OFFICIAL Alien: Isolation

[Frag_Maniac]

it doesnt learn, it just doesnt allow the same trick to work twice in a row in X period of time.

One could argue if it doesn't "learn", it doesn't "allow". Technically, neither are appropriate terms since it's merely a non sentient script in a game.

That said, I've yet to experiment enough with distractions to know how many times you can use them and for what length of time. I was kinda assuming only a couple of the same type will work per mission.

As I said before though, I think too much is always made of AI, which is technically another misnomer since no script has intelligence, artificial or otherwise. I feel it's enough if it presents an acceptable challenge. One of my fave moments was near the end of the game. I got in a crawlway and assumed a good blast from the flamethrower would make the xeno back off, but it just put it's head down and shielded itself and pounced at me when I let off the trigger.

I also feel too much is made about whether it's predictable or unpredictable, or just randomly auto finds you once in a while. I don't really see any evidence of continuously "cheating AI", and for those saying they've got it figured out, I'm sure if you have, it took some time, and it's no doubt harder to do that on the toughest mode the first play through.

I don't care what anyone says, this game has a lot of good suspense, shock and awe moments, with great graphics and level design. It's also a nice mix of both survival and action type horror. Very few games pull off both well.

Still wondering if anyone else had the problem with the E to Enter prompt on those red ledge crawlways.

 

[GhostRyder]

Still wondering if anyone else had the problem with the E to Enter prompt on those red ledge crawlways.

Are you referring to the section where you have to go through those area crawl spaces that are rectangular on the mission inside the medical lab (I think it was the medical area, its the area you get the second level torch upgrade). Because if so yes I had trouble getting the prompt on those only.

 

[RejZoR]

Yeah, pointing boxes for those are a bit messed up. Though swining over them with mouse and clicking USE (i have it on mouse) eventually triggers the entrance sequence.

Btw, it never "randomly" found me. Never. It did randomly sniff lockers where i was in but with holding breath you can go by unharmed.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

Are you referring to the section where you have to go through those area crawl spaces that are rectangular on the mission inside the medical lab (I think it was the medical area, its the area you get the second level torch upgrade). Because if so yes I had trouble getting the prompt on those only.

It's in the Gemini Exoplanet Solutions labs midway through Mission 10 "The Trap". The entire area has red colored walls, with some rooms having robotics, others lab flasks.

This is the first part of the game where I really started feeling tense when the alien was near, so it's not a good place to have crawlway entrances go buggy on you. Hope they fix this.

There's counters you can go under, like the one on the right in the pic, which I had to use a couple times because the damn hatch wouldn't open, but I'm thinking on Hard he might find me there.

I could always eventually get each of the 2 or 3 hatches I used to open, but it always took at least 15-20 seconds of carefully fishing for the prompt, and even then it would very briefly and faintly flash.

 

[GhostRyder]

It's in the Gemini Exoplanet Solutions labs midway through Mission 10 "The Trap". The entire area has red colored walls, with some rooms having robotics, others lab flasks.

This is the first part of the game where I really started feeling tense when the alien was near, so it's not a good place to have crawlway entrances go buggy on you. Hope they fix this.

There's counters you can go under, like the one on the right in the pic, which I had to use a couple times because the damn hatch wouldn't open, but I'm thinking on Hard he might find me there.

I could always eventually get each of the 2 or 3 hatches I used to open, but it always took at least 15-20 seconds of carefully fishing for the prompt, and even then it would very briefly and faintly flash.

Yep that was what I was talking about as well, I could only enter the one in the doorway easily as the rest seemed not to give me the beacon except in a funny position (If that).

 

[rtwjunkie]

It's in the Gemini Exoplanet Solutions labs midway through Mission 10 "The Trap". The entire area has red colored walls, with some rooms having robotics, others lab flasks.

This is the first part of the game where I really started feeling tense when the alien was near, so it's not a good place to have crawlway entrances go buggy on you. Hope they fix this.

