It's a shame Alien Isolation never got a sequel.
- Thread starter NTGYK
- Start date
It's essentially a slow start, and a slow end, but in between are 7-10 hours of fucking 9/10 adventure, stealth, immersive sim and horror.
The pacing is broken but it's not game breaking unless you try to play the whole thing in very long sittings
One of my favourite games of all time, but one I'm genuinely not clamouring for a sequel for. I'd be excited if one got announced for sure, but I've already set myself for Isolation being a one and done thing.
As much as I liked the game, the sequel should have been very different in order to hold attention.
Otherwise it would needed to turn towards action and basically become a different game.
Quite a difficult situation.
Otherwise it would needed to turn towards action and basically become a different game.
Quite a difficult situation.
Oh yes. So much this. As much as I would absolutely love another Alien game like this one, I would absolutely take a next gen, intense, immersive JP game.
If they ever do a sequel, it should be for next gen consoles so they can have a more advanced AI for the Xenomorph(s). I really like Isolation but the AI plainly cheating on higher difficulties sours the experience.
I think a better game could have been realized in a sequel.
It was a 5 hour game stretched into a tedious 15-20 hour experience. The visuals and art were A+ from start to finish, but sadly the game design was simply not there. The pacing was simply dreadful. There's something incredibly wrong about you still slowly sneaking around against the alien at the final hour. I'm not sure what the solution should have been, but instead of having a game that continually gets more and more exciting, it peaks 1/3rd of the way through and then flatlines the rest of the way.
This is not a fair comparison, but look at Resident Evil 4. That's a 15-20 hour game, but the developers were always mixing the game up and throwing new and engaging challenges to the player. For Isolation, instead of finding new and exciting ideas, they slightly remix a few scenarios throughout the campaign.
It was a 5 hour game stretched into a tedious 15-20 hour experience. The visuals and art were A+ from start to finish, but sadly the game design was simply not there. The pacing was simply dreadful. There's something incredibly wrong about you still slowly sneaking around against the alien at the final hour. I'm not sure what the solution should have been, but instead of having a game that continually gets more and more exciting, it peaks 1/3rd of the way through and then flatlines the rest of the way.
This is not a fair comparison, but look at Resident Evil 4. That's a 15-20 hour game, but the developers were always mixing the game up and throwing new and engaging challenges to the player. For Isolation, instead of finding new and exciting ideas, they slightly remix a few scenarios throughout the campaign.
I would love to play this again in VR, but I don't think we need a sequel - the game is so long that I feel like I got my fill of being stalked by a xenomorph and hiding in lockers. I would, however, like to follow Amanda's story beyond that cliffhanger.
Really good game that suffers from some of the worst pacing issues I've ever come across. Have never wanted to go back to it as a result but cannot deny how excellent the gameplay and tension are. I would welcome a sequel that was a lot shorter with less contrivances.
Isolation is great but on the other hand I'm glad we didn't have to see another high profile PC series developer like Creative Assembly lose it's identity chasing the multiplatform console game money, and now they are raking in the cash with huge PC releases like Total Warhammer 2 and Three Kingdoms.
Does the MotherVR mod resolve the issue of the terminals and other UI elements being fixed too close to your face? I have never tried playing with this mod, but I did play quite far using the native VR support back when it first came out, which was pretty damn good in itself but had issues like this that meant I never finished it...
The "Aliens" sequel we deserve.
I need to replay this game.
Haven't played it since I finished it years ago
If it gets a sequel, I hope it taps into the philosophical stuff from Prometheus and is not just the same game on another space ship.
I thought it sold really well, but SEGA was going through a phase where they expected ridiculous returns they'd never get.
Alien Isolation as it is scared the shit out of me. I screamed more times in Alien Isolation than any other game. How do you think I'd be able to handle the game in VR? After one session I'd be sitting in the corner curled up in a ball.
It Cheats on all settings It has two AI's one searching and the other that feeds little snippets of information to your past locations
It would have been better if the same devs were given a crack at some other film-based IP, like Terminator, Die Hard, Predator or Mission: Impossible
This "cheating" is what makes the alien AI so frightening and compelling so being upset about it makes no sense
The alien is never specifically told exactly where you are so if thats the cheating anyone had in mind, then that person just isn't that good at playing i'm afraid
All AI cheats to some degree, it's when it becomes transparent that it is a problem. Even more so when you don't have many options to mitigate it.
The AI cheating became most noticeable in the medical area. That thing was glued to you there.
Still I love this game and no other licensed game left as much of an impression on me than this. Probably Goldeneye 64 but this wins as I love Alien.
It definitely is a shame we didn't get a sequel and that score from IGN after Colonial Marines
Still I love this game and no other licensed game left as much of an impression on me than this. Probably Goldeneye 64 but this wins as I love Alien.
It definitely is a shame we didn't get a sequel and that score from IGN after Colonial Marines
I don't actually mind the length of the game, since I love the aesthetic and atmosphere. My biggest gripe with the game is the parts where you have to walk painfully slow in a space suit. Those bring the pacing to a screeching halt.
I know the xenomorph doesn't know exactly where you are at any time, but it always knows your general area and you can't, in my experience, ever get it completely off your tail except when scripted. I've beaten the game on hard and nightmare. :P
Yeah, the medical area is by far the most difficult segment of the game, it's a huge spike and then the rest of the game normalizes until you get the flamethrower and then it's just a nuisance.
Last edited:
Considering the xenomorph is the only enemy that can be actually active in several areas of the game that makes sense. working joes and human enemies not only are sparse but have very clear "zones" they won't cross even if you try to bait them in a chase. without the xenomorph being a real threat and able to stalk you around said areas the game would feel mostly empty and lifeless.
Good game and I enjoyed my time with it but I'd had enough by the end. Not sure I want a sequel in the same vein. I would love to see a more action oriented Alien game that doesn't suck though.
Despite owning this game since launch and being a huge fan of Alien I have never played the game....
Thank god for the flamethrower, it eases a lot of tension after everything they put us throw. The game did a good job inverting everything with the you being more empowered. The Xenomorph ignoring the Joes was a good touch too.
What I was trying to get at is I didn't like how the xenomorph would magically jump from one zone to another because you crossed a threshold. It would be nice to have a well earned temporary respite if you could actually outsmart it. Though I imagine there is probably a technical aspect\limitation that may have made that necessary.
That's the only part of the game where I lowered the difficulty from hard to normal. Switched it back as soon as that part was over. God that was frustrating.
I'm thinking a proper 90s aesthetic JP game. Main menu UI a replication of the "interactive CD-ROM", terminal interaction the same as the UNIX system etc.
Because it was hard. That's my take anyway.
To be fair the AI was up to some bullshit at times. It was like rubberbanding in Mario kart except getting a spiky tail through the chest with no warning.