A well crafted horror film is full
of tension, shock and atmosphere but a well made video game really adds that
extra level of immersion to the player that film just can't deliver. The horror
genre hasn't been particularly popular with console gamers for the past few
years. However with 2014's mainstream offerings and some promising titles to come,
could the genre be making a welcoming comeback?
I remember hearing about Alien
Isolation early last year and I instantly had my doubts , considering this is
not the first Alien based game. I didn't particular enjoy AVP and lets
not even talk about the diabolical Aliens: Colonial Marines! Alien Isolation thankfully has different
developers, Creative Assembly, who wanted to take a different approach, this
time opting for a stealth based, first person, survival horror. Now I was
interested! The game is set just 15 years after the events of Ridley Scott's
original film. You play as Amanda Ripley, who is on a mission to find out what
really happened to her mother aboard the Nostromo. Approached by a member of
the Weyland Yutami, Amanda is informed of the whereabouts of the Nostromo's
flight recorder, still intact, inside the Sevastopol space station. She agrees
to help the team on their mission to retrieve it. Whilst attempting to dock,
Amanda becomes separated from the group, left alone, with little supplies and
equipment. It soon becomes apparent that something has gone seriously wrong
aboard the seemingly deserted Sevastopol.
It was clear off the bat that
Creative Assembly had got the tone of the game right, with the use of the
classic 20th Century Fox opening titles. The game also uses the original score
from the film, which adds to the atmosphere perfectly. Throughout the story
there are many easter eggs and plot tie ins that I'm sure will please die hard
Alien fans. I got particularly excited near the beginning of the game where you
emerge from a hyper-sleep chamber in first person! The Sevastopol itself is
beautifully designed and captures the look and feel of the similarly designed
Nostromo perfectly. I was playing on Xbox 360 and the graphics were fantastic!
so I can only imagine on next gen and PC it must look stunning!
Onto the gameplay itself. Like how
a true survival horror game should be, you are given nothing to aid you as you
begin your journey through the dark, claustrophobic tunnels of the space
station. As the game progresses, you must find flares and materials to craft
your own tools to aid your survival. Eventually you will quickly realise that
you are not alone. The few remaining crew of the Sevastopol will become hostile
towards you, this does mean that some weapon combat is inevitable. Thankfully
the game keeps this to a minimum. Excessive gunplay WILL ruin the
"horror" of a survival horror. I want to feel vulnerable with only
limited ammo, it makes the experience far more unnerving. AI has a perfect
amount of gunplay, only used where it's really necessary.
This leads me onto the most
critical aspect of the game, stealth. If you don't like stealth games then AI
is defiantly not for you. You will spend quite some time hiding inside a locker
or under a table but you will quickly understand why when you first encounter
the relentless nature of the xenomorpth. I won't spoil it but I loved the
introduction of the alien. Like many stealth based games, you
can often learn to predict the movements of the AI, however the Xenomorpths
movements are completely random. It can appear from vents above or below you
and thats when its not stalking the various corridors of the station. You will
eventually receive the tracking device to help inform you of its movements,
another unique feature, perfect for building tension. Sound plays an important
part of the experience and I highly recommend you play wearing headphones,
often hearing the xeno crawling through the vents is a good indicator whether
its behind you or not.
I literally had moments where I
would be hiding in a locker, check the tracker, leave, hear a rumble above and
run back into the locker again for another 5 minutes! Yes the game is that
nerve-racking at times! Having an enemy you cannot kill or outrun makes for a
truly intense experience. I tend to play games on there "normal"
difficulty setting, I still probably died hundreds of times. The first person
death cutscenes are truly spectacular though!
If the perfect killing machine
constantly stalking you wasn't enough, then the incredibly creepy synthetics or
"Working Joes" will tip you over the limit! Upon first encounter they
seem harmless enough but it soon becomes clear that they are either
malfunctioning or just don't like guests...
These fellas are surprisingly scary with their dead, glowing eyes and
creepy dialogue. I will never forgot my first encounter with a hostile Working
Joe who proceeded to stalk me for 10 minutes, eventually catching me and
strangling me to death whilst telling me "I was becoming
hysterical!", chilling stuff!
Another aspect I really enjoyed
were the playable flashback scenes, prior to the events aboard the Sevastopol.
This also gives the player the chance to explore planet LV-426, which was very
cool! One other thing to note was the save system. The sheer lack of them makes
the experience more intense as you desperately try to run to the next save
point without alarming anyone or anything!
Theres very little I can fault
with the game. I did encounter the occasional glitch, one amusing moment
involving the xeno stuck in the vent, unable to reach me! Another time I was
hiding behind a desk and a synthetic appeared to be dancing on the spot? Also
some of the tasks you need to complete are sometimes a little repetitive, and
uninteresting.
That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed
Alien Isolation and would definitely rate it as my favourite survival horror!
Not only does it capture the feel of the original film but it delivers an
interesting new story and a great protagonist. The most important thing is the
game IS actually scary, with few jump scares instead relying on the build up of
tension. It's basically a very intense game of cat and mouse, only this time
the "cat" has acid for blood!
9/10
As always, thank you for reading!
Have you played Alien Isolation? If so let me know what you thought of it in
the comments below!
