Alien Isolation

I've downloaded the EGX keynote for later viewing but from the first several minutes of the talk...it was very impressive background info about the assets, concepts and design....truly amazing stuff from the UI director. The expanded space station is massive compared to the Nostromo section. :oops:
 
From EGX presentation, short look at their representation of Nostromo
http://a.pomf.se/pukrhf.webm

Lightning and smoke effects are phenomenal.
OK that's impressive as hell, this Alien game could potentially be the great redeemer of the brand franchise. Pre ordered the Nostromo today so I don't miss out on the original crew dlc, playing as Ripley would be so awesome and nostalgic.
 
Reviews are in, and they are sparated in two camps - those where reviewers liked hard and unforgiving survival horror atmosphere [which was promised by Creative Assembly all the time] and those who did not like difficulty and length of the game [15+hrs on Hard, which is recommended difficulty].


The Guardian 5/5
PC Gamer 93/10
Escapist [Sterling] 4.5/5
Videogamer 9/10
Destructoid 8.5/10
Joystiq 4/5
Eurogamer 8/10
CVG 8/10
Game Informer 7.75/10

Polygon 6.5/10
Gamespot 6/10
IGN 5.9/10 [one of their gripes is "alien is too smart" :D]


Reviews without score:

Is Alien: Isolation for everyone? Perhaps not. If you demand reassurance, telegraphed threats, predictable solutions, and an inherent, hand-holding sense of ‘fairness’, you might find the experience too much to handle. But those of you brave enough--those of you tired of existing video game approximations of survival and horror, and craving a real test of your skills, instincts and nerves--will find a bounty of thrilling, engrossing, profoundly fulfilling rewards. If you truly embrace it, then during its most powerful moments, Alien: Isolation will probably make you feel more alive than a video game has in years.

...

Final word: Deep, intelligent, intense, and utterly unlike any experience before it, Alien: Isolation presents all that's truly great about AAA, and also its evolution.
http://www.gamesradar.com/alien-isolation-review/



Isolation is the best Alien game I’ve ever played, I’m in no doubt about that. Even in its awkward moments it is doing something interesting with the license, exploring the edges of what is possible in its world, quietly and discreetly. I expect the debate about certain design choices to be loud and long. At the centre of the debate will be one of the finest entries in the Alien canon in any medium, and one of the finest horror experiences in ours.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2014/10/03/alien-isolation-review-pc/




The good news is that Isolation largely achieves what it set out to do despite these issues. This is a game that makes you feel like Sigourney Weaver in the first Alien film: scared, alone, and constantly on edge. I've never been so terrified by a game, for so long. No matter how many times I encountered the alien, I never felt comfortable in its presence. You need to put up with some frustratingly bland sequences to enjoy all of the good stuff, but it’s worth it. Isolation is so close to being the Alien game I always wanted that I don’t mind a few sequences where I’m forced to shoot androids with a shotgun.

Just don’t forget to breathe.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/3/6897307/alien-isolation-review

Kotaku - YES
 
wow ign isn't pulling any punches.

This was my fear. A clever premise, well executed, but stretched out for far too long with no change of pace or respite.

As a big Alien franchise fan (yes, even Alien 3, Resurrection and Prometheus!) I am still so drawn to this just because I want to feel immersed in the atmosphere that all of these reviews not as being fantastic. But this sounds like a game I'll probably never finish so I'll need to wait until it drops in price.

I really, really hope that do a sequel with some more of the same, but perhaps with a change in pace, perhaps even some legitimate combat.
 
This was my fear. A clever premise, well executed, but stretched out for far too long with no change of pace or respite.

As a big Alien franchise fan (yes, even Alien 3, Resurrection and Prometheus!) I am still so drawn to this just because I want to feel immersed in the atmosphere that all of these reviews not as being fantastic. But this sounds like a game I'll probably never finish so I'll need to wait until it drops in price.

I really, really hope that do a sequel with some more of the same, but perhaps with a change in pace, perhaps even some legitimate combat.

Play it on easy?
 
Play it on easy?
I think it'll be the lack of pacing that will grind me down. Poor/no pacing is probably the gaming biggest put off for me. Some campaign games do it well (Uncharted, The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, GTA, WATCH_DOGS) some games do not. Too much of one type of gameplay in too long stretches. E.g. Uncharted never bombards you with 30 minutes of endless enemies. The Last of Us never 20 minutes of infected.

