15 Hidden Video Game Design Secrets That Are Total Genius

14. Alien Isolation's Xenomorph Has Two A.I. Brains Trying To Find You

Creative Assembly's work on Alien Isolation was one of the most out-of-left-field releases of 2014, executing on a brilliant horror concept of knowing there's a preternatural hunter forever baying for your blood, yet never knowing precisely how it thinks.

To achieve this effect, the devs actually created a 'dual A.I.' system where the Xenomorph has two 'brains': One that knows where you are, and one that controls the movement of the alien's body in random directions. The key, is having the former give 'hints' to the latter based on where you might have been previously, what noises you've made, whether you sprinted recently etc., resulting in pretty dynamic gameplay as you naturally try to hide your footsteps and evade when necessary.

Also key, is that with these dual systems in place, the 'body brain' slowly learns from its own mistakes, meaning if you hide in the same place twice - or the same 'types' of places, like lockers or under tables - the Xeno will remember and seek you out faster.