Alien: Isolation

Play it on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Buy it from: Humble Bundle
Current goal: Enjoy a good sequel to Alien

Last weekend I saw Alien: Romulus in theaters. I didn’t love it. Don’t get me wrong: there is a lot to love in Fede Álvarez’s entry in the iconic sci-fi series, but it quickly devolves into something much less interesting in its second half.

When I got home from the theater, I still had the itch for more in the universe. That’s how I found myself re-downloading 2014’s Alien: Isolation on my PS5, and subsequently playing through the horror game’s first three hours. This shouldn’t surprise anyone—the game is great—but it’s shocking how well it still holds up.

There are two factors that really make Alien: Isolation sing (or scream). The first is the atmosphere. The production design of the original Alien film is iconic for its retro-futurist vision of space, and Isolation recreates that to perfection. It makes the abandoned Sevastopol Station feel so scary to walk around that is’ like being on a movie set. Second is the horror. Isolation is a truly terrifying game that turns its titular monster into an absolute menace. The alien stalks you throughout your game, and while you’ll eventually gain some ways to combat the creature, you never feel truly safe.

The alien is a hunter and you are its prey. It constantly unsettles you, as it could pop up at any time. All of this, as well as a narrative that puts you in the shoes of Ripley’s daughter 15 years after the events of the original film, make Isolation a worthy sequel to one of the greatest sci-fi films of all time. I also did watch 2017’s Alien: Covenant again because I really could not get enough of Alien. Covenant rocks. Go watch it.—Willa Rowe