Alien: Isolation

[flameboy]

WHAT A GAME!

 

Started this over the weekend,I don't think I've ever played a game that is so atmospheric. Headphones on in the dark it's insane.

[Babooo]

WHAT A GAME!

 

Started this over the weekend,I don't think I've ever played a game that is so atmospheric. Headphones on in the dark it's insane.

 

Looking to get physical copy on the cheap - heard alot of good things about this

[Fierce_LiNk]

I've been watching the streams of this on Live from Playstation. I watched a bit of it last night before going to bed after we played moar Walking Dead (season 2, hnnng).

 

Fuck me, I've remembered just how good and awesome and fun and cool and awesome and fuck this game is. Not only that, but there are some truly awful gamers out there who don't use logic at all.

 

I saw this one stream with this guy trying the same thing over and over again and failing miserably each time. I couldn't remember my sign in and it was late so I didn't have the energy to help him through it. But, wow. Surely if nothing works after the 10th time, you'd try something different? Even Ine was despairing.

[drahkon]

Currently on sale in the PSN store. 19.99€

 

Sooooooo tempted...

 

Still wondering whether I get enough enjoyment out of the game knowing nothing of the Alien franchise...

[somme]

Currently on sale in the PSN store. 19.99€

 

Sooooooo tempted...

 

Still wondering whether I get enough enjoyment out of the game knowing nothing of the Alien franchise...

 

It'll be terrifying regardless. If you're not a fan of the franchise then it may be a bit too long, and some of the story elements won't mean as much, but it's still a great horror game.

[gaggle64]

Currently on sale in the PSN store. 19.99€

 

Sooooooo tempted...

 

Still wondering whether I get enough enjoyment out of the game knowing nothing of the Alien franchise...

 

TBH you really should acquaint yourself with the franchise specifically the first two movies (arguably the best sci-fi horror movie ever made and the best sci-fi action movie ever made respectively).

[Fierce_LiNk]

Currently on sale in the PSN store. 19.99€

 

Sooooooo tempted...

 

Still wondering whether I get enough enjoyment out of the game knowing nothing of the Alien franchise...

 

Don't be fucking n00b and just buy the game already.

 

I will come to Germany or wherever it is you live and squat you for 5x5 if you don't do as I say.

 

It's the best game of last year.

[drahkon]

 

Downloading now.

[killthenet]

I finally played through this over the past week or so and after a bit of a rough start I really enjoyed my time with the game - as much as one can enjoy being constantly on edge and under threat. The initial stages were fascinating, it felt like I was fully immersed in the world of the original film. The art direction especially felt so on point, a natural extension of the 70's computer and display technology that was present on the Nostromo and the use of music from the original film was spine tingling. 

Things immediately went downhill when I made it to Sevastopol though, having an unnecessary conflict with other humans on the station dragged it down and I wasn't enjoying my time with the game at all. That extended to the first interactions with the Working Joe's who definitely felt threatening but felt like a huge imposition to my progress rather than an important element of the game. I think it was the mission in the hospital when things started to click, having to sneak around avoiding the alien and the few hostile survivors was genuinely intense and I felt immersed as I had done in the opening moments. It wasn't all smooth sailing from there though, there were definitely moments when my enjoyment tailed off again due to frustrating design decisions, irritating character interactions or missions that seemed tacked on just to extend the games runtime (there were a number of times that the game could have ended before it actually finishes) but nothing that severely hampered my enjoyment. 

I think one of Creative Assembly's greatest achievements with the game is how believable the world feels, it really feels like a lived in formerly functioning space station and even though the logs you find are pretty by the numbers as far as these sorts of games go in terms of expanding the narrative they do a great job at adding context which makes the threat of the Alien seem even more severe. The way the game encourages you to avoid combat at all costs makes every encounter with the Alien all the more intense, the mission where you have to descend into the nest to activate the cores of the reactor while face huggers jump out at you from unhatched eggs and hordes of Xenomorph's screech and scramble overhead is one of the most terrifying experiences I've had in a video game and any issues the game has can be forgiven because Creative Assembly have succeeded in making the key survival horror moments truly horrifying.

[Fierce_LiNk]

Man, those working joes scared the crap out of several times during that game. I don't think the interactions with the other humans was that, though. Think there's even a trophy if you don't kill a single human in the game, so they are avoidable. I think I ended up killing two, but didn't have much of a choice due to how I managed to fuck myself over and get cornered somewhere.

