How's the game now?

[GemoNe0]

Worth picking up or should i still wait for further updates?

[kordelas]

It is still great as it was when it launched.

[Tau Settee]

Originally posted by kordelas:

It is still great as it was when it launched.

I think that tells all you need to know.

[WhIteDragem]

Launch day, I felt it was a solid 9,.. but no way would it be lower than an 8 (internet reviewers were playing prelauch code, version 1.01, with launch being 1.02)..
internet reviewers had had their busiest month reviewing big budget large scale VR games.. of which Alien came out last.
trying to be first up on the net with reviews; progression blockers would have been frustrating. Understandable first wave review scores.

The game:
Combines a gameplay hook built around 'regular VR gameplay sessions' and 'just one more go' arcade-a-thon.. : hugely replayable and easily good in small segments and random play length sessions. (I have days where I want more than three long play sessions, generally 1-2 hours each, and I am a VR lightweight)

I wake at night.. want to get up and play this game.
I get up an hour early if it allows me squeezing in some game time.
Lunch time? (I think people can see where I am going with this...)

With constant patches, acknowledgement of accidental spawn bug -that breaks a key game mechanic of 'be the mouse' and noise matters (environments filled with noise litter, like in Hunt Showdown);
-the developers keep implementing fixes, optimisations, and gameplay tweaks to tune the game to any given end users' preferences.. (so long as VR)

This is an experienced studio that has shipped double digit VR titles, using Unreal Engine.
The added improvements in the first week raised the game a point, if considering review scores.. (So much done)

With the first two January patches.. it is hard to not see they have done it again.
And.. more inbound.
(game is probably a VR showcase title)

re: "optimisation"; I run the PC game on a decade+ old PC rig, with an updated GPU and a professional SSD.. (I did have to raise my overclocks, as it turns out this game is optimised to use EVERYTHING we have. Actually - it needs solid CPU and RAM and no bottlenecks)

Game, optimised for low end GPUs (ie a Playstation and future Quest version) relies on a lot of prebaking effects.. (some took hours to render),. these effects inserted into a gameworld rendered using "Nanite technology" (no visable polygons), combined with full interactive physics, that do not clear instantly from the scene.. and open world-esqe indoor/outdoor scenes with no loading screens.. means an end users CPU and RAM needs be up to muster.
A budget SSD (often need up to 2-3 cores of CPU to move data) will catch out a 'borderline CPU' system. So a lot of reports from people with flagship GPUs saying 'optimisation issues'; when the reality is.. lots of people on much much lesser GPUs are having a real blast with this game, and no issues. (and a powerful GPU cannot overcome Windows platform backend weaknesses that a Playstation 5 completely avoids -ie 'direct injection' and a streamlined OS and hardware SSD decompression and dedicated sound hardware to alleviate CPU needs etc.. ) (game is HIGHLY OPTIMISED)

Like my system. Which is outdated, being 10+ years old; vastly below official minimum specification (arguably, but I know how to overclock, and use a Pro SSD to remove bottlenecking in this title).. and I run with a lot of high settings and targetted 90hz reprojection free.
Everyone recommends 60 with repro up to 120, as it allows cranking the graphics higher still.

With well over fourty hours on the console version using reprojection it doesn't bother me AT ALL in this title.. I believe this is because Survios used clever world building design and art assets.

I am not into Survival Horror genre, and I love this game
I avoid claustrophobic movie sequences.. (and games) and I love this game..
I have avoided ALL reprojection titles (~45hours on the Playstation version)



IS it worth it?
I have no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Latest patch allows starting on Insane difficulty without having to finish the game first.
Tuning options have added so much variability -
now Aiming Down Sights can be turned off (ADS adds hit damage when a user aims correctly, is my take),.. on Insane this is basically required.
Weighted weapons and Sway, and 'Handedness', sitting or standing..
Toggle hold states.. (and constant improvements)
whatever you want from the game, .you can 'make it so' (so long as VR)

A game with top tier interactive environments, and the prettiest VR title I have ever seen (pushes boundaries of graphics rendering), combined with masterful gameplay hooks..
Explore or Run & Gun / Story or Arcade shooter

The price per hour is one of the best value gaming investments for me in recent years.
I wouldn't wait, as like World of Warcraft players experienced.. 'never needed anything else' makes game cheap.

I have not walked into a games shop since this title came out.
I have stopped looking at digital stores since this game came out.
Both of those facts is for the reason that this game completely satisfies me.. and scratches an itch I didn't know I had. (I had forgotten how much fun gaming could be)

I think this game is a must buy..
Like the Aliens IP (movies.. not just 'Isolation')?; this game lets you be the bad ass colonial marine.
M41a Pulse Rifle and Motion Tracker included.

Highly recommended.

[WhIteDragem]

oops; M41 pulse rifle. (not the M41a)
thankyou community.

[natedaskate]

@WhiteDragon oh please just stop. Its the same drivel on every discussion. Just stop it. I would not be surprised that you work for Survios.

[WhIteDragem]

Originally posted by natedaskate:

@WhiteDragon oh please just stop. Its the same drivel on every discussion. Just stop it. I would not be surprised that you work for Survios.

you are not the OP, and a run down of what is going on with the game is important.
;specifically -having been asked for.

tongue in cheek responce:(its the same on every thread- "just stop it"(?); seems like you don't like Survios' work)

This is an internet thread.
People come here to read information and opinion.

Opinion given.
Free of charge as I LIKE Survios' effort.

To each their own; you can represent yourself and your thoughts.
I can do 'me'.



edit:
not sure your beef with me... your last few posts are to me/feature me..

Is it I have (correctly) identified that the game will cause stutters on 'borderline' systems (eg CPUs meet minimum requirements but use a 'budget' SSD that requires another 2 cores of CPU grunt to decompress game data on the fly)?

