Praey for the Gods

Praey for the Gods is a Shadow of the Colossus-inspired adventure with sluggish controls, distracting survival mechanics, and painful bugs that make it hard to recommend.

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"Praey for the Gods is a challenging open-world adventure game where you climb and battle against colossal beasts to restore balance to a frozen world. Traverse diverse landscapes by climbing, gliding, and swimming while discovering hidden secrets and crafting necessary items. Prepare to face tough odds and uncover the mystery behind an eternal winter."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

82%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,150 reviews

gameplay116 positive mentions

grinding48 negative mentions

The boss fights are epic and provide a thrilling experience, reminiscent of Shadow of the Colossus.
The game features beautiful graphics and an immersive atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
The survival mechanics add an interesting layer to the gameplay, encouraging exploration and resource management.

The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay.
The survival mechanics can become tedious, with hunger, cold, and sleep meters depleting too quickly.
The game lacks a compelling story, making it difficult for players to feel invested in the narrative.

gameplay
520 mentions
22 % positive mentions
70 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Praey for the Gods" has received mixed reviews, with many players appreciating its homage to "Shadow of the Colossus" through engaging boss mechanics and exploration elements. However, the implementation of survival mechanics, such as resource management and crafting, has been criticized for feeling tedious and often detracting from the core gameplay experience. While some players enjoy the climbing and grappling mechanics, others find them clunky and frustrating, leading to a general consensus that the game requires further refinement to fully realize its potential.
- “The core gameplay revolves around climbing, battling colossal creatures, and managing your survival needs in a harsh environment.”
- “Combining this with a paraglider and climb-anywhere mechanic similar to 'Breath of the Wild', I found exploring the frozen wilderness an engaging adventure.”
- “The gameplay is exciting, from the wandering and searching for supplies to survive the survival aspect of the game, to the mechanics and climbing on the bosses to defeat them.”
- “Clunky mechanics, tedious and uninteresting boss fights; I got through half the game within an hour and a half.”
- “The survival mechanics are shallow and only really serve as an annoyance (I recommend just playing on story, personally) and exploration can be pretty tedious since, unlike Shadow of the Colossus, you don't have a horse.”
- “The game relies way too heavily on very flawed mechanics to make the gameplay harder and thus longer.”
story
217 mentions
21 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The story in "Praey for the Gods" is often described as vague and underdeveloped, with many players feeling it takes a backseat to exploration and combat. While some appreciate the minimalist storytelling approach and the atmospheric elements, others criticize the lack of emotional engagement and coherent narrative, leading to a sense of disconnection from the characters and plot. Overall, the game offers intriguing lore through environmental storytelling and notes, but many reviewers express a desire for a more fleshed-out and compelling narrative.
- “Best described as an homage to the classic Shadow of the Colossus, but on a more bleak and melancholy level with survival aspects and a defined prologue and story.”
- “The snowy landscape is nice, and I'd love to see more landmarks added which will provide us with the story and lore of the world.”
- “The open world encourages you to explore; the survival mechanics keep you on the edge of your seat at all times (especially when there's a storm in the middle of a fight!!!); and the way the story is told makes you always want to learn more and discover exactly what's going on, which in turn means to continue exploring and surviving.”
- “The story is basically non-existent.”
- “Where this game falls short is definitely the story, which took a route so ambiguous I am not able to tell you one single sentence of what it's about or what has transpired.”
- “The story and lore for this game are also somehow more absent than Shadow of the Colossus, so it feels like you're just doing things with no motive.”
graphics
150 mentions
43 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beauty and atmospheric design, with many reviewers highlighting the stunning environments and impressive boss designs. However, some criticisms point to rough edges, outdated textures, and occasional graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. Despite these issues, the art style is often described as fitting and engaging, contributing positively to the game's immersive qualities.
- “The area surrounding boss 4 in particular is one of my personal favorites, the atmosphere is great and really shows the love and effort put into the visuals.”
