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[Deleted member 30609]

I just marathoned through 8 chapters of Alien Isolation and completed it last night.

Spoiler

The Apollo core level is so cheap. Take away all my guns? Fine. But then you add Working Joes that are not only immune to stun rods, but also EMP mines? Not only that, I killed 3 working joes. 2 using 4 pipebombs and 1 using the electrified floor. But what happens when I hit the computer? They spawn 6 more rubber suit wearing joes in the server rooms. making me waste my time. By far the scariest and most tense non-alien level thanks to those cheap conceits. With the Alien there's only one of them you have to sneak around at a time and you can ward it off with fire. Rubber suit wearing joes? Nothing wards them off and there's fucking tons of em in that area. Thank god for the bolt gun you get later on though. Nailing those fuckers in the head was so cathartic.

Wait, it spawns

Spoiler

six more Joes?! In my game the pacing Joes in the following corridors just relocated to the server room, which resulted in a total of two per room. I didn't alert them beforehand. Does that make a difference? I was playing on normal, maybe that's why.

 

[Verger]

So I guess I just don't get all the "It's too hard!" reviews that scored it negatively based on that.

Yeah, it is damn hard on HARD mode, that's the point. The Alien is a super challenging opponent and doesn't behave like your typical bot NPC in stealth who has easily detectable perception boundaries and patrol patterns.

It was so hard that I was totally stuck on Mission 5 in the medical wing and kept dying over and over. But guess what, I knew that if I kept trying and not progressing I'd get frustrated. So, I turn down the difficulty setting to Normal and wham, got through the mission in one try and progressed through a good portion of Mission 6.

I found that on Normal, the Alien seemed to not notice me crouching in the shadows (I'm pretty sure he could spot me hiding in shadows like a hawk in Hard) and he seemed to take to the ventilation ducts a lot more.

 

[CloudyTuba]

I might have just been lucky, but holding back and L2 always worked for me. I released it too early once, which resulted in me being found, but otherwise I was fine.

Is there any chance it saw you hide in the first place? Also, be wary of the motion detector when hiding. The alien can hear it when it's near.

Nope! And no motion detector either.

Weird.

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

Wait, it spawns

Spoiler

six more Joes?! In my game the pacing Joes in the following corridors just relocated to the server room, which resulted in a total of two per room. I didn't alert them beforehand. Does that make a difference? I was playing on normal, maybe that's why.

Spoiler

I was playing on hard. Initially there are 2 joe's in each server room I think. And maybe 1 in each room after the server room. I killed 3, 1 in the right side and 2 on the left. I didn't do a head count, but I know for sure there weren't 9 patrolling the whole area. The left hemisphere room was clear after I killed 2 in that area. Once I interacted with the computer and got the objective to search the server rooms, I ran back to the left hemisphere server room thinking it was clear and ran into 3 working joes patrolling the area. I immediately ran to the right hemisphere server room and there were also 3 there patrolling the area. Luckily I managed to evade the 6 joes and used a noisemaker to distract them while I searched the servers. So it ended up well, but I hate feeling like I wasted my pipebombs and materials.

 

[PuppetMaster]

So is there any in-game feedback for holding your breath in a locker? A few times now I'm leaning back in a locker, the alien comes close and the game tells me to pull LT to hold my breath. I do it and it looks like absolutely nothing changes, I don't hear any difference, and the alien quickly finds me.

Feels like I'm doing something wrong but I don't know what. I cant tell if I'm holding my breath.

Yes, you are doing it wrong. I made that mistake too once.

You have to realize that is a QTE. Holding the buttons BEFORE the QTE prompts to lean back LT/L2 does nothing. Except make you fail the QTE because if you were already pressing the button, it will not register as you pressing anything.

You have to not be pressing ANYTHING when the Alien is near. And ONLY when you get the prompts, hold them down until he is well gone.

 

[bonesmccoy]

People already complain about the game being too long. Good, but long enough to the point of being tedious. Just doing the same thing over again in a different place with a couple new gadgets isn't going to cut it for most!

I don't know. Lots of games essentially re-use the same mechanics - with some small changes - to great success.

For me it'd need to be something in between Alien & Aliens - give me some better weapons, some more varied locations, and more aliens to freak out about, but don't let it become a shooter.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Yes, you are doing it wrong. I made that mistake too once.

