Alien: Isolation Collection

Truly horrifying - I dare say that this is the scariest game ever made! There are (almost) no cheap scripted scares, as in so many other games nowadays - here you are hunted by a AI-driven Xenomorph, searching for you using its senses. So you better stay silent, and out of sight! The sounds are amazing, this game is so extremely immersive, and the sounds of the Xenomorph lurking the vents and corridors are like a nightmare! I wish it had more/better physics, like more objects to interact with or knock over and so on, and better shadows/lighting, but being from 2014 it still looks amazing. Note that this is a slow survivalgame, where you hide, loot, craft, and try to survive while exploring a huge space station. The game is loooong, and you also get all DLC:s so there are a lot of value for the money here. DLC:s are of different cathegories so you'll get quite some variety there.

....I realise the bar isn't set very high for the Alien game franchise but Alien Isolation shows what can be done with the licence when developers care. Fantastic visuals that still hold up well today with steam filled corridors, lights flashing etc all striking the feeling of the movie perfectly. Sound design is top notch, from the stomps in the distance of the Alien hunting prey, to the ambience sounds when you're alone. Top class. Gameplay is brutal, a one hit kill enemy that stalks you through out the game means this isn't for the faint of heart but there are enemy variations that mean it won't be Xeno all the time. One of my favourite games of all time.

If anyone has played Aliens Vs. Predator: Gold, then Alien Isolation is that...except that you DON'T have a pulse rifle. If not, then this game plays on the same formula as games like SOMA and Amnesia; discovering the story through in-environment clues and AV logs. This one, however, plays on the nostalgia for an excellent sci-fi horror film. In Aliens, Ellen Ripley is told (I'll place a SPOILER here, though it's fair to say the majority of people interested in this game have seen the film) that her daughter lived a full life and is dead. But why would Amanda give up on her mother? This game tells the story of the last leg in a journey to find out just what happened to the crew of the Nostromo after that fateful distress call. Make no mistake; the xenomorph is not something that can be taken out with a burst of 10 mm caseless armour-piercing rounds from a M1A Pulse Rifle; that tech is decades away. Running, hiding and confusion are your only allies to surviving. Besides the delapitated Sevastapol Station to deal with, knock-off Weyland-Yutani androids patrol the halls. They might kill you on sight or they may just give a simple hello; their unpredictability adds another layer of tension. Do you deal with the android or let it go? Will the xenomorph hear you? Can you somehow play them off of one another? The visuals are nothing if not faithful to the 1979 film asthetic. Worn foam-lined walls, florescent lighting and utilitarian architecture mesh to create a universe that feels lived-in and somehow futuristic. The sound design is also well-done; the Alien's mere footsteps convey power while its tone and pitch of hiss can easily give away its current state (hunting, searching ,idle, etc.). Even the guns feel right; powerful enough to take out most organics but feeling puny enough to make one consider using them on the Alien. If you're looking for a truly pulse-pounding game that rewards patience and careful strategy, Alien: Isolation is for you.

If you ever wanted to experience the terrifying claustrophobia of the original film, then BUY THIS GAME! If you've ever wanted to play scenarios from the original film, then BUY THIS GAME!