different experiences, some players out there may be wondering which one is more worth their time. Whether you’re simply trying to save money, or just want to know which of these titans comes out on top in the battle for May’s top title, we’ve come up with a quick rundown to help you decide. So, without further ado, let’s begin!

Story and Setting

Injustice 2 vs. Prey

Whether you go for Prey or Injustice 2, both have a pretty gripping story. Ultimately, which one you choose comes down to what you’re looking for out of the experience. While Injustice 2 will certainly appeal to fans of the first game or DC Comics fans in general, Prey is all about uncovering the truth behind its mysterious TranStar organization and the Typhon alien threat.

Injustice 2 continues the storyline of its predecessor, taking place years after Superman’s defeat with Batman and his group still working to fix-up the world. Unfortunately, a new faction known as the Society has other plans. You know, world domination kind of plans. With a bunch of new DC characters and just as much action as the last game, Injustice 2 has a gripping, action-packed story that superhero fans are sure to love.

As for Prey, its story is best uncovered as you play through the experience yourself. This comes down to just how enthralling and immersive its world is. You’ll seldom want to stop venturing off the beaten path, purely because of the sheer amount of cool things there are to see. Unfortunately, things are a little rushed in its closing moments, but it’s still a great adventure all the same.

Which story you’ll enjoy more ultimately comes down to your own personal preferences. If you’re looking for all-out action with some of your favorite DC characters, it’s got to be Injustice 2. In the mood for an intriguing and mysterious plot that slowly unravels out in the farthest stretches of space? Then Prey’s the game you’re looking for.

Gameplay

Injustice 2 vs. Prey

Injustice 2 and Prey don’t get any more similar when it comes to their gameplay either. One’s an out and out fighter with super moves, level transitions, and combos, while the other is all about exploring a space station and uncovering the mysteries in whatever way you see fit.

Let us expand on that a little bit. Prey doesn’t give you a shotgun and tell you to fight your way through the Typhon threat. Instead, it drops a bunch of equipment around its world and lets you decide what you pick up, how you use it, where you go, and how you complete your objectives. There’s a sense of freedom that comes with Prey’s gameplay that really helps to accentuate just how fun the Talos-I space station is to explore. Rather slip by the enemies undetected than fight your way through? Prey encourages that.

Unfortunately, Prey’s combat is a little sloppy. Melee combat has a light, floaty feel to it which makes dealing with the fast-moving, tiny, Mimics an absolute nightmare to deal with up-close (and no, it’s not just because they’re trying to eat your face). Combined with a large aiming reticle, it becomes nigh-impossible to make your way through Prey without feeling like you’ve wasted way more of your precious ammo down to the game, rather than your own lack of skill.

As for Injustice 2, the game has received a bit of an overhaul from its predecessor. With a new gear system, Injustice 2 encourages players to grind and improve their heroes long after the story finishes. With the Multiverse mode, players can complete challenges both alone or with others to unlock better gear that can be used in other modes.

The core fighting mechanics remain largely the same, though. You’ve still got clashes, super moves, level transitions, and button combos at your disposal to whittle away your opponent’s health bar.

Again, the winner here will come down to your own personal preference. If you’re not a fan of fighters, then Prey will be the obvious choice. From our own experience, we actually found Injustice 2 to be the more enjoyable game overall. I mean, what can be more satisfying than sending Gorilla Grodd through several walls with a perfectly-executed level transition? Go ahead, we’ll wait.

Platform & Replayability

Injustice 2 vs. Prey

First things first, let’s talk about platform availability for both titles. For those on PS4 and Xbox One, good news! You can get both titles right now without a problem. PC players, however, may be limited in their options.

Unfortunately, Injustice 2 hasn’t made its way to PC. As a result, your decision is made for you, go pick up Prey and enjoy Talos-I and all the horrifying things it has in store for you. If you’re on a console, though, your decision hasn’t been made any simpler. So let’s talk replayability!

Prey is fairly replayable, thanks to its various endings and freedom-focused gameplay. If you blasted your way through the first time with the help of alien abilities, you could play a non-lethal playthrough with no abilities whatsoever on your second run. Ultimately, though, you’ll be doing the same things over again, so there’s only so much replayability that this freedom can offer.

Injustice 2, on the other hand, is one of those games you can just keep going back to. With its story mode, online matches, Multiverse, and Versus mode for local multiplayer, the plethora of play options and the natural replayability of the fighting genre makes Injustice 2 a game far too easy to sink hours into. Plus, there are more fighters on the way via DLC, too, meaning you’ll have even more options when you begin to grow tired of the roster’s initial selection.

Which Should You Buy?

Injustice 2 vs. Prey

Whether you should pick up Injustice 2 or Prey is dependent on which platform you have, and generally which genre you prefer out of action adventure and fighting. If you’re on the PC, you’re gonna have to go with Prey for now.

For console players, if you’re open to a fighting game, plenty of fighting action, and a hefty roster of DC characters, we couldn’t recommend Injustice 2 much more. You can check out our full thoughts in our review here.

Prey, on the other hand, is certainly worth checking out simply to explore its atmospheric setting, but be warned, its sub-par combat really tarnished the overall experience for us. Feel like you’re leaning more towards Prey, check out our review here to get a more detailed breakdown.

Of course, if you’re a console player (as long as your finances allow it) you can always pick up both games and enjoy the best of both worlds.

Which game wins the battle for you between Prey and Injustice 2? Let us know down in the comments below.