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[JohnnyFootball]

According to the Alien Audio Commentary (or the making of featurette, I forget which) the Alien has the ability to turn people into eggs. During the deleted Dallas scene at the end of the movie, you can see Bret is already in the process of turning into one.

Love that page. Excellent interview with Walter Hill.

My view is that the alien in Alien is a drone and is not a queen or hasn't grown into a queen and therefore the morphing lifecycle is more or less a quick mean to make an egg.

We could also take it a step further and say that the morphing is needed to produce a facehugger that can produce a queen. There are lots of ways to connect the two lifecycles in ways that are plausible.

James Cameron though has stated that he chooses to ignore that scene since he felt it would hamstring his film and that it is a deleted scene that the audience would never see. This was 1986 and deleted scenes were rarely shown publicly and most people who had seen Alien would have no idea of it's existence. IIRC, Ridley Scott also does not consider that scene canon since it is not in his preferred cut.

Back to Alien Isolation:
It makes most sense to me

Spoiler

that the queen is present in the reactor, but CA chooses not show it, especially since we don't see any humans undergoing the same things as brett is.

 

[Jedi2016]

Started a new game and now it keeps locking up as soon as the "entering the station" cutscene is over. Reloaded/restarted several times, keeping locking up at the same spot. Verified Steam install, no help. Didn't happen last time I played, I don't know what the hell's up with it.

 

[Morts]

So I finished

Spoiler

the Apollo Core

chapter without

Spoiler

getting my weapons back after having to put them on the conveyor to get through security.

Is that normal or did I miss something?

 

[Teggy]

So I finished

Spoiler

the Apollo Core

chapter without

Spoiler

getting my weapons back after having to put them on the conveyor to get through security.

Is that normal or did I miss something?

Normal

 

[Morts]

Normal

Got it. Thanks.

 

[Berserking Guts]

I always interpreted the 'egg morphing' as the Alien compensating for not having a Queen present.

Then again, I don't know if the two life-cycles are even meant to co-exist. I think as far as 20th Century is concerned James Cameron did retcon the Egg Morph (if you can even consider a deleted scene canon). It'd be great if somebody eventually finds an easter egg in Alien Isolation that points to a Queen, haha.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I always interpreted the 'egg morphing' as the Alien compensating for not having a Queen present.

Then again, I don't know if the two life-cycles are even meant to co-exist. I think as far as 20th Century is concerned James Cameron did retcon the Egg Morph (if you can even consider a deleted scene canon). It'd be great if somebody eventually finds an easter egg in Alien Isolation that points to a Queen, haha.

Who knows, but the Queen laying eggs is what is considered canon.

Contrary to popular belief Alien Isolation does take quite a few cues from Aliens.

 

[Teggy]

Spoiler

Maybe aliens like to pick up the eggs and move them into hard to find places. It's a game the kids play, like hide and go seek

 

[Berserking Guts]

Who knows, but the Queen laying eggs is what is considered canon.

Contrary to popular belief Alien Isolation does take quite a few cues from Aliens.

Hmm. Maybe I just haven't played the game in a while, but the only obvious reference to Aliens I can think of is Amanda (albeit a BIG one). But the fact that CA is referencing a character James Cameron created anyway, it stands to reason the Alien Queen exists in the world CA created too.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Hmm. Maybe I just haven't played the game in a while, but the only obvious reference to Aliens I can think of is Amanda (albeit a BIG one). But the fact that CA is referencing a character James Cameron created anyway, it stands to reason the Alien Queen exists in the world CA created too.

I am curious where they would take a sequel though. They can't kill off Amanda Ripley since she lives to be 66.

 

[Berserking Guts]

I am curious where they would take a sequel though. They can't kill off Amanda Ripley since she lives to be 66.

That's what I take away from it too. Unless CA for whatever reason has WY fabricate false information for Burke to give to Ripley to pacify her and prevent her from asking too many questions? It's hard to tell at this stage.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

That's what I take away from it too. Unless CA for whatever reason has WY fabricate false information for Burke to give to Ripley to pacify her and prevent her from asking too many questions? It's hard to tell at this stage.

