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Alien: Isolation on Steam today
Sega and Creative Assembly's sci-fi horror game Alien: Isolation is now available on Steam, arriving a day in advance of its scheduled multiplatform retail release. Taking place 15 years after the events of the film Alien, Isolation pits players against a bloodthirsty xenomorph aboard a decommissioned trading station. Joystiq's Ludwig Kietzmann described Alien: Isolation as "a trauma machine masquerading as a video game" in his review, praising its tense stealth-focused gameplay and unpredictable antagonist. Alien: Isolation had planned to hit retail for the PlayStation 3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC platforms tomorrow. [Image: Sega]
Alien: Isolation review: Escape claws
Alien: Isolation is a trauma machine masquerading as a video game. Only in the realm of horror could this be seen as a compliment, and only with horror games in particular is this worthy of nervous applause. Say this about any other kind of game and you'd mistake praise for insults: it's unpleasant, stressful and rarely merciful. Yay! The game's success hinges on its meticulous interpretation of 1979's Alien, which it effectively recreates in both look and premise. Instead of the intimate confines of a lousy spaceship, however, Alien: Isolation strands you on Sevastopol, a neglected station deep in its decommission throes. You arrive there as Amanda Ripley, pursuing information about your mother and her last known ship, the Nostromo. Aside from being a biological connection to the original Alien film, Amanda is also heir to the universe's most horrible stalker. Sevastopol's sad disrepair and in-fighting can be traced back to the Xenomorph, a destabilizing creature that intimidates to this day with its skeletal figure, eyeless gaze and unmistakable hiss. The alien is a black cloud hanging over the entire game, with its arrival signaling the end of your hunky-dory skipping-down-the-corridor ways. Actually, just never do that. Ever.
Pre-order Alien: Isolation digitally, watch it download in terror
Digital pre-orders for Creative Assembly's frightful first-person game Alien: Isolation are now available. Players can put money down in advance of the game's impending launch in one week on Steam, PSN and Xbox Live to pre-download the game and pick up its season pass. Xbox One players can pre-purchase the game's Nostromo Edition on Microsoft's store, which includes the full game as well as the "Crew Expendable" bonus content. PS4 and PS3 players can scoot over to PSN to pre-order either the Nostromo Edition or the Season Pass bundle, with individual passes available on launch day, October 7. Likewise, the Nostromo Edition as well as the Digital Deluxe Edition are available to pre-purchase on Steam, the latter of which also includes the game's season pass. The $30 season pass give players access to Alien: Isolation's survivor mode map packs. [Image: Sega]
Total War tussles with Attila in 2015
Attila the Hun is the grimacing face and unrelenting antagonist in the next Total War game, coming from Creative Assembly in 2015. In Total War: Attila, you manage a huge Eastern Roman empire, stretched to breaking point across a vast terrain in Europe and a thin dispersal of military troops. With Atilla and the Hunnic empire threatening to invade, you must strengthen your entrenchment and command your armies to push back his influence – often coming in the form of fiery sieges.
Alien: Isolation Season Pass is for Survivor Mode DLC
Alien: Isolation's Survivor Mode is simple and scary: survive against the clock and the alien, with limited resources on each map. The first Survivor Mode map, Basement, is included with the game when it launches on October 7. Alien: Isolation is getting a Season Pass for all five of its Survivor Mode map packs, the first of which launches on October 28. Each Survivor Mode pack includes three maps. The first map pack has its "own set objective and challenges, a new playable character and a variety of enemy types between you and your escape," Sega writes in a press release. "Over the following months, four more add-on packs will release, each featuring a new playable character, and a mix of new maps and game modes to challenge even the most proficient player." All of the Survivor Mode maps are due to be out by March 2015, Sega says. There's no word on a price for the individual packs or the Season Pass, but the pass gives players a discount of "up to" 25 percent. [Image: Sega]
Alien: Isolation pre-order DLC available separately 'at a later date'
The Creative Assembly moved to answer concern regarding its newly revealed pre-order DLC for Alien: Isolation by confirming the content will be available separately after release. Earlier in the week, Sega revealed the content starring the cast of the original film would be tied to pre-orders, with one of the two DLC missions, "Last Survivor," only available at GameStop in the US. However, the news drew disapproval from some quarters, with many dismayed to see substantial content limited to pre-orders and used to promote them.
