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[Fancy Clown]

Big fan of Alien and Aliens, kinda like Alien 3, hate everything that's come after...I don't know why I waited on this game, and I don't know why it's taken this long to make a game that captures the vibe of Alien so well.

I came in to the game expecting Outlast in space. Ya know, pants shitting first person horror in dark corridors where you have to run around and occasionally hide from things while you scrounge for batteries...I was not expecting to get Bioshock in space. Everything from the setting (giant fantastical city with social strife and audio logs) to the level progression seems heavily inspired by the game. Which I am okay with, because I actually like this game much better (but that's a topic for another day).

I mean, you still hide from things, and scrounge for stuff, but it really didn't feel like Outlast or Amnesia. For instance, it's almost never pitch black in this game. I think I replaced one battery in my lights the entire time. It's also not scary, apart from a couple jump scares, but it is very, very tense.

What I loved the most about this game (besides the absolutely perfect atmosphere), was how it managed to sustain a 17 hour game with very repetitive mechanics through the sheer craziness of its scenarios and pretty good pacing. It has a nice slow start to introduce you to the world and mechanics (and one horrible, horrible, sneaking encounter/tutorial against humans early on. by far the worst part of the game), and then it just throws you through the gauntlet. Chapter 10 might have been the highlight of the game, culminating in sneaking from the alien in a spinning space pod that has been ejected from the station as blue strobing lights flash and everything is off kilter.

That's where I thought the game would end...but it keeps going and continues to throw awesome and unexpected things at you from the terrifying working joe repair shop, to a nest filled to the brim with Aliens and facehuggers (I take it back, this was the highlight), and a bunch of other things.

The only chapter I outright disliked was 17, with that awful section where you have to continuously travel back and forth doing tedious tasks as the Alien besieges you, especially since by that point in the game I had very little flamethrower ammo.

The Alien itself could be a huge pain in the ass sometimes, seemingly randomly popping out or detecting you in lockers for no reason, but when it works, it really works, and provides about as an intense gameplay experience as you could hope for. I do think that hearing it tromping around absurdly loudly in the vents all the time took away from the tension though, as when it's up there you know you're safe for the most part. But I understand why they did it.

Sevastopol felt like the true hero of the game, as I exploring it and learning about its backstory and denizens more than Amanda's search for her mother. There was enough variety in the environments while still managed a singularly cohesive, oppressive aesthetic that was quite impressive.

I loved my time with this, apart from a couple frustrating encounters, and would absolutely buy a sequel (I'm really hoping it sold enough to warrant one) although at this point I'm not sure what more they can do as this kind of touched on everything I wanted out of an Alien game.

 

[DedValve]

One of the best games of last year.

 

[Fancy Clown]

One of the best games of last year.

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

 

[Mobius and pet octopus]

Didn't they add like an additional mode or 2 a few months post launch? Is it worth revisiting for those updates?

 

[EGM1966]

Love the game. It had some flaws but as you say when it worked well and everything came together it was amazing. An all time favourite of mine already.

Chapter 10 was amazing as was the Nest. I also loved the Working Joes. Slow but steady and all the creepier for it. The fact they were annoyed you were wasting their valuable time was such a nice touch.

 

[Perfec7_]

One of the most atmospheric and faithful games every made.

I feel it would be a better game minus 1-2 chapters though. It dragged on just slightly too much.

 

[Fancy Clown]

One of the most atmospheric and faithful games every made.

I feel it would be a better game minus 1-2 chapters though. It dragged on just slightly too much.

Yeah I could have done with a little cutting in the last third post-Alien nest. It felt like climax, after climax, after climax...and then you are back to skulking around doing increasingly tedious tasks while the Alien absolutely hounds you, and that kind of took the wind out of my sails by the time I got to the actual conclusion.

 

[oneida]

another A:I lttp!
glad you liked the game, i think i'll work on my second playthru tonight...

 

[Fancy Clown]

another A:I lttp!
glad you liked the game, i think i'll work on my second playthru tonight...