There's counters you can go under, like the one on the right in the pic, which I had to use a couple times because the damn hatch wouldn't open, but I'm thinking on Hard he might find me there.

I could always eventually get each of the 2 or 3 hatches I used to open, but it always took at least 15-20 seconds of carefully fishing for the prompt, and even then it would very briefly and faintly flash.

Yikes! Based on other Alien games and environments, I'd have to say that looks like almost the worst place ever to have somethng in-game not work for you! Thanks to yours and Rejzor's ongoing commentary, I'm sure I want this game!

 

[Frag_Maniac]

Yep that was what I was talking about as well, I could only enter the one in the doorway easily as the rest seemed not to give me the beacon except in a funny position (If that).

You know, while playing I don't recall the doorway being there, at least in the room I first used such a crawlway, which had lab flasks on the counters I think. This is a screenshot from a YT video I grabbed to show you btw.

Was that by chance one of those doors that requires a special tool, key or passcode? If so, maybe I didn't have it by then.

 

[GhostRyder]

You know, while playing I don't recall the doorway being there, at least in the room I first used such a crawlwaw, which had lab flasks on the counters I think. This is a screenshot from a YT video I grabbed to show you btw.

Was that by chance one of those doors that requires a special tool, key or passcode? If so, maybe I didn't have it by then.

Yes I believe so, you had to go through the door protected by the camera sensor and then you come back and open two doors. One leads to the room with the Android, the other goes down another hallway that you eventually come back from and the pointer on the motion tracker told me to take the vent system to my next spot so I did. That spot worked fine but the rest I had issues with in that area only.

 

[erocker]

I just picked this game up. Haven't seen a thing about it (I haven't read a post in this thread) no videos or anything. So far, it's excellent! I just got into Sevastopol station and the theatrical quality is just perfect. Best twenty bucks I spent on an AMD Gold coupon ever.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

I just picked this game up. Haven't seen a thing about it (I haven't read a post in this thread) no videos or anything. So far, it's excellent! I just got into Sevastopol station and the theatrical quality is just perfect. Best twenty bucks I spent on an AMD Gold coupon ever.

Yeah this game took me by surprise really. I mean sure, I was wanting to play it and hoped it would be better than my skepticism about it, but damn, it feels like a GoTY contender to me. I've only done one play through, and just on Easy so far, but I'm expecting it to feel different on each mode due to the scaling of the AI and the unpredictable scenarios.

Example, I'm moving back to an objective after having to restart a generator that shut down. I'm in a tunnel that bends around a corner. The alien after checking the gen comes my way. I'd already committed to the tunnel, which had no place to hide.

I'm thinking I'm about to be food. So in desperation I crouch and sit still in the outer bend of the tunnel, hoping it's dark enough for him not to see me. He ends up walking right by me on the inner bend of the tunnel, as I sigh in relief.

Now granted, this probably wouldn't happen on Hard, or even Normal, but it shows the game can be suspenseful on any mode.

 

[AphexDreamer]

Minor Spoilers...

So the game has great visual elements, gameplay mechanics flow nice and smooth, and yet I"m finding it cumbersome and lack luster to continue playing. The quests seem repetitive and I'm tired of pulling levers and pushing buttons at this point. Sneaking was fun for a while but by the end I've gotten impatient and just don't care anymore. The only thing making me want to sneak isn't for fear of getting caught but just to finish the game in a timely manner. I'm nearly done and at this point I'm just beating it to see the end.

Its good that things works, controls feel nice and haven't really given me trouble. But the story and puzzles make me feel like I'm child, doesn't feel catered toward an older audience despite the graphics and gore. Puzzles are simple timed reflex, match numbers/symbols or align and time. Instead of feeling rewarded for completing them I just feel insulted. They could have had more urgent circumstances to make you feel pressured while doing them but I'm playing on hard and its all too easy. I can't image how much of a walk in park anything below hard must be. Also I see tons of intractable debris like soda cans, gas tanks that fall over and make noise but none of those objects seem to attract or alert enemies. The only thing I think will alert sometimes is the broken glass but I'm still not sure.

