Review for Alien: isolation. Game for PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Linux and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 07/10/2014 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 05/12/2019
What do Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher and Jean-Pierre Jeunet have in common? They are consecrated directors in Hollywood Olympus and have all directed a chapter of one of the best science fiction series ever made: we are talking about the Alien saga. Before the sophists of the genus turn up their noses, we want to specify that in fact the alien species with acid blood is also present in other titles but, excluding the crossovers with another predatory alien and a decidedly more modern and retrospective chapter, we can say that the true nature of this work has its roots in the quadrilogy released from 1979 to 1997.
It is in fact here that the history of science fiction is written, or rather rewritten, making a strong impact on the collective imagination of millions of people. Everyone knows who Alien is, how it arises from the bowels of the host it infects and how it is capable of being lethal: in particular the first and second installments of the series - Alien e Aliens: Final Showdown - have haunted the dreams of entire generations.
Given the anguish, anxiety and constant sense of fear that accompanies the player, these are in our opinion these are the films to which the fiction-horror title we are going to review today is most inspired. Let's talk about Alien: isolation, created by The Creative Assembly e Feral Interactive, published by Sega in 2014 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 e Steam and that today arrives in a magnificent porting on Nintendo Switch.
Speak Ripley, the Nostromo's only survivor [Ripley]
Contextualizing Alien: Isolation we immediately say that it is chronologically set in the year 2137, about halfway between Alien and Aliens - Final Clash, and we will play the role of Amanda Ripley (family surname? Ed), inside the Sevastopol space station. Our aim, at first at least, is to retrieve the Nostromo's black box in order to know what happened to most of the crew, including our mother. From here to discover that the cause of the extermination of the crew is a xenomorph the step is short. Thus comes to life one of the most distressing horror fiction adventures you have ever played.
The action takes place in the meanders of the classic orbiting station, structured masterfully designed on several levels and extremely characterized by the imprint left by the cinematographic works.
Ripley will have to explore the Sevastopol complex following more or less clear pre-established steps, in order to achieve goals that step by step will guide her in her adventure. Thanks to the skillful hand of the developers, the level of tension is kept constantly high and the feeling of anxiety that forces the player to always be careful becomes the mood of the whole adventure. Furthermore, dangers come in many forms and, although it is clear what the greatest threat is, don't think it is the only one. A variety of NPCs, artificial or not, will season the adventure with a chilling ruthlessness and determination that only a daring AI can have.
It is easy to get used to a hostile and fierce crew by making the mistake of thinking that they are the enemy, while the dark and alien creature waits in the dark to taste its prey. But the alien presence observes us in the shadows and always surprises us in the most unexpected moments: a worthy icing on the cake that completes a really well-made horror picture. In this regard, we must admire how the monster created with the collaboration of Carlo Rambaldi has the magnificent characteristic of remaining terrifying despite the passing of time. Given its physical characteristics of mimicry, its strategic ability and its terrifying appearance (not counting the blood composed of molecular acid), even after forty years it gives chills at every appearance, even when, facing a second run , we know very well when and where it will appear.
My God ... What the hell is that? [Dallas]
One of the most noticeable features of Alien: Isolation is the time of the hunt. Once we cross the alien, and since he is practically invulnerable, we will have to do everything to be able not to be intercepted and escape his claws. We will have to craft objects and vanquish the environment to temporarily trap the alien and make him lose our tracks. The xenomorph will use the senses, athletic skills and mimicry skills to track our presence and, with an artificial intelligence that adapts to our patterns, will inevitably be able to put us in trouble. The moments in which we will spot the alien in the open field are priceless: you will stop breathing automatically as if you were afraid that the Alien in the video game will hear you, your heart will beat faster and your hands will move frantically on the pad in search of a hiding place… “Shit, he saw me. Escape!".