- “Graphics are beautiful and physics are great, exploration is really fun and the survival mechanics are there to make the game more interesting, only if the player wants them to.”
- “Absolutely breathtaking visuals, badass bosses and a land engulfed in mystery.”
- “The most glaring reason this game sucks is the outdated graphics and animation.”
- “You could find a similar game from 10+ years ago that didn't care about graphic quality or had some of the worst animations possible.”
- “The graphics are bad, okay, but the animations are outright terrible; overall it feels like some PS2 title.”
music
124 mentions
56 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere and intensity during boss encounters, often drawing comparisons to the iconic soundtrack of "Shadow of the Colossus." While some players found the soundtrack to be beautiful and immersive, others criticized it for being generic or overly intense, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the music is generally regarded as a strong point, contributing significantly to the game's emotional and dramatic moments.
- “The music and the bosses were phenomenal and reminded me of what I hoped this game would be, more Shadow of the Colossus-esque epic fights.”
- “The soundtrack is good, too, which was huge for me in Shadow of the Colossus, so I appreciate it here as well.”
- “The atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, the music is wonderful, and the game is just a blast.”
- “The musical score ruined the atmosphere for me.”
- “One of my few complaints about this game is the lack of music; music only plays when you encounter a boss, so you'll be exploring the world listening to your parents arguing in the background.”
- “Doesn't feel good to play; the sound effects are really awful and not at all immersive. The music is atrocious and annoying epic movie garbage. After 2 minutes of any boss track, I want to rip off my ears because the music's intensity is at 100% of the time.”
atmosphere
71 mentions
68 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its haunting beauty, striking landscapes, and immersive sound design, creating a captivating experience reminiscent of titles like "Shadow of the Colossus." Many players appreciate the blend of survival mechanics and exploration within a desolate, snowy environment, although some note that certain sound elements detract from the overall ambiance. Overall, the game's visuals and atmospheric elements are considered exceptional, contributing significantly to its appeal.
- “The game excels in creating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere with its striking landscapes and towering foes.”
- “The atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, the music is wonderful, and the game is just in and of itself, a blast.”
- “The atmosphere and weather effects are especially praise-worthy, featuring great looking snow that physically deforms under your character when she steps into it and blows in the wind with such density that it can affect your visibility of the game world.”
- “The musical score ruined the atmosphere for me.”
- “A world full of mystery and atmosphere doesn't mean a whole lot when you feel like you have to constantly fight the floaty, janky controls over your character instead of focusing on the enemies and colossi you need to defeat.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is really bleak and barren but cool at the same time.”
grinding
53 mentions
6 % positive mentions
4 % neutral mentions
91 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "Praey for the Gods" is widely criticized for its tediousness, stemming from clunky mechanics, uninteresting boss fights, and shallow survival elements that detract from the overall experience. Players find the exploration and resource management to be more of a chore than an engaging part of the game, leading to a sense of emptiness and frustration. While some enjoy the boss battles, many agree that the game often feels grindy and lacks meaningful rewards, making the overall pacing feel slow and unfulfilling.
- “They did a great job with making sure it's not tedious while working extremely well with how you need to take on colossi.”
- “The survival mechanics aren't tedious thankfully and most resources are fairly easy to come by in order to survive the mysterious frozen landscape.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “Tl;dr: Praey for the Gods had potential but fell short due to slow pacing, awkward movement, tedious travel, and frustrating survival mechanics.”
- “The added elements of survival are boring, tedious, and make the game grindy for no reason, without you actually getting anything out of getting resources and searching the caves.”
- “The survival aspect feels very tedious as exploring for supplies can be a chore.”
optimization
45 mentions
13 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
24 % negative mentions
The optimization of "Praey for the Gods" has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including frame rate drops and visual bugs, particularly during boss fights. While some users appreciate the game's graphics and overall quality, they express frustration over the lack of optimization, especially on lower-end systems. As the game is still in early access, players are hopeful for future updates to address these performance concerns.