You have to realize that is a QTE. Holding the buttons BEFORE the QTE prompts to lean back LT/L2 does nothing. Except make you fail the QTE because if you were already pressing the button, it will not register as you pressing anything.

You have to not be pressing ANYTHING when the Alien is near. And ONLY when you get the prompts, hold them down until he is well gone.

See, this definitely wasn't the case for me. Like, I got the "you're running out of breathe" effects and everything. It seems like the rules re: the lockers are either inconsistent or kind of broken.

 

[Norse360]

I have one issue that really annoys me. Whenever I want to climb into a vent I need to be in a certain position to get the prompt to press 'X' and enter. The zone is quite small and I often have to move around a bit before I can enter. This is pretty annoying when I'm in a hurry...

 

[Seanspeed]

Playing Mission 5 for the 2nd night now. Still cant make any progress.

Fear is quickly turning into annoyance and frustration.

 

[PuppetMaster]

Playing Mission 5 for the 2nd night now. Still cant make any progress.

Fear is quickly turning into annoyance and frustration.

Its the hardest part of the game and you will die a lot more. But it will teach you the rules of engagment that you will need for the rest of the game.

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

Playing Mission 5 for the 2nd night now. Still cant make any progress.

Fear is quickly turning into annoyance and frustration.

Yeah that part can really try your patience.

One thing I learned is that lockers are coffins. If you are waiting for the alien to leave the area for a reasonable amount of time, you're gonna be in there a long time. The AI seems to activate some weird routine where it will circle the immediate vicinity of the locker until you leave. Hiding under tables or, better yet, behind tables is your best bet. If you can see it, it doesn't necessarily mean it can see you. It can't see over tables and chairs, so I found the best tactic is to always stay on the opposite of the table from it until it leaves. Its cone of vision is also pretty narrow. I've had a close encounter where the alien was right next to me and didn't see me cause I was hugging a chair. The alien also takes a surprisingly long time to register your presence even if it's looking directly at you if you're crouched and a decent distance away. Also don't be afraid to walk, it's not that sensitive to sound unless you're real close.

Pretty much the only tip I can give is, don't be afraid to be bold. The Alien isn't as perfect a predator as one might think. It's mainly psychological.

 

[Ozium]

really tired of hearing comments that say "don't ever run, ever"

I beat this on Hard and ran all the time.. if the Alien isn't near you then go ahead and run.. if you distract the alien then run while he is distracted (protip: running causes you to increase velocity which will further the distance between you and the alien faster than crouch walking)

 

[Seanspeed]

Yeah that part can really try your patience.

One thing I learned is that lockers are coffins. If you are waiting for the alien to leave the area for a reasonable amount of time, you're gonna be in there a long time. The AI seems to activate some weird routine where it will circle the immediate vicinity of the locker until you leave. Hiding under tables or, better yet, behind tables is your best bet. If you can see it, it doesn't necessarily mean it can see you. It can't see over tables and chairs, so I found the best tactic is to always stay on the opposite of the table from it until it leaves. Its cone of vision is also pretty narrow. I've had a close encounter where the alien was right next to me and didn't see me cause I was hugging a chair. The alien also takes a surprisingly long time to register your presence even if it's looking directly at you if you're crouched and a decent distance away. Also don't be afraid to walk, it's not that sensitive to sound unless you're real close.

Pretty much the only tip I can give is, don't be afraid to be bold. The Alien isn't as perfect a predator as one might think. It's mainly psychological.

Thanks.

This is both encouraging and discouraging.

really tired of hearing comments that say "don't ever run, ever"

I beat this on Hard and ran all the time.. if the Alien isn't near you then go ahead and run.. if you distract the alien then run while he is distracted (protip: running causes you to increase velocity which will further the distance between you and the alien faster than crouch walking)

Playing on Hard as well.

Running gets me caught quite a bit.

 

[Bumhead]

Just finished Chapter 14.

Spoiler

Last night I said I almost wanted to have the Alien back after spending the last couple of chapters dealing with Synthetics (who terrify the life out of me). After Chapter 14? Yeah, I'd like to retract that statement with immediate effect. Seriously.. I have nothing but complete dread for what's to come now.

 

[ThaddeusMcGee]

Yes, you are doing it wrong. I made that mistake too once.

You have to realize that is a QTE. Holding the buttons BEFORE the QTE prompts to lean back LT/L2 does nothing. Except make you fail the QTE because if you were already pressing the button, it will not register as you pressing anything.

