Alien: Isolation Reviews
This isn't a horror game. Oh no, this is an Alien game.
Creative Assembly made a game worthy of Ridley Scott's original Alien. If you're a fan of that sci-fi horror classic, or survival horror, or stealth games, give Alien: Isolation a try.
And unlike Ripley, you can always hit the power button if things get too scary.
Alien: Isolation is not just a brilliant homage to the original film, it's also given us plenty of reasons to be completely afraid of the dark again.
Alien: Isolation is close to a survival horror masterpiece that, while unforgiving, carries itself with an unbridled sense of style and class. It authentically recreates the look and feel of the original 1979 film while still feeling incredibly rewarding. Through some wizardry, the game plays just as well, if not better, on Switch, and is to be commended as one of the best ports the platform has ever seen.
Alien: Isolation is a tough, terrifying and ultimate thrilling game that's defiantly old-school in its approach. The result is one of the best survival horror games in recent memory.
The Creative Assembly team have done what no other development house has been able to do in quite some time if not ever. They've managed to create a suspenseful title around the helplessness of being stranded on a derelict station with little to no help and no official training what so ever. Normally those ingredients would seem like a recipe for a slaughter but Ripley is a tough gal and she manages to hang on to dear life, regardless of what's thrown at her. And no don't bring up my other favorite sci-fi title, Dead Space. Isaac Clark had it easy compared to Ripley.
Alien: Isolation projects an authoritative and unrepentant sense of despair consistent with Ridley Scott's 1979 classic. As powerful and affecting as its influence may be, it's applied with enough force to drive Isolation off its rails. It never crashes, but after an aggressively defiant start, it teeters and wobbles its way toward an unassertive and obedient conclusion.
Alien: Isolation is exactly the game that Switch owners were clamoring for. Simply, the greatest survival horror based on Alien franchise.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Alien Isolation provides an utmost emotionally pulling experience, and runs flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch. The game truly is a testament to what can be done by third-party developers and porting studios.
Ultimately, Creative Assembly has delivered on its promise of an unforgiving thriller that refuses to pull its punches. Isolation reaffirms the Alien as the ultimate horror icon, both terrifying and awesome; trapping you within its cage proves to be the shot in the arm the franchise needed. Bold, unrelenting and very scary, Alien: Isolation is a triumph in every department. No prior knowledge is necessary. Just prepare yourself for the most terrifying game of the year.
You'll see just how effective Isolation is at creating incredible tension and genuine scares, and you'll likely jump as much as the streamer, even though you're not in the pilot's seat.
In terms of story, while there is an abundance of nested fetch quests they do feel important. There's no "why on earth is Ripley doing this?!" Ripley is always trying to escape almost from the instant she gets onboard.
Alien: Isolation has its issues, but by-and-large it's the best stealth game of the year and a stunning tribute to Ridley Scott's universe.
Despite having a few superfluous levels, Alien: Isolation ends up being a game Alien and survival horror fans can hold in high esteem.
I'd hesitate to call Alien: Isolation "good" but it's certainly "better." It feels like there was this great idea for an honestly tarrying Alien game, but halfway through the design team fell back on the same tropes we have seen over and over and over again. If you are a die-hard Aliens fan, this is the best game yet. However, the game certainly outstays its welcome. The game takes about 15 hours to complete, but more than half of that time is spent wandering around and waiting for something to happen. Even so, I suggest at least trying the game out, through rentals or demos. It's a game that deserves to be played if only so we can imagine how the series can get better still.
Alien: Isolation isn't created with the same purity as the xenomorph in which you'll be hiding from; it's not perfect by any means. But it's finally a game that does the iconic franchise justice.
Overall Alien: Isolation is the game Alien fans have been waiting for. In spite of the numerous broken promises in the last 35 years, Creative Assembly has successfully formatted a love letter to fans of the franchise, one that has taken far too long to get here. A golden standard has been set for all future titles in the Alien universe. Simply put, Isolation is the definitive Alien game that no fan should miss out on.
All these are just minor things however, and while they did drag the score down from the hallowed 9s they don't stop Alien Isolation from being a superb game and quite possibly the best Alien game ever (although Monolith's Aliens Vs Predator 2 comes close). At the very least SEGA have redeemed themselves and the franchise. Alien Isolation is a nerve-wrecking, stomach-twisting, bowel-moving, edge-of-your-seat experience and is unlike every other game out there. Now this is true "survival horror".
Scary good