Fantastapotamus
Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
Edit: This game is such a great stealth game, a word in the title managed to sneak past me. That's how good it is.
So I finally picked up Alien Isolation during a sale some time ago, and figured now would be a good time to play it. I generally don't like Horror games, but I'm a huge fan of Alien so I was curious if I would like this game.
Well, as it turns out my fears were void, because Alien Isolation is not a horror game. It is a stealth game. And it might be one of my favourite stealth games ever made.
For me, a good stealth game has to make stealth meaningful. Combat should never be a viable option. I know many people dislike this and feel like you should be able to fight your way out of a sticky situation but for me, this is the absolute essence of a great stealth game: Tension. If it doesn't matter whether that guard sees you sneaking by or not it's meaningless. Yeah, I probably won't get that Achievment now but other then that? Let's just kill everybody and move on with it. But if getting spotted actually punishes you in a meaningful way, suddenly that 15 steps to the dark shadows over there can seem like an eternity.
And Alien Isolation, in a weird way, does not only punish you for fighting somebody, it does so, so much more to build tension.
Not only is there not a lot of ammunition out there but every single time you fire a gun, you risk summoning an indestructible beast that will hunt you, kill you and, most importantly, destroy all the progress you made.
Dying is meaningful because there are no quicksaves or autosaves at every corner, you can only save at certain stations. Die and you have to repeat everything. And even saving itself takes a few seconds, giving you that feeling that you might not even be save while doing it (and you are not).
Again, I know many people hate this. But I simply ADORE it. Because what would be the point of being surprised by the Alien when you can just reload to 15 seconds ago and stay in that cupboard? Why would I even try to be sneaky if I can just try to sprint to the exist because who cares if I fail? I just reload and try it again. And that why this game is so amazing to me, and probably not a lot of other people.
The beeping sound of those save stations makes me so much more happy than seeing that faint glow from a bonfire in Dark Souls. And unlike Dark Souls you aren't even safe while saving. You actually have to make sure the Alien isn't chasing you right now, because if you do save it will continue to do so every time you reload. This is genius. And evil. But mostly genius.
It makes every second of the game incredibly tense, especially because Creative Assembly has done such a freaking amazing job with the atmosphere.
You can hear that bastard Alien crawling in the vents while sneaking through the corridors, ready to jump out at any second and set you back 15 minutes. The game really looks and sounds like the original movie, you can tell that CA are some big fans of the franchise (unlike some other recent Alien game which shall remain unnamed).
And the fact that the Alien is somewhat flexible and doesn't follow scripted paths (and if it does at least they are not apparent) means you are never save. Ever. You can't sit back, watch it from the shadows and wait for the moment when the designers planned for you to sneak past it, like you do in pretty much every other stealth game. You have to keep moving and you have to stay vigilant. Because it is always there. Yes, it is a bit silly that this Alien is just following Ripley Jr. around the entire time without any real reason but who cares, if it makes the game better go for it.
So, in conclusion this game feels like CA sat around, stared into my mind and said: A hardcore stealth game, faithful to the only good Alien movie, that isn't afraid of punishing the player at every turn for not being stealthy? Sure, let's ask those dorks at Sega for a big budget and make it! I feel really, really bad for buying this game while it was on sale, because this is one of the best and most refreshing "AAA" games I have played in a long, long time. I don't know if there ever will be a sequel to this or if said sequel will just abolish everything I love about it to make it more appealing to socially more acceptable people than me but if they actually manage to drug the economic guys at Sega again and make a faithful sequel to this I would buy it Day 1.
So I finally picked up Alien Isolation during a sale some time ago, and figured now would be a good time to play it. I generally don't like Horror games, but I'm a huge fan of Alien so I was curious if I would like this game.
Well, as it turns out my fears were void, because Alien Isolation is not a horror game. It is a stealth game. And it might be one of my favourite stealth games ever made.
For me, a good stealth game has to make stealth meaningful. Combat should never be a viable option. I know many people dislike this and feel like you should be able to fight your way out of a sticky situation but for me, this is the absolute essence of a great stealth game: Tension. If it doesn't matter whether that guard sees you sneaking by or not it's meaningless. Yeah, I probably won't get that Achievment now but other then that? Let's just kill everybody and move on with it. But if getting spotted actually punishes you in a meaningful way, suddenly that 15 steps to the dark shadows over there can seem like an eternity.
And Alien Isolation, in a weird way, does not only punish you for fighting somebody, it does so, so much more to build tension.
Not only is there not a lot of ammunition out there but every single time you fire a gun, you risk summoning an indestructible beast that will hunt you, kill you and, most importantly, destroy all the progress you made.
Dying is meaningful because there are no quicksaves or autosaves at every corner, you can only save at certain stations. Die and you have to repeat everything. And even saving itself takes a few seconds, giving you that feeling that you might not even be save while doing it (and you are not).
Again, I know many people hate this. But I simply ADORE it. Because what would be the point of being surprised by the Alien when you can just reload to 15 seconds ago and stay in that cupboard? Why would I even try to be sneaky if I can just try to sprint to the exist because who cares if I fail? I just reload and try it again. And that why this game is so amazing to me, and probably not a lot of other people.
The beeping sound of those save stations makes me so much more happy than seeing that faint glow from a bonfire in Dark Souls. And unlike Dark Souls you aren't even safe while saving. You actually have to make sure the Alien isn't chasing you right now, because if you do save it will continue to do so every time you reload. This is genius. And evil. But mostly genius.
It makes every second of the game incredibly tense, especially because Creative Assembly has done such a freaking amazing job with the atmosphere.
You can hear that bastard Alien crawling in the vents while sneaking through the corridors, ready to jump out at any second and set you back 15 minutes. The game really looks and sounds like the original movie, you can tell that CA are some big fans of the franchise (unlike some other recent Alien game which shall remain unnamed).
And the fact that the Alien is somewhat flexible and doesn't follow scripted paths (and if it does at least they are not apparent) means you are never save. Ever. You can't sit back, watch it from the shadows and wait for the moment when the designers planned for you to sneak past it, like you do in pretty much every other stealth game. You have to keep moving and you have to stay vigilant. Because it is always there. Yes, it is a bit silly that this Alien is just following Ripley Jr. around the entire time without any real reason but who cares, if it makes the game better go for it.
So, in conclusion this game feels like CA sat around, stared into my mind and said: A hardcore stealth game, faithful to the only good Alien movie, that isn't afraid of punishing the player at every turn for not being stealthy? Sure, let's ask those dorks at Sega for a big budget and make it! I feel really, really bad for buying this game while it was on sale, because this is one of the best and most refreshing "AAA" games I have played in a long, long time. I don't know if there ever will be a sequel to this or if said sequel will just abolish everything I love about it to make it more appealing to socially more acceptable people than me but if they actually manage to drug the economic guys at Sega again and make a faithful sequel to this I would buy it Day 1.
and the enemies the prey.