That's a possibility.

 

[Fatnick]

I There were just too many sections of the game that added nothing, but dragged it out.

Although I don't feel that so much now that I have finished my second playthrough.

If you removed one or two it wouldn't be less Alien-y, but if you removed them all as a suite it most definitely would! They play an important part in ratcheting-up the tension. Mind you, i think your second comment might be the key here - I did a pretty good job of breezing through the last few chapters of the game, so my opinion may have been different had there been one or two points where i got REALLY stuck!

Spoiler

The eggs don't especially bother me either (AC or not, it makes sense that the aliens would have a way of rustling up a few eggs without a queen - otherwise they'd never be able to create a new hive!) though the bit where she just rips her way out of the webbing is a bit poo.Maybe you should have flamed your way out/been rescued by the soon-to-be-defunked Ricardo or something?

 

[RedAssedApe]

I disagree. The flamethrower isn't this crazy super weapon that everyone makes it out to be. If you have to use the flamethrower the Alien will run and hide and quickly return to aggressively stalk you again. And it will do it until you run out of fuel.

My comment wasn't really about the flamethrower in particular. It was more about how often I seemed to run into the alien in my first play throughs of Mission 10 even though I pretty much crouch walked the whole thing. Possibly an overreaction to dying my first few attempts. heh

 

[JohnnyFootball]

My comment wasn't really about the flamethrower in particular. It was more about how often I seemed to run into the alien in my first play throughs of Mission 10 even though I pretty much crouch walked the whole thing. Possibly an overreaction to dying my first few attempts. heh

Maybe it was deliberate in that the game is baiting you to try out the flamethrower.

But yeah, if you leave the Alien alone and stay hidden it will be less aggressive in searching for you. But if you get seen and hit it with the flamethrower it will usually return fairly quickly which is why I criticize those who say the flamethrower is a game breaker when it's better described as something to use when you don't feel like restarting. You can still easily get killed with it.

 

[Berserking Guts]

The biggest thing that changed the game for me was realizing you didn't have to stealth sneak everywhere when the Alien is in the vents. It's actually amazing how much progress you can make simply by walking to your destination.

 

[RedAssedApe]

Maybe it was deliberate in that the game is baiting you to try out the flamethrower.

But yeah, if you leave the Alien alone and stay hidden it will be less aggressive in searching for you. But if you get seen and hit it with the flamethrower it will usually return fairly quickly which is why I criticize those who say the flamethrower is a game breaker when it's better described as something to use when you don't feel like restarting. You can still easily get killed with it.

yeah i think i was a bit quick to judge. i'm a lot more ok with it now and only use it sparingly if the alien somehow has me cornered.

The biggest thing that changed the game for me was realizing you didn't have to stealth sneak everywhere when the Alien is in the vents. It's actually amazing how much progress you can make simply by walking to your destination.

the poor npcs i got killed by doing this though. kind of made me feel like a hypocrite when ripley was calling

Spoiler

waits a bastard for taking any means necessary (using you as bait) to get the alien off the station

:\

ok i'm over it now. on to chapter 15.

as a side note...why don't emps

Spoiler

work on the droids in the reactor core

? man there was a period where i felt badass because i got through several missions without dying and then

Spoiler

sorry you can't take your weapons in here and proceed to get murdered by 5 terminators in hazmat suits

lol

also...this

Spoiler

bolt gun

seems like a terrible weapon...

 

[JohnnyFootball]

The biggest thing that changed the game for me was realizing you didn't have to stealth sneak everywhere when the Alien is in the vents. It's actually amazing how much progress you can make simply by walking to your destination.

Yeah, if I got too frustrated trying to get through a section I would often say "fuck it" and just crouch walk to the destination. It worked better than you might expect. ALso whenever I saw the alien go up into the vent I would do an actual walk to move a little faster.

I never once hid in a locker or cabinet. It just seemed to risky. The key for the alien was to always stay crouched and make sure you had something between you and it. It took me a while to realize it couldn't see you that way.