It'll be a little while before I do a second playthrough I think, it's a long game to have that kind of tension sustained haha. I got a bit of eyestrain from playing in the dark and not blinking because I was always looking for threats.

I can definitely see myself playing it again though. Playing Outlast a second time with a friend and watching their reactions was a blast, and I imagine this would be none to different in that regard.

 

[Jack Scofield]

I bought this game at launch and I'm still making my way through it. I'm pleasantly surprised by how long this game is shaping up to be. I thought that ejecting the alien from the station meant that I was nearing the end of the game, and I thought for sure that confronting Apollo was the end game. But then I got to the alien nest and there seems to be many more chapters left. Pretty cool.

 

[ezekial45]

Incredible game. It's easily the best thing to happen to the Alien franchise in a long time.

 

[PanicFreak]

I literally just finished it. It was a fun game. I actually liked the nest and after part of the game more than any other.

I think there could be some work done on the first person stealth genre in general because I don't think people should be crouch walking for 10 plus hours.

In addition, I think the devs could have done a better job at explaining whether a person or android were enemies. I didn't like that I had to sneak past certain groups during one mission and they would have conversations with me on the next.

Overall, I would give this game a B and it was well worth the 24 bucks I spent on it.

 

[oneida]

Incredible game. It's easily the best thing to happen to the Alien franchise in a long time.

Alien Infestation is pretty decent too, although the end boss is a snore and its very short. still, occasionally funny writing and entertaining all around.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Incredible game. It's easily the best thing to happen to the Alien franchise in a long time.

Yup, let alone games it's the most successful piece of Alien media I've come across since Aliens.

 

[BigTnaples]

Freaking amazing achievement. Can't speak highly enough about it. It deserves every sale and then some.


We need a sequel.

 

[Fancy Clown]

In addition, I think the devs could have done a better job at explaining whether a person or android were enemies. I didn't like that I had to sneak past certain groups during one mission and they would have conversations with me on the next.

I actually liked that, as I felt it was true to the situation on the station where everything is panicked and you don't know who is friendly or not. It kept me on my toes and I always approached anything, living or android, with extreme caution and generally assumed they were hostile.

It wasn't a perfect system though as It would lead to some situations where I'd spend 5 minutes sneaking through a room only to have the people I assumed were hostile just casually start talking to me. Overall it was worth the trade off in my book though.

 

[clutch.as.it.gets.]

Loved it.

For me the best new next gen game last year. My favs were chapter 5, 6, 10 (especially the end) and chapter 14 (the game needed more machine room like levels in general in my opinion).

Im hoping for a sequel.

 

[RSB]

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

Same. Not counting the GTAV and TLOU Remasters, it would be probably my GotY (tied with Transistor) Too bad I didn't play it sooner. Such an amazing experience. Love it.

 

[Purple Mug]

Only game on my PS4 collection I would never part with.
For an Alien fan, this game was a goddamn miracle!

 

[PanicFreak]

I actually liked that, as I felt it was true to the situation on the station where everything is panicked and you don't know who is friendly or not. It kept me on my toes and I always approached anything, living or android, with extreme caution and generally assumed they were hostile.

It wasn't a perfect system though as It would lead to some situations where I'd spend 5 minutes sneaking through a room only to have the people I assumed were hostile just casually start talking to me. Overall it was worth the trade off in my book though.

I think they could given some sort of indication about whether a group was an enemy or not. It could have been chatter or a radio message that said "these people are expecting you." I liked that there were some people that wouldn't attack you though.

My favorite character interaction was the woman in despair in the engineering (I think) area. She was looking out the window and you cold tell she had given up hope.

 

[Shock_Wave]

The only chapter I outright disliked was 17, with that awful section where you have to continuously travel back and forth doing tedious tasks as the Alien besieges you, especially since by that point in the game I had very little flamethrower ammo.
.

