Steam Sale: Survival horror classic set aboard Sevastopol now $7.99
Released in 2014 to middling reviews, including the infamous IGN 5.9 review score, Alien: Isolation has become a cult classic over time, garnering positive reviews through word of mouth and user reviews that have made it a bonafide cult classic.
The game's current rating on Metacritic sits on a solid 79, with a user score of 8.3. It also has "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam.
Story
As Amanda Ripley, you explore the derelict Sevastopol, a shut-down trading station in space. Set fifteen years after the events of the first Alien film, Amanda volunteers for a mission to retrieve the ship Nostromo's flight recorder and find out what happened to her mother, Ellen Ripley, the lone survivor from the first film.
It wouldn't be much of a survival horror game without things going wrong, and they do, in horribly spectacular fashion. While on a spacewalk toward the station, an explosion scatters the crew, and Amanda is left to survive the dangers aboard.
Gameplay
In a word, classic. It has all the survival horror tropes, scrounging for resources and avoiding the crazed crew of the station rather than taking them head-on. The most praised aspect of the game is the Xenomorph AI, which actively stalks the player like a more advanced version of Mr.X from the Resident Evil 2 remake.
The game uses two AI systems - Director AI and a behavior tree. The Director AI tracks player movement and actions while guiding the Xenomorph along a dynamic path to intercept them without telling the Xenomorph where the player is.
It makes the Xenomorph very unpredictable and flexible in reacting to player actions. What ratchets up the tension, especially early game, is your inability to fight back as a player. You can only hide. This is lessened somewhat late game but until then, it's a hair-raising experience.
The game also recaptures the visual aesthetic of the 1979 Alien film, everything from props to audio design from the movies has been recreated faithfully and helps immerse you in the atmosphere of dread the game wants to convey.
The game is currently 80% off during the Alien Day 2025 sale on Steam and is available for $7.99 (€7.99 or £6.99).
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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