Alien: Isolation

[PhatoseAlpha]

Yea I guess I forgot to mention that, but then it's not a sandbox game so I guess I wasn't expecting linearity. However, there are multiple ways to get through areas in many cases (through other rooms or vents). It is not just one pathway. Also, you will revisit'/backtrack areas multiple times getting to rooms you couldn't get to before or get to other parts of the station, but the station is HUGE. You can also go to areas again outside the storyline/mission if you chose to (unless for some reason that path is blocked). This is not a short game by any means, which was a complaint many of the early reviews talked about...which honestly was not a negative to me when you consider the type of game it is.

You know, I've seen several places that looked like I'd be able to look around and explore instead of heading directly to the goal if I wanted to. But when I see them, I always end up thinking "There is no chance there's something to find there worth spending another 10-20 minutes hiding from the giant monster." And since they've said the thing learns, the idea of giving the thing more time to figure out my tricks than is absolutely necessary seems suicidal.

 

[Dankk]

You know, I've seen several places that looked like I'd be able to look around and explore instead of heading directly to the goal if I wanted to. But when I see them, I always end up thinking "There is no chance there's something to find there worth spending another 10-20 minutes hiding from the giant monster." And since they've said the thing learns, the idea of giving the thing more time to figure out my tricks than is absolutely necessary seems suicidal.

That's one of the things that makes this game interesting IMO. The game actually gives you plenty of opportunities to explore (and potentially be rewarded with extra supplies), but at a massive risk of being spotted and killed by the alien.

 

[Fire&Blood]

Finished this..game last night. They easily could have named it "Sir, you are being hunted". Why not ask me about Sevastopol safety protocols?

I wish every game had this much attention to details. Even corridors you just want to go through and never ever want to go through again (but you have to) give you the impression entire dev team suffers from OCD.

I had 2 bugs throughout and they were minor, I can honestly say that claims of it being bug ridden game are extreme exaggerations. It ran very well on my sig rig, maxed out. I didn't measure but I am positive I never dropped below 40fps @1440p. I felt like the amount of work put in wasn't matched by the engine. This could have been the prettiest, photorealistic game for the type of environment it was portraying.

The alien encounters were very well done, the tension was certainly there but a I felt it just couldn't keep up with the duration of the game. AI worked well, the hunt at times felt..personal.

8/10 from me. I wouldn't say the game was necessarily too long but started to feel repetitive too soon. This genre is more challenging to pull off the length than say, an FPS.
It's more challenging for this genre t

 

[McLovin]

So for those you that have played it, would you say this review, http://redlettermedia.com/pre-rec-alien-isolation/, is accurate?

It's one of the only reviews I've seen/heard/read that doesn't just gush over the game.

 

[ThinClient]

So for those you that have played it, would you say this review, http://redlettermedia.com/pre-rec-alien-isolation/, is accurate?

No.

Edit: but, it's a really funny review despite being exaggerated.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Yea I guess I forgot to mention that, but then it's not a sandbox game so I guess I wasn't expecting linearity. However, there are multiple ways to get through areas in many cases (through other rooms or vents). It is not just one pathway. Also, you will revisit'/backtrack areas multiple times getting to rooms you couldn't get to before or get to other parts of the station, but the station is HUGE. You can also go to areas again outside the storyline/mission if you chose to (unless for some reason that path is blocked). This is not a short game by any means, which was a complaint many of the early reviews talked about...which honestly was not a negative to me when you consider the type of game it is.

Ya, that's how Quake and it's kin was. That was a game that took a long time to play through but they had to spend a lot less time on level design since you went through a lot of large areas multiple times.

I'll play it through and decide if it is good. I just hope it isn't as repetitive as some say it is.

 

[Fire&Blood]

It's one of the only reviews I've seen/heard/read that doesn't just gush over the game.

That's quite telling right there.
Those 2 are Adam Orth of game reviewers.

 

[Topweasel]

Ya, that's how Quake and it's kin was. That was a game that took a long time to play through but they had to spend a lot less time on level design since you went through a lot of large areas multiple times.

I'll play it through and decide if it is good. I just hope it isn't as repetitive as some say it is.

It's not about saving on level design. Treat it as the Enterprise where people can basically sit down and draw up perfect maps of the ship based on what they have seen on TV. The levels fit in place on the ship. Too many games use level swaps as an easy way to completely change the layout for the story. They set out to give you more of an truly integrated and feel.

