Thoughts Upon Waking From A Thirteen-Day Nightmare - Alien: Isolation

I originally posted this on the Alien: Isolation forums and have edited some spoiler material out for its appearance here. You can read the original at this link, but be warned – I discuss some major end-of-the-game stuff.

Well, that’s it. All done.

I just polished the campaign off today. One playthrough, on Hard. And… wow.

To the staff at The Creative Assembly, congratulations for creating a complete and utter nerve-worker. Bloody good game, but certainly not a happy one. I feel put through the wringer. And I know full well I was the one turning the handle.

Any negatives? Just that I wish I had a gruntier PC so I could have experienced it in better definition than 1280×720 and Medium. I think that, and locating the rest of the Nostromo black box recordings, is what might get be to play through again. (Not to mention that Mercy or Prudence? achievement – I brained that one guy in the spaceflight lobby and have felt guilty about it ever since.)

On the inevitable speculation about a sequel, folks: Jason Alexander once answered a question about more Seinfeld during an interview by saying that while they’d love to, they need an idea that’s bigger than the audience’s anticipation for more.

So while I’ve seen folks asking for more, or an Aliens-based sequel, or CA’s take on Aliens Vs. Predator, I’m happy to take my desire to see more as a sign that you folks have done enough. I’ll only anticipate a sequel to this if it’s clear that it’s just as much a labour of love for you – or for whomever else the baton is passed to – as this game so evidently was.

Other thoughts? Mission 5 felt like where it all came together. Complex level, options on paths to take, lots of places to hide. I hope you’ve got a Survivor Mode level set there. And yes, I’m looking forward to the Survivor Mode DLC, and I’m digging The Basement.

Glutton for punishment?

Oh, and the music. If I ever wanted to try doing without the motion tracker, it’s the music I’d be listening for.

That reminds me: The motion tracker and the system access tuner! Those lovely pieces of chunky tech. At one point I even started listening to AM radio in my car with the aerial down jut because I wanted a little more distortion and crackle in the sound! That’s all your fault. I think your retro future even has me interested in vinyl…

Of the two of those gadgets, I think I’d want the tuner in real life; I love the click of the tuning wheel and the louder, more satisfying one when I lock a unit of callback code in.

Finally, thanks for the Nostromo content. I’m glad you got as much of the original crew back as possible. That post-completion cinematic in Last Survivor where Sigourney Weaver added those few words to the end of her last lines in the movie put a lump in my throat.

So bravo, gang. Sad as I feel at the end, I’m glad I played Alien: Isolation. Thank you.

Played on an unmodified HP Pavilion 500-131a with an Xbox 360 wired controller.