I will always throw my hat in the ring for A:I. Playing A:I with the MotherVR mod makes A:I single-handedly the most exciting, exhilarating and terrifying game I have ever played. It's is an awesome experience playing it normally, but in VR it is truly something special.
I always want to try this game as a huge fan of the original film but the whole game being based on a stalker enemy really turns me off.
How does one actually DEAL with encounters and what keeps you engaged on a gameplay level? Are there mechanics in place beyond simply running away and hoping the AI goes away like in SOMA for example?
Not also is Isolation a phenomenal game, it also was developed by Creative Assembly, who had made nothing but RTS games for the last 30 years. They then knock it clear out of the park with one of, if not the most visually beautiful and effective first-person survival horror games ever made, and the best game ever based on the Alien license. That's a studio capable of amazing things.
Creative Assembly basically flexed on everyone with this game just to prove they could, and then went back to making RTSs.
I always want to try this game as a huge fan of the original film but the whole game being based on a stalker enemy really turns me off.
How does one actually DEAL with encounters and what keeps you engaged on a gameplay level? Are there mechanics in place beyond simply running away and hoping the AI goes away like in SOMA for example?
Keep making these threads and talking about this game. Hopefully it will result in some re-release and then everybody buy it again. I feel that this is a Yakuza/Dragon's Dogma zeitgeist type game that can be reborn if word of mouth reaches the that perfect fever pitch then we'll get a sequel. I think it would be an amazing E3 reveal in the near future. That load screen is sexy as hell BTW.
Masterpiece -- the only weak point was the story was a bit whatever, but everything else was a horror masterpiece and the story is kind of unimportant. Most intense gaming experience I've ever had. I understand if it's too slow for some peoples tastes, that's fine, but reviews brutalizing this game probably cost us a sequel :(
Funny, I just posted in another thread about how I just started playing it, and I really really want to like this game but it's not clicking. Love Aliens, some of my fav movies of all time, love lots of horror games, like PT, Evil Within, etc., love the atmosphere of this game, but I am just finding it frustrating as all get get out. Maybe I'll just set it to easy and pull up a guide to get through it, this thread really makes me to stick with it.
I had no idea IGN gave it such a poor review... What possessed them?
I feel like some reviewers don't even know what makes a good game, they just follow a routine and go into a review with their preconceived notions... "Alien games are usually bad so this MUST be bad."
I had this on the X-Box One, and had my Kinect hooked up (I know right??)...I never put on the noise detection setting, but I did have the "lean" setting turned on, which let you look around corners by actually leaning in real life. Considering that with these types of games I find myself physically doing it anyway, it kinda weirdly worked as a mechanic.
Even as someone who appreciates but isn't a huge fan of the Alien universe, this game was a masterclass in survival horror. I really want to return to and finish it one day. Everything from the stellar art and sound design to the unpredictable behaviour of the enemy AI made this game an absolutely nerve wracking experience.
It's such a shame that Sega won't greenlight a sequel.
If you have a good surround sound system this game makes full use of it. I remember when I upgraded my gaming room from a soundbar and got 5.1. Even though I had already beaten the game, it was more terrifying the second playthrough because of the audio.
I had no idea IGN gave it such a poor review... What possessed them?
I feel like some reviewers don't even know what makes a good game, they just follow a routine and go into a review with their preconceived notions... "Alien games are usually bad so this MUST be bad."
Anyone really like the drone design in this game? There's something about this variant of the drone that is so fascinating. Just observing how it interacts with NPCs and even Androids is neat. It doesn't have the standard human-like legs like the drone from the first movie but still retains the tiny barb stinger on the tail. And of course the human skull under its dome like the original. Even though it has no eyes, it's horrifying to see such a familiar skeleton/face before it kills you.
You know what was cool for me? In the lead up to the launch of this game I was getting pretty excited for it because it just looked so good. I had never seen an Alien movie before. Seriously. So right before this game came out I watched Alien and Aliens for the first time, then played Isolation with everything fresh.
While I do think the game feels padded, in a general sense I am happy the game is as long as it is because it allows for more time exploring and experiencing all of Sevastopol. It could've been 30 chapters long, many of which I would have probably found completely unnecessary, but I would've stilled appreciated them because they would have allotted more time in the game. I love everything about the setting. It is perfect.
I had no idea IGN gave it such a poor review... What possessed them?
I feel like some reviewers don't even know what makes a good game, they just follow a routine and go into a review with their preconceived notions... "Alien games are usually bad so this MUST be bad."
From what I remember the reviewer complained it about being way too hard, which itself is a very stupid criticism, as I don't find it to be one at all, but he also started the game on hard difficulty. He said that the game recommends it this way, which I honestly don't remember if it does, but even if it did, as soon as you found it to be too difficult, you should reduce the difficulty and try again. I don't see how the game is bad because it's too hard for you.