 

[RedAssedApe]

Yeah, if I got too frustrated trying to get through a section I would often say "fuck it" and just crouch walk to the destination. It worked better than you might expect. ALso whenever I saw the alien go up into the vent I would do an actual walk to move a little faster.

I never once hid in a locker or cabinet. It just seemed to risky. The key for the alien was to always stay crouched and make sure you had something between you and it. It took me a while to realize it couldn't see you that way.

the one time hiding in a locker worked for me was against some humans near the tram station. i think the game was trying to get you to purposely hide in there though.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

yeah i think i was a bit quick to judge. i'm a lot more ok with it now and only use it sparingly if the alien somehow has me cornered.

Rather than waste fuel I often just let the Alien kill me until I felt like I absolutely needed it.

as a side note...why don't emps

Spoiler

work on the droids in the reactor core

? man there was a period where i felt badass because i got through several missions without dying and then

Spoiler

sorry you can't take your weapons in here and proceed to get murdered by 5 terminators in hazmat suits

lol

It honeslty makes no sense, but they are deliberately designed to be tougher so that. However a true EMP should easily disable anything.

also...this

Spoiler

bolt gun

seems like a terrible weapon...

A headshot with the bolt gun takes care of what you have spoiler tagged. It's the main reason it exists and is quite nice in those sections.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Oh yeah, one thing I forgot to mention that I hated was the ridiculously slow animation from getting in and out of an action. It was VERY annoying to be at a computer station and/or wiring access station to be using that then all the sudden hear the alien drop behind you and have to wait a second to go through the forced animation of moving only to get killed.

It didn't happen often though.

 

[joey_bone_bomb]

the one time hiding in a locker worked for me was against some humans near the tram station. i think the game was trying to get you to purposely hide in there though.

I don't understand. How does hiding in lockers not work for some of you?
I basically hide in lockers exclusively.

 

[dan2026]

Sometimes the Alien will just kill you when you are in a locker. Leaning back etc doesnt help. It seems almost random.

 

[Teggy]

as a side note...why don't emps

Spoiler

work on the droids in the reactor core

? man there was a period where i felt badass because i got through several missions without dying and then

Spoiler

sorry you can't take your weapons in here and proceed to get murdered by 5 terminators in hazmat suits

lol

Rubber suits ground them? I really thought the way they didn't give you any warning about that was very poor design.

 

[RedAssedApe]

I don't understand. How does hiding in lockers not work for some of you?
I basically hide in lockers exclusively.

it can find you in lockers. if that happened to you once you would never want to hide in a locker or under a desk again. haha

A headshot with the bolt gun takes care of what you have spoiler tagged. It's the main reason it exists and is quite nice in those sections.

Ah...I only just got it. It wasn't clear to me how long you needed to charge the thing. Also maybe my aim is bad but the only thing I seem to be able to get consistent headshots with is the shotgun. Are revolver headshots supposed to be able to take down androids in one hit?

 

[JohnnyFootball]

it can find you in lockers. if that happened to you once you would never want to hide in a locker or under a desk again. haha

Like I said, I never once hid in a locker except to escape some androids. The alien no way. I hid under desks all the time though.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

it can find you in lockers. if that happened to you once you would never want to hide in a locker or under a desk again. haha



Ah...I only just got it. It wasn't clear to me how long you needed to charge the thing. Also maybe my aim is bad but the only thing I seem to be able to get consistent headshots with is the shotgun. Are revolver headshots supposed to be able to take down androids in one hit?

The revolver will not take down androids with a headshot. Not even on novice.

 

[Berserking Guts]

I learned my lesson very early on in the Med Labs not to use the lockers. There are so many better places to hide anyway, like underneath desks. Heck, near the end of the game I was sneak circling around those circular shaped couches in clear sight of the Alien and he couldn't see me.