Ellen Ripley leads Nostromo crew's return in Alien: Isolation's pre-order DLC
Sega revealed Sigourney Weaver and several members of the original Alien cast reunite in two missions from the upcoming Alien: Isolation. Temper your excitement, because Sega is making both missions pre-order bonuses, with one exclusive in the US to GameStop. Sega says all pre-orders come with the "Crew Expendable" mission, in which you can play as either Ellen Ripley, Dallas or Parker in the moments following Brett's protracted death in the film. Meanwhile, the GameStop pre-order mission is "Last Survivor," in which players as Ripley try to escape the Nostromo by boarding the Narcissus shuttle.
Relax, Alien: Isolation is 1080p on PS4 and Xbox One
Alien: Isolation runs at 1080p on both Xbox One and PS4, and in terms of framerate it's roughly the same across both platforms, Creative Assembly Lead Game Designer Gary Napper tells OXM. "When I think about working on the game, it's almost platform agnostic because I only think about the differences between platforms and the different mechanics we can use, like the light on the PS4 pad and the stuff with Kinect 2.0," Napper says. "So I think with framerate it's pretty comparable. There's no noticeable drop or change in graphics between them. Obviously there are a lot more options to tweak and scale up on the PC." So, when we're waking up the neighbors with screams of terror in the middle of the night, we'll tell them it's all Napper's fault. And if 1080p weren't horrifying enough, there's a demo of Alien: Isolation on Oculus Rift. We'd note if that were in 1080p, too, but we couldn't keep our eyes open long enough to tell. Alien: Isolation is due out on Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One, PS4 and PC late this year. [Image: Sega]
You can't cover your eyes in Oculus Rift, a study of Alien: Isolation
With Oculus Rift dev kit 2.0, the world of Alien: Isolation appears more real than ever before – you peer around dark corners by tilting your actual head, you can almost feel the cold metal walls of your busted ship, and you cling desperately to the motion tracker, hoping that little green dot never appears. Because when it does, you're dead. Thankfully, dying in Oculus Rift doesn't equate actual death – this isn't Stay Alive, people – but it certainly feels real, if only for a second. This is my excuse for squealing like a piglet while playing Alien: Isolation on Oculus Rift at E3. It might be flimsy, but it's all I have. Alien: Isolation was one of Joystiq's official game selections of E3 2014, and we discussed how the Oculus version went down, in text form, here. But, of course, seeing is believing.
Oculus Rift and Alien: Isolation: I see you
Alien: Isolation is running in prototype form on Oculus Rift at E3. Two things about that: The full game isn't coming to Oculus Rift for sure just yet. It's terrifying. Creative Lead Al Hope first saw the Oculus Rift's horror potential after a demo at GDC in 2013, he told Joystiq. Creative Assembly decided to give it a try and built the demo now stalking the booths of E3 2014. "To be clear, what we announced last night is that we're showing a prototype of Alien: Isolation on Oculus Rift," Hope said. He made it clear that a demo didn't equate a full game, at least not for now. This is a blessing and a curse, because Alien: Isolation on Oculus Rift is great, and also greatly horrifying. We sat down with it on Oculus Rift dev kit 2.0, and those few dark minutes were easily 10,000 times scarier than the standard controller-and-screen version.
