Alien: Isolation Reviews
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.
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.
Contrary to what we were perhaps expecting, Alien Isolation performs incredibly on PC. Armed with just a GeForce GTX 750 Ti we were able to max everything out and achieve respectable frame rates without a hitch. The Creative Assembly's technical marvel is a visual and atmospheric tour de force, particularly once all of the volumetric fog and dynamic lighting is enabled. Don't spend too much time gawping at the environment though, you're always only seconds away from a grisly end.
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.
To sum it up in a handful of words, the entire game is about an unfair, unwinnable boss fight that you're doing your best to avoid. It's as difficult and frustrating as an Alien game should be. It's not a ride in the park and you're not an action hero. You will die a lot and you'll like it, because almost every time, it will be due to a mistake you made.
Overall, Isolation is a superb game that stands on its own feet, regardless of its ties to the Alien franchise. Of course, fans of the series will be the ones who enjoy it the most; if you consider yourself an Alien fan even slightly, you pretty much have to play this game. It treats the alien creature with the respect it deserves; as an indestructible perfect organism, and not some screeching bug that can be blown apart with a shotgun. The Sevastopol is a pure joy to explore, brought to life by the game's pristine visuals and sound. Newcomers to the series will also find plenty to enjoy, as Isolation brings a new level of unpredictability to a genre that has lately come to lack it. The long segments of exploration will probably put off people who don't understand where Isolation is coming from, and some might find it too long. My opinion is that a game like Isolation, which many of us have been waiting for longer than today's newest generation of gamers have even been alive, can never be too long. This is a stunning return to form for a series that hasn't seen anything good since 2001's Alien vs Predator 2, and I hope a signal for more to follow.
Without any of the technical issues that plagued it on other systems it got released on, Alien: Isolation was, and remains, one of the best survival horror games ever made.
The game's ability to capture a strong dose of the original Alien film's atmosphere helps create a wonderfully immersive experience. As long as you understand that this is a survival game where brute force will simply lead to a quick death, it's highly recommended.
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?
One of the best ports we'v seen for the Nintendo Switch. One of the best horror games of the last decade. Admire the purity of the perfect organism: do yourself a favor and play Alien: Isolation.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
[I]t's a well-made game that definitely looks and feels next-gen. Sure, there are a few glitches in both the graphics and gameplay but overall, Alien: Isolation will make you scream in both frustration and euphoria.
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.
Halfway into playing Alien: Isolation, I stopped to watch the first four Alien movies again. It wasn't just for research purposes, but mostly because the game had me yearning for more of the universe. Isolation has some flaws, but it's faithful to the film series, and I'd love to see a follow-up with a few extra alien evolutions.
I went in with a wary eye, but I was pleasantly shocked by how well this title turned out. It slightly overstays its welcome, but the vast majority of the game is a tense and atmospheric mental battle against a vicious and unstoppable killing machine. We've not seen survival horror done this well in a very long time.
Superb port of an already amazing game, perfectly at home on Nintendo Switch looking great and as chilling as ever.
Alien: Isolation might lose you with its humdrum pacing and emotionless character, but in its many shining moments, you'll catch yourself anxiously biting through your fingernails in absolute terror and dread.
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 has been released for five years but still remains an essential work not only for anyone who claims to be a fan of the xenomorph, but also for all fans of the survival horror genre.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
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".