Great atmosphere - but sadly overrated

[Konrad Friedrich]

This is more of a review than a contribution to the discussion.
But I'm interested if anybody feels the same about 'Alien: Isolation'.

In a nutshell: unfair

I can't recommend this game.
The slightest impatience will be punished at once.
It is too unfair.
It is unsporting.

It starts pretty good and sets a good feeling.
The stage set resembles the first movie perfectly.

But...
It seems that the main purpose of this game is to sit in lockers
and force your character to stop breathing.
The other part is to try to open doors. To pass this challange you need to open other doors for which you probably need to find key cards. Or 'master' silly little mini-games.

But then it gets nasty:
You get killed and killed over and over again - and because of this silly 'safe point' system you may need to repeat the same boring steps on and on. It happens that you need to replay up to 5 minutes (!) again and again - just to get killed and repeat your attempt.
Trial and error to find a solution. Again and again.
You only can try to sneak through because you got no chance to succeed especially against these androids - because you just can hit them once with your tool wrench. Or maybe you want to try to fill them up with lead. Well: Six rounds - no effect. And then they beat the crap out of your game character Ripley.

The Alien itself... well: it's indestructible.
You can't escape, you can't fight it. Running: superfluous.
The only thing you can do... guess what: Sitting in a locker.
Which won't work to good later in the game because the Alien apparently comes up with the same idea.

But, hey! What about the story?
What about the purpose of Ripleys pressence at Sevastopol Space Station?
The story melts down to a few scenes.
It's artificially lenghtend to about 18-20 hours of repetitive gameplay.
Finding doors, finding keycards, sitting in lockers - get killed over and over again.
And all that for dying anyway at the end of the game.

I know that it is a stealth game. That's ecause I purchased it.
But it's really disappointingly unfair.
The story is covered beneath your quest in 'finding doors, to find doors to find a keycard to open the first door - and get killed very often while you proceed.

Ok. I should have tried the easy mode first (I think I picked 'normal').
But it's too hard in normal or hard mode.
As I pointed out it is too much trial and errror.
I can't see the fun in this kind of gameplay.

It has so much potential.
There is no need to lenghten the game artificially.
But it fails with this kind of harassing attitude.
It breaks it's own well set mood.
That's very sad.

In the end I felt that this game is not scary - it is rather ultimatley boring.

The only positve thing about it is the setting of it's mood, the sound and the visual impact.

I bought it when it was on sale - and I deeply regret that I spend the money.

[DougieP1970]

How is that even possible? You must have incredible patients.

[Space Coward]

Publicado originalmente por gcy1969:

There should be an manual save button, going back over and over is brutal.

There's nothing even remotely frightening about this game if you're an F5/F8 away from trying again.

[sleepydragon]

Publicado originalmente por gcy1969:

There should be an manual save button, going back over and over is brutal.

You just dont get the idea of survival horror i dont think. There would be no tension if you just save and load whenever you want

[DougieP1970]

Publicado originalmente por Kill-Cam Celebrity:

Publicado originalmente por gcy1969:

There should be an manual save button, going back over and over is brutal.

There's nothing even remotely frightening about this game if you're an F5/F8 away from trying again.

I don't understand what you mean?

[DougieP1970]

Publicado originalmente por sleepydragon:

Publicado originalmente por gcy1969:

There should be an manual save button, going back over and over is brutal.

You just dont get the idea of survival horror i dont think. There would be no tension if you just save and load whenever you want

I think you're right, I think you need a certain mind set to play the game. But you've got to admit it can get frustrating.

[Konrad Friedrich]

Publicado originalmente por iMoveDope:

Publicado originalmente por Konrad Friedrich:

After I played through the complete story and checking several tipps I found that the main problem is, that the game itself is misleading on how to play.

This is exactly why people like you shouldn't be posting opinions on a damn game that you didn't even complete yet. You got butthurt and raged quit to come write post about how much the game sucks. Now, after completing it, you change your tune? You're an idiot, keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself.

Where did I say that I rage quit?
I wrote my first review after 6 hours of gameplay - I was fooled by tipps I read before and while playing the game.
Which can happen.
But I'm shure you never ever misjudged anything?
Oh. Besides naming me an idiot - which I'm not.
Maybe you want to think twice before you get offensive? Would be nice.

[Konrad Friedrich]

Publicado originalmente por Gamez:

Oh wait, I'm sorry. I'll go tell the makers of this game to take this game off Steam because you think its "unfiar". Its supossed to be hard, what do you expect? You arent patient, your a sore loser, and you think its the GAMES fault? People like you make me sick, complaining becuase they wont bother to try. They wont bother to try being patient, going through places to find what they need. You dont like hiding in lockers? Dont then. Xeno will get you, and you can start all over again! I bet I know what you thought when you posted this: "Hey, I suck at this game. What will I do? Stop playing? Ask for tactics? I know! I'll lie and insult this game! And while I'm at it, I'll make sure I get an entire army of fans agasint me! Man, I'm so smart." And about Xeno...sure, its a great horror game if you can KILL whats stalking you! If you were able to kill it, then what would follow you? The horror aspect would be gone! While your complaining, I have another ridicoulus thing you could say: make your charecter unkillable! Yes! Give her amazing weapons! Make her able to fly, move things with her mind, and be able to go through walls! Now, you better take this down before things get worse.

So you call me a looser.
That's quite impolite, I'd say.
I'm a successful self-employed photographer and illustrator which enables me to live a nice and comfortable life, meeting interesting people, doing things I really love to do - and giving people things they like.
Sounds not very looser-like, I guess.

I'm sorry that I was unable to contribute to your comfort by writing my review.

And what is your life's achievement? Being a great video game player?

Oh, and in contrast to you, people like you don't make me sick - they make me sad.

Happy new year.

[Konrad Friedrich]

Publicado originalmente por Max Headshot:

Admitting an error is honorable, Mr. Friedrich. Btw i never could read the loading screen tips completely cause they were not long enough visible.

Thanks Max.
Ah, the loading screens:
I can read very quick - it's part of my profession to quickly grasp something visually, I guess ;)

[Dayve]

Publicado originalmente por gcy1969:

How is that even possible? You must have incredible patients.

It's just a matter of knowing when it's safe to move and when it isn't. Though I did spend a lot of time hiding under desks, I must admit.

[goois]

Why are you posting your review in the discussions?

[Konrad Friedrich]

Publicado originalmente por McKibbles:

Why are you posting your review in the discussions?

Quite simple: to start a discussion.

[Dayve]

Publicado originalmente por Konrad Friedrich:

Publicado originalmente por McKibbles:

Why are you posting your review in the discussions?

Quite simple: to start a discussion.

A discussion about what? You've played the game and made up your mind that it's overrated. What could possibly come of a discussion about this, other than argument?

[Konrad Friedrich]

Publicado originalmente por Dayve:

Publicado originalmente por Konrad Friedrich:

Quite simple: to start a discussion.

What could possibly come of a discussion about this, other than argument?

It's not my fault that people in online forums are not able to debate...

[Hicks - ITA (Girolamo)]

This is how a game should be: hard.
Nothing to do with usual C.O.D.-fps-console games.

And that's why I love it.
It's not overrated, I've wait for a game like this for decades!!!

[Max Headshot]

Publicado originalmente por Hicks - ITA (Girolamo):

This is how a game should be: hard.
Nothing to do with usual C.O.D.-fps-console games.

And that's why I love it.
It's not overrated, I've wait for a game like this for decades!!!

You are so right, ha !