Furthermore, the iconic motion sensor could not be missing, which with its beep beep increases anxiety every time it is extracted to check what at first sight escapes: the focus can be alternated with the pressure of a button, highlighting once the sensor and once the surrounding environment. But, as iconic as it is, this feature is not enough: you will necessarily have to sharpen your sight and hearing if you want to arrive prepared for the clash with the enemy, without ever losing sight of the exits and keeping your distance, under penalty of a quick but certainly not painless death.
They come out of the walls! They come out of the fucking walls! [Hudson]
We have explained how the direct comparison option is not a functional approach method, but pure and simple escape is not effective either. Alien: Isolation provides tricks that consist of a crafting system of medkits and equipment aimed both at restoring health and at embarrassing the unwanted alien. The gameplay therefore becomes more of a contemplative genre with an emphasis on strategy aimed at not getting distracted and the study of the environment and the map. You need to have the situation under control and expect everything while, Joy-Con in hand, you explore the structure offered by Sevastopol.
Although there are weapons available and enemies - androids and not - to keep at bay, if you lean towards a genre of FPS in direct confrontation with the threat or if you are expecting a horror in the Silent Hill style, probably Alien: Isolation is not for you . But if you are a lover of the series or of the purest and finest horror then this title can only conquer you. Calm, attention and reasoning are all you need to get out of the ship unscathed, and in any case we advise you never to take AI for granted, incredibly attentive to the environment and the life forms that populate it.
You're on the elevator to hell ... Downhill! [Hudson]
Speaking of the transposition on Nintendo Switch we could define Alien: Isolation as an example to follow for everyone. The work has been masterfully transposed to the point that we can confidently say that the final result is better on the newborn from Nintendo than on the Sony flagship. A more stable frame rate (which hesitates very little even in the most excited phases) and a cleaning of the graphic detail can be seen both on the big screen and when the console is used in portable mode. Models and environments are not affected in the least by the conversion that, to tell the truth, can only be seen on the management of shadows in what is called Ambient Occlusion, that is the shading technique that considers the environment itself as a source of light, going to give a greater sense of reality on more distant surfaces.
These slight flaws not only do not affect the final result in the least and can be noticed only if, with a critical and competent eye, you go to look for the error, perhaps by comparing the various versions at the same time. Not even the price, perhaps a bit high for a title released in 2014, manages to undermine the emotions and enjoyment that Alien: Isolation offers the player.
Alien: Isolation for Nintendo Switch also includes the Nostromo Edition and Ripley Edition DLCs which contain two additional modes. The first gives cinephiles the opportunity to enjoy the original crew of the Nostromo in a gem for connoisseurs; the second allows the player to play Ellen Ripley in her escape to safety after triggering the Nostromo's self-destruction. In this regard, it becomes impossible not to mention Ellen Ripley's most iconic and well-known phrase used among other things as the incipit of Alien: Isolation:
“Final report of the Nostromo spacecraft, by the third officer. The other crew members Kane, Lambert, Parker, Brett, Ash, and Commander Dallas are dead. Cargo and ship are destroyed. I should be at the border in six weeks. If I'm lucky, surveillance will get me to safety. Speak Ripley, the Nostromo's only survivor Over and out."
The package is completed by the survival mode that confronts the player with challenges of increasing difficulty.
Alien: Isolation is a small sci-fi horror masterpiece produced by The Creative Assembly and Feral Interactive and published by SEGA that captivated millions of gamers in 2014 when it came out for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and Steam. Today it lands on Nintendo Switch thanks to an excellently made and almost totally flawless port. The ability to maintain a constant level of anxiety and fear, combined with an atmosphere that strongly winks at the masterpieces of cinema, offer hours of pure enjoyment. An adventure not to be missed from today also on the small screen of Nintendo Switch.
► Alien: Isolation is an Adventure type game developed by The Creative Assembly and published by Sega Feral Interactive for PC, Mac, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Linux and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 07/10/2014 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 05/12/2019
