Alien: Isolation

[Elim]

I borrowed the account of a friend to test it.
Damn, glad I didn't buy it. I'm so easily absorbed by a game that I could not even finish the medical level.

 

[DragoFireheart]

Sometimes when I left a closet and started advancing I could hear (or see on the beeper) the alien approaching fast, so yeah, then you have to back up into the closet and try again. I dunno, it was all I did until now (I'm in marshals HQ).

The Alien MUST be able to hear you leaving the closest. Doesn't entering/leaving it make noise?

Geez, I think we're all not used to games where ANY noise made can alert the AI. In some games with inferior stealth AI (like Skyrim), you can knock over objects that clearly make a noise and the AI is herp a derp. But the Alien must be hearing you open/close doors and also isn't sure exactly where it came from, just the general direction. That would explain why he comes back over to investigate the room you were hiding it.

I think it's safe to assume that if you any significant noise, the alien will likely hear it as well. Maybe when you throw items too close to him he'll hear the throw and come at you?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

The only part of the game where I can say that the Alien AI is hypersensitive is Medical (Mission 5). There is SOMETHING wrong with its AI in that section, but I can't put my finger on it.

And yes, the Alien can hear you open lockers, and it seems that sometimes it does that regardless of distance. (Again, Medical.)

On Easy I'm seeing a lot of fake-outs from the Alien, it jumps into the vent, I count to 4 and it's back down for a short stomping session before leaving.

One thing that I'm also noticing - whether certain androids are hostile or not seems to be random. I'm fairly certain that they'll turn hostile if you attack them or point a weapon at them, but in at least one case I did neither, and an android that was peaceful in my last playthrough attacked me in this one.

Trying to avoid killing humans adds an interesting element to the game. More groups of them appear, and better armed than you, and you have to let the Alien take care of them for you. Fortunately the humans are all too happy to summon it themselves by firing shotguns over long distances and making lots of noise.

 

[DragoFireheart]

The only part of the game where I can say that the Alien AI is hypersensitive is Medical (Mission 5). There is SOMETHING wrong with its AI in that section, but I can't put my finger on it.

And yes, the Alien can hear you open lockers, and it seems that sometimes it does that regardless of distance. (Again, Medical.)

On Easy I'm seeing a lot of fake-outs from the Alien, it jumps into the vent, I count to 4 and it's back down for a short stomping session before leaving.

This just screams of trolling. I'm quite sure the Alien is self aware (not enough to know it's in a video game, dur) and knows you're around without quite knowing where you are exactly. Probably some of it is scripted as well no doubt, but I do wonder how much is set in stone scripting and how much of it is the AI devising tactics to try and draw you out. It's truly fascinating.

One thing that I'm also noticing - whether certain androids are hostile or not seems to be random. I'm fairly certain that they'll turn hostile if you attack them or point a weapon at them, but in at least one case I did neither, and an android that was peaceful in my last playthrough attacked me in this one.

Androids have faulty programming so it makes sense. Also another anti-meta game design. This kind of shit is a nightmare for speed runners btw.

Trying to avoid killing humans adds an interesting element to the game. More groups of them appear, and better armed than you, and you have to let the Alien take care of them for you. Fortunately the humans are all too happy to summon it themselves by firing shotguns over long distances and making lots of noise.

Do the humans getting the Alien's attention cause him to try harder than normal to look for you?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Do the humans getting the Alien's attention cause him to try harder than normal to look for you?

Not that I've noticed. It usually does look around to see if there are more "snacks" around, but usually it just defaults to whatever behavior it was up to.

My latest death was kinda weird - I was in that large hall where you get the tuner device, trying to get to the elevator to Gemini Labs. Problem is, there are three humans patrolling the area, including one right by the elevator. I enter, the first human that spots me is packing a shotgun. I run like hell, she starts firing right across the hall. Alien comes to investigate, quickly dispatches her. I slowly make my way to to the elevator, but Human #2 has already spotted me and firing at me, this triggers the Alien to MY location and it comes running after me. I try a daring tactic; to run for the elevator and get Human #3 (guarding the elevator) in between me and the Alien to...err..."distract" it, and take the elevator and GTFO. The plan works like a charm, with Human #3 even firing on the Alien. Only problem? Alien didn't give a shit and went for me first, even though I was the more distant target. Oh well.

On a related note, I found the "Scary Door", and the bug is there.

 

[WhiteGuts]

I'd really like to know how the game world is generated in regards to the alien. Does it just spawn when the player makes enough sound or is actually simulated from the beginning ? And does that mean the level above the player is always generated aswell, since you can hear the alien stomp over your head ?