Hold up. What? I had never heard of this game until your post. The Alien: Isolation team is making that? It has the exact type of aesthetic that I love.
I mean I know everyone says it's a great game so there has to be some sort of engaging gameplay loop, it just seems like simply being stalked and running away for like 20 hours on 'paper' whenever I read about it.
What are the mechanics to actually engage in this 'chase'/stalking and fending off the alien?
PS: I think I'm just weary after finding the actual enemy encounters in SOMA utterly dreadful and rather stupid despite loving the overall game. I'm mainly worried it'll turn into that for an entire game while these shitty encounters in SOMA are at least sparse. It just kind of reminds me of that, again, 'on paper', hence my curiosity how it actually works.
Marvelous game, the atmosphere is second to none and the devs did a fantastic job of staying true to the aesthetic of the movies. For all intents and purposes, this game can be fits right into Alien canon and would not feel out of place at all. I also feel kudos should be given to Andrea Deck who did an amazing job of voicing Amanda Ripley. I remember more than a few lines she delivered fantastically conveyed the dread, hopelessness, and anguish of the situations she were facing.
Generally, you strive to sneak around the Alien when it's near. Crafting plays a huge role in the game mechanics and you can create a bunch of objects to distract and/or drive away the alien if it notices and goes after you. Things like noisemakers, grenades, smoke bombs, etc. So resource management is a big factor as well.
You get several weapons in the game as well, however they are generally intended for the human and android enemies One late game weapon is meant specifically to drive the alien away
I think blaming the lackluster sales and no sequel on one review is pretty naive. It's Metacritic score across all 3 platforms is a solid 80, which is a good game. What probably turned folks off is that it's a niche genre - hide-and-seek survival horror with essentially no way to kill the antagonist. These types of games aren't big blockbuster sellers to begin with. Amnesia and Soma both are highly acclaimed but had similar sales as well.
I also like the game, but agree with the general criticisms, mainly that it's way too long in the teeth.
"Whew! that was intense, guess I'm done now...Oh wait, here's another 1-2 hours of dealing with angry androids. OK, I must be done now....Oh shit, just fell into a nest of eggs. OK, torched that, gonna get off of this stat-oh wait! Now I have to do a space walk while avoiding MULTIPLE necromorphs. Fuck me, just end already".
For all the hate that ME3 gets for it's ending ruining the entire series, it's strange that the multiple false endings on this get hand waved away. I keep seeing it on sale and think "oh, a replay would be nice, but that last 25% of the game is a deal breaker".
Generally, you strive to sneak around the Alien when it's near. Crafting plays a huge role in the game mechanics and you can create a bunch of objects to distract and/or drive away the alien if it notices and goes after you. Things like noisemakers, grenades, smoke bombs, etc. So resource management is a big factor as well.
You get several weapons in the game as well, however they are generally intended for the human and android enemies One late game weapon is meant specifically to drive the alien away
It definitely sounds more engaging than, for example, SOMA's non-existent interaction with the enemy. I don't need to kill things as long as I can at least somehow do something about it.
It's usually on a pretty deep sale at this point so I'll probably pick it up soon as I haven't played anything new in a while anyway. Thanks for the explanation.
IGN's review was so bad it wasn't even funny. Isolation was everything I wanted. Tense, scary, with probably one of the best atmospheres of any game ever from the perfect film aesthetic to the amazing sound design. Masterpiece.
As a big fan of the films, Creative Assembly knocked it right out of the park with Isolation. They absolutely nailed the atmosphere, environment and aesthetic of the Alien universe to a T. Top to bottom the attention to detail is spectacular, everything from the lighting, textures, assets, the analog work stations even the sounds the computers make when you use them is insanely faithful to the source material.
I really enjoyed how suspenseful and tense the game was, the reactor room encounter in particular is insane. I can't say enough good things about that game. That said, I'll freely admit It's not perfect. The pace can slow to a crawl at times and the story although nothing ground breaking was kinda of predictable including the plot twist.
Seriously underrated game, doesn't get enough attention and certainly deserves a sequel. Creative Assembly delivered big time and deserve a lot of praise. Those guys and gals crushed it.
If you like horror games play it, if you like sci-fi games play it. If you have even a passing interest in the films, play it.
Also buy a decent pair of headphones and play it late at night, in a room with the lights off.
Started it last night, just wanted to share a couple brief very early game thoughts
Holy.Shit.
