Support NeoGAF

[Boy Wander]

So I finally joined current gen (Wii U) not withstanding) and bought a PS4 and 10 games.

This is the first game I'm playing and so far the atmosphere is magnificent. Playing it with the lights out and volume up, I can only hack it for about 30 mins at a time.

The sound design is fantastic with groans and creaks and clanking coming from unknown parts of the base/ship that really makes you proceed with caution and wonder what the hell is going on and what might be around the next corner. I'd rank this game up there with Fatal Frame 2 as one of the most scarily atmospheric games I've played.

Creative Assembly really nailed the feeling of being stuck on a rapidly detiorating ship in the middle of space. Nice little touches like doors opening as you walk past them only serve to put you more on edge and the lighting and particle effects are very well done.

Overall, I'm simultaneously enjoying the game and feeling tense so I guess it's had the desired effect!

 

[STEaMkb]

The sound design is fantastic with groans and creaks and clanking coming from unknown parts of the base/ship that really makes you proceed with caution and wonder what the hell is going on and what might be around the next corner.

Even better with headphones. I spent an inordinate amount of time hiding under desks in dark corners. Sleeping bag, warm flask and a packet of dehydrated soup. I'll wait for help to arrive thanks.

 

[Itchy//Tasty]

Yes, yes it is. Absolutely adore this game. A real 10/10 for me.

 

[shawnoftheshred]

It's strange, but Alien: Isolation remains the most next generation video game experience I've felt so far on my xbox one. Turned the lights off, had the kinect feature on where if you spoke in the room the alien would hear you, and would play for 2 hour increments with friends. It felt like something beyond the typical survival horror games. Not sure if it really was, or if it's just the power of the game's inherited atmosphere of nostalgic terror, but man...that game stuck with me.

(It overstays its welcome and there's pacing issues for sure, but the highs were so high).

 

[Luminaire]

It's a pretty great and scary game but it goes on about an hour too long.

 

[BigTnaples]

Amazing game.


It's a sin that we will never see it's sequel.

Jurassic Park: Isolation

 

[Alpha Phoenix]

It would probably be a perfect 10/10 for me if it weren't for the poor framerate on console.

 

[Reckheim]

Game of 2015 for me, fantastic game. Not sure if it came out in 2015 but that's when I played it.

 

[Arkos]

Just finished this - omg I loved it so much. I want more. Is the DLC any good? What is the DLC?

I have only one gripe with the game, but it is pretty huge (MAJOR spoilers do not click if you haven't played)

Spoiler

No queen??? Whaaat?! I kept waiting for a big final boss battle against her and it never came.

It was so good though. Just a treat.

 

[jg4xchamp]

The games high points are divine. Were it 10 hours shorter, I'd say it's excellent, but that second half ends up being so lame. That first half though is tense, properly built up, and I want to say chapter 10? Had what I felt was an ideal climax.

One of my favs from 2014 still.

 

[bati]

GOTY for sure. The game was so intense that I had to take breaks every 20 mins in the first half of the game.

 

[Rocketz]

I bought it like a year ago after picking it up on a sale from the MS store. Still haven't played more than like an hour of it when I rented it and decided I wanted to buy it. I'm going to try to play it this October.

 

[Creamium]

I finished it too a while ago and yes it's pretty amazing. I played on hard and because of that missions 5-6 had some of the most tense moments I've experienced in a game. The Alien just stalks you relentlessly in those chapters. It's at those times that the godlike sound design is a great help to figure at where the Alien's at.

I love how the Alien reacts to your actions. Like after a few times using the flamethrower, it will react scared when you whip it out, but it will still stall and rush you later. It's so fast that it can even rush past the flames if you're too slow and still get you.

We can all agree on the major flaw: Isolation is way too long. The game has like 3 climaxes, it could've even ended at ch10, like jg4xchamp said. Ch14 would've been the best finale though, as you

Spoiler

deal with the über working joes and destroy the nest. I still see the silhouettes of the Joes coming towards me in the dark with lightning and deafening noises everywhere.

That was such a high point, shame that the game went on for 7 more chapters, that didn't really add anything anymore.

One of my favorite moments was when i saw one of the working Joes do this

Overall one of the best games I've played this year. I expected a perfect hommage to Alien (which it really is), but I didn't expect it to be so a great horror game as well.

I have only one gripe with the game, but it is pretty huge (MAJOR spoilers do not click if you haven't played)

Spoiler

No queen??? Whaaat?! I kept waiting for a big final boss battle against her and it never came.

It's kind of understandable because

Spoiler

this game wanted to evoke the spirit of Alien and not Aliens. I actually like that there wasn't a Queen. A boss battle like that would've fit more in an action oriented game, like a good version of CM I liked that they didn't include a Queen.

 

[RoyaleDuke]

That is one thing I really disagree, a lengthy horror game campaign is fantastic.

It is the 20 hour interactive experimental Alien Movie I never knew I wanted.

