Alien Isolation: A Review of the Game and its DLCs

Alien: Isolation - A Survival Horror Game That Will Make You Scream

If you are a fan of horror games, you probably have heard of Alien: Isolation, a survival horror game developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega in 2014. Based on the Alien film series, the game is set 15 years after the events of the original 1979 film, and follows engineer Amanda Ripley, daughter of Alien protagonist Ellen Ripley, as she investigates the disappearance of her mother aboard the space station Sevastopol. Once inside, Amanda discovers that the station has fallen into disarray due to an Alien creature on the loose and must find a way to escape.

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In this article, we will review Alien: Isolation and explain why it is one of the best horror games ever made. We will cover its main features, such as the Alien, the Sevastopol, and the story, and give you some tips on how to play it. We will also rate it based on its graphics, sound, gameplay, and replay value. By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of what Alien: Isolation is all about and whether you should play it or not.

Introduction

What is Alien: Isolation?

Alien: Isolation is a single-player action-adventure game with an emphasis on stealth and survival horror. The player controls Amanda Ripley from a first-person perspective, and must explore a space station and complete objectives while avoiding, outsmarting, and defeating enemies. The game emphasizes stealth and survival horror gameplay, requiring the player to avoid, outsmart, and fight enemies with tools such as a motion tracker and flamethrower .

Alien: Isolation was designed to resemble the original Alien film rather than its more action-oriented 1986 sequel Aliens, and features a similar lo-fi, 1970s vision of what the future could look like. It runs on an engine built to accommodate the Alien's behaviour and technical aspects such as atmospheric and lighting effects. Creative Assembly intended to make Alien: Isolation a third-person game, but used first-person to create a more intense experience. Several downloadable content packs were released, some of which relive scenes from the original film.

Why is it so scary?

Alien: Isolation is widely regarded as one of the scariest games ever made, and for good reasons. The game creates a constant sense of dread and tension by putting the player in a hostile and unpredictable environment where death can come at any moment. The game also uses various techniques to immerse the player in its world, such as realistic sound design, minimal user interface, limited resources, and permadeath mode.

The main source of fear in Alien: Isolation, however, is the Alien itself. The Alien is not a scripted or predictable enemy that follows a fixed pattern or routine. Instead, it is a truly dynamic and reactive creature that uses its senses to hunt down and respond to the player's every move. The Alien can hear, see, smell, and track the player, and can use vents, doors, and other means to navigate the station. The Alien can also adapt to the player's strategies and tactics, making it harder to evade or confront. The Alien is not the only threat in the game, as the player also has to deal with hostile humans and androids, but it is by far the most terrifying and formidable one.

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How to play it?

To play Alien: Isolation, you need a compatible device and a copy of the game. The game is available for Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Linux, and macOS platforms. You can buy the game online or from a physical store, or download it from a digital distribution service such as Steam or GOG.com. The game also supports virtual reality devices such as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive, which can enhance the immersion and horror of the game.

Once you have installed the game, you can launch it and start a new game or load a previous one. You can choose from four difficulty levels: Novice, Easy, Medium, and Hard. You can also enable or disable certain options such as subtitles, hints, head tracking, and noise detection. You can also access the game's menu to adjust the settings, view the map, check the inventory, craft items, and save or load the game.

The game's controls vary depending on the device you are using, but generally involve moving with a joystick or keyboard, looking around with a mouse or another joystick, interacting with objects with a button or key, and using items with another button or key. You can also crouch, sprint, lean, peek, and hide with different buttons or keys. You can access a radial menu to select different items or tools such as weapons, flares, medkits, or noisemakers. You can also use a motion tracker to locate enemies and objectives.

Main features of Alien: Isolation

The Alien - A dynamic and unpredictable enemy

How the Alien behaves and hunts

The Alien is the main antagonist of Alien: Isolation, and one of the most advanced and realistic enemies ever created in a video game. The Alien is not controlled by a predefined script or artificial intelligence (AI), but by an emergent system that simulates its senses, emotions, and instincts. The Alien has a complex sensory system that allows it to perceive sound, light, movement, smell, and even the player's fear. The Alien can also communicate with other Aliens and react to their signals. The Alien has a range of emotions that affect its behaviour, such as curiosity, anger, fear, and frustration. The Alien also has a set of instincts that drive its actions, such as hunting, hiding, fleeing, or attacking. The Alien's behaviour is influenced by various factors, such as the environment, the player's actions, and the game's difficulty level.

The Alien's main goal is to hunt down and kill the player, but it can also pursue other prey or objectives. The Alien can use different strategies and tactics to achieve its goal, such as stalking, ambushing, chasing, or retreating. The Alien can also use different methods of attack, such as biting, clawing, tailing, or spitting acid. The Alien can also use different modes of locomotion, such as walking, crawling, climbing, or jumping. The Alien can also use different routes and paths to navigate the station, such as vents, shafts, corridors, or rooms.

How to avoid, distract, or fight the Alien

The Alien is a formidable foe that can kill the player in one hit and cannot be killed by conventional weapons. Therefore, the best way to survive is to avoid the Alien as much as possible. The player can use various techniques and tools to avoid the Alien, such as hiding in lockers, cabinets, or under tables; using stealth and crouching to reduce noise and visibility; using the motion tracker to locate the Alien and plan ahead; using flares or noisemakers to distract the Alien or lure it away; using smoke bombs or flashbangs to blind or stun the Alien; or using fire or electricity to scare or repel the Alien.

However, sometimes avoiding the Alien is not enough or not possible. In these cases, the player can try to fight back or escape. The player can use various weapons and tools to fight the Alien, such as a revolver, a shotgun, a bolt gun, a stun baton, or a flamethrower. However, these weapons are not very effective and can only slow down or injure the Alien temporarily. Moreover, using these weapons can attract more attention and danger from the Alien or other enemies. Therefore, the player should use these weapons sparingly and wisely. Alternatively, the player can try to escape from the Alien by running away or finding a safe place. However, escaping from the Alien is not easy either, as the Alien is faster and more agile than the player and can follow them through different paths and routes.

The Sevastopol - A detailed and immersive setting

How the Sevastopol looks and feels

The Sevastopol is the space station where Alien: Isolation takes place. It is a massive and complex structure that orbits around a gas giant planet called KG-348. The Sevastopol was built by a company called Seegson Corporation in 2127 as a