After a little time with Alien: Isolation, it's almost impossible to believe the game comes from Creative Assembly, better known for the
Total War strategy series, but it does. The kind of attention to detail they poured into those game is the same kind of love they poured into Alien: Isolation. The difference is that a strategy game never got me so wound up that I had to walk away to let my heart rate return to normal. A full review of Alien: Isolation is coming but here are some quick impressions and observations from the first 60 - 90 minutes.
 |
| This screen was grabbed about three minutes into the game. This was the point that absolutely convinced me the developers had done their homework and put in 2,000-psi worth of effort to crush the details (in a very good way). The setting, the sense of place is incredible; it feels (at times) like you're wandering an extremely detailed movie set circa 1979. |
 |
| If there's one thing that I always think of when I watch Alien it's sweat. Then I wonder about the smell, the cramped quarters, and the recycled air. Developer Creative Assembly knocked it out in all respects, even the sweat. This is Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, the central protagonist of the Alien films. |
 |
| Fire... this could come in handy. |
 |
| Holding a flare is terrifying but it looks awesome. |
 |
| Even though I heard a recording saying they didn't know what was "haunting" the station and even characters encountered later haven't seen the "killer" maybe someone should taken a look at this kid's doodling. This little detail actually managed to make my skin crawl. So far, the only part of the killer xenomorph I've seen is a part of the tail. The build-up to a full reveal is slow but it's creating a great deal of anxiety and fear, especially when getting into air vents. |
 |
| The lighting continues to impress... right up until the damn things go out and the world is plunged into infinite darkness. Fortunately, at this point in the game (about 60 minutes) I've acquired a head-mounted flash light, which, working against convention, has a battery that burns out quickly rather than recharging itself between uses. |
 |
| Hiding inside a locker? Yeah, maybe I'll just stay here and see how things work out. Oh God, did someone pee in here? |
- Aaron Simmer
