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Alien Isolation - better than the reviews indicate?
- Thread starter DidntKnowJack
- Start date
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
I thought it was exactly as long as it needed to be. At the end I felt drained (in a good way), it was really like I had been through a trying experience.
I would really disagree when people say it's repetitive and/or padded out, there's a point where it may have gone that way but the game changes things up about halfway through before surprising you again toward the end. This would never have worked as an 8 hour game, the slow build up to the Alien is fantastic (just like the movie) and this wouldn't have been possible in a shorter game.
The oxygen thief that reviewed it was a part of this conversation. Nuff' said
thatJohann
Member
Was really excited for this game but It bored me after 20 minutes. Returned it.
DoktorEvil
Banned
I don't understand this gif. What's the context.
CosmicQueso
Member
Idiots saying idiotic things. One of said idiots wrote an idiotic review of A:I.
I thought it was exactly as long as it needed to be. At the end I felt drained (in a good way), it was really like I had been through a trying experience.
I would really disagree when people say it's repetitive and/or padded out, there's a point where it may have gone that way but the game changes things up about halfway through before surprising you again toward the end. This would never have worked as an 8 hour game, the slow build up to the Alien is fantastic (just like the movie) and this wouldn't have been possible in a shorter game.
The oxygen thief that reviewed it was a part of this conversation. Nuff' said
Hell, I just feel like I am trying to survive and stay alive on this giant space station, while being hunted. That sounds generic, but the execution of it and the actual experience is a masterpiece. I actually can't remember the last time I felt so sucked in, scared and immersed all at once.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
I would give anything to play it again for the first time, I am envious of you.
Later Alligator
Member
GOTY
loved it... so freaking tense
loved it... so freaking tense
OsirisBlack
Banned
In my top 5 this year.
DoktorEvil
Banned
I read McCaffrey's review.
It had to have been either an exhausting week or something, because all of the complaints he listed I did not experience. Giving the game a 6 is harsh considering, but w/e.
ldcommando
Banned
amazing game
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
The funniest part was when he complained that the game was too hard, after selecting hard difficulty. I'm not a games journalist or anything, but that's got to be a red flag right there.
It seemed to me that he had been given a stupid deadline and was forced to rush through the game, which is not a Good idea with A:I
CosmicQueso
Member
I chalk up the harsher reviews on people just not being in the right mood/mindset for a game like this.
It just plays differently than most Console games. It's slow, as a character you are vulnerable and weak, you have to use all your available senses to succeed, and succeeding is just surviving, not winning.
So if you're not in the frame of mind for this kind of experience, it won't be enjoyable.
My GOTY. Nothing even came close.
I have a hard time explaining those low scores. I can only think it must have come from frustration of dying too much.
One thing I noticed is many people didn't understand the game mechanics that well, especially noise making.
Case in point: IGN and Gamespot's video reviews show the player making mistakes while they complain the game isn't fair.
I have a hard time explaining those low scores. I can only think it must have come from frustration of dying too much.
One thing I noticed is many people didn't understand the game mechanics that well, especially noise making.
Case in point: IGN and Gamespot's video reviews show the player making mistakes while they complain the game isn't fair.
Hit the nail on the head. If you like real survival horror, exploring every nook and crany of a level, and stealh gameplay then you'll love it. If not, its going to seem like a slow borefest.
My only complaint is character models need some work, and Ripley doesn't generate shadows in the wonderful lit maps. They don't distract from what I'm finding to be fun and interesting gameplay and story.
DidntKnowJack
Member
Well I love the first Alien (my favorite of the films) and certainly don't mind slow paced games so it looks like I'm going to be hearing the pitter patter of some Alien feet pretty soon. Its 50% off right now so its kind of hard to resist that.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
You have chosen wisely.
CosmicQueso
Member
If you love the film, the season pass is worth it because Nostromo.
DoktorEvil
Banned
The bolded are what I believe affected his experience with A:I.
Jumping onto hard difficulty without any understanding of the game is also not something I expect from an Impartial video game review.
But this is survival horror by the very definition and while the dedication/fanservice to Alien is off-putting if youre not a fan, had the game been some other IP I believe it'd be on the same levels as Outlast, PT, or Amnesia.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
I think the game took waaaaay too long to get going, but once it did it was fantastic to the end. I don't agree that the game went on for too long. It finished at the right time. It's just the start of the game that needed some serious trimming. I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking the game is boring after the first few hours and giving up. But those people are missing out on a seriously good game.