Crafting seems a bit odd. Like why do I have to select the individual components? Why can't I just click the make button? Do they want it to be a bit time consuming, is it suppose to make the game harder for me? It doesn't do any of those things so why not just let me click craft. Its annoying having to select each part for no apparent reason. They could have at least made crafting items be alertable so that I'd have to think twice when doing it, maybe add an animation to show me making it. But since it doesn't do any of those things they should have just let be a single button click to make an item.

Ever heard a weird swishing noise when moving around? We'll I'm still not sure what it is but my guess is its the flamethrower. Sometimes it will make it and sometimes it won't. I thought it was dependent on the amount of fluid(ammo) you had for it but that remains inconclusive since even with half a tank it may or may not make the swishing noise. I also thought that that noise would be alterable but it isn't... They could have had it so that when I have it equipped it makes the noise and I'm more easily detected but when I don't it doesn't however it just another useless element.

Then there is the story/plot. Its an alien game so I know its been milked pretty hard by this point and it goes back to the classic moments but despite this the plot is terrible IMO. There are so many repetitive and reused elements its like they didn't put any thought into it. Like Power out there, turn it on, establish coms, didn't work, go turn on power over there instead. Or lets turn AI off, crap no good save me by turning off some power now but this time with a twist, do it in a particular order! lord...

Then there were the space walk simulation parts of the game that just felt like a huge waste of time. I wanted to run to make it go by quicker but I had to sit there holding down the w key waiting for her ass to walk to the objective which guess what.. involved turning on more power and matching more numbers...

So far I give this game a 5/10. I have a lot more I can add but I think these are the main points I can define atm.

Now granted, this probably wouldn't happen on Hard, or even Normal, but it shows the game can be suspenseful on any mode.

It does happen on hard. I've hid in situation where the alien should clearly be able to see me and he just walks past me. Or I'll peek to see him (which would mean my head is clearly being shown) but the alien is like if I don't see your body I don't know your there kind of logic. Well in some cases even if your body is there if he sees you next to a wall or box he won't see you either. You have to be directly in front of his line of sight.

 

[RejZoR]

If you're getting a weird sound like you're carrying 20 bottles of some liquid, equip the revolver and aim with it for few seconds. That weird noise should go away. It's a bug that sometimes occurs during a game (and luckily doesn't affect the detection of you by the enemies).

As for crafting, it's not weird and it's not unnecessary. It requires you to properly manage resources. So you can split them in different ways and use some of them without actually building them.

 

[AphexDreamer]

If you're getting a weird sound like you're carrying 20 bottles of some liquid, equip the revolver and aim with it for few seconds. That weird noise should go away. It's a bug that sometimes occurs during a game (and luckily doesn't affect the detection of you by the enemies).

As for crafting, it's not weird and it's not unnecessary. It requires you to properly manage resources. So you can split them in different ways and use some of them without actually building them.

Yeah its a bug in the sense it doesn't toggle correctly but its supposed to be there.

How does it help me manage exactly? Sure I can see what it takes to build them but why Do I have to click on each object when its going to have to use all objects to make the item in the first place? I just don't see the logic behind it. Sure let me see what is required but I see no reason gameplay wise or other for me to have to manually select each piece.

Just beat the game on hard. Was disappointed with the ending. Lots of back tracking was required.

I'll be open to talk about the ending/game as more people complete it.

Overall I give the Graphics 7.4/10, the Gameplay/Mechanics 5.7/10 and the story/plot a 4.6/10 for an average score of 4.2/10. Felt like a chore to play

 

[DayKnight]

average score of 4.2/10. Felt like a choir to play

Don't let GhostRyder see this.

 

[RejZoR]

Yeah its a bug in the sense it doesn't toggle correctly but its supposed to be there.

How does it help me manage exactly? Sure I can see what it takes to build them but why Do I have to click on each object when its going to have to use all objects to make the item in the first place? I just don't see the logic behind it. Sure let me see what is required but I see no reason gameplay wise or other for me to have to manually select each piece.