 

[DieH@rd]

One of the 2014 GOTY finalists for me. Amazing game. I really hope there will be a sequel.

Spoiler

pls SEGA

 

[EventHorizon]

Way to go thread. I just bought Alien Isolation based on your glowing recommendations. It's only $15 on PSN now so I guess that's a steal. I have way too many games in my backlog.

 

[allintospace]

Is there any talk of a sequel in development?

 

[deltacanuckian]

That is one thing I really disagree, a lengthy horror game campaign is fantastic.

It is the 20 hour interactive experimental Alien Movie I never knew I wanted.

I think the 20 hour campaign might've worked better if the game didn't have three separate climaxes. I thought it was going to end multiple times before it finally did, and by the last 3-4 hours I was just blindly rushing through it because I just wanted to see the end already.

It's not that I didn't l love it (I absolutely did), it's one of the scariest games I've ever played and one of the best things to happen to the Alien franchise in a long time. But still, too damn long.

 

[Possumowner]

Brilliant game,now I don't get scared at any game normally,being a huge horror movie fan I think I'm immune to being scared now....but Alien Isolation was the first game that has given me that sense of fear in many a year...would love a sequel

 

[Berserking Guts]

My wife has gone to her sisters for the weekend, leaving me with the big 70" and surround sound system to myself... I keep eyeing up Alien Isolation and daring myself

 

[Kaversmed]

Yup, this game freaked me out, but goddamn I loved it.

 

[Woffls]

Another lttp for the list

Amaaaazing game and my 2014 goty by a huge margin. Played it on hard then nightmare with a decent 5.1 setup on PC with a measly 750 Ti.

 

[Correctomundo]

I started this up a few months back during another thread about the game, but got sidetracked when life decided to shit down my neck. Made it as far as the Medical Bay.

Started it back up last week, and while I can only play in short spurts because of other obligations, it appears that's what everyone recommends anyway. Which is probably why I'm so positively IN LOVE with this thing.

So goddamned good. Length doesn't feel like an issue at all. This is the Alien game I've always wanted.

Still have a short way to go (just got the Boltgun), but I find myself thinking about it while I'm at work quite a lot.

I'll probably finish it up sometime next week, but then, I bought the Collection. As long as I can avoid being bedridden (long story, another thread), I'll be in Alien horror heaven for a good while.

 

[Wind's Howling]

My personal best when it comes down to pure survival, horror and stealth for this generation of consoles. There is nothing quite like.

Still not hearing about the sequel is hurting me.

 

[Joey Ravn]

I really liked the game. It's by far the best Alien game ever created, bar none.

On the flipside, I really wouldn't call it scary. At least it wasn't scary at all for me. Sure, seeing the alien the first few times was a tense experience, but it never actually scared me (maybe except a few random scare jumps, but that's hardly "scary"). And what's more important, after encountering the alien several times, the effect of the monster lost all its power. It became more of an annoyance than a life-threatening situation, especially when failing a specific scenario that you have to repeat.

And yes: the game is way too long. It "ends" like three times, and the final, definitive ending is kind of a let down:

Spoiler

a QTE fight?

Come on! If it had been one third shorter, it would have been a much better experience.

 

[Jimnymebob]

I've only played a few chapters so far, but I'm really enjoying it.
I'm never scared by horror media of any description/format, but I can't deal with this game for long periods.

 

[michalmarek77]

Game is far beyond amazing.
My personal #GOAT and not the one of but the scariest game ever made.
Fucking masterpiece!

 

[DieH@rd]

Yup, this game freaked me out, but goddamn I loved it.

I thank all the gods that this has never happened to me during my playtrhough.

 

[krang]

I think the 20 hour campaign might've worked better if the game didn't have three separate climaxes. I thought it was going to end multiple times before it finally did, and by the last 3-4 hours I was just blindly rushing through it because I just wanted to see the end already.

It's not that I didn't l love it (I absolutely did), it's one of the scariest games I've ever played and one of the best things to happen to the Alien franchise in a long time. But still, too damn long.

Yep, I agree. It outstayed its welcome.

I thank all the gods that this has never happened to me during my playtrhough.

This happened to me, but I bailed and reverted to the last checkpoint before it got me, haha.

 

[Boy Wander]

I've only played a few chapters so far, but I'm really enjoying it.
I'm never scared by horror media of any description/format, but I can't deal with this game for long periods.

What I find brilliant about this game is that, especially at the beginning, you go long stretches without ever encountering the alien or any humans and yet the game's atmosphere and sense of what might come next keeps it interesting. It's a lesson in how you don't need to stuff games with npcs and monsters to make it atmospheric and interesting. In that respect, it's closer to the cinema experience than most games actively trying for that vibe.

 

[bj00rn_]

I didn't like the alien encounter mechanics - So I modded it mostly away. And I still ended up having a great time with the game (the atmosphere, environments, the sounds, it's awesome) ..Except that the ending felt oddly flat and empty.

 

[Minamu]

Wow, I didn't think the Alien could enter those tubes, it never did for me, although I never finished the game.

