Terror in space
The game Aliens: Colonial Marines was a disaster for too many reasons to count. Misrepresentation of the product, lies about what the game would play like; even the missed promise of a game that would treat the Alien franchise with respect and authenticity. There were many misleading details revealed about this game in the months before it came out. In short, it was a farce of a game that left many longtime Aliens fans cold. When Alien Isolation was first announced, many people were excited about the new game. But just as many people were wary of the promises made before.
This game proved these people wrong, in all the best ways possible. From a game play perspective, Alien Isolation delivered on its promise and namesake of being alone; just you hiding from one of the deadliest creatures in cinema history. They delivered on the promise that it learns from your behavior and tactics, just like in the films. They delivered on the promise that the Xenomorph was out to trick you into making mistakes; revealing yourself to it, or wasting precious resources to avoid it. The alien was an invincible monster that you had to avoid, and it acted the way you thought it should. It had an authentic feel to it, and it was a joy to be mercilessly hunted and killed a lot in Alien Isolation. It was also very stressful, but in a good way. Alien Isolation showed that a good game could be made based on the license, and not only that, respect the source material in a way that made sense.
“It was a joy to be mercilessly hunted and killed a lot in Alien Isolation. It was also very stressful, but in a good way.” |
Recreating a classic
But it isn’t just how the alien behaves that makes it feel like the genuine thing, it’s the world around you as well. The Sevastopol, which is the setting of Alien Isolation; is owned and run by a company called Seegson. You hardly feel this is new to the lore or backstory of the universe, as the way they are incorporated feels natural, and the documents and files you find throughout the game flesh them out nicely. You learn about how they are trying to outdo their competition, whom are all too familiar to you as the player; the long standing corporation from the films, Weyland-Yutani. You learn about their personnel, their products, their motives. They are incorporated seamlessly into the lore in a respectful manner, and they have an authenticity to their design as a whole. You even get the details right down to the environment itself. From the keyboards you type on to the doors you open, you are greeted with sights that are familiar, but just different enough to be new. Even iconic sounds are recreated. This is most notable with the motion tracker, and the chime it makes as the xenomorph gets closer. It helps create the atmosphere of tension seen all too often in the films.
In Alien Isolation, you are treated to some of the most authentic recreations of scenes from the film, but they are often shown in a different light. From the moment you begin playing Alien Isolation, you are experiencing very familiar sights and sounds from the film. The very first moment you wake up in Alien Isolation, you are greeted with a sight that looks just like the beginning of the first film. You find you are on the same exact ship from the first game, or well, the same class of ship. It's a great way to get your nostalgia going, while not retreading the same beats as before. As you get deeper into the game, you then play a section that shows how the alien got aboard the space station you are on. You are then treated to some of the most iconic sights from the franchise, and it is done with a fantastic reveal.
In Alien Isolation, you are treated to some of the most authentic recreations of scenes from the film, but they are often shown in a different light. From the moment you begin playing Alien Isolation, you are experiencing very familiar sights and sounds from the film. The very first moment you wake up in Alien Isolation, you are greeted with a sight that looks just like the beginning of the first film. You find you are on the same exact ship from the first game, or well, the same class of ship. It's a great way to get your nostalgia going, while not retreading the same beats as before. As you get deeper into the game, you then play a section that shows how the alien got aboard the space station you are on. You are then treated to some of the most iconic sights from the franchise, and it is done with a fantastic reveal.
The familiar in a new light
You come across the same ship from the very first Alien film, and it is breathtaking to stumble upon this the first time. In the film, this is a scene of mystery, and it maintains this feeling for you as well in the game. It drips with an authentic touch that helps it feel genuine to the franchise. But there is something deeper down as well, as you know what is aboard this star-ship. It’s a feeling of horror, a feeling of dread. Knowing the course you must take, you proceed further into the star-ship; and are treated to another sight from over 30 years ago.
I won’t go into too much detail on what happens after this point, but for fans of the Alien films it gets more and more intense as you push on. You know what is going to happen, you know how it will happen, and it’s just a matter of when.
“It’s these little touches that help to build Alien Isolation, it makes this game a love letter to the first Alien film.” |
It’s also the story itself that feels authentic to the franchise, and that is done by the characters. In the film Aliens, you find out Ripley has a daughter who grew old and passed away while Ripley was frozen in space. You play as that daughter; and the plot device for you to be on this space station is a flight recorder salvaged from your mother’s ship, the Nostromo. Seeking closure, you head out into deep space, and that is where things start. It feels authentic to the Alien franchise as a whole, and it makes for a compelling story as well. It’s these little touches that help to build Alien Isolation, it makes this game a love letter to the first film. It helps to elevate the game above being just another licensed game; which is much like what Colonial Marines does. But unlike Colonial Marines, Alien Isolation takes care to treat the license with respect; as well as the fan base it was trying to appeal to. Alien Isolation didn’t rest on the license to do the job of convincing people to play it. It instead made a compelling, authentic experience, an experience that felt like it belonged with the films. One which was unlike any other game that tried to use the Alien franchise.
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