It’s sometimes hard to believe thatAlien: Isolationwas released in 2014, considering not only how cutting-edge it was, but also how it was the lastAlienproduct, outside of maybeRomulus, that truly nailed the feeling of being hunted by the titular creature.Alien: Isolationwas a truly genre-defining game, offering plenty of chilling scares and tense moments thanks to its beautifully made AI, which made the Xenomorph feel suitably unpredictable and powerful. Outside some technical issues early on,Alien: Isolationhas only grown more refined, so a sequel perhaps hasn’t been on the minds of its fans.
Luckily, it has been confirmed thatAlien: Isolation 2is in the works, and it’s hopefully coming sooner than some may anticipate. It promises a spooky time with the creepy crawly giving fans a whole set of new nightmares, and will likely improve on not just the groundbreaking AI from the first game, but also the plethora of engaging mechanics that made it such a compelling experience. However, while it’s great news that there will be a sequel to perhaps the greatest piece ofAlienmedia,it needs to change one major story detail in order to truly be great.
Why Alien Isolation Deserves A Sequel
Alien: Isolationwas a truly brilliant survival horror game that made genuinely good use of its source material. Unlike the previousAliengame,Aliens: Colonial Marines, which butchered the IP and was only released one year prior,Isolationshowcased what made the franchise so incredible in the first place. The claustrophobic environments, deadly prowling Xenomorph, dispensable main cast, and some creepy androids made it a one-of-a-kind experience that had to be seen to be believed.
A Predator Game Like Alien: Isolation Would Be The Ultimate Hunt
Predator games have failed to adapt the sci-fi series, but using Alien: Isolation as a framework could create the ultimate hunting experience.
Of course, it was the AI powering the terrifying Alien that made it such a remarkable game, as it was an unpredictable enemy that was utterly unstoppable. The main accomplishment ofAlien: Isolationwas making its villain instill dread in the player not just the first time it appeared, but every time it showed up, soit makes sense that it would get a sequel eventually. It’s just a great shame that it has taken so long to get to this point, especially considering there hasn’t been anotherAliengame as good, or even like it, since it was released.
The main accomplishment ofAlien: Isolationwas making its villain instill dread in the player not just the first time it appeared, but every time it showed up.
However, perhaps now is the perfect time for anAlien: Isolationsequel. With the amazing advancements in both AI technology and graphical fidelity,a sequel could offer something even more groundbreaking than the original, withAlien: IsolationUE5 footageshowcasing just how good it could look. There is now so much potential for what a sequel could offer players that perhaps didn’t exist over a decade ago.
New Alien Game Needs To Ditch The Cramped Space Station Setting
It’s Been Done Too Many Times
While it’s hard not to get excited over anAlien: Isolationsequel, it is important to reflect on how it could improve upon the original. One major story detail that needs to change is the game’s setting. If it wants to avoid feeling stale,it needs to ditch the claustrophobic space station. It feels almost sacrilegious to say so, as that setting has been the backbone since the original film. After all, the Xenomorph works best when it’s prowling around in vents, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike, and is far less effective when met in open spaces.
Why The Alien: Isolation Flamethrower Breaks The Game
Alien: Isolation is arguably the scariest game based on the franchise but once players acquire the famous Alien flamethrower the tension decreases.
However,changing the setting is incredibly important,not least because practically everyAlienfilm and game has used it ad nauseam for the past few years.Aliens: Fireteam Elite, while switching up its setting across multiple levels, starts players off in a cramped space station. Similarly,Aliens: Dark Descenttakes place in dark, cramped corridors, as too does thepretty goodAlien: Romulus, which feels more or less like a reboot of the original film.
Ditching the space station setting that feels far too overdone at this point and moving to a more alien location would be just one of the manyways anAlien: Isolationsequel could improve on the original.It would help it stand out among the current flock ofAlienproductsthat all, more or less, utilize the same visuals and setting. It would also help to breathe new life into theAlienfranchise by exploring more of its lore.
How Alien Isolation’s Sequel Can Set Itself Apart From The Alien Franchise
Exploring The Far Reaches Of The Galaxy
Alien: Isolation 2needs to do a lot to separate itself from both the original game and theAlienfranchise, something it definitely needs to do if it wants to remain a memorable experience. It’s simply not enough to throw the player into cramped corridors and have a terrifying creature chase after them. EvenAlien: Romulus, a film that practically retells the firstAlienfilm’s story, offers some novelty in the form of a creepy third-act twist that hasn’t been seen before in theAlienuniverse.
Alien: Isolation 2, however, must do more than that, and it should really veer more intoPrometheusorAlien: Covenantterritory.
Alien: Isolation 2, however, must do more than that, and it should really veer more intoPrometheusorAlien: Covenantterritory, perhaps as bold and controversial as that might be to say. While those films aren’t regarded as the best in theAlienseries, they do try and do something different when it comes to expanding upon the widerAlienuniverse. Similarly,Alien: Isolation 2could follow some of the narratives told in theAliennovels, which have since moved on from the films and begun telling their own unique stories.
Offering a new, alien planet to explore, or even a human-run planet that becomes overrun by aliens, would be an interesting twist, and could perhaps lead to a greater exploration of the alien itself as well as the various factions vying for dominance in the human race. There are lots of directions a sequel could go that would still be able to retain what made the original great. After all, any environment, no matter how vast, can be made to feel incredibly tense when handled correctly, as evidenced by theS.T.A.L.K.E.R.seriesandGhostwire: Tokyo.
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Alien: Isolation 2should definitely retain its state-of-the-art AI and put a big focus on story and characters, much like the original. But it also needs to diversify the world of the Alien franchise in order to prevent the whole thing from feeling tired. It’s a lot to put on one game’s shoulders, but considering how well the original game did, it isn’t hard to imagineAlien: Isolation 2absolutely nailing it a second time around.