 

[Unkillable Cat]

WhiteGuts Each level has an extra "layer" in the form of ceiling vents that are inaccessible to the player and do not appear on maps. They're part of the level for all sakes and purposes, and either form a network of passages for the Alien, or serve as "teleport" points for it to use.

A level can be several floors, and each floor has its "layer" of ceiling vents. And in at least some cases those ceiling vents are connected between floors, so if Ripley ascends/descends a level, the Alien can follow suit without having to leave the vents.

You can spot their presence by the square open passages in the ceiling. This also means that areas that don't have them are essentially Alien-free, such as the first section leading up to the first transit station.

 

[skacky]

Yeah. I only feel safe when I know there's no ceiling vents in the room I'm in (and I know it's remote enough so the Alien most probably won't visit it).

 

[Deleted member 7219]

WhiteGuts Each level has an extra "layer" in the form of ceiling vents that are inaccessible to the player and do not appear on maps. They're part of the level for all sakes and purposes, and either form a network of passages for the Alien, or serve as "teleport" points for it to use.

A level can be several floors, and each floor has its "layer" of ceiling vents. And in at least some cases those ceiling vents are connected between floors, so if Ripley ascends/descends a level, the Alien can follow suit without having to leave the vents.

You can spot their presence by the square open passages in the ceiling. This also means that areas that don't have them are essentially Alien-free, such as the first section leading up to the first transit station.

The alien is meant to be able to use side grates as well, although mine never went inside them until right near the very end, in a sequence I really enjoyed to tell the truth. I looked at the map and saw there were really long grate sections and I thought "Fuck using the corridors, I'm going grating", and as I turned a corner in a grate I turned on my flashlight, saw the alien waiting right at the end.... it charged right at me down the grate and got me.

 

[Sranchammer]

I couldnt get past the boring intro

 

[Unkillable Cat]

The alien is meant to be able to use side grates as well, although mine never went inside them until right near the very end, in a sequence I really enjoyed to tell the truth. I looked at the map and saw there were really long grate sections and I thought "Fuck using the corridors, I'm going grating", and as I turned a corner in a grate I turned on my flashlight, saw the alien waiting right at the end.... it charged right at me down the grate and got me.

The only times the Alien has used sidevents in my cases is to come in there to get me, where it can sometimes "magically" sense that I'm there for no reason.

To scare it out of the vents takes A LOT of flaming.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I couldnt get past the boring intro

Intro was my favourite part. Things started going downhill for me after the alien was introduced.

Spoiler

My second favourite part was going to the derelict on LV-426, although once you get there it feels a bit anit-climactic. You don't really do or see much, and the ending point of that sequence is a rip straight from the film.

 

[Sranchammer]

Intro was my favourite part. Things started going downhill for me after the alien was introduced.

Spoiler

My second favourite part was going to the derelict on LV-426, although once you get there it feels a bit anit-climactic. You don't really do or see much, and the ending point of that sequence is a rip straight from the film.

It was so cliche, though. The acting was hilariously bad.

'We're going on a mission. And we want you with us because your momma was on it so it makes total sense."

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Intro was my favourite part. Things started going downhill for me after the alien was introduced.

Spoiler

My second favourite part was going to the derelict on LV-426, although once you get there it feels a bit anit-climactic. You don't really do or see much, and the ending point of that sequence is a rip straight from the film.

It was so cliche, though. The acting was hilariously bad.

'We're going on a mission. And we want you with us because your momma was on it so it makes total sense."

But the actual talking bit is extremely short. Maybe 10 seconds of exposition, followed by hours of you actually exploring the station by yourself.

 

[Sodafish]

Yeah seriously Sranch, give it a bit more of a chance than that. Yes it's very scripted and linear, but they really nailed the atmosphere.

 

[Jick Magger]

Just a few more comments on my progress

Spoiler

So yeah, I just destroyed the hive, and the first thought that popped into my head as the reactor overloaded was "This would've been a good point to end". Seriously, just end character arcs a little earlier (i.e. have Taylor killed off, maybe even find her cocooned in the hive maybe, and just regulate Marlow's role to a audio/video log while keeping the flashback in), make the hive a bit bigger, shuffle the story around a bit to accommodate it (like, as I said earlier, having one alien survive it and moving the jettison section to the finale instead), and this would've been a great point to just let the game end. Then I'd probably give it a solid 8/10, a few problems, but worth taking a look at.

But instead it keeps going, and starts me off with backtracking through an area I hated, no less. For the people who've already completed the game; just how much longer do I have to go?

