Alien: Isolation...

Pighardia said:
OK. First impressions were good, but now it has turned in to some kind of really poor stealth fps from 15 years ago!... Not seen the alien outside of a small cutscene, I am just trying to avoid NPCs. It would be nice if something happened soon, and these poor NPCs disappeared, as the great atmosphere that had been built up has been obliterated.
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It will happen give it time, give it time son! ;)

You be in the closet like a raging transvestite in no time!!! :D
 
Few hours in now and have to say the NPC's in general (ai, animations etc) are fairly average. I wouldn't say it ruins the atmosphere but it does take some of it away.
 
Right, initial impression(3 hours and only seen the Alien once outside of a cutscene):

It is generally brilliant, though a tad underwhelming technically.

+It looks and runs great, and the atmosphere is excellent. A great representation of the film.
+Exploration is encouraged, but not forcefully, which I find very refreshing.
+Similarly to a lot of my favourite games, Dishonored for example, you can pretty much control how much of the story/background you want to experience, which again is something I very much like in games.
+The alien seems to be treated with respect, and isn't used for cheap scares or bullet-fodder as it would be in some(most) games.
+The crafting, hacking and especially rewiring seem like a nice addition to what would otherwise be too basic a game.
+Progression seems to happen quite naturally, and the game just leaves you to your own adventure in a way. Love it!

-Bit disappointed with it technically. For a game with not much in terms of gameplay/AI etc, you might expect something a bit more tbh. For example, you don't even cast a shadow, you can't jump, stealth and cover are very basic. I would also expect more interaction with the environment.
-Human enemies seem really odd, like something from 15 years ago. The game that sprung to mind to me was Deus Ex(one enemy sees you, they all know where you are and start shooting until they have to reload type of thing). Their animations seem a little poor as well to me.
-Can't turn off item highlighting. Very strange considering how much trouble they have gone to to make it immersive.
- Button bashing. This is not gameplay. Seeing that for the first time scared me more than anything else tbh. Bash E to open the door...yawn.

Gonna put this in a spoiler, though it really isn't imo. Nothing story-related, it relates to when you pick up a few items
Not really a positive or negative, but I find it a bit strange the way you get certain items. For example, I killed some people with guns. I was unable to pick them up. Ok, maybe they are saving that for a specific time when you get your first gun...then a few minutes later, there was one just sitting on a desk. Same with the motion tracker. Most games would probably tie it in to the story somehow. I don't dislike it at all, just an observation.
Overall though, I love it.
 
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PanMaster said:
Why is the alien always within 50 yards of the player when there's the rest of a massive space station of endless corridors & rooms with other humans and distractions to keep it occupied?
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You don't know how a Xenomorph senses humans and you don't know how long this puppy has been in Sevestapol, the survivors could be the only ones around for a particularly good reason (pheromone blockers, genetic composition, discovering why their collegues were so susceptible).

Here's a perfect analogy; why do I go to a BBQ and manage to be the only one getting Mosquito bites.


Come on ladies, use that imagination.
 
Damn the atmosphere in this game is incredible.

I havent met the alien yet and Im already playing on low volume lol
 
Pighardia said:
Right, initial impression(3 hours and only seen the Alien once outside of a cutscene):

It is generally brilliant, though a tad underwhelming technically.

+It looks and runs great, and the atmosphere is excellent. A great representation of the film.
+Exploration is encouraged, but not forcefully, which I find very refreshing.
+Similarly to a lot of my favourite games, Dishonored for example, you can pretty much control how much of the story/background you want to experience, which again is something I very much like in games.
+The alien seems to be treated with respect, and isn't used for cheap scares or bullet-fodder as it would be in some(most) games.
+The crafting, hacking and especially rewiring seem like a nice addition to what would otherwise be too basic a game.
+Progression seems to happen quite naturally, and the game just leaves you to your own adventure in a way. Love it!

-Bit disappointed with it technically. For a game with not much in terms of gameplay/AI etc, you might expect something a bit more tbh. For example, you don't even cast a shadow, you can't jump, stealth and cover are very basic. I would also expect more interaction with the environment.
-Human enemies seem really odd, like something from 15 years ago. The game that sprung to mind to me was Deus Ex(one enemy sees you, they all know where you are and start shooting until they have to reload type of thing). Their animations seem a little poor as well to me.
-Can't turn off item highlighting. Very strange considering how much trouble they have gone to to make it immersive.
- Button bashing. This is not gameplay. Seeing that for the first time scared me more than anything else tbh. Bash E to open the door...yawn.

Gonna put this in a spoiler, though it really isn't imo. Nothing story-related, it relates to when you pick up a few items
Not really a positive or negative, but I find it a bit strange the way you get certain items. For example, I killed some people with guns. I was unable to pick them up. Ok, maybe they are saving that for a specific time when you get your first gun...then a few minutes later, there was one just sitting on a desk. Same with the motion tracker. Most games would probably tie it in to the story somehow. I don't dislike it at all, just an observation.
Overall though, I love it.
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You need to play a few hours more then some of your negatives go away you will know after playing for a while ;) the game very slowly reveals more features etc etc I am up to mission 7 after 12 hours gameplay & I am only now starting to see a lot more of what the game offers :eek:
 
snips86x said:
That takes the fun out of it!
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I agree but the atmosphere after about mission 5 or 6 more than makes up for it there are so many OMG stunning cinematic moments you actually play a part in for once :eek:

The devs teleported the alien otherwise they say it would not be as tense I can agree with that part but it also lets you see some dumb AI he enters the same room as you looks at you then walks away if your ducking down but trust me there are a few surprises you think he has gone away...........
 
kmax86 said:
Damn the atmosphere in this game is incredible.

I havent met the alien yet and Im already playing on low volume lol
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The sound in this game is vital to working out what the alien is doing. Theres specific sounds for entering and exiting vents for the alien, so definitely gives you a big heads up where you should quickly figure out where it is and hide!
 
James J said:
The sound in this game is vital to working out what the alien is doing. Theres specific sounds for entering and exiting vents for the alien, so definitely gives you a big heads up where you should quickly figure out where it is and hide!
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Yeah but the sound is a give away in some respects. The stomping is truly terrifying as you try to get to the next save point. However the level I am on the Alien is no longer an ambush predator we know from the film.

Looks like it is only a temporary behaviour as as I have moved on through the level it seems to be using more stealthy routes. For a big part of the level it was just endlessly stomping around fairly blind re-searching room after room in a set area.
 
Could not agree more with James.

I tried playing for 10 minutes with the TV speakers and it happened to be the first time you see the Xenomorph and i wasn't even slightly scared. Stick the earphones on with the volume cranked and the lights go off and I have to change my boxers.

DO NOT PLAY THIS GAME WITHOUT EARPHONES. PLEEAASSEE!!!!
 
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