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truly101 · Mar 8, 2015

I really love the game. It really is a haunted house in space. I'm about to finish CH 8, so it won't be long until I have to deal with Ch 10 (I hear the game is a bit downhill from there stress wise).

I appreciate the randomness of the alien, and I like how the save system and instant death add to the tension believably. I don't like the bungie cord system. I feel like it punishes players who are patient and careful, and its not realistic in the context of the game. The bungie cord is extremely detectable in CH 6, and if you hide too long in one spot, the alien will inexplicably settle close too you, despite having a sizeable area to hunt. You have to hide, move, hide, move, or the AI will fuck you over.

Other than that, the game is ace. I have childhood trauma related to the first Alien film so he'll always be scary to me.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

truly101 said:
I really love the game. It really is a haunted house in space. I'm about to finish CH 8, so it won't be long until I have to deal with Ch 10 (I hear the game is a bit downhill from there stress wise)

This is not the case. It may lull you at times (briefly), but you still have what I would argue is the most stressful, and best, moment in the game down the line. The game comes up with lots of good ways to stress you out no matter how many seemingly powerful new toys you get.

Miguel81 · Mar 8, 2015

Alien Iso was an incredible experience for me. I've always loved the look/style of the original Alien film and this game just nailed everything that I had wanted from a survival horror/stealth game set in that universe. A visual/aural treat when I played it on PC(living room). The surround sound is probably some of the best I've ever heard, and even when I used my headphones(late nights) it impressed. Since CA have included a new Nightmare mode, it might be time to give this gem another run.

I agree also, I'd love to have CA tackle a similar type of game in the The Thing universe.

NaughtyPrawn · Mar 8, 2015

Fancy Clown said:
Yeah that part is really shitty since it's the first stealth/combat area and there's really only one correct path to take in giant room. Explore the place fully after the chick shoots and runs away as you have all the time you need to loot, then pick up the hacker, and immediately turn around and go up the stairs to your right and sneak around that way. There will only be one guy in your path that you can either sneak around or club with your wrench.

Thanks I will try this today and push on!

I Wanna Be The Guy · Mar 8, 2015

My only major issue with this game is that it takes way too long to get going. Building atmosphere is one thing but this game took it to an extreme.

Wind's Howling · Mar 8, 2015

I mentioned it dozen of times in here last year that it is definitely worth playing and that people should not judge it by IGN's and Gamespot's mediocre reviews (5,9/10, seriously?).

It was my GOTY of 2014. I know a few here on GAF who will say the same.

I Wanna Be The Guy · Mar 8, 2015

Rivyn said:
I mentioned it dozen of times in here last year that it is definitely worth playing and that people should not judge it by IGN's and Gamespot's mediocre reviews (5,9/10, seriously?).

It was my GOTY of 2014. I know a few here on GAF who will say the same.

It's up there for me. In my top two AAA games of last year for sure.

Wind's Howling · Mar 8, 2015

I Wanna Be The Guy said:
It's up there for me. In my top two AAA games of last year for sure.

Now I am curious. What is your #1?

Lakitu · Mar 8, 2015

It's one of the best games I played last year, I'd say it's tied as my GOTY.

As an alien fan, everything is just incredible. The art direction, attention to detail, soundtrack, early 80s sci-fi vibe and gameplay is just top notch.

I need a sequel.

I Wanna Be The Guy · Mar 8, 2015

Rivyn said:
Now I am curious. What is your #1?

Hehehe. You're not gonna like it. GAF has universally hated it since months before it even came out. You can probably guess it just from that.

double jump · Mar 8, 2015

Atmosphere and sound design were off the charts.
I really wanted to love this game but something never fully clicked.

They ultimately failed at balancing the hide and seek gameplay so that it was both fun and challenging. Instead it felt like a chore to me. 'oh, the beeping has stopped. Let me leave this locker.' soon as you exit the locker the beeping immediately starts again. 'welp, back into the locker.' I spent 50% of the game staring at locker textures. Shit got exhausting after a while.

shame that some aspects of the game were mediocre cause the high points are threw the roof.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

double jump said:
Atmosphere and sound design were off the charts.
I really wanted to love this game but something never fully clicked.

They ultimately failed at balancing the hide and seek gameplay so that it was both fun and challenging. Instead it felt like a chore to me. 'oh, the beeping has stopped. Let me leave this locker.' soon as you exit the locker the beeping immediately starts again. 'welp, back into the locker.' I spent 50% of the game staring at locker textures. Shit got exhausting after a while.

shame that some aspects of the game were mediocre cause the high points are threw the roof.

