A MONUMENT FOR VIDEOGAME HISTORY
For me there were only very few really exceptional AAA-titles including for example the new Tomb Raider, Batman: Arkham Asylum and XCOM, but I am happy that I can now easily count Alien Isolation to those games as well.
Creative Assembly, thank you very much for making this happen!
I think the most important and absolute perfectly executed thing in this game is atmosphere and immersion. Maybe it is because I am a big Alien fan, but even if you are not and you haven't seen a single movie of the franchise, the first thing that has to get to you is the astonishing, highly polished, Alien-realistic and diverse environment of the game. It is not only completely true to the Alien universe and takes the visions of the creators of the original movie to the next level, but it is done with a love for detail I have probably never seen in any videogame so far! What is fascinating me the most is that in this game there is soo much originality. Seriously, ever single location in this game is completely original and more brilliant than the last. The reuse of props and textures is so well done that it actually seems they haven't reused them at all and really made every single section independently.
But the optics aren't everything. If you are playing Alien Isolation you will be enjoying some of the best sounds you have ever heard. The music is very well done. It uses melodies and instrumentation just like in the movie and aside from the known melodic parts it will keep your nerves on the edge all the time. - The same goes for the sound effects! Remember that furious and nerve-racking alarm at the end of the movie, when Ripley activated the self-destruction? Every single sound in this game (for example even just the opening sounds of the doors) is perfect and either comes directly from - or perfectly fits - the Alien universe. And wait until you hear the Alien crawling in the vents above you!
Story and ties to the story of the movie... just one word: Ingenious!
THE HUNT BEGINS
Similar to the aspects of sound, graphics and plot, regarding gameplay the creators also did everything right here. As a survival and sneak game, Alien Isolation doesn't come short on shocks to the bone, playing hide and seek, exploration and a lot of unexpected death. The feeling of isolation is present from the start and almost everything on Sevastopol - the space station the game takes place - is out to kill you. While the game's progress is story driven and for that matter fairly linear it still doesn't miss out on plenty of freedom to explore and offers a variety of different approaches and paths towards your targets combined with the classical technique of backtracking to previous locations and finding more useful upgrades. Like I said, almost everything on this space station isn't too friendly towards you - the alien hunting you, is just one of the hazards. Alien Isolation constantly confronts you with the choice between exploring and finding useful items and/or crafting materials or reaching your goal on the shortest route possible. Naturally the second option will drain your resources very fast but it also doesn't expose you as target all the time. One thing is clear: Exploring too much and too thoroughly, takes time... time, in which a ton of things can go wrong! Ripley has a variety of tools at her disposal: The famous motion tracker, a hacking device and a plasma torch being just a few. Besides those necessary items, Ripley can also craft a lot of useable items like medipacks, smoke grenades and noise makers herself... and given the survival nature of the game this is utmost important.
"IT HAPPENS, MY DEAR, CAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE COMPANY WANTS TO HAPPEN"
What is wrong with the game? Well, if you ask me: Absolutely nothing. However, I am aware of ongoing debates and opinions on the net regarding some "issues". One of those issues being the save feature of the game. If you haven't played it yet, be ready for a really classical approach here as well: There are no checkpoints (or just, very few after missions and some sequences)! There is no saving whenever you feel like it. Alien Isolation allows you to save only at dedicated save terminals in the game. While you can save as often as you want, it can be quite the task to find and/or reach the next save station. The game's regions are for the most part designed with a save station at the begin of an area and at the end. The advantages and disadvantages are obvious: Given large areas, an abundance of rooms to explore and random instant deaths, it can be quite frustrating to play a whole section over and over and lose a lot of precious time. On the other hand restricting saving in that manner makes everything in the game really frightening! Death should feel "real" and players should proceed with caution. And besides... that is soo classic! - I feel like I am playing a game from the 90s, where not everything was a cakewalk. Combined with the unique atmosphere and realism this is hardcore stress to your body and an experience surely not for everyone. Again, I understand frustration and I agree that especially in this case - cause trust me, you are sometimes really nothing more than a victim of sheer randomness - the line between challenge and hard is completely blurred. Then again, there's not really much else the developers could have done. Because let's face it; it's either hard or you get auto checkpoints, auto-health regeneration and HUD-based directional markers that guide you through the game without the requirement of you thinking or taking a risk. Although REALLY frustrating - from time to time - I absolutely prefer the first option and must congratulate the developers once again for showing balls and making a game like in the 90s in 2014!
Another "issue" that is mentioned a lot and pretty much goes along with the previous words is the randomness of the deaths - the alien instantly killing you. Seriously, the alien has no special pattern and although - I think - it gets more intelligent along the way (knowing where you prefer to hide, realizing that fire isn't too deadly for it), it is sometimes pure luck from which vent it comes out and whether it will find and kill you or not. Again, I can see beyond that, and I think it is the better alternative to a game that is supposed to be frightening but in the end lets you walk through without any worries. A few people also think that the alien should be hunting you all the time instead of only during some parts of the game, but honestly I find it perfectly balanced. It would seriously piss me off being a slave to randomness during the whole game. First there are numerous things that are dangerous to you and there is by no means any time where you can rest or celebrate a party, and secondly for this "constant on the edge"-feeling, the game features a real "Survival Mode" where you can be slaughtered by the alien as much as you want.
Lastly there is the "issue" of "bad" voice acting which I don't want to comment in detail. Let's just say that it is not that bad! Really, I've heard much worse. - And I don't believe what I am about to say, but that even goes for the German synchronization! It is good. And having also the original voices from the movie in the game is even more worthy to mention.
"HERE KITTY, KITTY, KITTY. HERE JONESY"
I honestly don't know what else to tell while preventing to spoiler you everything, so let's wrap it up:
This game is awesome! It has something for everyone. Certainly for Alien fans and certainly not for people with heart problems or kids. Usually I am not that strict with age ratings, but I wouldn't let my children play this game... Jesus Christ Circulatory Collapse... if I want to continue playing games like this, I think I really have to quit cigarettes and should probably get another cat instead...
People copy&pasting statements like "There will never be a perfect alien game" obviously don't know what they are talking about or have completely different perspectives, because here you got it: Not only the best Alien game I have ever played and waited for all my life (so far), but an overall masterpiece of a modern, high-class game using classic principles and making you feel like you are really part of something big and nostalgic! Period!
What do you think about the game? I would love to know your opinion and get some discussion going. - Watch out! I expect spoilers in the discussion, so don't read too much if you haven't played the game!
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