TheAlienfranchise has had some pretty memorable video game adaptations over the last four decades, from the classicAliensside-scrolling arcade game from 1990, to the belovedAlien Trilogyfor the PS1 and Sega Saturn, to the much more recentAliens: Fireteam Elite. But while these games all have their merits, few have been able to capture the spirit of theoriginal 1979 Ridley Scott moviequite likeAlien: Isolation.
Released in 2014,Alien: Isolationarguably captured the essence and atmosphere of the originalAlienmovie better than any game that came before it, and to many, it still holds that crown a decade after its launch. On its 10th birthday, Creative Assembly’s Al Hope took to Twitter to confirm that anAlien: Isolationsequel is officially being developed. But before that sequel eventually comes out, fans will probably want to play through the first game again. AnAlien: Isolationremaster could give fans a new definitive way to play the game, but there are some sizable arguments for and against one.
The Case For Alien: Isolation Getting a Remaster Before The Sequel
Alien: Isolation’s Environments Could Benefit From a Modern Makeover
Some ofAlien: Isolation’s greatest strengths are its environments and their ability to capture the uniqueretro-futuristic aesthetic of theAlienfranchise. Abandoned hallways are illuminated by stark white lights, ventilation shafts line every walkway, and bulky computer monitors litter desktops around Sevastopol Station. These environmental details go a long way in makingAlien: Isolationfeel like an authenticAlienexperience, and they could be made even better in a remaster.
10 years later,Alien: Isolation’s graphicsstill look fairly remarkable, but they haven’t avoided the hands of time completely. Though NPCs are a rarity inAlien: Isolation, their appearance is likely to jolt the player from their immersion in the otherwise atmospheric game, with their facial models lacking much of the detail players have become accustomed to in the last decade of gaming.
AnAlien: Isolationremaster with improved lighting, shadows, visual effects, and fidelity could go a long way in making the decade-old game feel brand new.
Alien: Isolation’s AI Could Use Some Modern Tweaks
Another major strength ofAlien: Isolationupon its 2014 launch was its innovative enemy AI, which allowed the game’s Xenomorph to finally behave like its cinematic counterpart. Completely unscripted for the most part,Alien: Isolation’s Xenomorphcan track the player throughout their journey on Sevastopol Station, hunting them relentlessly in the ultimate game of cat and mouse.
ButAlien: Isolation’s Xenomorph AI was far from perfect. WhenAlien: Isolation’s AIworked, it could deliver some of the most intense stealth sequences in gaming, but when it didn’t, it could quickly lead to frustration, with the Xenomorph being able to track and kill the player regardless of their cautious approach or their actions. Enemy AI has come a long way sinceAlien: Isolation’s release a decade ago, especially in the world of horror games, and it’s an area that anAlien: Isolationremaster could tweak to perfection.
The Case Against Alien: Isolation Getting a Remaster Before The Sequel
Alien: Isolation Is Already Available on Most Modern Platforms
One big argument againstAlien: Isolationgetting a modern-day remaster is that it’s already available on the vast majority of modern platforms.Alien: Isolationcan currently be found on Steam, the Xbox and PlayStation official stores, and eventhe Nintendo Switch eShop. While it still technically retails for around $40,Alien: Isolationis often included in most seasonal sales, usually dropping the price of the game to around $8. It might be hard to sell a remaster ofAlien: Isolationat full price when fans can still pick up the original and play it on modern consoles for a fraction of the cost.
An Alien: Isolation Remaster Wouldn’t Be Able to Fix The Game’s Biggest Problem
The most common criticism levied atAlien: Isolationis that its final act is far too difficult and that it lasts far too long. The increased presence ofthe Xenomorph inAlien: Isolation’s final few hoursleads to frequent deaths, and due to the game’s immersive yet awkward save system, those deaths can lead to some devastating moments of lost progress.
WhileanAlien: Isolationremastermight be able to make the game’s graphics shine a bit brighter, make the Xenomorph’s AI a bit more consistent, and offer fans the definitive way to play the modern horror classic, it wouldn’t be able to fix the game’s third act. That’s the job of a fully-fledged remake, and that seems like a much less worthwhile venture for Creative Assembly and Sega.
Alien: Isolation
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger. Fifteen years after the events of Alien™, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother’s disappearance.As Amanda, you will navigate through an increasingly volatile world as you find yourself confronted on all sides by a panicked, desperate population and an unpredictable, ruthless Alien.Underpowered and underprepared, you must scavenge resources, improvise solutions and use your wits, not just to succeed in your mission, but to simply stay alive.