The old grab key card from back where you came from stuff of old FPS's isn't here in that sense. Some times you have to make minor back tracking and you know this before it starts ("go into hazardous place and get me item A because well I don't want to"). The repeating maps feels very elegant and natural. It also makes you feel a lot less bad about leaving an injector on a corpse or some ethanol on the table. There isn't a magic elevator that is always right next to you to go to the next area. The transit system doesn't stop at every level point like Dead space. If they established that an place was reachable in a particular way, it is always reachable that way.

 

[Topweasel]

So for those you that have played it, would you say this review, http://redlettermedia.com/pre-rec-alien-isolation/, is accurate?

It's one of the only reviews I've seen/heard/read that doesn't just gush over the game.

Watching them talk it instantly hit me and built up from there. They don't like the genre or they don't like the genre in regards to Xenomorphs. They are also trying to hard to be contrarians, but I believe they believe what they are saying.

Once they start their 2 minute montage of door openings and hacks. The fact is working around a maze is exactly what someone does in a mostly weaponless survival game. It's clearly a show that they don't like the lack of action and want to "do something". This is the cost of using an identifiable Franchise for what is typically a niche game play. They wanted a "great" Alien(s) game, but didn't really take the time to adjust their expectations.

 

[Dankk]

The truth is, we're currently living in the Burger King Gamer Generation. Everyone wants to be able to "have play it your way."

Then a game like Alien: Isolation comes along, which focuses on a single playstyle, and if you don't like that style of play then you won't like the game. That simple. Throw someone who only enjoys action games in a stealth game and watch him call the game poorly designed for not catering to his playstyle.

For further evidence of the Burger King Gamer Generation, see every review of Styx that lambasted it for its crappy combat. Those are "professional" reviewers complaining that combat - a fail state in a stealth game - is too unwieldy. Oh my god. Also see almost every AAA title of the last five years. "Be stealthy! Or burly! Or a genius! Or whatever! Tackle the challenges however you like! Play it your way!"

 

[Fire&Blood]

There were a lot of attempts and lots of editing, specifically hunting for footage that can be used to put the game down. I mean really, "98% filler, 2% game"?

They raised a few valid points, proceeded to exaggerate and then totally got lost, using Doom as argument against the game?
They probably felt that Colonial Marines was a better Alien(s) game.
Just feed them COD to keep them happy, they can't stand a game where they aren't the ultimate super power. I've watched a few other of their videos. The only good thing on that site is the guy doing Star Wars/Star Trek reviews.

 

[ImpulsE69]

The way I look at it is, I'm a huge fanboi of the franchise and even I only played about an hour of Colonial Marines. People hated that game, for good reason. This game is good, but it isn't an action game at all. When all you have to help you is being stealthy, I can see where that wouldn't be for everyone.

There was only 1 time in the game where I was pissed off for having to backtrack because it was cheap and difficult and running low on fuel.

Spoiler

toward the end when you go to open the door and the generator dies and you have to go all the way back just to start it and back again...the whole time 2-3 aliens chasing you.

 

[Dankk]

I finally managed to finish this game. Steam says it took me 24 hours to beat, a little longer than average AFAIK. Probably because I'm a pussy when it comes to horror games. But overall, I'd definitely say I enjoyed it (if you can call it that, heh).

Pros:

- Very polished and mostly bug-free game; especially for a new AAA release
- Incredible atmosphere
- Absolutely amazing sound design; one of those games where the sound is definitely more important than the graphics. In fact, this just might be the best sound design I've ever heard in a video game, ever. Hearing the clicks and clanks of metal inside the ship's walls, the footsteps in the vents, the humming of machinery... and, to top it all off, the game has a really sophisticated dynamic music score. This is probably the most important element in making the game scary.
- But hey, the graphics are pretty dang good too. Also it's well-optimized
- A little long, but has just enough variety in enemies and the environment to keep things interesting throughout
- Save stations are spaced together close enough that you never feel like you lost a lot of work. It's a good compromise between crappy checkpoints and save-scumming.
- Pretty good storyline
- Really, really, REALLY nervewracking, and a good example of survival horror done right

Things that bugged me:

- There was one fairly major glitch early on in the game, where you do a fetch mission for a certain NPC, and if you grab the item and return to this NPC, the dialog won't trigger and the game won't progress. I googled it and apparently this is a pretty common issue (something to do with taking the wrong route back, or saving at the wrong save station; or something). Had to reload the mission to fix it.

- I had a hard time distinguishing between hostile survivors and non-hostile survivors. This wouldn't be so bad, except it's an instant fail state if you attack an ally/civilian. At the beginning of the game, most of the survivors you encounter are hostile; and the first time I saw non-hostiles I just instantly started attacking them and the game slapped my wrist and told me not to. Later on, I think I eventually realized that hostiles are typically brandishing weapons and wearing different clothing, but when you're sneaking around in a dark environment and you see them at a distance, it's hard to tell.