Even survival horror, arguably especially survival horror, I think you need a ebb to the tension and fear. You want the player to relax so that the tense moments are more pronounced, or so you can scare the crap out of them :devilish:

I think this is why of late I've been more drawn to open world games because they generally give you the freedom to create the ebb and flow to suit your preference.

But I will check out the easier modes. I really want to play this game for the atmosphere :yep2:
 
wow ign isn't pulling any punches.

Yes, the IGN review will really make you not want to buy this game :p

Basically the guy says it starts off with an amazing intro, and the first 6 hours are great...and then it gets incredibly repetitive, difficult, and tedious over the 15-20 hour length of the game.

I also didn't realize you cant even kill the alien, just "scare him off temporarily" by hitting him enough with certain weapons. Seems lame. I dont want game with invincible foe.

I have to respect IGN a little lately, their reviews are often pretty stringent, when you see most sites giving out high scores often IGN will be handing out a tougher one. For a supposedly big corporate-paid off site and all.
 
I also didn't realize you cant even kill the alien, just "scare him off temporarily" by hitting him enough with certain weapons. Seems lame. I dont want game with invincible foe.

Have you even seen Alien the original movie?
 
Yes, the IGN review will really make you not want to buy this game :p

Basically the guy says it starts off with an amazing intro, and the first 6 hours are great...and then it gets incredibly repetitive, difficult, and tedious over the 15-20 hour length of the game.

I also didn't realize you cant even kill the alien, just "scare him off temporarily" by hitting him enough with certain weapons. Seems lame. I dont want game with invincible foe.

I have to respect IGN a little lately, their reviews are often pretty stringent, when you see most sites giving out high scores often IGN will be handing out a tougher one. For a supposedly big corporate-paid off site and all.

Because in Alien, Ripley kills the xeno in the first hour, and then we watch her doing some cleaning after the killings, making food, reading a book and in general trying to wind down after a stressful day :)
 
I think it'll be the lack of pacing that will grind me down. Poor/no pacing is probably the gaming biggest put off for me. Some campaign games do it well (Uncharted, The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption, GTA, WATCH_DOGS) some games do not. Too much of one type of gameplay in too long stretches. E.g. Uncharted never bombards you with 30 minutes of endless enemies. The Last of Us never 20 minutes of infected.

Even survival horror, arguably especially survival horror, I think you need a ebb to the tension and fear. You want the player to relax so that the tense moments are more pronounced, or so you can scare the crap out of them :devilish:

I think this is why of late I've been more drawn to open world games because they generally give you the freedom to create the ebb and flow to suit your preference.

But I will check out the easier modes. I really want to play this game for the atmosphere :yep2:

I didn't read the reviews to avoid spoilers, but how is the save system?
And i am in your boat, I would play this just to enjoy the scenery.
 
review on ars concluded:

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2014/10/alien-isolation-review-cold-harsh-and-unforgivable/

The Good:
Terrifying sound design that should doubly scare anybody with a robust surround sound system
The most stunning art direction and 3D rendering ever seen in an Alien game
Pretty solid bits of writing found hidden in the game's terminals



The Bad:
Artificial intelligence has little rhyme or reason, with foes either playing stupid or magically discovering your location
Levels almost always offer only one path, breaking any hopes that a patched AI system will ever lead to a more interesting hide-and-survive experience
Alien franchise fans hoping for a serious series payoff won't find much interesting content that connects to the films

The Ugly:
In multiple instances, we spent over an hour and a half trying to sneak around a single checkpoint's worth of game distance. This game is tuned for utter frustration.

EDIT:
just read Eurogamer's review.
"another the use of audio recognition to allow the Alien to 'hear' any noises you make in real life."

maybe Arstechnica reviewer was yelling-scared most of the time, thus alerting the alien LOL. Thats why he said the alien always found him, wherever he hides.
 
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just read Eurogamer's review.
"another the use of audio recognition to allow the Alien to 'hear' any noises you make in real life."

maybe Arstechnica reviewer was yelling-scared most of the time, thus alerting the alien LOL. Thats why he said the alien always found him, wherever he hides.

Wait. You mean if I have the mic connected on my DS4 it can pick out the sounds I make?
 
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