New Dev Diary Bills Alien: Isolation As A Bona Fide Horror Title

Having simmered in the bowels of development for three years, Alien: Isolation was finally unveiled on Tuesday after months of fevered speculation. The xenomorph-shaped elephant in the room, which has been billed as a true survival horror title, is currently in the works at The Creative Assembly, who recently released a brief dev diary which details their ambitions with the game.

In order to bring the seminal franchise back to the gaming audience in style, the British studio are keen to hone the genre’s signature tropes — including claustrophobic settings and a palpable feeling of vulnerability. To achieve this, the developing team have distanced themselves from the shooter mentality associated with previous releases in the gaming canon, instead opting for a first-person thrill ride in the vein of Red Barrel Games’ Outlast.

In the game, players will assume the role of Amanda Ripley — the daughter of, you guessed it, Ellen Ripley from the original film series. Crucially, Amanda will visit an abandoned space station in search for her wayward mother, only to encounter a sole xenomorph stalking in the shadows. Essentially, The Creative Assembly have stripped down any superfluous material to capture the essence of the Alien franchise: a true, space-set haunted house experience.

Heck, the studio even stated that H.R. Giger’s abomination will automatically adapt to the player’s actions to create a true sense of dread, as it slithers around the abandoned vessel (Yikes!). Though there is no release date attached to Alien: Isolation at this time, the game certainly has enough buzz surrounding it to make Aliens: Colonial Marines seem like a bygone memory. One can only hope.

What do you think, though? Is it wise to be cautiously optimistic in the aftermath of Sega’s previous venture into the Alien universe? Give us your thoughts below.