- (LIGHT SPOILERS) Through most of the game, the alien AI felt very realistic and believable. But, toward the end, when the difficulty was really ramping up, I felt like the alien knew "too much" about where I was hiding. It became incredibly frustrating. I wanted to pull my hair out once I realized that the alien pretty much insisted on being inside of whichever room I was in, even though he never actually saw me enter said room. If I was being tactful, he still never pinpointed me; but it was like he managed to "follow" me anyway when I changed rooms, if that makes any sense. It became PAINFULLY obvious when I was sitting inside a vent, and I watched the alien simply pace back and forth right in front of the vent for a couple minutes. It was so damn obvious that my illusion of the alien's intelligence basically broke down and the AI just felt plain unfair.


Quirks aside, this is legitimately one of the best games I've played all year, and every PC gamer should give it a run. Creative Assembly should be applauded for what they've done here. I honestly wasn't expecting this game to be so well-done.

 

[Fire&Blood]

I finally managed to finish this game. Steam says it took me 24 hours to beat, a little longer than average AFAIK. Probably because I'm a pussy when it comes to horror games. But overall, I'd definitely say I enjoyed it (if you can call it that, heh).

Pros:

- Very polished and mostly bug-free game; especially for a new AAA release
- Incredible atmosphere
- Absolutely amazing sound design; one of those games where the sound is definitely more important than the graphics. In fact, this just might be the best sound design I've ever heard in a video game, ever. Hearing the clicks and clanks of metal inside the ship's walls, the footsteps in the vents, the humming of machinery... and, to top it all off, the game has a really sophisticated dynamic music score. This is probably the most important element in making the game scary.
- But hey, the graphics are pretty dang good too. Also it's well-optimized
- A little long, but has just enough variety in enemies and the environment to keep things interesting throughout
- Save stations are spaced together close enough that you never feel like you lost a lot of work. It's a good compromise between crappy checkpoints and save-scumming.
- Pretty good storyline
- Really, really, REALLY nervewracking, and a good example of survival horror done right

Things that bugged me:

- There was one fairly major glitch early on in the game, where you do a fetch mission for a certain NPC, and if you grab the item and return to this NPC, the dialog won't trigger and the game won't progress. I googled it and apparently this is a pretty common issue (something to do with taking the wrong route back, or saving at the wrong save station; or something). Had to reload the mission to fix it.

- I had a hard time distinguishing between hostile survivors and non-hostile survivors. This wouldn't be so bad, except it's an instant fail state if you attack an ally/civilian. At the beginning of the game, most of the survivors you encounter are hostile; and the first time I saw non-hostiles I just instantly started attacking them and the game slapped my wrist and told me not to. Later on, I think I eventually realized that hostiles are typically brandishing weapons and wearing different clothing, but when you're sneaking around in a dark environment and you see them at a distance, it's hard to tell.

- (LIGHT SPOILERS) Through most of the game, the alien AI felt very realistic and believable. But, toward the end, when the difficulty was really ramping up, I felt like the alien knew "too much" about where I was hiding. It became incredibly frustrating. I wanted to pull my hair out once I realized that the alien pretty much insisted on being inside of whichever room I was in, even though he never actually saw me enter said room. If I was being tactful, he still never pinpointed me; but it was like he managed to "follow" me anyway when I changed rooms, if that makes any sense. It became PAINFULLY obvious when I was sitting inside a vent, and I watched the alien simply pace back and forth right in front of the vent for a couple minutes. It was so damn obvious that my illusion of the alien's intelligence basically broke down and the AI just felt plain unfair.


Quirks aside, this is legitimately one of the best games I've played all year, and every PC gamer should give it a run. Creative Assembly should be applauded for what they've done here. I honestly wasn't expecting this game to be so well-done.

Very nice summary. You got more creds than IGN could ever hope for.
I only had one bug in the game, early on there was a floating revolver.

I'm hoping for a sequel. After all, they did create a new engine for the game, hopefully bot just for one "episode". Speaking of engine, this ran very well on my rig. I figured I would have to compromise but I was able to max it out @1440p, rarely dipped to 50's. The lighting and smoke effects were great.