I LOVE the atmosphere in this game. I just love the idea of basing a game around Alien rather than any of its sequels, and Creative Assembly absolutely nailed the atmosphere, looks and sound of the universe. I really hope that we get a follow-up to this, as it has been rumoured time and time again, but nothing concrete seems to have come up yet.

From what I remember of the game, it was pretty long and I remember feeling exhausted by the end of it. But, I also found it difficult to calculate how much of that time had been spent making progress or was spent hiding from the Alien. There was one three-hour playthrough that I remember where I had to make it through three or four rooms and corridors, but I was playing soooo cautiously, hiding in every locker or under a table at every opportunity. I remember feeling a real sense of accomplishment having made it to the end of that section, as it was so tense and nerve-racking. 

[killthenet]

33 minutes ago, Fierce_LiNk said:

Man, those working joes scared the crap out of several times during that game. I don't think the interactions with the other humans was that, though. Think there's even a trophy if you don't kill a single human in the game, so they are avoidable. I think I ended up killing two, but didn't have much of a choice due to how I managed to fuck myself over and get cornered somewhere.

I LOVE the atmosphere in this game. I just love the idea of basing a game around Alien rather than any of its sequels, and Creative Assembly absolutely nailed the atmosphere, looks and sound of the universe. I really hope that we get a follow-up to this, as it has been rumoured time and time again, but nothing concrete seems to have come up yet.

From what I remember of the game, it was pretty long and I remember feeling exhausted by the end of it. But, I also found it difficult to calculate how much of that time had been spent making progress or was spent hiding from the Alien. There was one three-hour playthrough that I remember where I had to make it through three or four rooms and corridors, but I was playing soooo cautiously, hiding in every locker or under a table at every opportunity. I remember feeling a real sense of accomplishment having made it to the end of that section, as it was so tense and nerve-racking. 

It wasn't that the humans on their own were threatening, just that being spotted by them would draw the Alien out. My favourite moment with the human enemies was when I was trying to reach Ricardo in Seegson Communications and some militia were stalking around, I stayed out of their sight and released one of the tougher industrial Working Joe's then went back into hiding until  their conflict had played out then took out the Working Joe with the bolt gun.

I totally agree with you about the sense of accomplishment, reaching a save station was always such a relief. It's rare that a stealth game gets you to play by its rules and feel like you're interacting with real beings rather than just programmed AI but the Alien's in this felt like a real threat every time I encountered one.

The game was definitely too long, if they'd trimmed 3 or 4 missions then I think it would be the perfect length. It seems like it was mostly well received and sold pretty well so hopefully Creative Assembly get another shot at an Alien game.

[Fierce_LiNk]

4 hours ago, killthenet said:

It wasn't that the humans on their own were threatening, just that being spotted by them would draw the Alien out. My favourite moment with the human enemies was when I was trying to reach Ricardo in Seegson Communications and some militia were stalking around, I stayed out of their sight and released one of the tougher industrial Working Joe's then went back into hiding until  their conflict had played out then took out the Working Joe with the bolt gun.

I totally agree with you about the sense of accomplishment, reaching a save station was always such a relief. It's rare that a stealth game gets you to play by its rules and feel like you're interacting with real beings rather than just programmed AI but the Alien's in this felt like a real threat every time I encountered one.

The game was definitely too long, if they'd trimmed 3 or 4 missions then I think it would be the perfect length. It seems like it was mostly well received and sold pretty well so hopefully Creative Assembly get another shot at an Alien game.

I had an epic moment similar to yours where the Alien came out and slaughtered some humans, whilst I hid out of the way. I can't remember which mission it was as it was long ago, but towards the second quarter of the game. I just came out of hiding to then complete my mission/get to where I needed to be. Part of me felt bad for the humans, but then it was either them or me.

I don't think cutting some of the length of the game would have been a terrible idea. It's definitely long enough, so I don't think it would hurt too much. I did really enjoy the pacing during the final few missions and it was tense as hell, with an open ending to leave room for more. I just hope that they stay true to the spirit of this game and go for the same sort of vibe. I didn't get around to playing the DLC, but I did watch a run-through of it on YouTube the other day in fact (timing is perfect) to see what I missed out on and I'm very tempted to give it a go. It looks great.

[drahkon]

Sooo...this game. I haven't actually started it since I bought it three years ago.

I also haven't watch a single movie, even though I own the Alien Anthology Blu Rays.

Should I do something about that?

[Fierce_LiNk]

11 minutes ago, drahkon said:

Sooo...this game. I haven't actually started it since I bought it three years ago.

I also haven't watch a single movie, even though I own the Alien Anthology Blu Rays.

Should I do something about that?

