Alien: Isolation

Overview

Alien: Isolation is a first-person survival horror game by The Creative Assembly. It takes place in the year 2137, fifteen years after the original 1979 Alien film in the Alien series. Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, learns that the flight computer of the starfreighter USCSS Nostromo may have been found on the trade space station Sevastopol. Ripley immediately departs for the space station with a crew hoping to find some answers regarding the disappearance of her mother, only to discover a xenomorph drone has wiped out the Sevastopol.

Characters

Amanda Ripley

Daughter of Ellen Ripley, the protagonist of the Alien film series, and the main character of Alien: Isolation. She is approximately twenty-five years old.

The Creative Assembly characterise Amanda as slightly more impulsive than the cool-headed Ellen, but also more lonely due to the trauma of losing her mother.

Samuels

An employee of Weyland-Yutani. Samuels informs Amanda that she may find answers regarding her mother's disappearance aboard Sevastopol.

Taylor

Taylor is a legal executive with Weyland-Yutani. Though she has little experience of (and is nervous about) space travel, she sees the discovery of the Nostromo's black box as a chance to forward her career within the company.

Verlaine

Verlaine was conceived of as the answer to the question, "If Ellen Ripley hadn't been caught by the Alien, what would have happened to her?" Verlaine captains the USCSS Torrens, and has ceded some of her independence as a ship captain to survive in a universe run by megacorporations.

Gameplay

Alien: Isolation tasks the player with navigating the Sevastopol space station while being stalked by the titular alien. Bands of hostile humans and synthetic androids called Working Joes are also encountered.

The survival horror aspect of Alien: Isolation manifests in the available tools and the player's interactions with the environment. Blueprints are collected throughout the game that allow the player to craft improvised weapons, including pipe bombs, noisemakers, and EMP traps. These devices are created using the various components found in the environment.

The player gains access to a few firearms, but open combat is generally discouraged. Health and ammo are limited, and the alien is attracted to loud noises. Players can evade enemies with the help of ventilation shafts, allowing passage through the station's walls or underneath the floors.

The player is able to interact with the systems in place on the station. Rewire stations are dual-screen wall devices that allow for the enabling or disabling of systems in the area through the redirection of power, up to a specified limit. These systems include security cameras, air purification, door access, and alarms. The player also has tools for removing hydraulic door jams and electronic locks.

One of the player's most vital tools is a motion tracker. The device emits an audible beep when in use, which can be heard by enemies that are very close.

Xenomorph

The alien is the primary foe of Alien: Isolation. Introduced early on, the alien stalks the player throughout the game. It has no scripted AI routine, aside from "shadowing" the player as they move from one area to the next, as so to guarantee that it is always nearby. When and where the alien descends from the ventilation shafts in the ceiling is completely random, unless attracted by a noise. On the ground, the alien will search for the player before retreating into the ceiling. The player is killed immediately if the alien catches up to them. This, along with the inability to kill the alien, necessitates stealth to survive.

Working Joes

The synthetic android workers called Working Joes have taken over management of the Sevastopol's facilities. Not all of the androids are hostile to the player. The ones that are will attempt to grapple the player and eliminate them. The androids are able to withstand several gunshots and are particularly resistant to fire, making them difficult to disable through conventional means.

Humans

Survivors are scarce aboard the Sevastopol. Many of those still remaining have armed themselves and organized into groups for safety. Upon detecting the player, they will draw their weapons and often give the player a chance to escape unharmed. Any further provocation results in a gunfight.

Development

Alien: Isolation draws from the aesthetic and pacing of the original Alien film. Gary Napper, the lead designer for the game, has cited Dead Space, Limbo, and the classic Resident Evil games as inspiration.

DLC

Sega announced pre-order DLC featuring the original cast of the original Ridley Scott film. Two items of DLC are offered through various retailers.

The "Nostromo Edition" of the game includes Crew Expendable, in which the player can choose to play as Ellen, Dallas, or Parker as they try to lure the xenomorph into the airlock.

The "Ripley Edition" offers both Crew Expendable and Last Survivor, which features Ripley activating the self-destruct on the Nostromo before escaping on the Narcissus. Certain retailers also offered Last Survivor as bonus pre-order content without Crew Expendable.

PC System Requirements

Useful Links

• Official Website
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• YouTube channel
• Steam store page