Playing on my PS4 Pro, it looks pretty damn great. The lighting, sound, level design, etc, everything just comes together. I'm still very early on but I'm already tense as hell exploring and it's wonderfully immersive. There's a part of me that wants to stop and save the game for an October play through but it already has its hooks in me.
I'm only at the section where
You pick up the Access Tuner and the 4 humans start searching for you. Also, since I'm struggling here, how the heck do you melee someone? I'm holding a flare that I can't seem to put away and I know I have that wrench jack thing, how do I bonk someone on the head with that?
That's where I left off before work. It's such great fun popping open the map to plan my route and scavenging for parts. I can't wait to get back to it. I know it's going to get incredibly stressful soon but damn it's a very satisfying game to play so far, my guess is it's just going to get better.
I don't personally like a lot of games, I don't much enjoy any Zelda game before BotW. But to be a videogame critic you have to review a game on its merits; on its gameplay, design, graphics, music, voice, tone, glitches and issues... I think the sound design alone would put this game above a 5.9/10... I really don't see ANYTHING about this game that would warrant such a low score. And evidently, not many other people did either.
While I do think the game feels padded, in a general sense I am happy the game is as long as it is because it allows for more time exploring and experiencing all of Sevastopol. It could've been 30 chapters long, many of which I would have probably found completely unnecessary, but I would've stilled appreciated them because they would have allotted more time in the game. I love everything about the setting. It is perfect.
From what I remember the reviewer complained it about being way too hard, which itself is a very stupid criticism, as I don't find it to be one at all, but he also started the game on hard difficulty. He said that the game recommends it this way, which I honestly don't remember if it does, but even if it did, as soon as you found it to be too difficult, you should reduce the difficulty and try again. I don't see how the game is bad because it's too hard for you.
Hold up. What? I had never heard of this game until your post. The Alien: Isolation team is making that? It has the exact type of aesthetic that I love.
I don't personally like a lot of games, I don't much enjoy any Zelda game before BotW. But to be a videogame critic you have to review a game on its merits; on its gameplay, design, graphics, music, voice, tone, glitches and issues... I think the sound design alone would put this game above a 5.9/10... I really don't see ANYTHING about this game that would warrant such a low score. And evidently, not many other people did either.
Everyone has their impressions, but I think people were upset because the review was positive for 75% of the way through, and then he said the game was too difficult (even though he was playing on the hardest difficulty) and that it was frustrating to keep dying. Ive never seen this much anger at a review and I believe he went on like 3 separate IGN shows to justify the review.
Everyone has their impressions, but I think people were upset because the review was positive for 75% of the way through, and then he said the game was too difficult (even though he was playing on the hardest difficulty) and that it was frustrating to keep dying. Ive never seen this much anger at a review and I believe he went on like 3 separate IGN shows to justify the review.
Although I think paid for X patches are a slippery slope I admit I would definitely do it in a heartbeat for this game. The aliasing is incredibly rough in the game, and the game would be absolutely perfect for HDR. It's already a great showcase on an OLED.
Although I think paid for X patches are a slippery slope I admit I would definitely do it in a heartbeat for this game. The aliasing is incredibly rough in the game, and the game would be absolutely perfect for HDR. It's already a great showcase on an OLED.
I can't mention the above without mentioning the two things I disliked the most:
One or two many chapters that drag out the end of the game.
Missions, such as the one where you walk on planet LV 426, where the pacing is completely cut in half. You can't move any faster than the scene allows you to. This really kills the momentum and I despise it.
I couldn't agree more. The first 12 hours of the game were absolute perfection, but it overstayed its welcome by a third and the third act feels like it could have been better handled.
I think the big mistake that Alien Isolation made was in not just kind of being a walking simulator on steroids. It was strongest when you were just kinda experiencing the environmental storytelling in the context of the ever-present threat of violence from the Alien and those androids. I think they should have maintained that more, and interspersed "action" that was mostly puzzle-solving.
But it felt like they really tried to action-it-up at the end and make things more tactical, and it certainly wasn't the game's strong suit.
Although I think paid for X patches are a slippery slope I admit I would definitely do it in a heartbeat for this game. The aliasing is incredibly rough in the game, and the game would be absolutely perfect for HDR. It's already a great showcase on an OLED.
Although I think paid for X patches are a slippery slope I admit I would definitely do it in a heartbeat for this game. The aliasing is incredibly rough in the game, and the game would be absolutely perfect for HDR. It's already a great showcase on an OLED.
I think blaming the lackluster sales and no sequel on one review is pretty naive. It's Metacritic score across all 3 platforms is a solid 80, which is a good game. What probably turned folks off is that it's a niche genre - hide-and-seek survival horror with essentially no way to kill the antagonist. These types of games aren't big blockbuster sellers to begin with. Amnesia and Soma both are highly acclaimed but had similar sales as well.
