For this particular demo, the Xenomorph was already fully alert and moving frantically around the map looking for me. I was presented with additional objectives aside from just escaping, such as collecting ID tags and finding a way out without my motion tracker, but the main challenge was simply to GTFO, or get the fuck out.
It’s here that the game’s stealth elements really come into play. You see, with the alien on full alert, any quick or sudden movements almost always means certain death. You’ll have to sneak, tip-toe, hide and carefully move around so as not to draw the Xenomorph’s attention or appear in its line of sight. Unfortunately, I was unaware of this when I first picked up the controller, and within about 30 seconds I had the terrifying creature pop out of seemingly nowhere and grab me. It was at that point that I jumped several feet.
My next go around went a bit better, but this time, things were different. I now knew that a vicious alien was hunting me and that bit of knowledge created a genuine sense of dread and fear in me as I tried my best to sneak around and find a way out. Add in some very effective lighting and atmospheric effects and you’ve got a pretty intense experience. Oh, and seeing the massive monster lurking just feet in front of you in the shadows is enough to send a chill down the spine of even the most seasoned horror fans.
Now, you will have a flamethrower in hand, which could work to scare off the creature, and you can pick up/craft items that could help to distract it, but it’s simply not enough. Every dread-filled second of this demo had me gripping my controller in pure fear, no matter how many resources I had on me.
That’s one of the great things about this game, though. It forces you to adapt to your surroundings. You can’t just charge the Xenomorph head on with a flamethrower and hope to emerge victorious. You have to be careful, calculated and mindful of every movement, no matter how big or small it may be. Even something as seemingly safe as hiding in a locker might mean certain death if you made too much noise while doing it, or if the alien saw you.
Truthfully, the Challenge Mode is aptly named, because I died nearly ten times in a row before finally giving my heart a break and stepping away to check out Far Cry 4. It actually feels as if this mode is designed for play after the campaign, once you’ve become familiar with all the game’s mechanics and are aware of how to deal with the Xenomorph. Even then though, you’ll find that Creative Assembly has captured the dread and horror of the films perfectly here. Alien: Isolation is most definitely a game to keep your eye on, just make sure not to play it with the lights off.
