Alien Isolation (PS4, XBO, PC, Rift) - Original cast is back

Preezy wrote:Just watched the preview on Eurogamer - actually looked pretty scary. Not sure how you can sustain that sort of tension and sneaky-sneaky-hide-from-the-alien over the length of a whole game, but I'm now willing to give it a chance.

Also, how can it be scary if there's only the one alien? It works in a film context because you don't know which characters are safe, but in a game you know you will make it to the end and so will the alien, so the only danger will be a insta death and a restarted checkpoint.

Advent7 wrote:
Preezy wrote:Just watched the preview on Eurogamer - actually looked pretty scary. Not sure how you can sustain that sort of tension and sneaky-sneaky-hide-from-the-alien over the length of a whole game, but I'm now willing to give it a chance.

Also, how can it be scary if there's only the one alien? It works in a film context because you don't know which characters are safe, but in a game you know you will make it to the end and so will the alien, so the only danger will be a insta death and a restarted checkpoint.

By that rationale then, there are no scary games.

I don't think he has ever played a game before :lol:

He just gets too annoyed that the main character never stays dead.

Never played a game before? Yeah that's it, you got me!

1>3>4>2 wrote:
Advent7 wrote:
Preezy wrote:Just watched the preview on Eurogamer - actually looked pretty scary. Not sure how you can sustain that sort of tension and sneaky-sneaky-hide-from-the-alien over the length of a whole game, but I'm now willing to give it a chance.

Also, how can it be scary if there's only the one alien? It works in a film context because you don't know which characters are safe, but in a game you know you will make it to the end and so will the alien, so the only danger will be a insta death and a restarted checkpoint.

What the strawberry float are you talking about.

Advent7 has a fair point, perhaps just not made well. A:I can be very scary indeed if we are just dealing with one Alien ('the' Alien, according to CA) and fear of just one Alien can work for the entirety of the game if the gameplay is paced correctly, meaning (as in the film) we don't really ever get to see too much of the Alien until the final third of the game and even then the 'reveal/s' are carefully stage-managed so as not to give too much away. From what I've seen, which is the same as everyone else at this stage, CA seem to have a handle on this. We'll see.

The other way CA can string out the tension and give interest to the gameplay is to use the gorgeous-looking, deeply atmospheric, brooding, sinister abandoned space station that Ripley's daughter is sent to as a 'character' in and of itself. Puzzles, traps, hazards and other environmental threats can all come into play, giving the player two potentially lethal enemies to deal with throughout - often at the same time. That's how I'd do it, anyhow. Probably wildly wrong - and, who knows, maybe CA will take the cheap way out and introduce marine enemies...but I really hope not. If A:I is truly aiming for 'survival horror' enemies should be few and far between, but absolutely deadly one-hit kill affairs when eventually encountered.

I saw Colonial Marines for £3 brand new in GAME yesterday. So tempted to buy it so I can see how bad it really is.

I say yes. A friend of mine plays average-to-poor games, he says in doing so he appreciates the truly great games more.
Or you could just save £3 and play something deece instead.

SquintyMcSquint wrote:I saw Colonial Marines for £3 brand new in GAME yesterday. So tempted to buy it so I can see how bad it really is.

Depends. The console versions are tat (I have the PS3 version as well as the PC version) - playable, but nowhere near as good-looking as the PC version is now. Gearbox put in a lot of patches to the PC version since release via Steam. To me, the game is a changed thing; visually it's pretty damn impressive running maxed out on a good PC. Hi-res textures, great-looking light/shadow/particle FX all help to bring out some very moody set-designs for the various levels. Miles better than now than when it was first released on PC - so much so that imo I think nobody can now accuse Gearbox of not at least trying to right a few wrongs.

Of course, enemy and NPC companion AI are still borked. This is probably my biggest gripe with the game, even after all the many GB's of patches. The AI often just wanders off, gets lost or acts dumber than a very dumb thing from Dumbsville. The Aliens themselves remain unintentionally comical at times (particularly during the infamous sewer section), which is real downer. But the general gameplay is still reasonably enjoyable if you don't rush about non-stop and sometimes slow up to take in some of the atmosphere Gearbox really did try to inject into the proceedings. There's a nice rpg-lite element to upgrading your various weapon load-outs.

