Alien: Isolation

    I guess this is the downside of taking so many risks, it might take 2-3 sequels to properly iron out this hide and seek game mechanic. Damn, well it looks visually gorgeous at least.

    Congrats guys! Also for the lazy people:


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    • CVG: 8/10 - Before Creative Assembly honoured sci-fi's seminal horror film, there were dozens of Aliens games (I'm blaming you for Colonial Marines, Cameron). Now, there's precisely one Alien game. Could it do with a little trimming and better optimisation? Absolutely. But lock yourself in a dark room with a good pair of headphones, and Isolation's thrilling chills mean this is one ET you'll never want to go home.
    • GamesRadar: 4.5/5 - 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.
    • OXM: 9/10 - Unique stealth-horror thriller that combines great pacing and smart design with razor-sharp AI that's unpredictable in all the right ways. It's an arduous undertaking, but it begs to be experienced.
    • Eurogamer: 8/10 - A shorter, sharper campaign would condense the high points more potently, and some better characterisation would make the plot twists hit harder. But if you're looking for a game that really sinks its teeth into what makes this iconic movie monster endure, look no further.
    • IGN: 5.9/10 - It may seem strange to complain that a game's too long, but when the genuine scares of being hunted by an unstoppable predator are so diluted by repetition and padding, Isolation's epic length really does work against it. Someday, someone is going to make an incredible Alien video game that checks every box. But, sadly, Isolation is not it.
    • GameSpot: 6/10 - Alien: Isolation provides us a glimpse into a future that holds the Alien game you've always wanted. It is not, however, the vessel that carries you there.
    • Polygon: 6.5/10 - Alien: Isolation isn't the worst Alien game, but thanks to its unrealized potential, it just might be the most disappointing.
    • Joystiq: 4/5 - In the same way that Ash respected the alien for its brutality in the original film, though, maybe I also respect Alien: Isolation just for how long, grueling and relentless it ends up being. Instead of completing the game, it feels more like I've escaped it and the nightmare it put me through.
    • Kotaku: No score - I imagine what must have been going through Ripley's head as she sat there, exposed and terrified, unable to look away. If I just move slowly... carefully... maybe I can survive this. It is a tribute to Alien: Isolation that I spent most of my time with it feeling the same way.
    • Destructoid: 8.5/10 - Halfway into playing Alien: Isolation, I stopped to watch the first four Alien movies again. It wasn't just for research purposes, but mostly because the game had me yearning for more of the universe. Isolation has some flaws, but it's faithful to the film series, and I'd love to see a follow-up with a few extra alien evolutions.
    • Game Informer: 7.75/10 - Unlike its titular organism, Alien: Isolation is decidedly imperfect. The story falls flat, your objectives lack a sense of accomplishment, and the campaign drags on longer than it should. When the gameplay is at its best, however, Isolation delivers the thrill of being in the Alien universe, something fans like me have waited a long time to properly experience.
    • VideoGamer: 9/10 - On Hard, the recommended difficulty, you'll be hiding so much it might as well be called Lord Lucan Simulator 2014. These are minor quibbles however, in the face of an Alien game that asks you to think, rather than fight, one that recognises that the haunted house itself is as scary as what's in it.
    • Guardian: 5/5 - This terrifying game is a passionate homage to a horror classic, and a rich, well-designed stealth experience in its own right. Giger's monstrous alien is, for the first time in a video game, as formidable and menacing as it was in the films.
    • Metro: 7/10 - It was always going to be difficult making you scared of a creature that's now such a familiar part of popular culture but although Isolation succeeds at first, repetition and a lack of direction become more intractable problems than even the alien itself.
    • Digital Spy: 4/5 - After years of fumbling with the license, it's refreshing to see Sega finally deliver a game worthy of the Alien branding.
    Quote from blackdog

    I don't understand kotaku's score/seems excessively harsh (to stand out the crowd)?


    ? Kotaku liked the game. They don't put a score though, they just say if they recommend or not to play, and they do recommend to play Alien.

    Yeah it really seems a bit all or nothing in the reviews, love it or hate it. Well not hate.. its not ACM

    I preordered it tho, just the environment and detail alone breathes Alien so much I have to try it!

    Someone was asking for a preview of the art book - here's a flip-through of the mini artbook that comes with collectors edition (all images are taken from the big art book):


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    I watched a live stream of some guy playing the game and he got to the end last night... Don't read the following if you haven't played yet.


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    It just made me remember some of the annoyance I felt whilst working on that level... It's just such a big let down. You have this cool explosive sequence which is pretty intense and it all just culminates in a series of button presses with no sense of urgency. I dunno, maybe you guys will feel differently.


    Also, I was listening to some of the music on the live stream, and some of the music is really odd and nothing like the original soundtrack.. Felt a little more generic to me.

    Possible spoilers below. Nothing in particular with regards to story though.


    Ok I've been playing a bit of this tonight. I never played it properly whilst at CA, you know how it is, you tend to just work on your own stuff and don't see it objectively... But I feel like I've had a long enough break from CA (left there about 5 months ago) to be able to be a little more objective about the game. Honestly, my opinion whilst at CA was fairly negative about the gameplay... However, after playing it tonight with the proper flow of the game, I'm actually pleasantly surprised.


    It feels very dynamic to me, and I can tell that every playthrough is going to be different. I was playing on hard, and the Alien is completely unpredictable, and I gotta say, absolutely terrifying. Jesus Christ, the first time it runs at you, you will shit your pants. I played it in the dark, with headphones on, which is how this game was made to be played. It's also a really good PC port. FPS is great, feels really smooth on my comp and looks nice, the lighting guys did a really good job on it.


    It feels a little rough around the edges in parts, especially with some of the environment art. Unchamfered boxes as detail you can get your eye right up to being on example, especially on the Engineering assets. I remember seeing a lot of that when I was there, I was hoping a bit more would have been ironed out by now. And also, some of the character lip syncing is a bit off too, they feel very lifeless, which is a shame because the character models themselves are really good. This is a tech thing rather than any animators' fault though! Some of the movement of NPCs is a bit weird at times too.


    However, overall I'm really quite impressed! It feels like a solid experience so far.

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