Oh, I'm sad you didn't enjoy it
Like many people said, chapter 10 is the climax of the game. Seeing the station spinning through the windows, the sound of the alarms, the sense of urgency to get to the airlock,etc, it's all there.
But that climax was created by the environment and not really by the Alien. In terms of gameplay with the Alien that chapter doesn't stand out from the previous, it's basically more of the same.

For me chapter 17 felt like the ultimate confrontation against the Alien, not the best section of the game overall, but it felt like the more genuine chapter in terms of what the game aims to achieve.
It's you against him. Face to face, no humans, no androids, just your instincts.
The backtracking you mentioned was one of the things I absolutely loved. That travel back and forth created a lot of tension because it makes you want to stop it! You are constantly wonder when the hell it's gonna end! Everytime the game told me to go back I felt more and more frustrated and that created tension as hell.

But I can understand why a lot of people really disliked it. The game itself is punishing and that chapter just exacerbates that. And with very little flamethrower ammo things can no longer become tense but frustrating because you can't do any mistake.

 

[Grisby]

I'm glad it never went full Outlast (you never go full Outlast!) because then I wouldn't have had one of my biggest fist pumping moments in gaming.

First time I

Spoiler

lit up the Alien with the Flamethrower was awesome.

 

[Meneses]

I really liked the game and those first few hours being nearly defenseless were super tense (especially with headphones).

However, besides feeling that it dragged on a bit too much (and the "walking" sections did nothing for me, I thought they broke up the pace too much), when I started getting a bigger arsenal that could save me from the Alien, the tension died down quite a bit.

That, and realizing I could crouch walk around a crate and the Alien wouldn't spot me...

The backtracking was also annoying.

But in the end it was worth it (I actually platinum'd the game, and enjoyed it). Especially for those first hours.

 

[PanicFreak]

Oh, I'm sad you didn't enjoyed it
Like many people said, chapter 10 is the climax of the game. Seeing the station spinning through the windows, the sound of the alarms, the sense of urgency to get to the airlock,etc, it's all there.
But that climax was created by the environment and not really by the Alien. In terms of gameplay with the Alien that chapter doesn't stand out from the previous, it's basically more of the same.

For me chapter 17 felt like the ultimate confrontation against the Alien, not the best section of the game overall, but it felt like the more genuine chapter in terms of what the game aims to achieve.
It's you against him. Face to face, no humans, no androids, just your instincts.
The backtracking you mentioned was one of the things I absolutely loved. That travel back and forth created a lot of tension because it makes you want to stop it! You are constantly wonder when the hell it's gonna end! Everytime the game told me to go back I felt more and more frustrated and that created tension as hell.

But I can understand why a lot of people really disliked it. The game itself is punishing and that chapter just exacerbates that. And with very little flamethrower ammo things can no longer become tense but frustrating because you can't do any mistake.

I actually thought that 17 was the best chapter. I got so close to the alien at times that I thought it would see me but somehow, I made it through. I loved the way the game stripped most of the cover away from you and left you in relatively open corridors, well as open as an Alien-universe spaceship can be.

I played Mission 15 through 17 in one sitting and loved every minute.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Oh, I'm sad you didn't enjoyed it
Like many people said, chapter 10 is the climax of the game. Seeing the station spinning through the windows, the sound of the alarms, the sense of urgency to get to the airlock,etc, it's all there.
But that climax was created by the environment and not really by the Alien. In terms of gameplay with the Alien that chapter doesn't stand out from the previous, it's basically more of the same.

For me chapter 17 felt like the ultimate confrontation against the Alien, not the best section of the game overall, but it felt like the more genuine chapter in terms of what the game aims to achieve.
It's you against him. Face to face, no humans, no androids, just your instincts.
The backtracking you mentioned was one of the things I absolutely loved. That travel back and forth created a lot of tension because it makes you want to stop it! You are constantly wonder when the hell it's gonna end! Everytime the game told me to go back I felt more and more frustrated and that created tension as hell.

But I can understand why a lot of people really disliked it. The game itself is punishing and that chapter just exacerbates that. And with very little flamethrower ammo things can no longer become tense but frustrating because you can't do any mistake.