The environment detailing and polish sends a "back to school" message to most AAA titles made recently. Strong, cohesive story telling, awesome audio and very good voice acting. Games made after movie franchises tend to suck but not this one. I had some minor complaints about pacing in the 2nd half and backtracking. Overall it's a shaky 9/10 from me. However it's a masterpiece, I think of it as a litmus test. Scoring it anywhere between 7/10 and 10/10 is fine, anyone scoring it lower is a COD bro to me. It's weird the game would have that effect on me since it's not my favorite game. Yet I can't understand how anyone would fail to see it's greatness. I think most of the low scores come from not being able to shoot the alien to death, gamers conditioned to being omnipotent beings and unable to accept the premise that a bullet is not always the solution.

 

[manimal]

loved it! It was better than cats. Id play it again and again!

 

[Maximilian]

loved it! It was better than cats. Id play it again and again!

Eh?

 

[manimal]

Eh?

https://screen.yahoo.com/jon-lovitz-snl-skits/amazing-alexander-000000031.html

 

[Maximilian]

https://screen.yahoo.com/jon-lovitz-snl-skits/amazing-alexander-000000031.html

"This video is not available in your location due to provider license restrictions.
Feel free to check out one of these related videos:"

boo

 

[smackababy]

I haven't had a chance to seriously play this game yet and it saddens me. =( I've been so busy since buying it. I think I put in around 10 minutes so far and I like the controls and interface (and the silly retro scifi feel).

 

[Fire&Blood]

I haven't had a chance to seriously play this game yet and it saddens me. =( I've been so busy since buying it. I think I put in around 10 minutes so far and I like the controls and interface (and the silly retro scifi feel).

I can't think of a game being more authentic to the movie franchise it's based on. For best experience, let yourself get immersed, play with lights out.

 

[Blanky]

Playing now. About two hours in.

I just wrenched a guy to death. He dropped his revolver. I searched his body, got four rounds of ammo. Can't get his revolver. I am literally kicking the revolver around the room, but I still can't pick it up.

This same stupendous situation was posted on the alien isolation forum. Games must stop doing this.

 

[Dankk]

Playing now. About two hours in.

I just wrenched a guy to death. He dropped his revolver. I searched his body, got four rounds of ammo. Can't get his revolver. I am literally kicking the revolver around the room, but I still can't pick it up.

This same stupendous situation was posted on the alien isolation forum. Games must stop doing this.

Yeah, now that you point it out, this was actually one of the things that frustrated me too. Fortunately though, the game gives you a usable revolver shortly after your first "real" encounter with hostile survivors, so the frustration is short-lived. But I don't really see any reason why you shouldn't be able to pick up a revolver right then and there.

 

[Blanky]

Yeah, now that you point it out, this was actually one of the things that frustrated me too. Fortunately though, the game gives you a usable revolver shortly after your first "real" encounter with hostile survivors, so the frustration is short-lived. But I don't really see any reason why you shouldn't be able to pick up a revolver right then and there.

Yep, that lowered my frustration, but made the situation even sillier, given that I am able to get one "legitimately" almost immediately after.

So far so good. I've not read IGN's review in a while, but they gave it 5.9, which is much lower than user scores and fully 20% below metacritic. Looks like they totally missed the ball on it.

I will say on the PS4 it seems like the frame rate is just a tiny bit low, and I'm not just talking cut scenes (there was a patch for that). Not really sure why, given the environments are quite small, there isn't much physics going on, and let's be honest the environments aren't even terribly well textured.

 

[kn51]

Yep, that lowered my frustration, but made the situation even sillier, given that I am able to get one "legitimately" almost immediately after.

So far so good. I've not read IGN's review in a while, but they gave it 5.9, which is much lower than user scores and fully 20% below metacritic. Looks like they totally missed the ball on it.

I will say on the PS4 it seems like the frame rate is just a tiny bit low, and I'm not just talking cut scenes (there was a patch for that). Not really sure why, given the environments are quite small, there isn't much physics going on, and let's be honest the environments aren't even terribly well textured.

Heh, taking my time through the game but that whole part pissed me off. While the game gives you a hint so to speak on what you will be eventually getting at...you have to stumble around a bit.

And I can see why some get frustrated due to that...but it delivers some great moments. Especially with the sound.

 

[Blanky]

Played maybe 4-5 hours into it now, with the alien a constant threat. I find that the large breaks between saves is not adding to the game, but rather detracting it. At one point I had searched an area, gotten some items, opened up the map, then the alien got me, so I got to restart again. Even knowing where to go it was 10 minutes down the drain. Not sure I'll bother continuing on, as I find that so annoying because unlike, say, a combat game, there's nothing I learned when the alien killed me. I simply died, and get to randomly try again, so when I do so I end up just skipping the map and what I find and going straight to the goal and back.