Hiding in one place will not get you very far in the game. I certainly did that, since it's hard to wire yourself to get out when the Alien is so close, but I found that quickly moving out of hiding as soon as the Alien starts to move is the most successful way to progress. Distractions + flamethrower/molotovs as back up was the way to go for me. I think there's definitely some tweaking they could do with the Alien's AI for a sequel though, as it is very close to the border between frsustration and fun.

Xianghua · Mar 8, 2015

One thing I'm surprised is that Human enemies are tough and smart! The Alien isn't all that smart or scary yet I'm in chapter 5.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

Xianghua said:
One thing I'm surprised is that Human enemies are tough and smart! The Alien isn't all that smart or scary yet I'm in chapter 5.

You've got one of the hardest parts of the game coming right up. You playing on hard?

I also didn't find the game to be scary, just very intense.

GuessWho · Mar 8, 2015

Stuck at chapter 6, can't get passed the fucking Alien. Tried at least 20 times. Gave up.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

GuessWho said:
Stuck at chapter 6, can't get passed the fucking Alien. Tried at least 20 times. Gave up.

Yeah that's probably the hardest part in the game. I'd recommend turning down the difficulty for that section and just powering through, pretty much the rest of the game is a lot more manageable.

GuessWho · Mar 8, 2015

Fancy Clown said:
Yeah that's probably the hardest part in the game. I'd recommend turning down the difficulty for that section and just powering through, pretty much the rest of the game is a lot more manageable.

hmm...I'll give it another shot if that's the hardest part. It's too bad because the game is fantastic but the spike in difficulty in that particular section really sucked the atmosphere away from the game.

DagnastyEp · Mar 8, 2015

I just finished the game yesterday, loved every minute of it. While I was half expecting to get a glimpse of the queen at the end, I like how it played out.

Really hope we get a current Gen only sequel. Game looked and played great, but I'd love to see this game with real time lighting.

Also, some of the best sound design and score I've heard in a game.

nel e nel · Mar 8, 2015

I'm really looking forward to this game, but was feeling kinda burnt out after Outlast and then Evil Within, so have been having some more 'light' fun with Far Cry 4 before going back into survival town.

Cabal · Mar 8, 2015

GuessWho said:
Stuck at chapter 6, can't get passed the fucking Alien. Tried at least 20 times. Gave up.

Which part? I know I got stuck at the very end, but watching a YouTube video helped. There is a part later in the game, chapter 10 or so, that was tough but by then, I had pretty much figured out how to get by.

I thought this was an amazing game, my GOTY for 2014 for sure. I love the attention to detail, even the little mundane tasks seem really thought out, and they get the lulls in action contrasting with tension and terror just right. I know a lot of critics didn't like the game, and I don't think its for everyone, but I truly wish their were more games like this out there. It's probably the best example of what survival horror should be, in my opinion.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

nel e nel said:
I'm really looking forward to this game, but was feeling kinda burnt out after Outlast and then Evil Within, so have been having some more 'light' fun with Far Cry 4 before going back into survival town.

That was a wise choice haha. Especially since this game is about as long as Evil Within, if not longer, and has even more one hit kills and less empowerment.

GuessWho · Mar 8, 2015

Cabal said:
Which part? I know I got stuck at the very end, but watching a YouTube video helped. There is a part later in the game, chapter 10 or so, that was tough but by then, I had pretty much figured out how to get by.
QUOTE]

Where you have to enter a code (2505) lol to get the keycard, I enter the room and the Alien is ALWAYS there in front of me. I have no chance.

Markitron · Mar 8, 2015

Fancy Clown said:
It would have been near the very top of my list had I played it last year.

I had a feeling you would like it, easily my GOTY last year.

With this and the new movie, the Alien franchise could finally be as prestigious as it used to be.

Cabal · Mar 8, 2015

GuessWho said:
Where you have to enter a code (2505) lol to get the keycard, I enter the room and the Alien is ALWAYS there in front of me. I have no chance.

OK, on this part I don't think the alien is scripted to be there which means he's just there randomly. If you keep running into to issues try hiding out for a bit when you load your save to see if he shows up then leaves, or you might even load the save before and go back. In my game I don't remember him even showing up here. Chapter 6 is sort of the sharp learning curve of the game. I was stuck at the end for several days but once I got past this mission, I didn't have much trouble with the rest of the game. I'm pretty shitty at most video games (I have nerve damage in my left hand) so if I can do it, I'm sure you can. You've got this!

VMAN01 · Mar 8, 2015

Finished it recently on PC and loved it. Personally as a bonus mode I would love to just explore Sevastapol without the alien or androids harassing you. It felt like I missed out on getting to explore every nook and cranny because of the pressure you have to stay hidden.

To be able to explore all of this and listen to all the logs on the way would be beautiful.

Gastone · Mar 8, 2015

Really enjoyed this game. Completed it on hard, and it was a very rewarding gaming experience. CA really nailed the atmosphere and tension from the Alien movies.

