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Alien: Isolation

Israfael

Arcane
Joined
Sep 21, 2012
Messages
3,580
Finally finished this game, took 16 hrs on max difficulty, encountered 0 bugs. I havent collected all the IDs and Nostromo logs, so it might have taken much more but i didn't take the advantage of the fact that at certain point alien stops appearing (after KG247 section, i think), so i didn't revisit old places with new lockpicks and gas tool. A good game in general, shame we won't see anything like it in the nearest future unless game developing business lives through some crash or something. What i liked is that the game punishes people who actively try to shoot their way through, chemsuit android parts were really annoying though (whole new weapon just to deal with them - i wonder why it doesn't kill alien as well, since those guys don't even react to IEDs and EMP mines)
 

Ivan

Arcane
Joined
Jun 22, 2013
Messages
7,474
Location
California
I think I got to the BORING ASS part where you put on a space suit to do some shit. You walk at a snail's pace (this is after you find out there are a bunch of Aliens). How close am I? Shit's putting me to sleep.
 
Self-Ejected

Excidium II

Self-Ejected
Joined
Jun 21, 2015
Messages
1,866,227
Location
Third World
I think I got to the BORING ASS part where you put on a space suit to do some shit. You walk at a snail's pace (this is after you find out there are a bunch of Aliens). How close am I? Shit's putting me to sleep.
80% in I think. There's the most tense bits in the game soon.
 

mastroego

Arcane
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
10,250
Location
Italy
-75% on Steam for a few hours still.
I'm buying.

EDIT:
Bought. I'll let you guys know in due time, I guess.
 
Last edited:

orcinator

Liturgist
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
1,704
Location
Republic of Kongou
Should make a mod where the alien checks inside all lockers he walks by. Just for peace of mind.

People used lockers past the first hour or so after you met the alien?

I mean, not being able to just stare at the alien from behind a coffee table would make it too hard for some, but I think they could also mod in some sort of machine that gives you a general idea of where potential threats might be without having to look at them.
 

Deleted member 7219

Guest
Should make a mod where the alien checks inside all lockers he walks by. Just for peace of mind.

People used lockers past the first hour or so after you met the alien?

I mean, not being able to just stare at the alien from behind a coffee table would make it too hard for some, but I think they could also mod in some sort of machine that gives you a general idea of where potential threats might be without having to look at them.

Yeah I didn't dare use the lockers and I wasn't even playing on the top ball-kicking difficulty either.

If I saw the alien, I fucking moved to another room.
 

Beowulf

Arcane
Joined
Mar 2, 2015
Messages
1,963
I had the opposite experience. I was constantly crouching under and behind things, but never hiding in lockers, as the alien was too keen at casually strolling near them every time I got inside.
 
Last edited:

Deleted member 7219

Guest
If anything is true about this game, it is that everyone has a different experience while playing it.

Makes the game pretty unique if you ask me. I'm looking forward to replaying it some day... got enough of a backlog to work my way through for now.
 

orcinator

Liturgist
Joined
Jan 23, 2016
Messages
1,704
Location
Republic of Kongou
If anything is true about this game, it is that everyone has a different experience while playing it.

Makes the game pretty unique if you ask me. I'm looking forward to replaying it some day... got enough of a backlog to work my way through for now.

Seems more like some people were able to realize how broken some mechanics are and others did not.




And others are just bad. (I think someone in this thread had trouble with the androids, lolwutaskrub)
 

Zewp

Arcane
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
3,566
Codex 2013
I decided to start playing again and I'm pretty bummed there are still no proper AA settings and seemingly no way to force it through your drivers. I was playing on a 1600x900 monitor last time so it didn't bother me as much, but with my 1080 monitor the jagged edges are VERY apparent.
 

mastroego

Arcane
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
10,250
Location
Italy
So, well, I feel like spending a few words about this game.
Overall, it offered a fresh, immersive, captivating experience.

I've read some of the criticism and mostly the points have merit, still, they can give the wrong impression on the game.
For instance: it's true that after a while you can start picking up some of the Alien's patterns and "gaming" the system.
It's true that the sheer terror you feel the first time in Mission 5 (where I was like "what, they can't possibly think I'm going out there with that THING!!") tends to wear off after you've faced the Alien a few times in a similar fashion.
It's all true, but I feel like it's more of a case of the game being so good that you're annoyed by the things that REMIND you that's only a game, and it has the limitations of a simulation at the end of the day.
You can't DIE for real after all (well, unless you're really impressionable I guess).
Sure, the last levels proved to be maybe a few too many with the same hide & seek thing going on (and yet, having more than one alien on the loose kept things a bit fresh anyway).

A few mechanics can be annoying (having to reload single bullets, levers awkward to operate and so on) until you realize that it may come a time when you have to perform such tasks with the Alien or a working joe closing in behind you... This definitely makes the "realistic", no-shortcuts-allowed approach pay off, adrenaline wise.
When all is said and done, therefore, the only things I really found annoying were a couple of irritatingly placed save-points and the one or two "narrative mode" levels, which I guess will feel truly boring when going through the game again. Oh, and the ending which "leaves too much to the imagination", shall we say.

On the (overwhelmingly) positive side, we have:
  • an amazingly crafted, immersive, atmospheric environment
  • absolutely fantastic voice acting
  • one of the creepiest enemy ever (those damned Working Joes!)
  • the resource and item crafting system which I enjoyed greatly
  • and an evident, undeniable love for the source material that's displayed throughout the game (and I must say, I'm even one of those who prefer Aliens to Alien and also think Alien hasn't aged that well).
So my final word is: highly recommended despite a few minor shortcomings. The game, in itself, is an achievement.
I truly hope there'll be a sequel.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
7,307
I decided to start playing again and I'm pretty bummed there are still no proper AA settings and seemingly no way to force it through your drivers. I was playing on a 1600x900 monitor last time so it didn't bother me as much, but with my 1080 monitor the jagged edges are VERY apparent.
This game has heavy shader aliasing problems which can't be fixed by regular AA techniques. Even if you downsample from 4k you will still see those moving jaggies everywhere.
 