I think now that I've got the Platinum Trophy, I want to try out this new difficulty mode. I use Turtle Beach Headphones so the new mechanic of an 'unreliable radar' won't be a problem (which I stopped using once I learned the Alien can hear it). But I wonder what sort of tweaks they've done to the Alien AI.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

I learned my lesson very early on in the Med Labs not to use the lockers. There are so many better places to hide anyway, like underneath desks. Heck, near the end of the game I was sneak circling around those circular shaped couches in clear sight of the Alien and he couldn't see me.

I think now that I've got the Platinum Trophy, I want to try out this new difficulty mode. I use Turtle Beach Headphones so the new mechanic of an 'unreliable radar' won't be a problem (which I stopped using once I learned the Alien can hear it). But I wonder what sort of tweaks they've done to the Alien AI.

I'm honestly confused how they can really make it that much harder than it already is compared to hard without it being ridiculous. I have no interest or intention of trying that mode.

I'm not a masochist like most people.

 

[Berserking Guts]

I'm guessing the added difficulty will just make his AI even more of a rubber-band to your location then before. It really does suck out all the anxiety and fear when the fucker is in your face all the time.

 

[NEO0MJ]

I'm interested in picking this game up from steam, but I'm worried the gameplay would be similar to Outlast, which I didn't enjoy much. Can anyone give me a good comparison between the two?

 

[RedAssedApe]

Ugh...this game is starting to drag. Should have ended after the encounter with

Spoiler

marlow and ripley getting the message.

whoever decided that long ass space walk was a good idea should get fired lol. let me spring goddamnit. i don't care if its not realistic to do so in space. i hope chapter 17-18 pick up. this busy work seems all kind of anti-climactic. the game is a decent length already not sure why they felt the need to add all this padding.

I'm interested in picking this game up from steam, but I'm worried the gameplay would be similar to Outlast, which I didn't enjoy much. Can anyone give me a good comparison between the two?

if you didn't like Outlast you might not like this. gameplay is pretty similar in terms of stealth gameplay. albeit you can actually defend yourself with weapons. stealth is still the best option though.

also not stuck with that stupid night vision camera. you have like a flashlight and flares and stuff so you're not in absolute darkness the whole time.

atmosphere, sound design are sooo good. i like amanda ripley and the story so far but the secondary characters are all kind of lame and underdeveloped.

 

[NEO0MJ]

if you didn't like Outlast you might not like this. gameplay is pretty similar in terms of stealth gameplay. albeit you can actually defend yourself with weapons. stealth is still the best option though.

also not stuck with that stupid night vision camera. you have like a flashlight and flares and stuff so you're not in absolute darkness the whole time.

atmosphere, sound design are sooo good. i like amanda ripley and the story so far but the secondary characters are all kind of lame and underdeveloped.

I see. Thanks. Might hold buying this off until next year when it's cheaper.

 

[ced]

So when the alien is in the vents you can just walk normally without bringing him out? I've been crouched 100% of the time.

I just finished the medical place and it's getting a bit repetitive.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Ugh...this game is starting to drag. Should have ended after the encounter with

Spoiler

marlow and ripley getting the message.

whoever decided that long ass space walk was a good idea should get fired lol. let me spring goddamnit. i don't care if its not realistic to do so in space. i hope chapter 17-18 pick up. this busy work seems all kind of anti-climactic. the game is a decent length already not sure why they felt the need to add all this padding.

Chapter 17 and 18 are the "throw the kitchen sink at you" chapters....be ready for even more padding.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

So when the alien is in the vents you can just walk normally without bringing him out? I've been crouched 100% of the time.

I just finished the medical place and it's getting a bit repetitive.

It depends on the difficulty you are on. If you see the alien go up into the vents you can usually do a normal walk briefly to speed things up. But don't do it too long, because once you hear that alien land on the ground CROUCH and get to a spot where it can't see you. On novice you can get away with normal walking quite a bit, but not on hard.

 

[RedAssedApe]

lol missed a close shotgun blast and got thrown into a wall by one of those raincoat androids. alien pops down (presumably because of my shotty) and kills me right after i break the choke. that tag team

good times.

 

[EGM1966]

That's what I take away from it too. Unless CA for whatever reason has WY fabricate false information for Burke to give to Ripley to pacify her and prevent her from asking too many questions? It's hard to tell at this stage.