Best game this year for me. Playing with headphones late at night is an incredible experience. I don't remember the last time I was genuinely scared in a game. I think RE1.
I wonder how many people put off the game because of the ign review. As wrong as that review is imo, very wrong, everyone needs to understand that reviews are one persons thoughts on a game. You shouldn't make a review decided your gaming purchases. I hardly even read reviews anymore. I watched a few streams, read what a few people on GAF thought, and got to play it at NYCC. That's what sold me on Alien Isolation. Me playing it myself. If I went by the ign review I would missed out on an amazing game.
I wonder how many people put off the game because of the ign review. As wrong as that review is imo, very wrong, everyone needs to understand that reviews are one persons thoughts on a game. You shouldn't make a review decided your gaming purchases. I hardly even read reviews anymore. I watched a few streams, read what a few people on GAF thought, and got to play it at NYCC. That's what sold me on Alien Isolation. Me playing it myself. If I went by the ign review I would missed out on an amazing game.
I could see this if your not a fan of Alien or haven't seen it. I was moving through the first 2 hours with a wide smile since it put me believably into the movies universe, right down to tiny details
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
It was a great game in that it accomplished exactly what it set out to do and that was making players feel helpless and never in control. I do agree that it does drag and there were quite a few spots in the second half of the game where it felt like it was being needlessly dragged out. In that there were a few needlessly tedious sections that could have been trimmed up a little bit. Ex. there was a section in the last part of the game that required you to go between two rooms three times down a narrow corridor where you basically had to hope that the alien wouldnt show up when you walked down it.
However, after I played through a second time and knew my way around I didnt quite feel that it dragged as much as I did on my first hard playthrough.
The game absolutely NAILS the atmosphere and the alien AI. It was unpredictable and will result in a lot of cheap and unfair deaths. That is something you will have to accept.
Also, a pet peave of mine is people who say the flamethrower is game breaking. That is hardly true. Yes, the flamethrower will save you from a cheap death it will run out rather quickly and the alien will get more aggressive hunting you if you scare it away with flames. It always best to use stealth and hide. I only used the flamethrower if the alien was between me and my objective.
However, after I played through a second time and knew my way around I didnt quite feel that it dragged as much as I did on my first hard playthrough.
The game absolutely NAILS the atmosphere and the alien AI. It was unpredictable and will result in a lot of cheap and unfair deaths. That is something you will have to accept.
Also, a pet peave of mine is people who say the flamethrower is game breaking. That is hardly true. Yes, the flamethrower will save you from a cheap death it will run out rather quickly and the alien will get more aggressive hunting you if you scare it away with flames. It always best to use stealth and hide. I only used the flamethrower if the alien was between me and my objective.
Refreshment.01
Member
It rewards the patient player and defies some conventions. But there's no doubt its among this years bests. Had the game realesed in a time where VR headsets where available for consumers it would have been best one.
Hopefuly it does well enough in retail as to avoid to keep giving publishers the wrong idea of what games not to make.
Primethius
Banned
The game is pretty padded out and overstays its welcome but you have to play it as an Alien fan. The first half of the game or so will keep you on your toes, and the atmosphere is simply top notch. I really enjoyed the save system too.
It's the second half of the game where the game completely fell flat for me. All the tension and horror were gone and it became no more then a medicore shooter.
The game definitely overstayed its welcome but it's still worth playing (especially for 50% off).
Unfortunately, what you say was not the case for me. The
made the game an absolute joke and completely removed the scare factor presented by the Alien. I pretty much ran to most of my objectives after getting it unless Androids were present. All it took were a couple of well-timed puffs. I still had to hide every now and then sure, but it was such an easy weapon to fallback too so that I wouldn't die.
It's the second half of the game where the game completely fell flat for me. All the tension and horror were gone and it became no more then a medicore shooter.
The game definitely overstayed its welcome but it's still worth playing (especially for 50% off).
Unfortunately, what you say was not the case for me. The
flamethrower
Fleshfeast
Member
Crew Expendable and Last Survivor don't seem to come with the season pass, because they're pre-order content. (But you can buy them for $4 each if you didn't pre-order.) I got the game on sale this week, and definitely want those, but I'm unsure on the season pass.
