OFFICIAL Alien: Isolation

[D R E N]

I've never been a fan of Alien games in the past, but this is looking like a must get.

 

[Drone]

 

[rtwjunkie]

Gotta say, if this plays out at all with half the suspense of that cutscene shown as the trailer, then I'm totally hooked! I love the sense of dread that can come with a game like this if done well.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

Looks good and all but I'm starting to worry about hype here.

They never show anything but sneak and hide segments, and this looks like one big extended cutscene. There's no HUD showing and I doubt in game graphics are going to look this good. Gameplay also might become very repetitious if there's mostly just sneaking and hiding.

I've seen too many trailers make games look way better than they play to be trusting this stuff anymore. Deceiving trailers have become the gaming industry norm.

 

[Champ]

Yeah, I'm be stunned if that game looks and plays like the cutscence. It'll be GOTY if so

 

[stinger608]

Its gone GOLD!!!!!!! http://alienisolation.com/ Release date is October 7th.

Damn, this looks amazing! insane graphics!

 

[manofthem]

Its gone GOLD!!!!!!! http://alienisolation.com/ Release date is October 7th.

Damn, this looks amazing! insane graphics!

Thanks for posting the release date, it's getting close. I think this will be a game I get into upon release as opposed to waiting like I normally do.

 

[newconroer]

The only problem is that half of the dread is a moot point, when you all ready know for a fact that there's only one alien.
If there was an unknown amount of them, then that's really fu**ing scary.

 

[manofthem]

The only problem is that half of the dread is a moot point, when you all ready know for a fact that there's only one alien.
If there was an unknown amount of them, then that's really fu**ing scary.

I think one alien compliments a survival horror idea much more so than many aliens, and it would be very difficult to pull a survival horror game with lots of xenomorphs in a setting such as this.

In the movies, Alien (survival horror) had one alien and it was great with almost no weapons; Aliens (action movie) had lots of aliens along with hard-core firepower.

 

[Drone]

Quality is more important than quantity. There can be a single rat in the room and that can be scary for someone.

 

[newconroer]

I think one alien compliments a survival horror idea much more so than many aliens, and it would be very difficult to pull a survival horror game with lots of xenomorphs in a setting such as this.

In the movies, Alien (survival horror) had one alien and it was great with almost no weapons; Aliens (action movie) had lots of aliens along with hard-core firepower.

Quality is more important than quantity. There can be a single rat in the room and that can be scary for someone.

I agree with both of you. Though you're forgetting we have outside perspective that the characters didn't / don't. We KNOW there's only one.

One thing I do like, is that if you look at her face structure closely, she is a mixture of Sigourney Weaver and Summer Glau. I always thought Summer would be great as the next Ripley type character. So bring on the movie!

 

[Frag_Maniac]

I think one alien compliments a survival horror idea much more so than many aliens, and it would be very difficult to pull a survival horror game with lots of xenomorphs in a setting such as this.

In the movies, Alien (survival horror) had one alien and it was great with almost no weapons; Aliens (action movie) had lots of aliens along with hard-core firepower.

There's pluses and minuses to both. There's more shock value when you can't use heavy weapons, even if there's just one monster., but that wears off after the first play through because then you know how to get past it. If the only trepidation is having to know where to go and when, then just wait, it becomes boring AND repetitive. Most survival horror games are only good for one play through because of this. Amnesia for instance was open to player generated scenarios to try and compensate.

With action type horror games you usually have suspense generated more from ammo and weapon management and surviving waves, which can be just as scary depending on how they equip you. Some have stealth opportunity as well though. They pretty much HAVE to equip you well enough though, and once you know where to get ammo and supplies and how to conserve them, the suspense is traded with the clear and repeat syndrome.

I really feel either style can be good or bad. The problem is, no one really scales these types of games very well for all levels of players. Sure they do things like limit supplies and ammo on higher difficulty levels, but usually not enough so. The Metro games are a prime example. They attempt to offer both survival and action styles, but I feel they equip you too well and the AI is not good enough. They're too easy even on Ranger Hardcore.

And there's ways to scale the AI too. They could make the enemies adapt to what you're doing, like Mr Freeze does in the boss fight with him in Arkham City. You can try each attack method only once, successful or not. This adds variety and suspense, and makes battles considerably more lengthy and engaging.

