Alien: Isolation Reviews
It took me a while to get into Alien: Isolation and, I can't imagine that everyone will enjoy it but, if you're a fan of either the Alien series or scaring yourself into next Tuesday, I'd suggest giving it a try. The story itself isn't particularly inspired, but it's more about the parts in between the story that work for Isolation.
There have been many games based on the Alien series over the years, but Alien: Isolation is the first that truly does justice to the original movie.
Alien: Isolation is a terrifying game that looks, sounds, and feels like living in the setting of the classic movie. It may wear out its welcome for some, but there's no denying that it's successful in creating the dread players want from the genre. If you're a fan of horror in any medium, you need to play this game.
Sure, we may have seen much of what Alien: Isolation has to offer before, but never from this frightening perspective.
I truly want to say 'Alien Isolation' is a contender for game-of-the-year. It's the rare gaming experience that offered me something I never experienced and immersed me in a setting from start to finish. It's beautifully rendered and one can't praise the sound design enough. Still, there's no denying it's long and repeated trial-and-error will only stretch that out to moments of sheer frustration at the game. The story of Amanda Ripley is definitely worth experiencing, but be prepared for some stretches of thin narrative amidst your quest to survive, or more aptly, die less. Finally, it seems, Sega, has directed developer Creative Assembly to make a game with enough authenticity, creativity, and style to make the franchise proud. For those willing to look past the most recent abysmal offering, Gearbox's 'Aliens: Colonial Marines,' 'Alien Isolation' brings it back to where it started. I can't lie about your chances, but... you have my sympathies.
Alien: Isolation could have been a superb experience if some components were better balanced or removed. There is still enough tension to make you fear the dark.
Alien: Isolation does so much right. It's beautiful, atmospheric and interesting, and it does a great job of maintaining the ambiance of the original film. When the game works, it is head and shoulders above any other title that uses the license. When it fails, however, it descends into frustration and tedium. A few critical design decisions have the potential to turn an awesome experience into a tiring one, and it's very hard for the game to maintain its atmosphere with an unhappy player. A better save system or a less flawed set of enemy AI patterns would've done wonders for Isolation. If you're a giant "Alien" fan, this is the game for you. More casual horror fans should only take the dive if they have the utmost confidence in their skills or a very high tolerance for frustration.
Alien: Isolation desperately tries to give us something fearsome and memorable. But the inconsistent approach leads to periods of tedium thankfully interrupted by flashes of unmitigated terror. If you can revel in the highs and forge through the lows, you should emerge satisfied.
If some of the technical issues could have been ironed out, such as the choppiness of the cut-scenes, clipping, or when the HAVOK physics engine goes berserk, this might have been a 10/10. As it is, Alien: Isolation is a very pure gem with some minor hairline fractures. This is a worthy game and comes highly recommended to anyone who enjoys excitement or is a fan of Ridley Scott's Alien, or for fans of survival horror in general.
For fans of the Alien series, the films, books, comics, and every other form of entertainment imaginable, Alien: Isolation is simply a must-play, given that it fits so well into the storyline that it nearly seems to be a chapter in it's own right.
I think Isolation could use a sequel. There are plenty of great ideas and the presentation was mostly on point.
Alien: Isolation was a very positive surprise when it was launched in 2014 and five years later it still is on the Nintendo console. Possibly it is the game that does more justice to the xenomorph franchise, it will know how to keep us in tension and get scared on more than one occasion, although the high duration of the title and the repetition of situations subtract some of them. In spite of everything, if you are a fan of the franchise, and horror games are your favourite genre, do not miss the opportunity.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
While I do think it has pacing issues along with some annoying elements, I think it’s still worth a look.
Alien: Isolation is a blast to play on the Nintendo Switch, with its frightening gameplay mechanics and incredibly atmospheric setting helping it establish itself as one of the best horror titles to release on the system. Sure, it has its flaws and I do think the game is a little longer than it needs to be, but being pursued by the Xenomorph is still as intense and daunting now as it was when the game first released five years ago – plus, you can do it all on the go now… what more could you want? Nintendo Switch gamers that are eager for some intense and utterly terrifying action won’t be disappointed by Alien: Isolation.
While it has a few rough patches and may prove too slow and drawn-out for some players, Isolation does an amazing job of capturing the essence of a classic film and recasting it as a video game. It can be a little too easy to see the man behind the curtain at times, but this is nevertheless one of the finest film-to-game adaptations ever... and a fantastic stealth adventure in its own right.
We've actually been waiting longer for a quality Alien game longer then Amanda Ripley has been in pursuit of her mother. But finally are we going to get the game we deserve?
A master of horror and terror, which brings one of the film’s greatest terrors to life in a game. If you want to be scared this game will achieve it. Though it has a few flaws it’s incredibly effective.
Whether you act upon fight or flight, the restrictions imposed on the moment-to-moment gameplay never fail to make sneaking or making a scene filled with excitable tension. While some design choices, a lack of diverse objectives, minor issues with the controls, and passable characters will contribute to varying bouts of boredom, it's more than worth to see Amanda through to aurally and visually absorb every second of the distinct retro-futurism that Creative Assembly perfectly replicates and improves upon.
Alien: Isolation is a fun, tense game fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. Hide. Run. Survive.
Alien: Isolation has the makings of the game the franchise deserves and shows us why that would be so amazing, if only we can find a way to blow the troublesome bits out the airlock.