I felt chapter 10 did the whole one vs. one thing in a much more spectacular fashion, going from shutting down the stairway all the way to sneaking from in a rapidly spinning capsule was just breathtaking. The chapter 17 encounter didn't have a special environment, and the back and forth nature felt more frustrating because there was no progression or escalation. It wasn't all that hard, but I was really frustrated by that point because I died a LOT in the other chapter 17 encounters where you have to avoid the soldiers, and the alien, all while doing other tasks.

The stakes in the chapter 10 encounter were a lot higher as well, because you are actually fighting it to actively try and kill it. In chapter 17 it's just another encounter where you have to get past a door without being spotted by it.

 

[tioslash]

Love the game. It had some flaws but as you say when it worked well and everything came together it was amazing. An all time favourite of mine already.

Chapter 10 was amazing as was the Nest. I also loved the Working Joes. Slow but steady and all the creepier for it. The fact they were annoyed you were wasting their valuable time was such a nice touch.

Chapter 10 was indeed truly amazing. I´d say my favorite one.

The entire experience is fantastic. Such a beautifully crafted game, and I´ve never felt so tense playing one before. Definitely on my top5 of all time.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

Fucking adore this game.

It has some issues, and it's certainly not for everyone, but goddamn if I didn't fuckin' love it.

 

[Fancy Clown]

I also forgot to mention that the soundtrack is really excellent, I'm not sure it's been mentioned as much but it is just another facet of the game that perfectly captures the Alien vibe. I especially love the serene yet slightly ominous theme that plays over the main menu screen.

 

[SmackAttack]

I finished it earlier this week myself and I LOVED this game. Yes, it has its faults which have already been posted but what this game does well it does very well. They absolutely nailed the look and feel of the Alien universe in this game and it only made the game better. Damn, the ending of Mission 10 was so good. I'm planning to play through it again and go for all the achievements. I would love to see CA get to do a sequel and improve on a few areas.

 

[oneida]

Anyone try the DLC? I could use more A:I in my life.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Now that I think about it, since they did Alien so so well with this game and touched on almost everything I wanted them to...I would fucking love for them to make a The Thing game in the same vein. They would be absolutely perfect for it.

 

[oneida]

Now that I think about it, since they did Alien so so well with this game and touched on almost everything I wanted them to...I would fucking love for them to make a The Thing game in the same vein. They would be absolutely perfect for it.

btw

 

[Fancy Clown]

btw

Haha you know me friend. I already got Escape on Bluray and a big ass poster for it hanging on my room but I'd totally jump on this otherwise.

Anyone try the DLC? I could use more A:I in my life.

I've heard the Nostromo DLC is very dissapointing. Apparently you can only explore a fraction of what they show on the map, it doesn't cover all the escape scenes from the movie, and it takes about 20 minutes to beat. Haven't played it myself though.

 

[oneida]

Haha you know me friend. I already got Escape on Bluray and a big ass poster for it hanging on my room but I'd totally jump on this otherwise.

The upcoming Shout! Factory release is an all new 2K transfer from the original negatives.

 

[NaughtyPrawn]

Been trying to get into the game. Got to a bit where

Spoiler

I have to pick up an access tuner and after a lady shooting at me she calls some humans to look for me

.

Kinda got annnoyed with it so I left the game and keep coming back to play it and after 1 go at the section I feel the game isn't for me. Is this the part people are saying is really bad?

 

[Gozer the Gozerian]

Now that I think about it, since they did Alien so so well with this game and touched on almost everything I wanted them to...I would fucking love for them to make a The Thing game in the same vein. They would be absolutely perfect for it.

Dude yes now we're talkin

 

[oneida]

Been trying to get into the game. Got to a bit where

Spoiler

I have to pick up an access tuner and after a lady shooting at me she calls some humans to look for me

.

Kinda got annnoyed with it so I left the game and keep coming back to play it and after 1 go at the section I feel the game isn't for me. Is this the part people are saying is really bad?