Another way you can make either style of game more elaborate is to rotate spawn locations and patrol routes of enemies, as well as those of ammo and supply spawn locations. Scaling density of enemy spawns to how the player is faring can also work, but I feel that is one area both Valve and Overkill failed when it comes to solo play. L4D and PayDay are best played coop, because solo is too chaotic and the AI are too inadequate. I would REALLY love to see these ideas used well in a true solo game where you're by yourself most of the time though.

Elaborate AI and scaling difficulty levels either by fixed design or on the fly methods is an art few have done well.

 

[newconroer]

Isn't this game supposed to have smart AI for the creature that doesn't always run off to the same place every time?

 

[Frag_Maniac]

Isn't this game supposed to have smart AI for the creature that doesn't always run off to the same place every time?

I don't know about AI pathing, but this game seems to take a lot of liberties for one that is pretty much patterned after the style of the first movie.

It's not really detailed by the original designer of the creature what it's exact attributes are, but it seems clear the aliens are much better at stalking and finding humans than this game shows.

A common theme with most alien canon is xenomorphs being able to sense fear through pheromones, and being vulnerable to fire. Here it only seems to be sight and sound capable, and the flamethrower at best just makes it back off.

They really had to compromise some things to make this a scenario where the player can survive for an extended period. Then again, there's no one wiki on what's fact or fiction on xenomorph lore, it's a lot of guesswork. No one even really knows if these things have eyes, or locate via echolocation or electro-reception like bats and sharks do. Some speculate they can smell your sweat, blood, fear, or urine if they scare the piss out of you.

 

[seanmac]

I haven't been this excited about a video game for a long time !!! Can't wait to be shit scared !!!

 

[Mussels]

the way i see it, the AI basically randomly teleports to a location you cant see, to ambush you and scare you a different way each time.

its got shock value, but until its proven the alien has to actually navigate just like a human player would and can make mistakes and wrong turns, i'll just think of it as a cheating AI.

 

[Nordic]

the way i see it, the AI basically randomly teleports to a location you cant see, to ambush you and scare you a different way each time.

its got shock value, but until its proven the alien has to actually navigate just like a human player would and can make mistakes and wrong turns, i'll just think of it as a cheating AI.

Thats how we will solve unemployment. Gaming companies will hire people to play, and scare players. Win win

 

[Frag_Maniac]

the way i see it, the AI basically randomly teleports to a location you cant see, to ambush you and scare you a different way each time.

its got shock value, but until its proven the alien has to actually navigate just like a human player would and can make mistakes and wrong turns, i'll just think of it as a cheating AI.

Yeah that would pretty much describe cheating AI, but it also might keep it scary and ensure you need to be careful every time you encounter it.

 

[newconroer]

A common theme with most alien canon is xenomorphs being able to sense fear through pheromones, and being vulnerable to fire. Here it only seems to be sight and sound capable, and the flamethrower at best just makes it back off.

I noticed that immediately, and was thinking that her hiding in the next room behind a box isn't going to be very effective.

They really had to compromise some things to make this a scenario where the player can survive for an extended period. Then again, there's no one wiki on what's fact or fiction on xenomorph lore, it's a lot of guesswork. No one even really knows if these things have eyes, or locate via echolocation or electro-reception like bats and sharks do. Some speculate they can smell your sweat, blood, fear, or urine if they scare the piss out of you.

It's feet look different - from what I can see in the trailer. And even if it is a 'different' alien, that shouldn't be a justification to go around changing the core elements and behavior of the species as everyone knows it. I have a feeling you're right - they've taken some liberties to 'make it work.'

 

[Drone]

Devs released a series of vignettes

 

[Frag_Maniac]

I'm not sure why they chose to make the androids look so non human. In the first movie that this game is styled after, Bishop the android looked completely human. They could have just made them distinguishable via slight characteristic differences, which would have also made it more suspenseful.

 

[newconroer]

I'm not sure why they chose to make the androids look so non human. In the first movie that this game is styled after, Bishop the android looked completely human. They could have just made them distinguishable via slight characteristic differences, which would have also made it more suspenseful.

They gotta put their spin on it right? :/

 

[manofthem]

In the first movie that this game is styled after, Bishop Ash the android looked completely human.

Fixed that for you

 

[D007]

Is there a MP?
I'm getting it regardless lol.

 

[Mussels]

maybe its an older facility with earlier model droids?


if it was such a shock that ash wasnt human in the first movie, maybe he was one of the first lifelike models?