Just beat the game on hard. Was disappointed with the ending. Lots of back tracking was required.

I'll be open to talk about the ending/game as more people complete it.

Overall I give the Graphics 7.4/10, the Gameplay/Mechanics 5.7/10 and the story/plot a 4.6/10 for an average score of 4.2/10. Felt like a choir to play

Because you may at some point pick up crazy amount of injectors but not other components. You can move just injectors to crafting screen of each device, freeing main inventory just for that particular element, but you don't yet dictate which other one you will already use up. Because some other elements are shared between devices or are in very limited quantities (you only get up to 3 blasting caps, charge packs or some other element where you can have like 7 injectors or bonding agents).
If you'd be forced to use all materials to do that you'd have slightly less control over your inventory. And since you can't return items back once you position them on the crafting screens you have to plan tiny bit what you want to use. Apparently this is something completelly natural for me since i'm a FRPS FPS nutcase (System Shock 2, Deus Ex etc) but is apparently highly unlogic for folks who are used to carry 50 guns and 3 tons of ammunition around all at once in games.

I was relying more on my hiding skills and haven't died at all for the entire 2/3's of the game so i had all my items maxed. Some who decides for a more aggressive approach will have to manage items and resources a lot more.

 

[MilkyWay]

The gameplay is like i said in an earlier post, it't full of video game tropes like QTEs and other boring predictable elements. The AI for the Joes is a mixed bag as sometimes in packs they will try corner you other times they line up in single file. I wish the xeno would stalk the player that would have made the game much more intense and realistic, it would also make it more unpredictable rather than selecting the same type of patterns just in different orders. I also wish it would jump/leap and crawl along walls/ceilings. Its a good foundation but its like if it had another 6 months to add all this in it would be better. I guess they didn't want to make it crushingly difficult but they could have solved that with a better paced game.

I love all that old retro future tech like the Commodore PET style terminals and the telephone save points but 6, 7, 8 hours into the game i felt the atmosphere was dragging, in part due to the pacing and in part due to its repetition. By all means make a long game just don't pace it like this.

I am thinking now that the xeno randomly insta finding the player without prior indication is a bug, i don't think its meant to do that at all.

 

[RejZoR]

I'd like to see a detailed description or even a video from people who claim it "randomly" got them. Because through the entire game i couldn't replicate this anywhere and at any time. I did got caught once by alien when i got into the closet tiny bit too late and i could already hear it hiss and growl while i just got hidden in the locker and while it did pass my locker at first it ripped me out on the second pass which is imo sort of done intentionally to increase tension, making you think you got lucky... Because you think yeah it passed me and then bam. But i already knew i'm done because i could tell from the noises it made. And it was in plain sight, not around the corner and then hide when i would be out of its view. But that was pretty much my first encounter with it. Since then, not a single time, because i hid myself before it ever managed to spot me. And while it sniffed the lockers i was in, it never actually got me that way. So yeah, the claims alien gets you randomly don't really seem realistic to me becasue in the entire game, it never ever happened to me. If it got you, it must have seen or heard you somehow.

 

[AphexDreamer]

Because you may at some point pick up crazy amount of injectors but not other components. You can move just injectors to crafting screen of each device, freeing main inventory just for that particular element, but you don't yet dictate which other one you will already use up. Because some other elements are shared between devices or are in very limited quantities (you only get up to 3 blasting caps, charge packs or some other element where you can have like 7 injectors or bonding agents).
If you'd be forced to use all materials to do that you'd have slightly less control over your inventory. And since you can't return items back once you position them on the crafting screens you have to plan tiny bit what you want to use. Apparently this is something completelly natural for me since i'm a FRPS FPS nutcase (System Shock 2, Deus Ex etc) but is apparently highly unlogic for folks who are used to carry 50 guns and 3 tons of ammunition around all at once in games.

I was relying more on my hiding skills and haven't died at all for the entire 2/3's of the game so i had all my items maxed. Some who decides for a more aggressive approach will have to manage items and resources a lot more.