Watch Alien, but make sure that it's the Director's Cut. Then, watch Aliens, make sure that's the Director's Cut, too.

After that, watch the Theatrical release of Alien3. Once you've done that, watch the Extended version of Alien 3 and in between read all of the issues that they had with making the film, including the rewrites, changes, and how David Fincher now disowns the film and the fan reactions surrounding it. I saw the Theatrical release first and didn't realise that there was an extended cut, which is pretty much an entirely different film, with a lot of changes in the middle section and a completely different opening.

Theeeen, forget that there have been any more films in the Alien series and live your life in bliss. 

Once you've done that, watch Alien again because it's one of the best films ever made. Then, watch Aliens again (EXTENDED) because it's one of the best sequels ever made and has redefined the sci-fi/action genre)

You are very welcome, in advance.

Once you've watched Aliens and agree with years of analysis that it's the gold standard for action films, read the proposed initial script for Alien 3 (featuring Bishop as the lead). It's fairly long, about 70-100 pages from what I remember) but it's worth it to see the Alien 3 we didn't get. Apparently they're making that into a comic this year, so that's something at least. 

It's actually a joke how much better Alien Isolation is compared to any of the films past 3. Alien Isolation is miles, miiiiiiles more in line with the original film than Alien Covenant was, which is retarded given that it's directed by Ridley Scott.

[Hero-of-Time]

15 hours ago, Fierce_LiNk said:

Once you've done that, watch Alien again because it's one of the best films ever made. Then, watch Aliens again (EXTENDED) because it's one of the best sequels ever made and has redefined the sci-fi/action genre)

I've only ever really enjoyed Alien when watching it for the first time when I was younger. With each viewing after that I enjoyed it less and less and honestly find it quite boring now. A lot of the film rides on the suspense of the audience and once the mystery is gone then you left with a very slow film. Aliens on the other hand is just a fantastic action flick that I can sit down and watch at any time and enjoy. Hands down one of the best action films ever created. Me and my mates have often argued which was the better film/sequel, Aliens or Terminator 2? 

As for this game, like drahkon I have had it sitting on my shelf for a few years now but can never bring myself around to playing it. With the game being so slow and long I find it hard to motivate myself to actually start the thing.

Edited August 15, 2018 by Hero-of-Time

[Fierce_LiNk]

3 hours ago, Hero-of-Time said:

I've only ever really enjoyed Alien when watching it for the first time when I was younger. With each viewing after that I enjoyed it less and less and honestly find it quite boring now. A lot of the film rides on the suspense of the audience and once the mystery is gone then you left with a very slow film. Aliens on the other hand is just a fantastic action flick that I can sit down and watch at any time and enjoy. Hands down one of the best action films ever created. Me and my mates have often argued which was the better film/sequel, Aliens or Terminator 2? 

As for this game, like drahkon I have had it sitting on my shelf for a few years now but can never bring myself around to playing it. With the game being so slow and long I find it hard to motivate myself to actually start the thing.

There's something about that type of film (Alien) and the way that the pace is managed that I just love. It's similar to films such as Night of the Living Dead where there's more of than not something not happening than action taking place, but you always get the feeling that something "could happen", in a not too cheap or unrealistic way. But, I love that. I think I've seen Alien over 30 times in my lifetime, including at the cinema for Halloween where they showed the Director's Cut for the very first time. I don't think the pace is for everyone and there will be some that find it boring. But, I've always found it fascinating. 

Spoiler

I do think that the pace does ramp up quite considerably during the final act. As soon as Ash's true self is revealed, that final act is just sublime, imo. Considering the age of the film (it's almost 40 years old! Wow) I think it holds up remarkably well and succeeds in many, many areas that I feel that current day films do not, especially thrillers that rely on cheap jump scares or unneeded plot twists. The ship itself (the Nostromo) always felt huge to me and I always had the feeling that you could easily get lost in any one of its many corridors. I also love the relationships between the characters and how they're portrayed. It's basically like watching a group of low-paid truckers/engineers in space, who don't particularly want to be there. 

I would probably say that it's my favourite film of all time, or at least in that group of films which I hold up very high. 

Aliens, The Terminator and Terminator 2 are all perfect action films and are all very different to each other. The Terminator is just an excellent thriller and I LOVE Michael Biehn's role within the film, as well as the casting of Arnie and Linda Hamilton. As for which film is the better sequel (Aliens or T2) that is a really, really, reeeeeeally hard question for me to answer. I love all of the films mentioned and they are all important parts of cinema history for me. I think the effects in Terminator 2 probably just edge it for me...I think. I dunno, both are extremely quotable, the set pieces are brilliant and they both have extremely satisfying endings/pay-offs. Ahhh, don't make me choose.  