Meet the (assuredly-doomed) cast of Alien: Isolation
Ellen Ripley may have been the sole survivor, but she wasn't the only crewmember of the Nostromo. Taking a cue from the 1979 film, the developers of Alien: Isolation are building a cast to support another Ripley on her quest to destroy a monstrous alien. [Image: Sega]
Alien: Isolation dev diary breaks things to make them look better
Wondered how Alien: Isolation, a game being made in 2014 on modern computers can emulate its 1979 heritage? According to Creative Assembly's new dev diary, the secret lies in twisting cables and generally ruining perfectly good VHS tapes. Ah, the good ol' days of property destruction. [Image: Sega]
Alien: Isolation is coming right toward you on October 7
Alien: Isolation has been given a release date of October 7, 2014, according to a tweet from the game's official Twitter profile. The interstellar monster inspired by the nightmares of H.R. Giger will come to PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC, to ensure its frightful reach extends across both current and previous-gen systems. Seal the vents. [Image: Sega]
Feudal Japan invades OS X this Spring in Total War: Shogun 2
Feral Interactive, a company best known for porting major PC hits to Apple's OS X operating system, has revealed plans to release Total War: Shogun 2 at some point this Spring. Developed by Creative Assembly and originally released for the PC in 2011, Total War: Shogun 2 is a strategy game that drops players into 16th century Japan, a time known as the "Warring States" period. Players will control one of nine clans, all of which seek to conquer their contemporaries and unite Japan under a single flag. Mass combat plays out in real-time, but those who prefer more subtle methods can avoid direct conflict by dispatching assassins or focusing on diplomatic resolutions. Though the Mac incarnation of Total War: Shogun 2 arrives long after its PC counterpart, it will include all of the DLC released for the prior game for free. No price point or specific release date has yet been established for Total War: Shogun 2 on OS X, though Feral Interactive claims these details will be coming soon. [Image: Sega]
Challenges and comparisons: The monsters that hunt Alien Isolation
The Creative Assembly has been forced to make a number of changes in order to realize the vision for Alien: Isolation. After successful pitches to both Sega and 20th Century Fox, the developer turned to recruitment, ensuring it added new members to its team that were capable of crafting the exact game it pitched, what Creative Lead Al Hope calls: "The Alien game that we always wanted to play." A game completely different from that other Alien game, which his team at The Creative Assembly had no involvement with making, yet keeps coming up, just the same Its pitch demo for Isolation was built in four weeks and featured two identical medical bays: one with its environment and objects in pristine condition and the other obliterated by an unknown menace. The juxtaposition led to immediate questions: "What happened? What did this?" Soon, an answer invaded the screen as a large xenomorph falls into frame, ending the demo. Sega was immediately interested, Hope says, as was Fox. Adding new talent to execute on the project was necessary. For the better part of a decade, The Creative Assembly has focused its attention on the RTS genre. Once its pitch was green lit, Creative Assembly brought in talent that contributed to a host massive franchises, including Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed. Its team assembled and its concept approved, the developer began its work over three and a half years ago on Alien: Isolation – a survival horror game based on a beloved movie from the late 1970s. "This is exactly the game we want to make," Hope says.