You have to not be pressing ANYTHING when the Alien is near. And ONLY when you get the prompts, hold them down until he is well gone.

Yeah this is key. Letting go of L2 before he's fully blended out of the "inspection" animation and into the "walking around" animation has proven disastrous for me. He has to be like, fully back to patrolling before you let go.

In any case, in my experience if you're in a locker you're basically doomed. I stopped using them after mission 4/5. Edit: they ARE useful with the other AI types though

 

[Revolutionary]

really tired of hearing comments that say "don't ever run, ever"

I beat this on Hard and ran all the time.. if the Alien isn't near you then go ahead and run.. if you distract the alien then run while he is distracted (protip: running causes you to increase velocity which will further the distance between you and the alien faster than crouch walking)

Running is fine for human/android encounters but for the alien you're begging to be gored by its tail. I really don't recommend it. Conversely, I don't recommend crouch walking either because it's too damn slow to get some distance from the alien. Walk normally when it isn't looking in your direction (or obscured by line of sight) and crouch when it is.

 

[The perfect Dark]

Finished chapter 7. This game is definitely on my GOTY-list. Wow, best Alien-game ever made.
BTW: the androids are damn creepy

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

BTW: the androids are damn creepy

I would like to hear Seegson explain why they programmed the androids to say "Come out, come out, where ever you are." for any reason other than creepy murder stalking.

 

[Anung]

I would like to hear Seegson explain why they programmed the androids to say "Come out, come out, where ever you are." for any reason other than creepy murder stalking.

Babysitting program?

 

[Love Hate Love]

just picked this up for the PC. Any good optimization tips etc?

 

[SuperStiltzkin]

Babysitting program?

Child: "Try to find me Joe!"

Joe: "I WILL FIND YOU."

Child: "Tee hee!"

Joe: "YOU ARE BEGINNING TO TEST MY PATIENCE."

Working Joe can't find the child.

Joe: "ANOTHER WASTE OF SEEGSON'S TIME."

 

[Gruso]

Now I'll watch the movies for the first time.

You're gonna be like this all the way through Alien:

Child: "Try to find me Joe!"

Joe: "I WILL FIND YOU."

Child: "Tee hee!"

Joe: "YOU ARE BEGINNING TO TEST MY PATIENCE."

Working Joe can't find the child.

Joe: "ANOTHER WASTE OF SEEGSON'S TIME."

Hehe.

 

[jett]

This game is too creepy for me. :< And the lack of save points is really annoying.

 

[CyReN]

I hate the Medical Facility.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

This game is too creepy for me. :< And the lack of save points is really annoying.

what section did you make it up to?

 

[chris121580]

I'm really losing patience on finishing this. I've enjoyed my time with it but it could've ended 3 chapters ago. Towards the end:

Spoiler

I'm at the point where I was about to be saved and then the alien threw me down a hole and now I'm tied to the wall. How much more do I have left? Those baby vagina aliens are pissing me off

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I'm really losing patience on finishing this. I've enjoyed my time with it but it could've ended 3 chapters ago. Towards the end:

Spoiler

I'm at the point where I was about to be saved and then the alien threw me down a hole and now I'm tied to the wall. How much more do I have left? Those baby vagina aliens are pissing me off

you're basically done, don't stress

 

[jett]

what section did you make it up to?

I hate the Medical Facility.

Coincidentally, that's where I am. It's creepy and tense, but playing hide and seek with the Alien is also kind of annoying and not very engaging. I wish I had options at my disposal, but I have nothing. The last time I played the bastard actually went into my hidey-hole.

Can someone give me some tips about turning off lighting and the air purifier or whatever? Does that even matter?

 

[chris121580]

you're basically done, don't stress

Good deal. Thanks for the heads up. Like I said, I've really enjoyed it for the most part but not sure how many times you can restore power in one game haha

 

[Bobby Roberts]

just picked this up for the PC. Any good optimization tips etc?

From what I understand, if your PC is even in the "okay-ish" range, chances are you'll be able to max it out.

Can someone give me some tips about turning off lighting and the air purifier or whatever? Does that even matter?

For me, I would sometimes turn off the air purifier as it makes it harder for Working Joes to see me, and I believe it ALSO gives them something to go off and fix somewhere else? Usually turning on the speakers sends working joes and humans off to the room where they've suddenly come on, as well.

