Aliens might be one of the best science fiction films of all time, but that’s an easy one. Here’s a take that’s a little hotter: Alien: Isolation is one of the best horror games of the last generation.
With that, you could imagine that I was particularly excited to check out Alien: Isolation 2.
It’s not clear where within the narrative this segment takes place, but I would imagine it’s close to the very start of the game. It seems as though we’re not playing as Amanda Ripley this time around, but in her place, we have Blake, a Weyland-Yutani corporate manager and survey team member.
The demo opened with Blake alone and, seemingly, in the middle of a dark and stormy night. I must say, right off the bat, how incredibly tense and atmospheric it all feels. Nothing had even happened yet, but the feeling of dread and foreboding was strong.
You head towards a cliffside, to see a crack of lightning reveal a crashed spaceship on the shore of a beach. It’s quite large, and it looks like it hasn’t been there for long, with parts of it still either on or on fire. As you look for another way in, you soon find a hatch around the side, and along with your crewmate Otto, you jump in to investigate.
You find that the ship is either abandoned or everyone is dead and hidden, as you find some scraps and electrical parts, which help you turn on the power.
If that wasn’t enough, parts of the ship are still breaking apart, with a gas fire blocking the way forward, and the ship slowly letting in water from the rising tide outside. While that’s enough to ruin anyone’s day, we find out that Blake and Otto are unfortunately not alone. A Xenomorph has entered the chat.
If you’re a fan of the franchise, it stands to reason you’ve seen this creature a million times by now, but even then, its reveal managed to shock me. Jumping down from the ceiling, Blake is thrown back, stunned and unable to speak, as the Xenomorph adjusts itself and heads out to explore the rest of the ship.
If the goal wasn’t already clear enough, it’s time to leave this ship. While we were able to collect scraps and electrical parts, we don’t yet know what other uses they serve in the full game, as we weren’t able to use them for anything else.
What we were able to use, however, were throwable items. There were plenty scattered about the ship, and believe me, you’ll be thankful for whoever was littering, because you’ll need them to get out.
Much like the first Alien: Isolation, the Xenomorph’s AI behaviour responds more naturally to player patterns instead of repetitive, pre-set paths, making it harder to predict and assess. There were multiple times when I would pop out of cover, crouched and quiet, for the Xenomorph to simply decide it wanted to turn around and have another browse, this time right in my direction.
When this thing gets you, you know about it. It kicked my ass. It’s the craziest game of hide and seek you’ll play all year. The death animations are also varied and gory as hell. Trust me, I saw a few of them.
When you finally make it to the exit, however, Otto is gone, and it’s unclear if he simply left behind or was caught by the Xenomorph. But after a few minutes, you see it: the ladder to take you out of here. Freedom.
But much to my surprise, I was wrong. Blake is caught by the Xenomorph, stumbling back down the ladder, as the ship seemingly turns upside down. Thrown around and battered, the screen then cuts to black.
It was the perfect way to end the demo, and I honestly cannot wait to play more.
Alien: Isolation 2 will release on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Windows PC and Nintendo Switch 2, although an official release date has not yet been announced at the time of writing.
Featured header image provided by the publisher.
