Playing 'Alien Isolation' Won't Help You Sleep at Night

Jeb Haught
Thu, 16 Oct 2014 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

DEVELOPER: Creative Assembly

PUBLISHER: SEGA

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 4 (Xbox One, PC)
Updated: Fri Oct 17, 2014

DEVELOPER: Creative Assembly

PUBLISHER: SEGA

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 4 (Xbox One, PC)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

"In space, no one can hear you scream," but here on Earth, your neighbor's sure will! Surprisingly, most people who play "Alien Isolation" will be screaming out of both frustration and fear. This is mostly because of the unpredictable nature of not only the xenomorphs themselves but also the mediocre stealth system.

"Alien Isolation" attempts to capture the look and feel of Ridley Scott's original "Alien" movie, and it does a pretty good job! Players take on the role of Ellen Ripley's daughter, Amanda, as she tries to uncover what happened to her mother. Most of the game takes place on Sevastopol station 15 years after Ellen's disappearance, and it has the same cramped, cobbled-together design as the space ships in the movie.

The claustrophobic design helps to fuel fear as players hide in cupboards, lockers and anywhere else they can find. Instead of a horde of xenomorphs roaming the station, there's only a few, but the indestructible creatures will eviscerate players on sight! At first this feature also induces fear, but it becomes frustrating rather quickly. Especially when sneaking around produces different results that don't seem to have continuity or when an alien kills the player without ever being seen or heard.

Aliens aren't the only enemies on Sevastopol, as small groups of unfriendly humans and creepy androids with glowing eyes also want to kill anyone they encounter. Add in a severe lack of ammunition for the few weapons that can be found, and the result is a game of futuristic cat and mouse. Fortunately, Amanda can piece together improvised defensive weapons, such as EMP's and smoke bombs, to give her an advantage.

If you don't mind your character dying over and over again just to "learn the ropes," then "Alien Isolation" might be the virtual frightfest you're looking for.

'Styx: Master of Shadows'

DEVELOPER: Cyanide

PUBLISHER: Focus Home Entertainment

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 4 (Xbox One, PC)

PRICE: $29.99 Download

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 4.0 stars (out of 5)

Stealth games sure have changed a lot in the years after the genre was introduced by "Tenchu" and "Metal Gear Solid." Nowadays, most "stealth" games only use stealth as a feature, along with the option to run-and-gun. On the other hand, "Styx: Master of Shadows" requires stealth throughout the game, which is both refreshing and nostalgic.

As the world's first goblin, who is now two centuries old, Styx is on a quest to recover his memory and steal the heart of the World Tree. Stealing the heart of the World Tree is the biggest score he can ever make, and the mystical item may also help Styx discover his origins. His memory loss is also the mechanism for teaching players how to play the game, as he must relearn his skills.

When I say stealth is required, that's because Styx is practically useless in actual combat. He has a chance for victory if he's discovered by one or two people, but any more than that will quickly send him 6 feet under! Many people will complain about this feature, but I appreciate how it forces people to learn and use the intricacies of stealth as well as his unusual powers.

Speaking of which, Styx has access to a wealth of standard and supernatural abilities that frequently come in handy. For example, he can throw daggers at enemies for a distance stealth kill and also use sand to extinguish torches. Styx also has access to magical amber, which lets him make clones of himself and turn invisible. He can also initiate Amber Vision, which lets him identify objects and enemies from a distance.

"Styx: Master of Shadows" doesn't feature stellar visuals, but the challenging game play and interesting concept make it worth playing.

REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM

5 stars = Must Have

4 stars = Very Good

3 stars = Above Average

2 stars = Bargain Bin

1 star = Don't Bother

RATINGS KEY

Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB)

E: (Everyone)

E10+: (Everyone 10 and older)

T: Teen (13 and older)

M: Mature (17 and older)

"Alien Isolation"