Ok wow I wasn't even aware of that. That explains why some looked highlighted and others grayed. I knew if was red it meant I didn't have it but I didn't know why it would highlight some and not others, I guess its like you said. But I didn't even notice that until towards the end and I didn't even know what it was for until now. So again I made it though the entire game with what I would still call a pretty useless feature because I never really had a problem with items or resources the entire game on hard.

I'd like to see a detailed description or even a video from people who claim it "randomly" got them. Because through the entire game i couldn't replicate this anywhere and at any time. I did got caught once by alien when i got into the closet tiny bit too late and i could already hear it hiss and growl while i just got hidden in the locker and while it did pass my locker at first it ripped me out on the second pass which is imo sort of done intentionally to increase tension, making you think you got lucky... Because you think yeah it passed me and then bam. But i already knew i'm done because i could tell from the noises it made. And it was in plain sight, not around the corner and then hide when i would be out of its view. But that was pretty much my first encounter with it. Since then, not a single time, because i hid myself before it ever managed to spot me. And while it sniffed the lockers i was in, it never actually got me that way. So yeah, the claims alien gets you randomly don't really seem realistic to me becasue in the entire game, it never ever happened to me. If it got you, it must have seen or heard you somehow.

I still don't understand how the AI works though.

Because I admit I would die occasionally so I was redoing the same scene a few times (Mainly because I would experiment with different ways of handling the situation). The entire game I would hide under a desks and be ok, it would walk near the desk and eventually leave. Then towards the final levels, after I hid under that desk for about the 6th time, for the first time ever did I see it actually decide to peek under the desk to see if I was there. I was shocked and surprised, but this only happened to me once on hard and towards the end of the game. I'm not sure what prompted it do it then versus all the other times. Then towards around the middle of the game did I first see it pop in a vent with me (again only happened to me once). I figured it was because I used the flashlight in the vent so I stopped using the flashlight in the vent. I probably had like 5-6/6 batteries in that flashlight at all times. I don't think hard has an effect on the amount of resources the game gives you.

Then towards the beginning I would get caught hiding in lockers a few times, probably in total 3-4 times. I learned or at least think I learned that what alerts them the most is the sound of your radar going off. I just stopped using my radar inside the lockers and bam, never again was I found. Of course I didn't use my radar in the previous paragraph either that would warrant an alert. I'm wondering if the game has more ways of alerting them than the obvious but they sometimes work and sometimes don't work.

At one point I was just curious if it would follow me into the vent if I had it chase me and then hide in there. Turns out it would. One is where it would drag your ass out which I thought was cool but only ever saw because I let it happen and another it would just circle around to the exit come inside and get you from behind. I wonder how many variety of deaths their are from just the alien.

 

[RejZoR]

You can read a quite in-depth survival guide on my blog (link in signature) if you want, i covered pretty much all tactics that i've experienced during my game along with useful tips. That will explain a lot how Ai and other technical stuff behaves in this game.

 

[AphexDreamer]

You can read a quite in-depth survival guide on my blog (link in signature) if you want, i covered pretty much all tactics that i've experienced during my game along with useful tips. That will explain a lot how Ai and other technical stuff behaves in this game.

Well I'm done with the game now. Feel like I know all there is to know at this point or all one needs to know to get by. Not exactly a huge learning curve this game.

I was trying out the survival mode and literally had the alien just walk past me. I'm going to try and record it and upload it.

 

[RejZoR]

The game would be a lot more realistic and difficult if the alien could actually hear any noise you make (meaning any knocked off chair or smaller objects could give you away) as well as "smell patterns" (how i call it). So that alien could actually sense the scent of you if you would stay at one location for too long or you were returning to one location several times which would amplify the residual smell of you. This way you'd have to be very careful in your hiding not to repeat something too often in one location.

It should also react to noise patterns, in terms of what was the position and direction of the noise. So it could inspect the direction noise was moving but you could also distract it this way if needed.