My only complaint is that it dragged a bit during the end.

Markitron · Mar 8, 2015

VMAN01 said:
Finished it recently on PC and loved it. Personally as a bonus mode I would love to just explore Sevastapol without the alien or androids harassing you. It felt like I missed out on getting to explore every nook and cranny because of the pressure you have to stay hidden.

To be able to explore all of this and listen to all the logs on the way would be beautiful.

You can do that on chapter 16 sort of. At that point you have access to all of your tools and are free to explore the station. Any androids you have not killed will still be around though.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

Markitron said:
I had a feeling you would like it, easily my GOTY last year.

With this and the new movie, the Alien franchise could finally be as prestigious as it used to be.

Yeah, it's certainly my type of game. While I very much want the new movie to be good, I don't have very high hopes for it.

VMAN01 · Mar 8, 2015

Markitron said:
You can do that on chapter 16 sort of. At that point you have access to all of your tools and are free to explore the station. Any androids you have not killed will still be around though.

Hmm is that after destroying the alien nest? I always thought there would be aliens roaming around during that chapter.

Markitron · Mar 8, 2015

VMAN01 said:
Hmm is that after destroying the alien nest? I always thought there would be aliens roaming around during that chapter.

Yea, it's after you return from the Anesidora. There are Aliens at that point but they wont actively stalk after you, so if you don't make any noise you should be fine. It's not ideal but it works for exploring

Fancy Clown said:
Yeah, it's certainly my type of game. While I very much want the new movie to be good, I don't have very high hopes for it.

Director is a fan of the franchise, his last two movies were pretty good and they are ignoring Alien 3&4. Probably the best start you could hope for really.

DedValve · Mar 8, 2015

I just gotta say

the alien that showed up on the torrens was such bullshit. Did Prometheus added teleporting aliens while I wasn't looking?

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

Markitron said:
Director is a fan of the franchise, his last two movies were pretty good and they are ignoring Alien 3&4. Probably the best start you could hope for really.

I thought Elysium was very poor, and Chappie looks even worse, and the slate wiping of 3&4 and trying to rekindle the magic of Alien and Alines make it sound like he is essentially doing a fan-fiction approach to the series where he will just try to ape the classic films without doing anything inventive, or worthwhile, on his own. Add to the fact that the studio blockbuster machine rarely turns out good films anymore, and the director himself in interviews lately has been saying stupid things like "often times I don't think about the narrative and just focus on how cool the imagery is"...which does not give me hope. Visually it will probably be pretty strong, and I'm hoping he makes a good movie, but so far nothing he's said has gotten me excited for it. Some of the concept art he's shown is very questionable as well. I can't see Ripley wearing armor that looks like a xenomorph being anything but stupid.

Cheesewheel · Mar 8, 2015

My favourite game of 2014. Played it again a few weeks ago using the Oculus Rift at a friends place and apart from some perspective weirdness its so much better. (Your characters arms when using buttons and pulling levers are really small)

You can do stuff like look over your shoulder while using the plasma torch/save point, lean around corners and hide behind boxes then peek over them to see the alien/androids, it's fantastic.

Oh, and when the alien spots you and runs to kill you, you get this massive face full of leaping xenomorph.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

Cheesewheel said:
My favourite game of 2014. Played it again a few weeks ago using the Oculus Rift at a friends place and apart from some perspective weirdness its so much better. (Your characters arms when using buttons and pulling levers are really small)

You can do stuff like look over your shoulder while using the plasma torch/save point, lean around corners and hide behind boxes then peek over them to see the alien/androids, it's fantastic.

This sounds awesome and would probably give me a heart attack from stress

PanicFreak · Mar 8, 2015

Rivyn said:
I mentioned it dozen of times in here last year that it is definitely worth playing and that people should not judge it by IGN's and Gamespot's mediocre reviews (5,9/10, seriously?).

It was my GOTY of 2014. I know a few here on GAF who will say the same.

I can see why someone wouldn't like Alien Isolation. I really didn't get great at the game until later in in the campaign and before that it could be really frustrating. If you never have the light bulb go off, it could really suck. I know that I wouldn't recommend the game to all of my friends because of that.

What I think sucks is that such influential sites gave those scores. It's a real stroke of bad luck and actually pretty fitting for SEGA, unfortunately.

One more thing I wish the devs would have added though is a NG+ mode where you could either play the campaign again (with appropriately leveled hack tool and torch) or just single levels. I would love to go back and play certain levels again but if don't have the time to play through it again with all of the other games I want to play. Those first few chapters would probably be a slog.

oneida · Mar 8, 2015

Alien³ is underrated to be honest - at least after The Assembly Cut, now that we have a better idea of what Fincher wanted to do with it. I kinda like the movie.

