Rezzed 2014: Hands-on with Alien: Isolation

Placed into a booth in near darkness, Xbox One controller and headphones supplied, the setup at Rezzed is clearly the intended way to play Alien Isolation. Developers Creative Assembly hope to heal the wounds still burning from the disappointment of Gearbox’s Colonial Marines with a first-person survival offering. The key word being ‘survival’.

This 20 minute or so demo sees you in the role of Amanda Ripley, Ellen’s daughter, on a mission to locate the flight recorder of the Nostromo. Of course, there is already an Alien on board, and on first viewing you feel its presence. It’s huge, and any sight/sound giving away your position means instant death. Several gruesome methods of death in fact, whether it’s being ripped to shreds or its second mouth coming right at the screen, they look great, and I died quite a few times to get a sample of them.

I was advised by the staff on hand that the demo covered an area in the middle of the game, with its intention clear; this is no tutorial level, so don”t expect a cake walk. The surroundings of the Nostromo are a great homage to the first Alien movie, and the demo plays out like a cross between Dead Space and Metal Gear Solid.

The alien”s presence is a catalyst in what is nbso online casino reviews basically a game of hide and seek, and you really don’t want to be found. Hiding under desks, peeking round corners, even cowering in lockers all necessary to avoid death, but also successfully keep you on edge.

Aside from the fear, it’s a general case of meeting an objective by completing the desired goal. Unlike most first-person games, there is no heavy artillery to blow away your opposition; Isolation is set mere years after the first movie and makes sense that Amanda and her team have little idea what they are dealing with, let alone combat it. It does however provide the most vital piece of kit in the motion tracker, yet these were not introduced until the second movie. Slightly inconsistent, but possible.

These create an experience that, like myself, all Alien fans have been waiting for. But, this could be the biggest issue with Alien: Isolation; the demo was indeed fantastic in its graphical and atmospheric execution, and certainly had the feel of the first movie. However it was also a linear experience, with very clichéd ‘oh that door I need to use is now blocked’ although you spotted it coming minutes earlier.

Also, I found weakness in the Xbox One controller and its weak bumper button – holding this down is a necessity for the motion tracker to remain on screen. The demo’s strengths were most definitely Xenomorph Hide and Seek. I had a genuine feeling of relief and achievement once I’d escaped the Xenomorph, making for a very captivating and memorable taster indeed. If Creative Assembly focus on that, I feel they could be onto a winner.