The survival horror genre is filled with exceptional games, but not all of them are strictly “scary” by definition. For example, the action-horror of Resident Evil gives you the tools to deal with unspeakable horrors, such as an abundance of guns. Even when helpless, there is a level of predictability in survival horror that can help you recognize patterns and lessen the fear of the overall experience. However, one game uses unpredictability to always ensure its players are afraid.
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Too often, a survival horror game has its horror weakened by the limitations of game design and execution. Huge, horrific enemies will follow the same routines, allowing you to escape situations as long as you endure the initial shock of those antagonists appearing. Tension is often hard to maintain in survival horror, so the best ones use cunning tricks and innovations to keep players engaged at every step.
Alien: Isolation Came Out In October 2014 To Mixed Reviews From Audiences
In many ways, initial reviews of Alien: Isolation didn’t paint it as a survival horror game with the tricks or innovations to stand out in the genre. Sites like IGN rated Alien: Isolation as a 6/10, with others like GameSpot doing the same. Most reviews spoke of a slow start, with an overly long 15-20 hour plot that became repetitive over time. However, this game has since become a cult classic with fans, representing the best the genre has to offer.
Even after 12 years, Alien: Isolation is widely regarded as the best interpretation of the Alien series in game form ever made. The faithful recreation of visuals and concepts from Ridley Scott’s first Alien film are present everywhere in the game, from the retro-future technology to the clothing characters wear. The design of the space station you find yourself in is incredibly detailed with visuals straight out of an Alien movie, and that’s before you talk about the titular “Alien” itself.
Critics and players alike praised Alien: Isolation on release for its defining feature — the Xenomorph. This creature was not something you could fight, only flee from or distract for a time using a flamethrower or other huge weapon very late into the game. The Xenomorph in this game is the cornerstone of everything you do, as you sneakily hide, move, and explore to avoid the creature and progress forward. The tension the Xenomorph creates is ridiculously intense, and for reasons that fans have celebrated even more over the years.
This Sci-Fi Survival Horror Reached Cult Classic Status Due To Its Highly Intelligent Xenomorph
The Xenomorph in Alien: Isolation is one of the smartest gaming enemies ever devised, using layers upon layers of artificial learning to anticipate your every move. Nothing the Xenomorph does is based on a pattern, rather adjusting and adapting as the game continues to take advantage of your habits. If you like hiding in lockers, the Xenomorph will check lockers more. If you like ducking into air vents, the Xenomorph will crawl into those spaces frequently. You have to be unpredictable to beat the Alien, just as it is being unpredictable to hunt you down.
This makes the once criticized length of Alien: Isolation feel silly, as fans now praise the cat-and-mouse style of gameplay of the sci-fi thriller. No other opponent in a game has felt as nuanced as the Xenomorph to me, as it consistently doubled back, hid in the shadows, and did actions I never thought were possible in a survival horror game. With limited saving options, each failed attempt to outwit the Xenomorph led to truly terrifying moments, a fact that has earned this game countless praise ever since its launch.
Most Horror Titles Released Today Don’t Reach The Same Level Of Immersive Terror As Alien: Isolation
With the continuing success of Resident Evil Requiem and the upcoming Silent Hill: Townfall potentially releasing this year, it’s easy to forget just how immersive Alien: Isolation was. Most games from Resident Evil or Silent Hill have strong merits of their own, but this game may master the idea of a “pursuer” enemy more than any other in its genre. Even the infamous Mr. X, Nemesis, or Pyramid Head of those games had patterns players could exploit, while the Xenomorph stands head and shoulders above those type of enemies.
For some, Alien: Isolation‘s constant pressure is too much compared to other games that let you breathe a bit more. After the admittedly slow start of Alien: Isolation, even the sections that feature deadly Android groups rather than the Xenomorph can be tense, reinforcing the ideas of hiding from specific enemies. Although this does promote some tropes of the genre, such as sneaking and hiding as the main gameplay, it doesn’t detract from the high quality of Alien: Isolation‘s atmosphere.
The Alien’s appearance in other games has mostly been in action titles, so having an example like the one in this survival horror classic makes it clear why it has stood the test of time. With news of a sequel and a return to horror for the series in general, Alien: Isolation is a great example to look back on after a decade for a horror game that embodies immersive tension the most in survival horror.
Have you enjoyed Alien: Isolation compared to other survival horror games? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
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Image Courtesy of Netflix -
Courtesy of Netflix
