The Alien franchise is a hallmark of the sci-fi and horror genres, and yet its multiple video game iterations are disappointments, with shining gems few and far between. Alien: Isolation comes hot on the heels of Aliens: Colonial Marines, and as such carries the same stigma that now cautious gamers have been murmuring about for the last few months before its release — the possibility that it could be utterly disappointing and devoid of all the things that made the films so memorable and enjoyable.
Luckily, it’s become more than clear that Alien: Isolation is its own product; a love letter to the films that came before it and an immersive exercise in terror that must be played to be believed. It’s unlike any Alien game you’ve ever experience before, and what’s more, a gem in its own right. If you’re a fan of the films or even sci-fi in general, you owe it to yourself to make the sojourn through this chilling adventure.
Players take control of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, as she navigates the dark and horrifying nooks and crannies of Sevastopol station, where the Nostromo’s black box recorder has lain dormant. The station, much like the dilapidated Rapture of BioShock, is falling apart at the seams, its only inhabitants a series of androids and a menagerie of other creatures. It’s dark and desolate place with nothing but silence and danger lurking around every corner, but stalwart Amanda — and those controlling her — must swallow back every ounce of fear and soldier on if they’re to see what really happened to Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo.
If Amanda were alone, however, it’d be no issue. Handling a few errant AIs isn’t that big of a problem. What is a major issue is the fact that there’s a bloodthirsty xenomorph on her trail that will stop at nothing to get at her. And the alien itself is not restricted to any specific behavioral pattern. No, in fact, there’s absolutely nothing about the alien that alerts you to its presence, no way to tell if you’re hidden well enough to ensure you’re safe from its clutches — nothing. You’re at its mercy, through and through. If you don’t have your wits about you at all times, you can and will fall prey to the alien as it stalks you through corridor after corridor, follows you into air vents, and makes your life a living hell.
If it sounds as though this all could be a little much for a survival horror title, it’s all headed in the right direction. In fact, rather than frustrating it’s a breath of fresh air — an absolute dream, given the fact that most titles within the genre these days are content to languish in the realm of action. Alien: Isolation forces you to take every facet of your environment into account as you rush to find a hiding spot from your enemies, improvised escape routes, and even the manual save stations that force you to run with contingency plans if you can’t find one. While they feel as though they’re hours apart, they’re spaced pretty evenly, but they’ll feel much more like dimly-lit beacons that you’ll never be able to reach in the middle of an oncoming storm.
The alien itself will soon become aware of your patterns, just as you’ll become acclimated to its breathing, screams, and footsteps against the many vents you’ll be forced to travel to. It’s a deadly cat and mouse game that unfolds across each level like a macabre ballet, and one that isn’t always clear at all times. In fact, there’s a very noticeable lack of direction in a good portion of the levels. Quite often, you simply won’t know where you’re headed. And while this will undoubtedly be an issue for some players, for the rest it will simply illustrate what’s so great about the game in itself: that blissful sense of confusion; that feeling that you’re no longer in control. And that, coincidentally, is what keeps you going.
It’s beautifully tense, gorgeous, and nerve-wracking, and unfamiliar. You’ll have to force yourself to forget every hardwired response to survival horror titles in your body, because none of those things have power here. Alien: Isolation is ferocious; a dramatic and fearsome whole that’s been built up from the ashes of the Alien games that came before it. And from the very first time you scurry down an unknown corridor with absolutely no way to protect yourself other than the hope that you’ll find a way out of the vent you find yourself in before the alien gets you, you’ll come to know real fear. After that, nothing else will feel exactly the same.
REVIEW ROUND-UP
+ A hallowed return to classic survival horror
+ Challenging rushes to escape the alien and your pursuers
+ Gorgeous environments and attention to detail that Alien fans will appreciate
+ Genuinely terrifying sequences that feel authentic
- General lack of direction in some areas
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