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Just a few more comments on my progress

Spoiler

So yeah, I just destroyed the hive, and the first thought that popped into my head as the reactor overloaded was "This would've been a good point to end". Seriously, just end character arcs a little earlier (i.e. have Taylor killed off, maybe even find her cocooned in the hive maybe, and just regulate Marlow's role to a audio/video log while keeping the flashback in), make the hive a bit bigger, shuffle the story around a bit to accommodate it (like, as I said earlier, having one alien survive it and moving the jettison section to the finale instead), and this would've been a great point to just let the game end. Then I'd probably give it a solid 8/10, a few problems, but worth taking a look at.

But instead it keeps going, and starts me off with backtracking through an area I hated, no less. For the people who've already completed the game; just how much longer do I have to go?

Spoiler

You're extremely close to the end now.

If by backtracking you mean the area where you have to get a keycard to a door, go all the way to the door, try it only to find you have to go back to where you got the keycard and turn on a power generator, all while avoiding the alien, that was the very worst part of the game for me.

I found revisiting old locations late in the game was quite enjoyable, just to see how they had changed during my time on Sevastopol.

I wasn't a fan of the hive for reasons I stated earlier in this thread and I actually thought the final few levels were quite well paced. You haven't seen the actual ending yet but I'm sure you'll be as annoyed with it as I was.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Jick Magger you also have to go through Comms again. If you take a minute to examine the level layout of that place, you can see why they would want to recycle it.

Also, I can now safely point to the exact point in the game where it suffers its mortal wound and starts falling apart at a rapid rate: When you're walking up the corridor in Synthetics to go to see Samuels, only to have it slam in your face. EVERYTHING from that point on is express elevator to , going down.

 

[Jick Magger]

So yeah, played a little further into the med-bay. I get near the door which leads from the offices to the trauma centre (i.e. the one where I mentioned the key that was in a safe right next to the door, with the computer that had the passcode right next to it, and there's a Working Joe standing right next to the door. Not patrolling, just standing, essentially waiting for you to wander into his view so he can attack you (which is very, very easy to do since he doesn't make a goddamn sound and doesn't pick up on the motion tracker). Can't use a noisemaker to distract him, because that'll attract the alien in the vents to my position. So I try to bait him into spotting me, then immediately hiding under a gurney and hoping he'll walk past me and I can sneak by him unnoticed. After a minute of him observing every square inch of the area between the gurney and the door, as if he's fucking daring me to come out, he eventually goes behind me and I sneak past. The fucking second I walk through the door, the alien leaps out of the vent right next to the door, spots me, and kills me instantly.

Seriously considering stopping at this point if the game's just gonna be like this from now on.

 

[Zewp]

The Alien MUST be able to hear you leaving the closest. Doesn't entering/leaving it make noise?

Geez, I think we're all not used to games where ANY noise made can alert the AI. In some games with inferior stealth AI (like Skyrim), you can knock over objects that clearly make a noise and the AI is herp a derp. But the Alien must be hearing you open/close doors and also isn't sure exactly where it came from, just the general direction. That would explain why he comes back over to investigate the room you were hiding it.

I think it's safe to assume that if you any significant noise, the alien will likely hear it as well. Maybe when you throw items too close to him he'll hear the throw and come at you?

The alien can definitely hear it, especially because Ripley has a tendency to slam lockers shut behind her. In Medical I remember coming out of a closet right as the alien entered a vent and it just came right back out to come investigate.

 

[WhiteGuts]

considering stopping at this point if the game's just gonna be like this from now on.

Spoiler

Now there are alienS.

 

[Starwars]

Interesting new blog post from Irrational about Isolation: http://frictionalgames.blogspot.se/2014/10/thoughts-on-alien-isolation-and-horror.html

Agree with a lot of it. Will be interesting to see how SOMA turns out.

 

[Unkillable Cat]

Interesting new blog post from Irrational about Isolation: http://frictionalgames.blogspot.se/2014/10/thoughts-on-alien-isolation-and-horror.html

Now I haven't played the game in question, but isn't he forgetting Project Firestart (1989) when he recounts the few "true" survival horror games that have been released?

Or does it fail because the protagonist happens to have a gun?

 

[Zewp]

I finished the

Spoiler

nest section and yeah, it should have ended here. Everything after this is horrendously tedious. On the plus side, it seems my journey has ended. After the alien killed me on mission 16, I suddenly can't load it anymore. Trying to load either of my two last saves or the mission 16 mission save just dumps me right back at the load menu. Oh joy.

 

[MapMan]

I'm in mission 10. What I noticed is that i can freely walk around and unless I make significant noise (or reach a certain scripted point), the creature won't even drop from the vents. I had same situation in previous mission, I dont remember exactly which. Medical was the hardest part so far. Is this a bug or is it supposed to be like that? I'm unsure.