I also like the game, but agree with the general criticisms, mainly that it's way too long in the teeth.
"Whew! that was intense, guess I'm done now...Oh wait, here's another 1-2 hours of dealing with angry androids. OK, I must be done now....Oh shit, just fell into a nest of eggs. OK, torched that, gonna get off of this stat-oh wait! Now I have to do a space walk while avoiding MULTIPLE necromorphs. Fuck me, just end already".
For all the hate that ME3 gets for it's ending ruining the entire series, it's strange that the multiple false endings on this get hand waved away. I keep seeing it on sale and think "oh, a replay would be nice, but that last 25% of the game is a deal breaker".
I don't think we blamed lackluster sales on IGN's review. I simply acknowledged it exists. But considering how big the website is, it's not a stretch to also say that it most definitely swayed a lot of people into avoiding the game. That much I'd say with confidence.
Also no one is letting the last bit of this game off the hook. It's my top five game ever yet I fully acknowledge its flaws. It's precisely because the sum of all its parts is so amazing that one or two too many chapters does absolutely nothing to diminish the entire experience.
My favorite games ever all dip in quality toward the end or have some very egregiously boring parts to them, yet, as I said above, the sum of their experiences completely outweigh the few bad parts.
I know ME3's ending, but I never played the game (only played ME2). I'm sure despite the ending the game is phenomenal.
I don't think we blamed lackluster sales on IGN's review. I simply acknowledged it exists. But considering how big the website is, it's not a stretch to also say that it most definitely swayed a lot of people into avoiding the game. That much I'd say with confidence.
Also no one is letting the last bit of this game off the hook. It's my top five game ever yet I fully acknowledge its flaws. It's precisely because the sum of all its parts is so amazing that one or two too many chapters does absolutely nothing to diminish the entire experience.
My favorite games ever all dip in quality toward the end or have some very egregiously boring parts to them, yet, as I said above, the sum of their experiences completely outweigh the few bad parts.
I know ME3's ending, but I never played the game (only played ME2). I'm sure despite the ending the game is phenomenal.
Then why bother even posting their score seeing it's an outlier for an otherwise very well received game?
I'd also say with confidence that saying "one or two too many chapters does absolutely nothing to diminish the entire experience" as letting those parts off the hook. It absolutely diminished the experience for a lot of folks, otherwise we would probably see it mentioned more often when discussing great games, instead of an "oh yeah, that was a good game too" afterthought.
I agree with everyone in this thread that it's atmosphere, attention to detail and sense of dread are amazing, but the unnecessary padding keeps it firmly on "a great game but not on any of my game of the year/generation lists". A great game for sure, but a niche game with a relatively small fanbase compared to other games in the same AAA space.
Then why bother even posting their score seeing it's an outlier for an otherwise very well received game?
I'd also say with confidence that saying "one or two too many chapters does absolutely nothing to diminish the entire experience" as letting those parts off the hook. It absolutely diminished the experience for a lot of folks, otherwise we would probably see it mentioned more often when discussing great games, instead of an "oh yeah, that was a good game too" afterthought.
I agree with everyone in this thread that it's atmosphere, attention to detail and sense of dread are amazing, but the unnecessary padding keeps it firmly on "a great game but not on any of my game of the year/generation lists". A great game for sure, but a niche game with a relatively small fanbase compared to other games in the same AAA space.
At the end of the day the score is ridiculously disproportionate and unfairly given, that's why. It's an outlier, just as you said, and highly unusual. You were the one that brought up sales as a tie-in in this instance.
Also I think your line of thinking is bogus. I said what I had to say. I thought the game felt padded toward the end. But it isn't an afterthought if someone explicitly states it's a good game. This is a really dumb hypothetical. It's either good to someone, or it isn't. An "afterthought" is how you're judging whether the last few chapters are as bad as they seem because it might not prioritize a person's list or be immediately brought up.
It's a great game - an amazing one at that. And it has its issues. My saying that it has one or two chapters not diminishing the entire experience does not let it off the hook. It means exactly that, which is I dislike those chapters, including the walking section on the planet, but as a whole the entire game is so fantastic that it's absolutely worth playing through even the worst to experience from beginning to end. It may be kept from your game of the year lists, but it's certainly on my own list and the lists of plenty of others, niche or not.
Hold up. What? I had never heard of this game until your post. The Alien: Isolation team is making that? It has the exact type of aesthetic that I love.
To clarify - Observation is made by a couple of the developers from Alien Isolation, namely an audio designer and a ui designer - the gameplay is very different, butterflies the aesthetics and atmosphere are very close (with a bit of cosmic horror stuff in there too).
