Creative Assembly is best known for its strategy games, especially the critically-acclaimedTotal Warseries. But in 2014,Creative Assemblyset out to make something completely different, and managed to release one of the most-celebrated survival-horror games available on PS4 and Xbox One in the process.
Alien: Isolationis widely considered one of the best survival-horror games available on PS4 and Xbox One, with many praising it as one of the best video games based on theAlienfranchise released to date. InAlien: Isolation, players take on the role of Ellen Ripley’s daughter Amanda as she fights to survive against creepy androids and one of the most terrifying depictions of a xenomorph alien that’s ever been produced.
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Alien: Isolationtakes its cues from theoriginalAlienmovie, functioning as more of a sci-fi horror experience, with minimal focus on action. While Amanda does have some weapons she can use to defend herself, one of her most important tools is the motion tracker that she uses to keep track of the xenomorph’s whereabouts. This way, Amanda can do everything possible to avoid the xenomorph as well as stay hidden from all the other things that are actively trying to kill her.
Alien: Isolation’s xenomorphis the star of the show thanks to its remarkable AI that makes it far more unpredictable than the typical video game monster. This also ensures thatAlien: Isolationhas a lot more replay value than similar games, as there can be genuine, fresh scares with each playthrough. It’s very much likeResident Evil 2remake’s encounters with Mr. X, but even less predictable and arguably even scarier.
At the time of its release,Alien: Isolationearned somewhat mixed reviews from critics, as some felt as though the xenomorph was too overbearing, leading to some frustration. However, the game seems to be remembered in a fonder light, and went on to win some major year-end awards. There’s a reason whyAlien: Isolationoften pops up on lists of thebest horror games of the last decade, and so it’s definitely something horror fans should check out while they count down the days to Halloween.
In the meantime, some fans may be holding out hope for anAlien: Isolation 2. Unfortunately, anAlien: Isolationsequelmay not be in the cards as the first game wasn’t exactly a sales success. But hopefully fans get another survival-horror game set in theAlienuniverse, asAlien: Isolationproves that the concept has plenty of potential.
Alien: Isolationis out now for PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
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