Alien Isolation: Just how scary Can an Alien Game be. (SPOILERS)

Alien Isolation, was released on 6^th October 2014. As a huge alien fan I feel awful for saying this but its took me until Christmas 2014 to play it. And I can truly say this is the alien game I have been waiting for.

As of writing this I am on chapter 6 and progressing slowly, as im having to build my way up to play the chapters.

Immediately off the bat it echoes the very first alien film in term of atmosphere and overall look and it is here that the game works well. As you navigate your ship and the Sevastopol Space Station I was truly on edge even though I had yet to even see the alien. I found myself progressing really, really slowly as I was investigating the sounds that were coming through my turtle beach headset. What was that noise over there? Was that pipe clanking simply due to the atmosphere or is the alien in there, every little event set my heart racing that little bit mote. As I found myself crawling through the vents early game especially before I even had a flash light my heart was racing as I knew at any point the alien could jump out, in my head I knew the alien would get its reveal in one of the earlier chapters and it was highly unlikely the alien would jump out at me so early in the game, but games like dead space taught me a harsh lesson, and that lesson is you have to be ready for anything.

One of the best moments I have experienced so far whilst playing this game was when I met Ash in chapter 2. Up until this point I was all alone, on a space station I was unaware with and I had just witnessed with horror as my own space ship left me on there, Ultimately to fend for my self. I then met Ash, and even though this meant I had someone covering me, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of uncertainty that this random stranger could easily turn on me. As we explored the Sevastopol he taught me that surviving is the only thing that matters, be this at the cost of another human or not. This aspect of the game worked well and also echoed the best aspects of Naughty dogs The Last Of Us.  Watching Ash die before my eyes was truly disheartening as I was just beginning to like him.

As I progressed through to chapter 6 (Im ashamed to admit, im terrified to play) I noticed the alien was adapting just as I was adapting to the space station. Hiding from the alien in an open cabinet I noticed the alien was looking into the vent I had literally a few seconds earlier come out of, had this been 10 seconds before I would have been alien lunch. My characters heart was racing just as mine was as I saw through the small slits the alien slither closer to the cabinet, Stopping directly in front of me. How was I meant to get out of this? He was literally right in front of me, to my relief a pipe burst further down the hallway prompting the alien to go investigate as I reveal myself from my puny hiding space and directly into the alien’s playground. This works really well and I could truly feel the plight my character was going through, so hopeless and yet so determined to survive.

This was definitely the alien game I wanted. And I assure you I will finish it someday, probably without a headset.