I mentioned that earlier in the thread and I think that's exactly what they'll do at some point. Burke has reasons and motivation to lie to Ripley and although I don't think Cameron intended it as anything other than the truth it would be easy to make it a lie without breaking any continuity.

 

[RedAssedApe]

Just finished. I liked this game ALOT overall. But man those last few missions...sigh

Perfect example of less being more.

 

[Nemic77]

Just finished my second playthrough, this time on the new Nightmare difficulty. Overall it was much harder.

First time I played with the recommended hard difficulty but I never felt the need to use all the craftable items I had available and ended the game with many unused. Didn't craft some of them even once.

This time around I ended the game with no flamethrower fuel, and around 6 bullets between the shotgun and revolver. Also used up all the resources and all my items. Building Pipebombs and Noisemakers was very important throughout the game.

I also ended up finally buying the season pass. I like the Survivor missions available so far, but I can't help but hope they can come up a more substantial DLC further down the line.

Easily my GOTY

 

[ironcreed]

I picked this up on the Xbox One holiday sale for $30 and am pretty blown away by just the atmosphere and effects alone so far. The use of lighting and sound is pure mastery. Tension so thick that you could not cut it with a chainsaw.

 

[SRTtoZ]

Just picked it up again on PSN for $30!

Bought it and beat it on Steam a while ago but I wanted to finally play this on PS4 with trophy/DS4/giant samsung TV support.

Can't wait to dive in again.

 

[revolverjgw]

Does anyone have a save file of a complete game?

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Does anyone have a save file of a complete game?

On what system?

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

I need to know... Does this game normally get sluggish where I'm at or is it all somehow related to the PSN outtage? My PS4 has been acting weird and I'm noticing a lot of chugging and jitteriness that wasn't there early on. A horizontal-moving platform shakes violently, the start-up animation to climbing down ladders stutters, the overall framerate where I am is noticeably more sluggish etc. I'd like to tell you exactly where I'm at but I can't access my trophies to find out which chaper I'm on. *Major character/plot spoilers* I've just

Spoiler

witnessed Samuels' sacrifice. The entire section with all these damn andoids has been chugging.

Can anyone confirm if this is par for the PS4 version in this area?

 

[EGM1966]

I need to know... Does this game normally get sluggish where I'm at or is it all somehow related to the PSN outtage? My PS4 has been acting weird and I'm noticing a lot of chugging and jitteriness that wasn't there early on. A horizontal-moving platform shakes violently, the start-up animation to climbing down ladders stutters, the overall framerate where I am is noticeably more sluggish etc. I'd like to tell you exactly where I'm at but I can't access my trophies to find out which chaper I'm on. *Major character/plot spoilers* I've just

Spoiler

witnessed Samuels' sacrifice. The entire section with all these damn andoids has been chugging.

Can anyone confirm if this is par for the PS4 version in this area?

I have PS4 and never experienced anything like that TBH. Sounds like an issue with game data on the HDD?

 

[MedIC86]

I feel really bad but im loving the new difficulty they added in the game...

Spoiler

yes the super easy one...

im a big fan of alien, but not of horror games in general, but now im making good progress and will probarly finish it in a few days. Love it, the atmosphere is superb.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

I have PS4 and never experienced anything like that TBH. Sounds like an issue with game data on the HDD?

You know, I thought of that but realized I couldn't delete my save and redownload it from the cloud because... well you know. Hopefully PSN is back up soon so I can try. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Grisby]

I feel really bad but im loving the new difficulty they added in the game...

Spoiler

yes the super easy one...

im a big fan of alien, but not of horror games in general, but now im making good progress and will probarly finish it in a few days. Love it, the atmosphere is superb.

I wouldn't sweat it, play and enjoy the game any way you can.

 

[His Majesty]

Bought the game during the sales and finished it today. I'm not a big fan of horror games but I loved every minute of this game. The atmosphere is excellent, the gameplay is tense yet there are also moments to let off steam and read a log or two. Definitely the best AAA release of this year. Played on medium btw.