Wind's Howling · Mar 8, 2015

I Wanna Be The Guy said:
Hehehe. You're not gonna like it. GAF has universally hated it since months before it even came out. You can probably guess it just from that.

I have absolutely no clue. I do not follow GAF that much.

Kazuhira · Mar 8, 2015

Beautiful game except for

that cliffhanger ending

,i need a sequel asap.

Vincent4756 · Mar 8, 2015

The Art of Alien:Isolation book is a really good read for people who enjoy seeing the logic and such behind the design process.

I wish they would somehow get an official soundtrack mixed, the score in this game is just too good.

If anybody is interested in the DLC and you don't have the season pass, check out pack 3 and 4, (Jan-Feb) as that is the new Salvage Mode which is super fun. The other survivor mode stuff is fun as it adds some back story and new environments, but Salvage takes all the good points and puts them into a endless time attack run.

Pack 5 (The Trigger) is kinda meh but I've only played it like twice. I was hoping they were gonna do the unthinkable and make it to where you could be the alien so it would be that whole change of pace. Oh well.

I'm hoping that there will be a sequel as the team clearly deserves it. Game was my 2014 GOTY, even though I only finished it like early Jan.

I really hope they tighten up the AI a bit, there were too many times the Alien just does a figure 8 zone of the player. I would also like more tension with Humans ie more standoffs and not just shoot shoot bang bang.

Shock_Wave · Mar 8, 2015

Kazuhira said:
Beautiful game except for

that cliffhanger ending

,i need a sequel asap.

No one can hate it because of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaMTw5HqTx0

Grisby · Mar 8, 2015

Kazuhira said:
Beautiful game except for

that cliffhanger ending

,i need a sequel asap.

The ending was such a disappointment. The

QTE battle was so, so lame.

dogflaps · Mar 8, 2015

This was probably my favourite game of 2014, but I never bothered with the DLC because it was just those timed challenges. Am I missing much?

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

oneida said:
Alien³ is underrated to be honest - at least after The Assembly Cut, now that we have a better idea of what Fincher wanted to do with it. I kinda like the movie.

Yeah I agree. It's not scary, and the alien effects are really weak, but it's a solidly entertaining film that makes some bold choices.

twobear · Mar 8, 2015

My favourite description of Alien 3 is 'a great movie trapped in the body of a mediocre one'.

Fancy Clown · Mar 8, 2015

godelsmetric said:
My favourite description of Alien 3 is 'a great movie trapped in the body of a mediocre one'.

I would say that's a pretty apt description

GuessWho · Mar 8, 2015

Cabal said:
OK, on this part I don't think the alien is scripted to be there which means he's just there randomly. If you keep running into to issues try hiding out for a bit when you load your save to see if he shows up then leaves, or you might even load the save before and go back. In my game I don't remember him even showing up here. Chapter 6 is sort of the sharp learning curve of the game. I was stuck at the end for several days but once I got past this mission, I didn't have much trouble with the rest of the game. I'm pretty shitty at most video games (I have nerve damage in my left hand) so if I can do it, I'm sure you can. You've got this!

Ok when I get home i'll give it another shot. thanks

I Wanna Be The Guy · Mar 8, 2015

Rivyn said:
I have absolutely no clue. I do not follow GAF that much.

Watch Dogs.

nel e nel · Mar 9, 2015

Fancy Clown said:
That was a wise choice haha. Especially since this game is about as long as Evil Within, if not longer, and has even more one hit kills and less empowerment.

Haha! OK, thanks for the feedback, seems like my gaming Spidey sense was right in alternating games to not get burnt out.

Zoso · Mar 9, 2015

I found this game terrifying. To the point where I dreaded even starting the game some days. And that's high praise, because no other game has ever given me that much fear.

It's a very smart game filled with bold design choices and I consider it the best contribution to the Alien franchise in decades.

Freeza Under The Shower · Mar 10, 2015

Just completed this game.

Excellent experience, though I kinda feel it goes on a bit too long at the end. As a stealth / horror game, I felt the game was occasionally rough. At bit too unpredictable behaviour at times, yet a 'you must have had this' sequence at another time. Having the alien jump through a Joe just because I dared fire one bullet was a bit much when I have no other option then to shoot that particular enemy. And the grabbing... I really detest 'cinematic sequences' at this point. I've seen too many of them, and if they are just gameplay (not story related) then they just become bothersome and slightly unfair to the player.

I do appreciate they went with Bioshock and kept with the Alien lifecycle only, though the game never shows the 'conversion' part. Which is odd, considering how willing video games tend to be to show such excessive gore. I mean: Dead Space would consider that part of Alien a ****ing tuesday. I wonder why they choose not to have that part in it?

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