Game:

Alien: Isolation (2014)

Category:

Let's Play

Duration: 1:38

1,107 views

51

My Problem with Alien: Isolation - Bit Ideas

Once upon a time, I planned to do a Let's Play of Alien: Isolation, a stealth survival-horror game set in the popular Alien science fiction franchise. So I played the game and recorded gameplay, only to find that I was constantly watching the clock hoping to run up the time because gameplay of Alien Isolation bored me so much. In fact, I pretty much abandoned that LP and decided to play The Banner Saga instead. But Alien: Isolation will still get a spot on my channel, if only so that I can explain what it was about the gameplay that I so disliked.

What you are seeing here is not a true critique, comprehensive review, or even a fair representation of Alien: Isolation and its gameplay. What this is, however, is the angry rant of one FerrousPilot about why the Alien: Isolation did not appeal to him, focusing solely on the game's negative qualities. After all, this is Bit Ideas, not Totally Detailed And Comprehensive Critiques of Video Game Design. Due to the overt negativity of the video, I feel obliged to say that there are many good things about Alien: Isolation, but as this video meant to be a bad/negative review/rant type thing, they were left unmentioned. The presentation in particular is quite good, and I can feel the fear building up in me as I play it. Yet the problems mentioned in the video are a constant distraction that prevent me from truly enjoying the experience.

Full Transcript:

A long time ago, I said I didn't like Alien Isolation very much and that I might make a video describing why. In short, it was boring, but you probably want more of an explanation so here goes.

First of all, the pacing is arduous. It feels slow to me and I'm a guy who happily plays turn-based crpgs on DOSBox with the manual open in another window because I know I'm going to be forced to look stuff up. So it's not like I hate slow paced games, but the moment to moment gameplay of Alien Isolation leaves a lot be desired. It mostly involves walking slowly or staying still. I know it's a stealth game, but you can have more varied gameplay in stealth games. Just look at Thief.

But I suppose Alien Isolation is also a survival horror game. The slow pace is meant to build tension and let the atmosphere of terror seep into your bones and chill you with fright. The problem with this is that all the slowly building fear is constantly being flushed away. The buildup of horror is only possible when the player really buys into game world. When they're absorbed by it, and their awareness of the underlying game mechanics fades into distance.

The way Alien Isolation is designed stops that from happening. The stealth sections of the game are presented as skill challenges, and they way you deal with those is by developing a strategy based on the underlying game mechanics. You know those things that were going to fade into the distance and allow the player to become absorbed by the atmosphere? They're brought right back to forefront.

The gameplay of Alien Isolation undermines the presentation of the horror, which makes the whole thing feel like a massive waste of time, and regardless of whether or not you believe that all games are fundamentally wastes of time, they certainly shouldn't feel that way when you're playing them.

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