From the very first frame, as the camera drifts across the endless void of space while the title slowly reveals itself, Alien oozes atmosphere that few films have ever been able to match. The vision of a blue collar industrial future combined with powerful images of unmapped space give off distinct feelings of fear and dread, as the known meets the unknown. Working in tandem to this is Ridley Scotts deliberately paced direction accompanied with Jerry Goldsmiths hauntingly simplistic score. All these elements come together to deliver an atmosphere that changed how science fiction and horror films are made. Tone and atmosphere are important in video games as well, everyone knows this. Every video game needs to draw the player in and make them forget that they are sitting in a chair in front of a screen. This goes double for survival horror games. Without the right atmosphere, they won't be scary. In Isolation's case, they are extremely lucky to have Alien as the basis for their game. Part of the reason an Alien based game has so much potential is that the same elements that made the film so effectively memorable would also work exquisitely in a video game. Just watch some of the released gameplay footage and youll see this is the case. The industrial worn down future look of the environments makes it feel rich and lived in, making the idea of exploring them and piecing together the story all the more tantalizing. Any fan of Alien can see how much of the environmental designs from that film have been incorporated into the game, and interacting with fully realized sets from the film should be a real joy. In fact, Creative Assembly is so dedicated to preserving the clunky, low-tech look that they even based the UI on VHS interfaces. And to top it all off, the music and sound effects have been lifted directly off the original sources from the film. Getting the atmosphere right appears to be a high priority, which is fantastic. It gives one hope that we are finally getting an Alien game crafted with love and affection. It's about time.
