Back in May 2011, Creative Assembly announced that it was working on an FPS set in the Alien universe. The project, entitled Alien: Isolation, had been shrouded in mystery up until last year, when some art-work and screenshots were leaked.
The leaks seem to continue as the project is progressing through development, and this time, it was Microsoft’s turn to show some skin, so to speak. A listing on the official Xbox Game Store revealed some plot and background story information about the upcoming shooter. “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.”
Ripley’s legacy seems to continue, and you’ll be playing as her daughter, Amanda. “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.”
It’s been awhile since we’ve got a chance to play a really well-made horror survival FPS, and an even longer time since any decent Alien games were released. If Creative Assembly manages to provide top-notch quality, we’ll be in for a treat. Still, our concerns lie with the fact that the studio has limited experience when it comes to designing FPS games, and while they excel at making quality strategy games (the Total War series) and action-adventures, we’re not sure this fits an Alien game perfectly.
According to the Xbox Game Store leak, Alien: Isolation will include a 4-man multiplayer co-op mode. No other information has been revealed regarding other multiplayer features. In fact, we’re not even sure what platforms the game is being developed for, but it’s safe to assume that there will be an Xbox version, given the source of the leak, and a PC version will most likely also be included.
Let’s just hope Creative Assembly can patch up the negative reputation Alien: Colonial Marines created for the franchise last year!