Fight or Flight (Alien: Isolation Review)

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Alien: Isolation is one of the best horror games of all time. Released in 2014, this game changed the horror genre. Alien: Isolation is the first game to feature such a unique AI. The game is about Amanda Ripley fighting for survival as she searches to uncover the truth about her mother Ellen Ripley. She is headstrong and keeps fighting. She is violent, but she will protect herself if she needs to.

Overview

When I first played this game, I knew I was in for a wild ride. No horror game has ever made me feel so tense and on edge constantly, or had me feel like I was there in the situations that Amanda finds herself in. I haven’t finished the game, but so far, I’m intrigued. I’m playing on Novice difficulty, and I still find the game difficult, although it’s still fun.  

I remember when I first encountered the Xenomorph, I was terrified. I was frozen in my spot, but I was excited as it was my first game in the Alien franchise that I played. When the developers designed the AI programming of the Xenomorph, they really had it live up to its name just like how the Xenomorph first appeared in Alien (1979).

There are other antagonists on the ship aside from the Xenomorph and that can make this game even more frustrating. Hostile people who are trying to survive will try and kill you because they can’t trust the player. Working Joes will also try to kill you since their programming tends to corrupt.  

The AI

No other horror game has created an AI for the antagonist like Alien: Isolation has. The developers created the AI of the Xenomorph to be unpredictable and be able to adapt to the player’s game style. This makes the game difficult, but interesting to play. If you hide for too long, the Xenomorph will eventually find you. One moment you think the Xenomorph is gone, but then it comes back charging at you without you knowing. It’s terrifying, just how the Xenomorph should be.

Pros

  • The story and characters are fleshed out

    The map is detailed and isn’t confusing

  • The Xenomorph

  • The way the story is told connects to the movies and comic books of the series

Cons

  • Save points are far apart

  • The Working Joes feel overpowered even though that’s how they are portrayed in the lore

  • Traversing the ships can be confusing at times

  • Playing in Novice Mode can be challenging at times

  • The Xenomorph seems inescapable sometimes

  • Occasionally the game crashes

 

No horror game can come close to how terrifying this game is. A tense and suspenseful sneak-based game that any horror or sci-fi fan will love. This game is worth playing if you have the patience to play a difficult game. 

 

Hello! My name is Kaela and I’m 20 years old. I have been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I remember my dad playing video games such as Halo or Mortal Combat IX around the age of 7. To this day I’m still playing video games. I love games ranging from horror, fantasy, RPG, open-world, dystopian, platformer games, and racing games. I hope you enjoy the blogs that are to come.