As part of Koch Media’s Gamescom 2014 showing, the company previewed a playable demo of Alien: Isolaton, the next game based on the blockbuster film and game franchise.
Games based on the Alien franchise have been hit or miss over the years. With commendable titles in some of the most unlikely places (Atari Jaguar, for one) and forgettable titles on some of the most popular consoles of all time, including the poorly-received Aliens: Colonial Marines just this last generation, the series as a whole is still looking for that stand-out title to really hammer home its place in the mass gamer consciousness.
If opinions of the game’s Gamescom 2014 demo are to be believed, Alien: Isolation has a strong chance of being just that game.
Koch Media and Sega have been working on Alien: Isolation for some time now, and more than one gaming site has released footage of their own attendees checking out the game’s latest playable demo. What is most surprising is the large amount of positive feedback coming both from those who have gotten to play the demo, and those who have watched the footage. After the embarrassment that was Aliens: Colonial Marines, Sega might just be on their way to redeeming the Alien video game franchise.
Part of the success of Alien: Isolation could lie in the way the game is framed. Rather than focusing on the Xenomorphs — and the Alien universe as a whole — as it is presented in later movies, Alien: Isolation instead harkens back to the atmosphere and style of the original. As you play through the game in the role of Amanda Ripley, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, on a search for the remains of the Nostromo and news of what happened to your mother, players will be presented with a first-person survival horror title in opposition to the more shooter-centric interpretations of the past. With limited ammo, resources, and time, the game’s subtitle is intended to carry through to every element of the gameplay as you are forced to scavenge your way through the remains of once-thriving ships in an effort to survive your encounter with the Xenomorphs.
Alien: Isolation will be coming to Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, and PC on October 7, 2014.
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