Meet the xenomorph in this behind the scenes Alien: Isolation trailer
In lieu of serving up in-game footage or even pre-rendered cutscenes from the upcoming sci fi survival horror game Alien: Isolation, the developers at Creative Assembly instead offer this behind-the-scenes look at how the team is translating Hollywood-style horror for the virtual world. The focus of the clip is on the creation of the game's titular xenomorph, and specifically the artificial intelligence ruling its in-game behaviors. According to the game's designers, the alien utilizes a unique set of "senses" to actively hunt players down, leading to encounters with the creature that can last up to half an hour, depending on how cautious a player is in approaching the confrontation. The development team claims this just isn't possible with scripted cutscenes and traditional enemy behavior patterns, but the extra effort poured into the birth of the xenomorph pays off by presenting players with an enemy that is both deadly and unexpectedly cunning. Alien: Isolation is slated for release toward the end of 2014, when it will debut on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 platforms. [Image: Sega]
Total War: Rome 2 paid DLC sparks fan backlash over alleged cut content
The recent release of the Beasts of War downloadable content pack for Total War: Rome 2 has ignited a backlash among series fans, who accuse developer Creative Assembly of deliberately withholding finished content from the retail version of the game in order to release it later as paid DLC. Players claim that the Camel Cataphract units featured in the Beasts of War pack were originally seen in a Creative Assembly-produced Let's Play video prior to Total War: Rome 2's release. The video additionally outed the existence of the Mercenary Naked Swords unit, which wouldn't be seen until the later release of the game's Caesar in Gaul paid DLC. Players posted these allegations at Creative Assembly's Facebook page and on the official Total War forums. Further complaints arose when forum mods allegedly moved related threads to the Rants and Raves sub-forum, which is only publicly viewable by registered users. Speaking to Eurogamer, brand director Rob Bartholomew apologized to fans, explaining that the content originally featured in Creative Assembly's Let's Play videos differs significantly from the paid DLC units. "At the time of this video's recording, these units were not finished in terms of art, gameplay or design and as a marketing team we should have double-checked the likelihood of them making it into the final game," Bartholomew said. "Obviously we don't want to feature content that won't be in the game intentionally, especially when it would otherwise be pointless, as in this case where there was a huge variety of other great units to show off. That's our basic human error and I apologize for letting that through." Bartholomew additionally detailed company-wide plans to carefully check pre-release content prior to publication, in order to avoid future conflict. "[The units] weren't working pre-launch in the sense that they were finished, being largely placeholder and subject to change," he said. "However, I completely appreciate that this sounds like a 'get out' on a technicality to a fan feeling aggrieved by this, so again I do apologize for not thoroughly checking enough that all content in that video was absolutely ready for public viewing and understanding. We've put checks in place now that should prevent that in the future." [Image: Creative Assembly]
Total War: Rome 2, Company of Heroes 2 brawl for free DLC this weekend
In defiance of this weekend's imminent corporate-sponsored romance, Sega has decided to push strategy gamers toward corporate-sponsored violence with the aptly titled "Make War Not Love" promotion. The rules are simple: During the course of the weekend, Sega will tally all victories earned by players in Total War: Rome 2 and Company of Heroes 2. Whichever game has the more active, successful community will receive free downloadable content. In the case of Total War: Rome 2, players will be awarded the Beasts of War add-on, while those playing Company of Heroes 2 will find two new multiplayer Commanders available at no additional charge. To further sweeten the temptation toward virtual bloodshed, Sega is also discounting both strategy games by 50 percent from now until Monday, February 17 at 10AM PT. Would-be virtual generals can now purchase Total War: Rome 2 for $30 while Company of Heroes 2 can be had for $20. [Image: Sega]
Total War: Rome 2 mod tools now in open beta testing
In lieu of offering yet another downloadable content pack for Total War: Rome 2, developer Creative Assembly has opted to let fans roll their own units, factions and conflicts with the release of the Rome 2 Assembly Kit. Though still in the beta stages, the Assembly Kit is a full-featured suite of tools useful in modding the historical strategy game. According to publisher Sega, the Kit includes everything necessary to modify the game's existing assets, as well as import/export tools for pulling artwork, audio and character models into the game from third-party programs. The Kit also includes a swath of "example data" which should be useful for nascent modders. The best news, however, is that the Assembly Kit is available free of charge to anyone with a copy of Total War: Rome 2 and an Internet connection. Full details on the Kit and information on how to download the tools can be found on the Total War Wiki.
Alien: Isolation screens burst from Creative Assembly's horror game
A set of screens confirmed to be from Creative Assembly's Alien: Isolation hit the net last night, Eurogamer reports. The game is said to a first-person stealth-and-horror fest that tells the story of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley from the Alien film series. Twentieth Centry Fox Film trademarked Alien: Isolation, just as it (unfortunately) did with Aliens: Colonial Marines. An Alien game from Creative Assembly has been in production since May 2011 at least, when the studio posted a job listing and Sega confirmed the project's existence. You heard and saw it here, folks: Alien exists.