So if you're going to get it, get it on PC. Also, get the SP DLC 'Stasis Interrupted' - well worth it and good film fanservice. Play it unhurried and just go along for the ride and the pretty visuals.

To me, for what I get out of it in it's patched-up state, I'd say it's a fairly solid 7/10 on PC. Not the Alien/s game we all wanted, but plenty still to like if you're a fan of the films. Incidentally, even though nobody really the game online any more, one of the maps in the 'Movie Map Pack' DLC is a faithful reinterpretation of the main sets from the interior of 'The Nostromo' from the first film. It's just fun to fire it up and wander about marvelling at the great design and seeing how much you can recognise from the film. I really must make a movie of that.

Cal mate, after that right there your credibility with your opinion as far as the Alien/s series goes is now a load of toss. The game still looks like a bag of gooseberry fool (yes even maxed out) the stasis interrupted DLC is also a bag of gooseberry fool and is one of the worst disservice's to the franchise since CM came out and shocked the fans with its awfulness!

Oh Cal :cry:

Come on fella, alls they added was a strawberry floating film filter which an Nvidia Inspector suggests I turn off :slol:

For £3 it's worth it just to see what the fuss is about.

KjGarly wrote:Cal mate, after that right there your credibility with your opinion as far as the Alien/s series goes is now a load of toss. The game still looks like a bag of gooseberry fool (yes even maxed out) the stasis interrupted DLC is also a bag of gooseberry fool and is one of the worst disservice's to the franchise since CM came out and shocked the fans with its awfulness!

Oh Cal

Come on fella, alls they added was a strawberry floating film filter which an Nvidia Inspector suggests I turn off

No, they tidied up the graphics quite a bit. I should have been taking screens - dammit - to prove my point. All I can say is that to me, visually, Gearbox appear to have now done their best to correct the visual shortcomings of the original PC release. However, as I said, I think the game's AI is almost completely borked in places (I've had to reload saves a few times when NCPs fail to do what they are supposed to do get it to progress the story - which is plainly ridiculous) and I cut Gearbox no breaks in that department. Sh*tty AI is still, unfortunately, sh*tty AI. But I'm seeing a good-looking game with some crisp texture/lighting/shadow/particle work. I'm not sure what you're seeing.

This one still has film grain on (I prefer it on, actually):

These three are shots from around the 'Nostromo' DLC MP map (no film grain):

BTW, you can turn off the 'film grain' FX in the graphics menu. I turned off the HUD elements with a tweak to one of the .ini files.

Lagamorph wrote:For £3 it's worth it just to see what the fuss is about.

I got it for free and I still couldn't finish it.

The friend who gave it to me is also no longer spoken to.

Right then Cal ol' boy, I have screenshots from the games release I'll dig up and do a 'comparison' with pics from back then to pics of the game now..

Old shot.

New ones from just now, both with and without film grain filter.

Yup still looks gash.

My tuppence worth on colonial marines. Whilst its not brilliant by any means, it looks pretty enough and it was fun whilst it lasted. Definatly felt tense alot. Good set of surround speakers adds to the tension. I don't think this is a bad game. It's just not the game it should have been. I love aliens, i enjoyed this game.

Can you talk about that shite game elsewhere, more important matters at hand.

New Screenies!

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_new_scree ... witterfeed

Ok, this is looking sexay. I'm starting to get that hype feeling.

Floex wrote:Ok, this is looking sexay. I'm starting to get that hype feeling.

In stills perhaps, when its running and the AI running the Alien is doing stupid stuff people will be poking plenty of holes in the game.

HSH28 wrote:
Floex wrote:Ok, this is looking sexay. I'm starting to get that hype feeling.

In stills perhaps, when its running and the AI running the Alien is doing stupid stuff people will be poking plenty of holes in the game.

Those screens at the top of the page :lol:

Looks like that riddick game running on a pentium 2.

HSH28 wrote:
Floex wrote:Ok, this is looking sexay. I'm starting to get that hype feeling.

In stills perhaps, when its running and the AI running the Alien is doing stupid stuff people will be poking plenty of holes in the game.

If it happens, than rightly so it'll be justly picked apart but for now they are showing and saying the right things. Have you got the latest Edge yet? They seemed convinced it's the real deal.

I "like" how three of these screens are from what appear to be the same scene (as it were).

Alien Isolation (PS4, XBO, PC, Rift) - Original cast is back

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