Every new game in the Alien franchise is billed as the release that will save the series. From Alien Vs Predator to Colonial Marines, every adaptation of the expansive sci-fi classic over the past few years has promised to be the instalment to finally do the adored horror property justice. Of course, neither of those previous releases even came close to capturing the magic found in the movies, and after Colonial Marines' utter failure the entire brand had essentially become nothing more than a running joke in the gaming community. As a result, when Alien: Isolation was announced, once again promising an "authentic Alien experience", you could forgive sceptical fans for not throwing their money at the product straight away. In a surprising twist though, for the first time in years, Alien: Isolation actually gave xenomorph fans a game they could thoroughly enjoy. Taking inspiration from the first film for a change, this atmospheric survival horror title absolutely nailed the tone and aesthetic of its movie namesake. While there were still a couple of rough patches here and there, there was no denying that Isolation essentially single-handedly saved one of the most disappointing gaming franchises ever. Are there any we missed? Which iconic franchises were on life-support before a complete redirection? Let us know in the comments!
Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.