I notice you have the minimum CPU requirement.. and a flagship GPU which is giving you issues.
per my recommendation 'everywhere' (your take) - why don't you check this; put the game on an external drive (that doesn't hose your CPU when moving data).
If your game no longer stutters when loading prebaked animations (eg steam bursts) then you have likely found the cause.. (budget SSD pushes your CPU hard and you fall BELOW the minimum CPU needs..-quite likely)..
An external drive that doesn't hit the CPU hard will allow your CPU to run fully on the game itself.
The GPU, unlike every other game, isn't the part likely to hold you back.
I am the bearer of bad news? (don't shoot the messenger) it is better to know than to not know.
Officeworks have a refund policy.. maybe try out an external pro SSD drive?
initial game load will be longer. otherwise.. should prove BETTER.
(stutters removed)

[natedaskate]

wtf are you on about

[WhIteDragem]

your machine has stutters because your CPU cannot handle your 'sound renderer' (extra CPU hit), and, I believe, a budget SSD drive (which can easily fully load 3-4 CPU cores, depending on model and data amount being used... ) - the CPU 'overhead' lost to your 'extra windows processors and hardware 'needs' means that your CPU that is listed as the MINIMUM to play the game.. actually doesn't have enough free CPU power to make the game work.

That is why, when you see a steam effect, as an example, you get a stutter.
It isn't you GPU letting you down.. but your RAM cannot get the DATA it needs, without loading the steam 'animation' from your drive - when it does load the 'steam animation' (as an example, based on your post history)' the need to use your SSD (likely NOT a PRO model, or else you would likely list it in your specs), means that the 2-4 cores of CPU grunt a budget SSD can need to use.. will actually leave your computer without the necessary CPU amount to let the game run smoothly.

This game is optimised 'to the metal', but requires 'the sum of the parts' to equal - at least a Playstation 5.
A playstation 5 has dedicated hardware for sound processing. (you use a sound applet that requires CPU), and the playstation 5 has a pro SSD and dedicated hardware for data decompression.. (which offsets the need to use the 'raw CPU power')

Your CPU is listed as the minimum.
That means you probably need to have access to ALL OF IT.. in order for the game to run smoothly.
If you turn off your tricky 'software' sound renderer that you use to 'improve the sound', AND if you used a PRO SSD (which has its own hardware decompressor which offsets NEEDING TO load 2-4 CPU cores ) will allow your CPU to meet the games minimum.

I could be wrong.. I have no idea what other stuff you load with windows.

but it is fair to say you are not meeting the games minimum specs.
The video card is choked.

[kakek]

So ... nothing has been significantly improved.
If you have a 3090 / 4070ti minimum, you can enjoy an decent alien shooter. That looks like it should run on a 1080 if it was correctly optimised.

[kordelas]

Originally posted by kakek:

So ... nothing has been significantly improved.
If you have a 3090 / 4070ti minimum, you can enjoy an decent alien shooter. That looks like it should run on a 1080 if it was correctly optimised.

If it was a flat screen game. Also people enjoy this game on weaker PCs by just adjusting settings instead of expecting that some patch will downgrade the game for them. This is one of pleasures which is not available on consoles.

[cybersyn]

The devs have announced various upcoming updates to help address gameplay issues (like too frequent xenomorph spawns) and performance issues. They said we should see some of these big updates in January.

If I were you, I'd wait for these updates to start playing since they should improve the game dramatically.

https://steamcommunity.com/ogg/1850050/announcements/detail/631167270993788934

[Echorion]

Performance is still ass, and they have not fixed it and have stopped even talking about trying to fix it.

So I cannot recommend the game to anyone who isn't rocking some pretty beefy hardware and even then you'll be getting a somewhat hampered experience imo.

If there is ever a significant performance patch, and it actually does something impactful, I would recommend it at the very least on sale.

[c0Zm1c]

Originally posted by Echorion:

Performance is still ass, and they have not fixed it and have stopped even talking about trying to fix it.

So I cannot recommend the game to anyone who isn't rocking some pretty beefy hardware and even then you'll be getting a somewhat hampered experience imo.

If there is ever a significant performance patch, and it actually does something impactful, I would recommend it at the very least on sale.

They've been talking about it recently on Discord. Some quotes from there:


1/10/25:

we are focusing now on the Meta Quest 3 release, but some of the changes we make for that version will be applicable for PCVR and PSVR2 versions as well. Also, we are working on the patches roadmap simultaneously, so it's not like you ain't gonna get anything until Quest release

https://discord.com/channels/322821596987392000/1130683452199551086/1327267747385573462

1/14/25:

We are working on optimization on both platforms, but PCVR is more tricky simply due to the plethora of different setups people use. But that ain't gonna stop us from trying to improve the performance for our players

https://discord.com/channels/322821596987392000/389890918603292673/1328642874979520564

1/17/25:

We are working on performance ALWAYS, especially on PCVR

https://discord.com/channels/322821596987392000/389890918603292673/1329736146879512607

[bronsky]

Glad to read that the devs are still working on optimization. The game is perfectly playable with the recommended configuration (RTX 3080Ti) and it already looks very good. But it looks stunning at maxed settings, and very few today can achieve them. I'm looking forward to whichever releases first, the patch... or the RTX 5000 series.

[kordelas]

Originally posted by bronsky:

Glad to read that the devs are still working on optimization. The game is perfectly playable with the recommended configuration (RTX 3080Ti) and it already looks very good. But it looks stunning at maxed settings, and very few today can achieve them. I'm looking forward to whichever releases first, the patch... or the RTX 5000 series.

5000 series is not that much jump in raw processing power. It is more about multi frame generation feature.