Zarniwoop

TESTOSTERONIC As Fuck™
Patron
Joined
Nov 29, 2010
Messages
18,650
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
So, well, I feel like spending a few words about this game.
Overall, it offered a fresh, immersive, captivating experience.

I've read some of the criticism and mostly the points have merit, still, they can give the wrong impression on the game.
For instance: it's true that after a while you can start picking up some of the Alien's patterns and "gaming" the system.
It's true that the sheer terror you feel the first time in Mission 5 (where I was like "what, they can't possibly think I'm going out there with that THING!!") tends to wear off after you've faced the Alien a few times in a similar fashion.
It's all true, but I feel like it's more of a case of the game being so good that you're annoyed by the things that REMIND you that's only a game, and it has the limitations of a simulation at the end of the day.
You can't DIE for real after all (well, unless you're really impressionable I guess).
Sure, the last levels proved to be maybe a few too many with the same hide & seek thing going on (and yet, having more than one alien on the loose kept things a bit fresh anyway).

A few mechanics can be annoying (having to reload single bullets, levers awkward to operate and so on) until you realize that it may come a time when you have to perform such tasks with the Alien or a working joe closing in behind you... This definitely makes the "realistic", no-shortcuts-allowed approach pay off, adrenaline wise.
When all is said and done, therefore, the only things I really found annoying were a couple of irritatingly placed save-points and the one or two "narrative mode" levels, which I guess will feel truly boring when going through the game again. Oh, and the ending which "leaves too much to the imagination", shall we say.

On the (overwhelmingly) positive side, we have:
  • an amazingly crafted, immersive, atmospheric environment
  • absolutely fantastic voice acting
  • one of the creepiest enemy ever (those damned Working Joes!)
  • the resource and item crafting system which I enjoyed greatly
  • and an evident, undeniable love for the source material that's displayed throughout the game (and I must say, I'm even one of those who prefer Aliens to Alien and also think Alien hasn't aged that well).
So my final word is: highly recommended despite a few minor shortcomings. The game, in itself, is an achievement.
I truly hope there'll be a sequel.

I approve of this post, apart from one thing: You didn't point out the most annoying thing namely the jizzbots. Especially the fireproof, raincoat-wearing jizzbots. WHY THE FUCK ARE THEY WEARING RAINCOATS ON A SPACE STATION, IT DOESN'T EVEN RAIN THERE!

I played on hard and in most modern games that just means your enemies take 73 hits to go down instead of 2, but in this one it really works out well. It's hard to stay alive but in a good, rewarding way.

and an evident, undeniable love for the source material that's displayed throughout the game (and I must say, I'm even one of those who prefer Aliens to Alien and also think Alien hasn't aged that well).

Not sure what you mean here. The game is supposed to be based on Alien, but there are some obvious things retconned in in Aliens, that are present in the game. But overall the atmosphere is definitely Alien, not Aliens
 

mastroego

Arcane
Joined
Apr 10, 2013
Messages
10,250
Location
Italy
I approve of this post, apart from one thing: You didn't point out the most annoying thing namely the jizzbots. Especially the fireproof, raincoat-wearing jizzbots.
I did mention the Working Joes, creepy as fuck... ("why not talk about Sevastopol safety protocols?" Yiiiaks!) the fireproof ones are insane yes. Though I seem to remember a few hazardous environments where the coats made kind of sense.

Not sure what you mean here. The game is supposed to be based on Alien, but there are some obvious things retconned in in Aliens, that are present in the game. But overall the atmosphere is definitely Alien, not Aliens
I just mean that I find Aliens an overall effective movie so I notice less how much it's aged - because the technology on display in Alien has aged and I thought that'd be detrimental to any faithful adaptation. But it's actually not at all what happens with this game.
 

Suchy

Arcane
Joined
Nov 16, 2007
Messages
6,031
Location
Potatoland
I stopped playing when the Alien became a regular enemy, got kinda bored. But will definitely get back to it once my Oculus Rift arrives.
 

Wirdschowerdn

Ph.D. in World Saving
Patron
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
34,462
Location
Clogging the Multiverse with a Crowbar
https://www.reddit.com/r/alienisolation/comments/508aet/alias_isolation_an_antialiasing_mod/
https://github.com/aliasIsolation/aliasIsolation/releases

https://github.com/aliasIsolation/aliasIsolation/blob/master/README.md

A Mod that adds TAA injection to get rid of the ghastly shader aliasing. Here's some comparison:

Default:
jzoAksa.png


Modded:
xyMFKG1.png
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2009
Messages
7,307
Cool. The most interesting thing about this to me is - can it be ported other games as well? Would be cool to finally have universal Temporal AA injector.
 

Israfael

Arcane
Joined
Sep 21, 2012
Messages
3,580
A Mod that adds TAA injection to get rid of the ghastly shader aliasing. Here's some comparison:
Ugh, my eyes almsot bled out when i looked at the second screenshot? Surely, who can look at that and not squint or rub their eyes?
 

imweasel

Guest
I really like TAA, but only with sharpening, otherwise the picture is way too blurry.
 

Sodafish

Arcane
Joined
Dec 26, 2012
Messages
8,476
Those screenies remind me how gorgeous the art is in this game.
 

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