I cannot imagine anyone who loves Alien not liking this game.
One tip though, don't use what you're learnt about stealth from other games here. Learn how mechanics work in AI and remember you're not expected to try and out wait the Alien while hiding merely avoid it before pressing on.
Also be wary of your first encounter with armed humans. It's really not that tricky if approached right but it seems to catch a lot of people out and give a bad early impression.
Finally, if you have 7.1 headphones use them. The sound design in the game is extraordinary and the audio clues with directional awareness are invaluable.
It's the main game I'm playing right now. Evil Within is my game of the year right now. If Alien continues to impress me like it does, it might replace Evil Within. I just got to the point in the game that most reviewers seems to unanimously feel like it's where the game drags though.
.
Some people wanted less action from Bioshock to make it more of a horror game. Alien Isolation in a lot of ways is that game.
post-flamethrower
Some people wanted less action from Bioshock to make it more of a horror game. Alien Isolation in a lot of ways is that game.
Bigbillybeef
Neo Member
With a Rift DK2 this game is easily one of my all time favorite games.
Without one it's still pretty good.
Without one it's still pretty good.
Well, the reputable outlets (EDGE with an 8, Eurogamer with an 8 and The Guardian with a 5/5) gave it great reviews. It's a bit of an acquired taste ("Do you like being terrified?") and, for a AAA game, it asks a tremendous amount of the player. It's also, like, 15 hours too long -- a condensed, focused Isolation could have been a perfect video game.
So I don't think it too surprising some of the reviews were very negative, even if I disagree.
So I don't think it too surprising some of the reviews were very negative, even if I disagree.
They made the game play literally feel like it was you walking around the ship. The sound design was good too. CA got every sound right from the movie. I love walking around and hearing the computers bleep, the engine sound, and the sound of doors opening.
I took my time playing this game and explored everything could. I thought the length was perfect for this kind of game. I read alot of complaints about the save stations. I thought it was perfect the way it was setup because it kept the tension high. Auto saves would of made it less scary.
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
You must not have been playing it on hard, because you will blow through fuel really quick even if using bursts on hard and like I said any time I scared the alien away, it would return and be much more aggressive in hunting.
But perhaps I was a little TOO conservative with the fuel.
Also, even though Id hit the alien with flames there were time where it would still hit me and kill me.
Again, I will argue with anyone who felt the flamethrower was gamebreaking.
This was early in the PS4/XB1 life (I believe) and for whatever reason the guys were sort of mocking the complaints about XB1 games not being 1080p like PS4 games -- "Where's the rest of my P's?". The reason they were mocking it is because, according to them, the naked eye can't even tell the difference in resolution up until the 50 inch mark on a TV.
I don't know why someone would make such a claim, but regardless of motive it's funny just in how ridiculous it is. These people are paid for their opinions and expertise.
The end-of-year buzz on this game definitely has me sold on it. By all accounts, it sounds like a game that some folks absolutely loved--fans of stealth and horror, especially--while others couldn't get beyond its weaknesses (and outside of its length, it sounds like there weren't many weaknesses).
pete_clarf
Member
Damn, I really want this game after reading through this thread.
I saw it for $30 a few times over the holidays, but didn't buy it because it was on my Amazon Wish List (I didn't get it).
The PSN sale is tempting, but I do like to have physical copies of games if possible. Anyone know if it's on sale anywhere? Wal-Mart and Amazon look to be the cheapest at around $48,
I saw it for $30 a few times over the holidays, but didn't buy it because it was on my Amazon Wish List (I didn't get it).
The PSN sale is tempting, but I do like to have physical copies of games if possible. Anyone know if it's on sale anywhere? Wal-Mart and Amazon look to be the cheapest at around $48,
Primethius
Banned
I did not, so I suppose my complaint is valid for the normal difficulty and lower.
I'm currently playing through it on PC and I'm not crazy about the gameplay. The atmosphere is incredible and I normally love stealth/sneak-mode games. I play every game this way when I'm able. But Alien is different. Not only is it forced, its not executed very well. It takes forever to make it from one room to the other or down a simple hallway because the Alien's search paths are erratic and it can hear you instantly if you start to walk. So you spend the entire game crouched or squatting in a cabinet, but you're also completely defenseless since you can't kill it or defend yourself. I need to get back into it and re-assess how I'm playing because I think I have a problem somewhere.
