Prey was going to let players fly wherever they wanted

People can fly

When we reviewed Prey, we praised (ha!) its open structure. Arkane created an environment where it’s possible to do nearly anything and to go nearly anywhere. The Gloo Cannon is an essential tool to this end, as it allows for free-form traversal via makeshift walkways. With it, the player is able to get to any hard-to-reach spot that isn’t locked away.

However, Arkane originally had an idea that would’ve really removed any locomotive restrictions. According to an interview with PC Gamer, Prey had a flying ability that was left on the cutting room floor. System designer Seth Shain revealed “There was another power that we cut because we just couldn’t make it work or make it fun, it didn’t hit our quality bar. It was a power that would directly allow you to fly around the space [station].”

Shain explained that apart from not being able to naturally fit it into Prey‘s gameplay loop, flying would’ve put extra stress on the art team. He said that they disliked the Gloo Cannon “because they want every square inch of the station to be beautiful, and if the player can get somewhere high up, then they feel they need to make it look good.” Flying would have only exacerbated things.

Ultimately, it feels as if Arkane compromised by settling on jet boost in zero-gravity situations and the Gloo Cannon in normal interiors. That was probably a fine concession to make. Prey begs that you explore every nook and cranny, but it also excels at making you feel like you’ve earned it when you get there. It seems that flying would’ve felt a bit too overpowered. 

Prey was originally going to let players fly through Talo 1 [PC Gamer]