Alien Isolation was pretty much perfect for me and was exactly what I wanted. It took me back to the world of the first film and the aesthetics, sound design and atmosphere were inch perfect, imo. Also, the pacing fits in with the original film. It's sloooow at times, but you know that all it takes is a second or some kind of wrong decision at the wrong time to end in death. I remember one instance where I wanted to check if the Alien truly would appear anywhere. So, I think I hit a cannister or a wall about four or fives times. Within moments, I could hear the Alien crawling through the vents above me and it came down and promptly ruined me. I just remember thinking to myself "I fucking love this game, bwaha".

I only wish that Colonial Marines had been better. That game looked the business and should have been to Aliens what Isolation was to the original. Gutted, tbh. I don't think there's been a single game which has managed to get the look and feel of Aliens just right. AvP2 is still the closest, but that's dated as hell now.

[Kaepora_Gaebora]

Cheeky thread bump...

With this being on Game Pass and having been watching through the Alien films (lot of love for Prometheus 🤷‍♂️) I was going to come in here and ask what people's thoughts were on it being abit, well, slow...turns out the last few posts summarise that for me I think 😂

I'm only a few hours into it, seen the Xeno once, but goodness me I'm bored. And not in a "ooh this is building up" kinda way, just bored. Crafting isn't my bag either and seems I'll need to collect blue prints to keep my head above water, plus alot of hiding already, I'm just not feeling it! Anyone who has bashed through it think it's worth sticking with? I'm sure more exciting set pieces will happen, but do the fundamentals change? I'm thinking of packing it in for Outlast 2 that's on Game Pass as well; been in a horror mood recently and had a blast going through the Resident Evil Remake with Jill and Chris, until they put the 2 remake on GP I'll see what else can satisfy my blood lust 😛

[Hero-of-Time]

5 minutes ago, Kaepora_Gaebora said:

Cheeky thread bump...

With this being on Game Pass and having been watching through the Alien films (lot of love for Prometheus 🤷‍♂️) I was going to come in here and ask what people's thoughts were on it being abit, well, slow...turns out the last few posts summarise that for me I think 😂

I'm only a few hours into it, seen the Xeno once, but goodness me I'm bored. And not in a "ooh this is building up" kinda way, just bored. Crafting isn't my bag either and seems I'll need to collect blue prints to keep my head above water, plus alot of hiding already, I'm just not feeling it! Anyone who has bashed through it think it's worth sticking with? I'm sure more exciting set pieces will happen, but do the fundamentals change? I'm thinking of packing it in for Outlast 2 that's on Game Pass as well; been in a horror mood recently and had a blast going through the Resident Evil Remake with Jill and Chris, until they put the 2 remake on GP I'll see what else can satisfy my blood lust 😛

I played and platinumed it last October. Here are my thoughts...

Quote

Alien Isolation

I think this has been sat on the shelf since 2015. Crazy to think it's around 5 years old now. Was it worth the wait? Not at all. I don't think the game deserves all the praise it got over the years. Quite frankly I found the game boring. 

I remember people saying that the game was quite long and with that being the case I decided to do a single playthrough of the game. This meant doing things like starting on the hard difficulty, not being killed and not killing any humans. Maybe it was because I was playing on hard difficulty but I found waiting for the alien to move to be a very tedious affair. I Would be sat there for literally 5 minutes just waiting for it to leave an area before I could move. 

Another thing I found that was annoying was the AI of the alien. The developers said that they wanted to make it random and not scripted in order for it to be more realistic and keep players on their toes. I swear the thing used to just teleport from area to area because I would see it leave behind me and then 10 seconds later it would be roaming around the corridor in front of me. Not very realistic if you ask me.

I will give credit to the game for delivering on having an amazing atmosphere. I thought it captured the feel of the original film very well. I especially enjoyed the chapters that had you go down in to the nest area and the chapter where you got to see the space jockey was also a treat.

I guess the game was fine but I honestly had more fun playing Aliens:Colonial Marines in co-op with my brother back on the 360. Yeah, that game was a buggy mess but it had action and some good laughs were had whilst playing online in co-op. I guess it's a little like the first 2 Alien films. The first one is very artsy and methodical, whereas the second film is all about the run and gun. This is why I like the second film much more than the first and probably why I preferred the mess that was Colonial marines over the well made Isolation.

Platinum trophy image is a nice nod to the fans though.