Prey - Typhon research project

Prey – Typhon Guide

Something has gone very, very wrong aboard Talos I. What began as an experiment aimed at bettering humanity has turned into a full-on alien infestation by the previously contained entities called Typhon. Morgan Yu, who is at the center of these experiments, now must fight the Typhon aboard the highly advanced space station owned by the TranStar Corporation. But what exactly are these aliens? Check out this video from TranStar’s Typhon Research Team:

With a full ecology, the Typhon aliens are more than just shadowy creatures hell-bent on destroying the human race. What will you face when you play Prey? The team at Arkane Studios shares their insights…

A New Threat

Even during the earliest days of development, Arkane wanted to avoid any clichés when designing the aliens – a mandate that came from Creative Director Raphael Colantonio. “We wanted to avoid what Raf [Colantonio] calls ‘Orcs with laser guns,’” says Lead Designer Ricardo Bare. “We didn't want to do troopers with blasters, or some kind of squishy, slimy, gory monsters. Instead, we wanted to evoke something more mysterious, unknowable, paranormal. It took a long time to get there, but basically the Typhon body shapes are amorphous. They’re hard to pin down. They’re very threatening in an ‘I don't really know what that creature is thinking’ sort of way.”

Beyond the visuals, the team also wanted the aliens to have a real purpose, and that required them to be connected in some way. Out of this goal emerged a full alien ecology, which began with one of the first aliens the player meets: the Mimic.

“The Typhon species starts with the Mimic,” Colantonio says. “The Mimic’s role is to scout. It hides and it gathers energy by feeding on living things – in this case, humans. When there’s enough energy, a few Mimics come together and create something called a Weaver.”

Phantom Menace
The Weaver has multiple roles. Not only does it create something called Coral – a colorful thread-like substance with a purpose that will be revealed later – but it also spawns Phantoms. But the Weaver doesn’t spin Phantoms out of thin air.

“The Mimics will attack a human and they'll sort of drain their consciousness – their life essence – and that will lead to Mimics multiplying,” Bare says. “Then the Weaver can find the remains that the Mimics left behind – the human husk – and turn that husk into this guardian-like creature called a Phantom that protects the other aliens.”

That’s why the Phantoms are the most humanoid of the Typhon – and that’s why you’ll sometimes find human remnants on a Phantom corpse, be it a weapon, a keycard or another inventory item. You’ll also hear echoes from the Phantom’s former existence – random phrases being muttered by these intimidating creatures as they stalk the halls of Talos I. Phantoms also come in a variety of forms, with different strengths and powers. 

Mind over Matter

While the Phantoms are the warriors aboard Talos I, the Weaver also creates other Typhon to protect their ecology and reach their goals. Among those Typhon is the Telepath, which not only can control other living creatures, but also delivers a devastating psychic attack that temporarily disables Morgan’s ability to use powers.

“The Telepath is often surrounded by a pack of possessed humans,” Bare says. “And they know that they're possessed. They’ll move toward you, moaning and complaining, saying things like: Get away, run. Get away from me. I can't control myself. It's a pretty terrifying encounter. First you have to decide, ‘What am I going to do with these people? They're clearly innocent. The Telepath is forcing them to attack me. Do I kill them? Do I find a way to disable them?’ Then once you get past them, the Telepath is really destructive and powerful too.”

Humans aren’t the only things the Typhon can control. The Weaver also spawns the Technopath, which can manipulate machinery aboard the space station. Which makes sense, because many of the Typhon on Talos I are created as a direct reaction to the environment they’re in.

“The Typhon have some sort of an insect-like awareness as a network,” Colantonio explains. They know what’s around them, and they’ll adapt accordingly. Including one very big adaptation based solely on Morgan Yu.

The Stuff of Nightmares

“At some point, the Typhon detect an anomaly – something that is resisting them more than anything else they’ve had to fight so far,” Colantonio says about Morgan Yu. “You are a problem. You’re a virus, in other words. So they develop this thing called the Nightmare, which is actually designed specifically to hunt you, find you and destroy you.”

Your choices matter in Prey, and the Nightmare is one example of how not just the Typhon but the game itself will react to your decisions. “The more Typhon Neuromods you install, the more Typhon-like you become, and the more the Nightmare becomes aware of you,” Bare says. “You might find yourself in a situation where you’ve gathered a bunch of Neuromods, you level up a bunch of your Typhon abilities, and suddenly you’ll hear this huge screech – and the Nightmare’s on your tail.” When that happens, get ready to run; this powerful Typhon is often too tough to take on directly – at least early on in the game. And despite being one of the biggest Typhon aboard Talos I, it can squeeze through small spaces, finding you wherever you might be hiding.

These aren’t the only Typhon you’ll encounter in Prey. Some, like the Mimics, can evolve into more powerful “elite” forms. Others, like the Phantoms, can mutate into a variety of forms with wildly different powers. And every now and then, the Weaver fails in its attempt to create a Phantom, resulting in the elusive (and invisible) Poltergeist Typhon. Also, you won’t face just one type of Typhon at a time. As you explore Talos I, you’ll run into all kinds of new and dangerous encounters with a wide variety of these hostile creatures.

But whatever you face, it’s up to you save mankind from the Typhon threat when Prey releases May 5, 2017, on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.