Very cool game though.
Very cool game though.
It's my GOTY. I loved it. I played it start to finish after being in a rut most the year where few games can hold my attention for long. Most immersive game ever made. Played it with pulse elites on.
early encounters with the alien were so intense and had me so frozen in fear it was exhilarating experiencing those feelings. You do get used to it and learn to survive and keep moving forward, obviously, but it never stops being intense. The reason it stays so intense is because the alien is behaving dynamically. Outlast stopped being intense after an hour or two because everything is scripted and predictable.
Any reviewer who criticizes the game for having too much trial and error or requiring you to wait in lockers for 20 minutes or whatever simply aren't playing it right. You may have the occasional death that felt unfair, but for the most part I feel like every death was my fault and could have been avoided. People are able to play deathless runs.
You also shouldn't be waiting in a locker for 15 min. The alien will never give up and vacate the premises because you are in a locker for long enough. Lockers are newbie traps. The correct way to play is to face your fear, stay aware of where the alien is in relation to you, and just press forward. Go for it. It's a rush.
CosmicQueso
Member
Oh, I misunderstood what was included in the pass then.
So wait, what is actually part of the season pass? LOL, I bought it, guess I have to go see what I'm supposed to get.
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
MY first playthrough was done on hard, where I avoided killing humans.
My second playthrough on novice where I wanted to finish it without dying the fuel is much more available.
I got the platinum for this game and thus I do feel that I played the game and experienced it the way it was intended.
Despite dying a lot (I did afterall die 100 times!) on my hard playthough I cant say that it ever felt like I had hit a wall, I always felt that I would eventually make it and that was the case. I just guarded my resources like a hawk (maybe a little too much) and I made it.
I have no interest in Nightmare difficulty though.
Fleshfeast
Member
5 map DLCs for Survivor Mode. 2 of them have been released: Trauma, and Corporate Lockdown.
I was really positively surprised by Alien Isolation despite its flaws. Visually it's mostly fantastic and audio is just as good. Atmosphere all the way and I can't remember a game that got my heart beating fast and me screaming like a little girl when surprised by the Alien.
The main problems are that the alien AI sometimes seems to get stuck into "hovering around your general area for a long time" mode as well as rubber banding to you in certain situations. In some levels I felt I had to spend excessive amounts hiding in lockers because there was no way to get past the alien. I also really hated how your character moves like a geriatric. Considering most of the game has to be played when crouched this made for slow progression at times.
There's also a few levels with obvious gameplay flaws in the form of devices you can't use before having done another thing even though the device is even marked as operable but the game just stops you from doing this simply to make the level longer. I would've appreciated if the developers allowed the player to accidentally wander first to a generator and then to the door that is revealed as locked unless the generator is on.
Pacing is pretty great for the most part but the last few levels could've been cut shorter.
I really hope they make a sequel where the alien is able to crawl on walls and there's NPCs who aren't conveniently behind a locked door just to throw quests at you.
The main problems are that the alien AI sometimes seems to get stuck into "hovering around your general area for a long time" mode as well as rubber banding to you in certain situations. In some levels I felt I had to spend excessive amounts hiding in lockers because there was no way to get past the alien. I also really hated how your character moves like a geriatric. Considering most of the game has to be played when crouched this made for slow progression at times.
There's also a few levels with obvious gameplay flaws in the form of devices you can't use before having done another thing even though the device is even marked as operable but the game just stops you from doing this simply to make the level longer. I would've appreciated if the developers allowed the player to accidentally wander first to a generator and then to the door that is revealed as locked unless the generator is on.
Pacing is pretty great for the most part but the last few levels could've been cut shorter.
I really hope they make a sequel where the alien is able to crawl on walls and there's NPCs who aren't conveniently behind a locked door just to throw quests at you.
EricTheCleric
Member
So the preorder DLC is not included?
How do I get the extra content if I buy the game now?
http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/se/en/pc/games/action/alien-isolation/
garginator850
Banned
It's sitting at an 81 on metacritic
Don't know why people keep saying it has "bad reviews"
Don't know why people keep saying it has "bad reviews"