I know stuff like this would require a lot more Ai coding but considering the game pretty much entirely revolves around it, it would be worth it. I frankly expected all this to be in the game already considering all the Ai bragging before the release. But it's still so much going on in general that it's not terribly ruined the way it is now.

 

[AphexDreamer]

The game would be a lot more realistic and difficult if the alien could actually hear any noise you make (meaning any knocked off chair or smaller objects could give you away) as well as "smell patterns" (how i call it). So that alien could actually sense the scent of you if you would stay at one location for too long or you were returning to one location several times which would amplify the residual smell of you. This way you'd have to be very careful in your hiding not to repeat something too often in one location.

It should also react to noise patterns, in terms of what was the position and direction of the noise. So it could inspect the direction noise was moving but you could also distract it this way if needed.

I know stuff like this would require a lot more Ai coding but considering the game pretty much entirely revolves around it, it would be worth it. I frankly expected all this to be in the game already considering all the Ai bragging before the release. But it's still so much going on in general that it's not terribly ruined the way it is now.

Which is something I mention earlier.

Here I try to recreate what had happened to me. He didn't go around the table to face me head on like last time but the result is the same, he doesn't notice me because I'm next to an object.

 

[RejZoR]

This is certainly a bad glitch or a bug. It should have spotted you this way.

 

[Frag_Maniac]

It does happen on hard. I've hid in situation where the alien should clearly be able to see me and he just walks past me. Or I'll peek to see him (which would mean my head is clearly being shown) but the alien is like if I don't see your body I don't know your there kind of logic. Well in some cases even if your body is there if he sees you next to a wall or box he won't see you either. You have to be directly in front of his line of sight.

I was in a tunnel just wide enough for two people to walk through. I don't think it was line of sight so much as being dark enough like I said. I'm just doubting it would have happened on higher modes, esp Hard.

And that swishing is more like a sloshing. It's the fuel in the fuel tank.

Just watched Alien Director's Cut on Blu-ray btw to catch up on what they nailed. Pretty much spot on except for a few things being from Aliens vs Alien to fit the gameplay better. Like the tracker for instance.

...he doesn't notice me because I'm next to an object.

You won't really know that for sure until you try the same thing in a brighter room.

 

[AphexDreamer]

I was in a tunnel just wide enough for two people to walk through. I don't think it was line of sight so much as being dark enough like I said. I'm just doubting it would have happened on higher modes, esp Hard.

And that swishing is more like a sloshing. It's the fuel in the fuel tank.

Just watched Alien Director's Cut on Blu-ray btw to catch up on what they nailed. Pretty much spot on except for a few things being from Aliens vs Alien to fit the gameplay better. Like the tracker for instance.


You won't really know that for sure until you try the same thing in a brighter room.

Yeah I meant sloshing but swishing came to mind instead.
The alien doesn't have eyes though does it?

 

[Frag_Maniac]

The alien doesn't have eyes though does it?

The first appearance of the Alien in the first movie that most of this is taken from has no visible eyes, no. Whether it uses some other kind of detection via echo location like bats, or electro-reception like sharks, is hard to say.

You brought up an interesting point though, since many here are using line of sight references in describing their experiences being detected or "overlooked", including myself. It's almost as if Giger intended there to be puzzlement about this one issue, as there is no clear information on the subject, only speculation.

"The creatures possess no visible eyes; Giger mandated this in his original design, because he felt that it made the creatures much more frightening if one could not tell they were looking at them.

In the original Alien film, the top of the creature's head was semi-transparent, with empty eye sockets of human appearance visible within."

Source: http://aliens.wikia.com/wiki/Xenomorph

As I said earlier, I just watched the Director's Cut of Alien last night on Blu-ray to refresh my memory and compare it to the game's graphics. Despite the Wiki quote above, I don't recall seeing any semi-transparent part of it's skull showing "eye sockets of human appearance". And if anything, the Director's Cut would show more than the original film.

It seems there's a discrepancy in the two sentences quoted above that contradict one another. So I'm not sure this Wiki article can be trusted for fact.