 

[laxu]

I really liked the game. It's by far the best Alien game ever created, bar none.

On the flipside, I really wouldn't call it scary. At least it wasn't scary at all for me. Sure, seeing the alien the first few times was a tense experience, but it never actually scared me (maybe except a few random scare jumps, but that's hardly "scary"). And what's more important, after encountering the alien several times, the effect of the monster lost all its power. It became more of an annoyance than a life-threatening situation, especially when failing a specific scenario that you have to repeat.

And yes: the game is way too long. It "ends" like three times, and the final, definitive ending is kind of a let down:

Spoiler

a QTE fight?

Come on! If it had been one third shorter, it would have been a much better experience.

I didn't mind the length of the game but I do agree that the alien encounters became a hassle at some point. They did it well in the first 3rd of the game where the alien encounters were few and far between and thus more memorable and intense.

Spoiler

I kinda wish that closer to the end they had turned the gameplay around a bit and allowed the player character to actually fight and kill the creatures rather than just scaring them away for a moment, kinda transitioning from Alien to Aliens.

It's also a shame that the alien isn't able to crawl on walls like it does in most of the movies.

 

[JudgmentJay]

Unpopular opinion: I wish it was longer. I loved every second of it and didn't want it to end. I feel like I could have explored that space station forever if they continued introducing new areas.

 

[Astral]

I didn't find it scary but it was definitely very tense. Like everyone else has said, the game definitely overstayed its welcome and the xenomorph becomes kind of annoying after a while. Btw, has anyone played that nightmare mode that was patched in? I heard it has a broken tracker and no map. That doesn't sound fun.

 

[Diancecht]

I loved it when it first released and couple of months ago I tried to get back into it but I noped the fuck out after couple of hours. Downtime between actual events are so long, it kind of out overstays its welcome

 

[BLUElightCory]

I loved this game. I kind of agree about the length but I also kind of like that it almost feels like a total ordeal happening in real-time. That said, they could probably could have cut a couple chapters and the game would have been fine.

Also:

Creative Assembly Sound Designer #1: "People will surely spend most of this game on-edge. Let make the doors and vents sound a little like the xenomorph itself."

Creative Assembly Sound Designer #2: "Muhahahahahaha!"

 

[Arkos]

Unpopular opinion: I wish it was longer. I loved every second of it and didn't want it to end. I feel like I could have explored that space station forever if they continued introducing new areas.

I'm actually in this camp, I could not get enough, and I felt like each climax ramped it up enough to remain satisfying, although I do see where people complaining about length are coming from.

Edit: and I say this as someone who usually prefers shorter games

 

[family_guy]

Yup, this game freaked me out, but goddamn I loved it.

Guess you have to play on harder than normal difficulty for this to happen.

 

[Falchion]

That's really funny that you have to play in short bursts. I think I'm about 4 hours into it but I really need to go back and finish it, it's definitely been a blast so far.

 

[hlhbk]

I'll never forgot the time I was sneaking and couldn't hear the Alien, I go around the corner, and the door in front of me opened and the Alien was right behind the door looking the other direction. I started backing off and it jumped up in the vent in the room. I could hear him go the opposite direction of where I needed to go.

I turned around, went down the hall, and the next door I came to it opened, and the Alien dropped down from the vent inside that room and chased me down and killed me. Going back to the layout of the vents it became apparent the Alien had outsmarted me.

At that moment I fell in love with the game, and still can't get enough nerve to complete it. LOL

 

[Frozone]

Even more of a horror playing it in VR mode.. OMG!

 

[thumb]

Fantastic game, inspired one of my few platinum trophies.

 

[spannicus]

Only game that ever had me tense non stop

 

[SpiceMelange]

You know what's even better than Alien Isolation? Alien Isolation in VR. I don't think it supports the consumer version of the Rift but it works with the DK2. Best pants shitting game ever.

 

[Inviusx]

GOTY 2015 for me. The cat and mouse game play was perfect. Absolutely nailed the aesthetic. All of the open encounters where they mixed enemy humans & the Alien were amazing. Throwing a sound maker into a group of enemies and having the Alien tear them up was so satisfying.

 

[brandonh83]

It's a pretty great and scary game but it goes on about an hour too long.

For me it goes on about 5. I love the game, but I wish it were a lot tighter which I think could have helped it feel even more like being one of the films. Just some trimming down all over the place which would add up. It has some incredible moments later that I think you should be able to get to faster. There's a lot of padding.

 

[big_z]

Easily one of the best horror games out there. The lack of an ending sucks and it would have been better if the story was a little more unique but still good overall.


I didn't find it scary but it's easily the most tense game out there. If you know game design eventually you can see the formula the devs created for the encounters and what ai the alien will follow. Still really fun though and I hope we get a sequel that can be expanded upon.

 

[down 2 orth]

Just about to start playing this. What's the best difficulty for a typical gamer to play this on?

 

[manzoman96]

I've been thinking of picking this game up. I might just have to now.