Alien: Isolation Reviews
Alien: Isolation erases the memory of Colonial Marines, but it's still not the great Alien game we were hoping for.
Despite its incredibly creative design, unique premise and genuinely tense moments, Alien: Isolation is far too lengthy, repetitive, and frustrating to be the game-changing survival horror title it strives to be.
[Alien Isolation] is a remarkable work fueled by fearful tension and exhausting stress.
And unlike Ripley, you can always hit the power button if things get too scary.
'Alien: Isolation' evokes the atmosphere and tension of the movies, but inconsistent xenomorph AI and antiquated design turn fear into frustration.
Alien: Isolation harbors legitimate frights, but they're nestled between endless stretches of bland lever-pulling and button-pressing.
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 is a great game marred with problems that make it frustrating the longer it goes on, and it goes on for a lot longer than it should. I love the ideas, I love the environments and the atmosphere and I wanted to love the entire game, but it kept giving me reasons not to.
Isolation isn't the worst Alien game, but it is the most disappointing
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 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 is a frightening, atmospheric experience, and a perfect example of how to properly adapt an Alien game. However, it is not without its pitfalls. Abysmal pacing, a thin plot, bugs aplenty, and a frustrating save system are just a few of the many snags in an otherwise faithful representation of the franchise as a whole. Even with those drawbacks, I'd recommend A:I wholeheartedly to fans of horror, or devotees of the series. If you're not either of those things, however, you may find more aggravation than fun in the 15-20 hours of gameplay the game has to offer.
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.
If you are an Alien fan like me and find yourself immersed throughout most of the game, you will surely find a lot to love, but for others coming for a new game experience they will find a game that mainly forces you to move slowly from point to point with little reward.
Missions have unclear objectives and way too much backtracking, made more frustrating by doors that go from sealed to open for no good reason and checkpoints triggered by obscure means.
Padding is Alien: Isolation's unfortunate undoing, as there are a few too many recycled moments throughout the course of its seemingly never-ending single player campaign. Still, when it's on form, this is a nail biting affair, as you use sound and cunningly constructed items in order outwit your incredibly intelligent enemies. Outstanding audio and impressive art work make this more than just another bug hunt – but you'll be rolling your eyes rather than flinching in fear at points during the outer-space escapade.
Pacing problems and a lack of variety take their toll, but in its best most moments this is the most successful big budget survival horror in a decade.
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.
Alien: Isolation is worth experiencing, but at the same time feels like lost potential. There's nothing quite like playing elaborate hide-and-seek with the alien, it's just a shame that so much baggage comes along with it. Fans may have finally gotten a good alien game, but they may have to wait longer for a great one.
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.