There are no other sections like this in the game really.

but it didn't bother me very much personally.

 

[Fancy Clown]

The upcoming Shout! Factory release is an all new 2K transfer from the original negatives.

Oh nice, then I probably will have to jump on that. The picture on the standard blu could stand to be improved for sure, despite being a great looking film.

 

[kamineko]

I agree, TC, and I'm always happy to hear about people enjoying this game. I was amazed at how faithfully, how affectionately recreated the original movie's low-fi future was. Terrific details everywhere, rich and occasionally horrifying sound direction. It's just a wonderful game, and a great Alien experience for long-suffering fans. Despite some minor annoyances (as you mentioned), the final product transcends them.

In a year without The Evil Within, this would have been my GOTY. As-is, I think it's a game I will return to for years to come.

Can't wait to see what this team does next.

 

[Pikma]

The backtracking is what made me enjoy the game even more. Every time I revisited an area it made me think of the last time I was there, which for me was very immersive, because well, you're on a freaking space station why wouldn't you visit a particular area more than once.

 

[psychotron]

Had this on PS4, but got rid of it when the XBone had it on sale for $25. Big mistake! Game runs way shittier and the jaggies seem way more apparent. Will purchase PS4 version again soon.

 

[void666]

I'm glad it never went full Outlast (you never go full Outlast!) because then I wouldn't have had one of my biggest fist pumping moments in gaming.

First time I

Spoiler

lit up the Alien with the Flamethrower was awesome.

Yeah, that was amazing.

I'm almost done with the campaign. Wondering if the DLC is worth it.

 

[Fancy Clown]

The backtracking is what made me enjoy the game even more. Every time I revisited an area it made think of the last time I was there, which for me was very immersive, because well, you're on a freaking space station why wouldn't you visit a particular area more than once.

Yup, it's a great example of backtracking done well. It makes the setting seem more real and connected, and you get to see some new twists on old locations.

 

[Perfec7_]

Been trying to get into the game. Got to a bit where

Spoiler

I have to pick up an access tuner and after a lady shooting at me she calls some humans to look for me

.

Kinda got annnoyed with it so I left the game and keep coming back to play it and after 1 go at the section I feel the game isn't for me. Is this the part people are saying is really bad?

Yes. That's the part. Worst part of the whole game. Once you get past it, the game gets a million times better. Do yourself a favor and stick with it.

 

[Fancy Clown]

Been trying to get into the game. Got to a bit where

Spoiler

I have to pick up an access tuner and after a lady shooting at me she calls some humans to look for me

.

Kinda got annnoyed with it so I left the game and keep coming back to play it and after 1 go at the section I feel the game isn't for me. Is this the part people are saying is really bad?

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.

 

[RSB]

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.

You can also go to the left and use the small box to hide from the 3 enemies that pass right by. The fourth enemy is easy to avoid, as you just need to wait for him to go inside the room.

 

[Fancy Clown]

You can also go to the left and use the small box to hide from the 3 enemies that pass right by. The fourth enemy is easy to avoid, as you just need to wait for him to go inside the room.

Oh, rad. Wish I'd known that.

 

[AmyS]

I LOVE Alien Isolation (PS4 version here) but I'm really terrible at playing it.

 

[Ill Saint]

I never imagined I would love this game as much as I do and that it would end up being one of the best experiences I've had as a gamer in quite a while. Pure gaming joy from beginning to end.

Will have to buy it again for PS4 in the near future.

 

[Fancy Clown]

I LOVE Alien Isolation (PS4 version here) but I'm really terrible at playing it.

Yeah, the game was really good at making me feel like I was terrible at it (or I was actually just terrible at it. Shh). Mission 6 and 17 were definitely the peaks of difficulty for me, and the only times I was getting frustrated with it, particularly 17. Everything in between, while I certainly died a fair share, I mostly had things figured out and would survive encounters on those absurdly close calls that make this game great.