- “With 20 hours of game time on this, I am really happy with the overall quality and performance; yet another shining example of the power of indies and Unity!”
- “Beautiful and runs smoothly.”
- “Looking at videos of gameplay from last year and comparing it to my experience now shows so many performance and gameplay improvements, and the developers are very transparent and communicative about their process.”
- “Despite not reaching the heights of 'SOTC' due to some heavy pitfalls - particularly in performance which had me restarting my laptop at times to ensure that there'd be less frame-rate drops during bosses or even lengthy periods of exploring the world.”
- “A poorly, poorly optimized game, filled with trillions of particles which creates unnecessary burden for the processor.”
- “The 3rd colossus had extreme performance issues (60fps on max in other fights became 40-55fps on minimum) and once again had a 1st phase that did nothing but waste my time for me to run a lap around the arena and wait for him to do something to make him vulnerable.”
stability
36 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting a variety of bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly during boss fights and climbing mechanics. While some users noted that these issues are typical for an early access title and did not significantly detract from their overall enjoyment, others experienced more severe problems that affected their gaming experience. Overall, while the game shows potential, it requires further refinement to address the stability concerns raised by players.
- “The game runs great on max settings at 4K with my Ryzen 7 3800X, 6800 XT, and 32 GB RAM on Windows 10 64.”
- “It looks stunning, runs great, and makes me want to keep coming back for more.”
- “But the main issue I had with this was the amount of bugs, glitches, and game-breaking issues I found by the end of the game.”
- “This has got to have the worst, clunkiest, buggy, unresponsive climbing experiences I've ever had in any video game, quite literally ever.”
- “There are glitches that make this game unplayable.”
replayability
9 mentions
33 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is considered decent, with various difficulty levels providing a good challenge. While some players find it infinitely replayable due to the excitement of fights and speed-running opportunities, others note that the lack of a solid story limits its long-term appeal. Ultimately, replay value is strongest for those seeking to improve their performance rather than for narrative-driven experiences.
- “Decently replayable with various difficulty levels for a good challenge.”
- “I would recommend this game to anyone I come across, and yes, there is replayability.”
- “Plus, there's a certain replayability if you're looking for challenges (beating the boss as fast as you can), which is a nice touch for players expecting to improve!”
- “The fights are exciting every time, but sadly there is not that much in terms of replayability.”
- “It lacks a solid story, but does not make it less replayable.”
- “Replay value is there only if you are one of the types of people who want to see how fast you can beat the game.”
emotional
8 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Overall, players express mixed feelings about the emotional impact of the game. While some moments, particularly the music and a heartwarming scene, evoke strong emotions, others feel the story lacks depth and fails to engage players on a meaningful level. Additionally, gameplay mechanics detract from the emotional experience, making it feel more like a routine task rather than an immersive journey.
- “This game makes me want to cry.”
- “The only two things that make up for it are the absolutely amazing music that plays during the sequence and a really heartwarming moment just before the final boss is finished.”
- “If anything, they made me feel more immersed in the world and gently nudged me to explore some places I might never have visited on my first playthrough.”
character development
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while the game's character design and environment are well-executed, there is a notable lack of depth in character development. Players express a desire for more intricate character progression, crafting options, and customization features to enhance the overall experience.
- “I will say as an overall impression... the setting, the environment, the character design, and so on are all pretty cool and well done.”
- “More character development, crafting/survival, outfits and items could be expanded.”
- “I would assume they would get a solid foundation for mechanics, animations, or character design first.”
- “More character development, crafting/survival, outfits, and items could be expanded.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players find the humor in the game largely stems from unexpected moments, such as enemies missing their attacks in comical ways, which adds a lighthearted element to the otherwise thrilling gameplay. The blend of tension and humor creates an enjoyable experience that keeps players entertained.
- “It's pretty funny when I get knocked down, and the guy brings his weapon back to finish me off, only to whiff 5 feet to the side of me.”
- “Still thrilling and funny as hell!”