Alien Isolation

Alien Isolation is a survival horror game that takes us back to Ridley Scott's realm of the Alien universe, and to one of the most iconic creatures science fiction has ever produced. Developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Sega, this new entry into the Alien franchise is set 15 years after the Nostromo incident and disappearance of Ellen Ripley. The game follows Ripley's only child, Amanda, who has grown up seeking answers about what really happened to her mother. The year is 2137, and Amanda has been transferred to the space station Sevastopol to find the flight recorder of the Nostromo, but finds that the station has become home to a xenomorph. The game is played entirely in first-person and is HUD (heads up display) free. Instead, the player actually has to sort through their inventory and must use the motion tracker to have an idea of where the alien is. To be clear about what to expect from this title, it's important to know that there is only one alien throughout the game. There are some weapons that can be used, but they're only effective against other humans and androids you may have to combat. As far as I've come to understand the alien itself cannot be killed, at least not with the weapons available. Using the motion tracker to determine the alien's location can be helpful, but may give away your own position to the alien if it sees the light or hears any sound. Amanda must use any tools she comes across, and rely on stealth and instinct to outwit and survive the alien hunting her through the station's corridors. After the disaster of Aliens: Colonial Marines, I had little hope of playing an Alien game that could come close to matching the experience of watching the first two films. But after watching the trailer for Isolation, my faith has been renewed that this may be the game I've always wanted to play. Now I have to say that I have no idea what to expect from developer The Creative Assembly, because I've never played any of their other games. It makes me a little uneasy after discovering that most of their other titles have been real-time strategy and hack & slash games. They've released videos detailing their design process and careful consideration to game mechanics, so this genuinely looks like they've put a lot of love building this from the ground up. Alien Isolation appears to be the most promising endeavor in the franchise's gaming history, and I'm hoping for the experience I've dreamed about all these years. Alien Isolation is scheduled to be released this October on all major platforms.