Usually first thing I do is activate the doors and kill the lights/cameras if I can.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

This game is too creepy for me. :< And the lack of save points is really annoying.

It might seem like there is a lack of save points but there are usually at least 3 per area, and usually you'll run into one after completing a major objective, or getting a key item.

There are only a handful of missions that i'd consider to be low on save points. Honestly only the finale was a little bit frustratingly low on save points (though it did have a ton of check points the rest of the game didn't have) and some portions of the game around the 1/3rd mark lacked save points as well.

Coincidentally, that's where I am. It's creepy and tense, but playing hide and seek with the Alien is also kind of annoying and not very engaging. I wish I had options at my disposal, but I have nothing. The last time I played the bastard actually went into my hidey-hole.

Can someone give me some tips about turning off lighting and the air purifier or whatever? Does that even matter?

Hide and seek with the alien is supposed to be all about tension building, the section serves its purpose to make you feel helpless against the xenos, which you should. Later on you gain some "OH SHIT" equipment. You can't stay in one place too long with the alien around or he'll sniff you out you gotta wait for the first moment he isn't looking towards you and slink away.

Do you mean the hacker rerouting boxes? Turning on air purifier systems clogs up the room with a huge mist so enemies can't spot you unless they're literally 3 feet from you, unstable system is basically just a wasted slot where a system used to be but was broken.

 

[Ozium]

whenever I see someone in here say "wow what a tough section glad that's over, it's not as tense now.." I just think this:

 

[Cudder]

I'll take a section with the Alien over a section with the androids any day.

 

[GrizzNKev]

I'll take a section with the Alien over a section with the androids any day.

I don't know if they're easier to kill on lower difficulties, but on hard? Yeah, I agree.

 

[Teknoman]

Is it just the PS4 and low antialising in the distance, or can you see alien spit dripping from vents? Also can you see it drop from a vent in the distance, or was I imagining things?

 

[Salz01]

So I happened to play outlast for the first time, after finishing this game. I found myself hiding in lockers, and starting generators yet again.....

 

[Superflat]

Playing through Chapter 10. Good god this is a long one, and one of the most stressful ones yet.

Finally used an item in my playthrough, namely the

Spoiler

flamethrower

when I had absolutely no choice; backed up against a dead end hallway on my way to a save station when the alien just turned a corner right into me. Fuuuuuuuuucking hell. It was a really long time since I saved too, so my heart was trying to leap out of my throat.

The Alien felt incredibly aggressive in pursuing me, even more than in Chapter 5. It actually crawled into the vent I was in, which was fucking terrifying because it never happened before.

 

[ShamelessOpportunist]

So I've been killed by the alien, like, five times now. Why does the game cheat on me?

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Is it just the PS4 and low antialising in the distance, or can you see alien spit dripping from vents? Also can you see it drop from a vent in the distance, or was I imagining things?

Nah, you saw those things. In fact, you wanna keep your eyes out for that slime waterfall... if you're not paying attention to where you are and where the vents are, you're liable to just get your ass snatched up. It's one of the ways the game gives you an out.

Much like how the Alien in ALIEN moves pretty much silently instead of tromping around and roaring, the Alien never hissed and rained slime out of the vents it was hiding in, either.

 

[Teknoman]

Nah, you saw those things. In fact, you wanna keep your eyes out for that slime waterfall... if you're not paying attention to where you are and where the vents are, you're liable to just get your ass snatched up. It's one of the ways the game gives you an out.

Much like how the Alien in ALIEN moves pretty much silently instead of tromping around and roaring, the Alien never hissed and rained slime out of the vents it was hiding in, either.

Oh wow, i'm glad I didnt haul down the hallway. Was hiding from some Joes after

Spoiler

the alarm went off when you send the communication early on, and I got to the last stretch

leading to the transit. Decided to think about how to approach the section a little since I wasnt being chased, and I knew when I leaned around the corner I could see something dripping in strands in the distance. Then I saw something slowly drop from above and walk off to the right, but I had my doubts since I was so far away.

 

[MarkusRJR]

So I mostly want to just enjoy the atmosphere and story (as an Alien fan). Should I play on easy or normal? I hear the alien's AI is really frustrating on the normal difficulty, and I'm always really bad at FPS and stealth games.

 

[Verger]

Remember if you're getting frustrated in Chapters 5/6 to lower the difficulty to Normal.

Like I said, I think the Alien sticks to the vents a lot more on Normal, and he also doesn't see you when you crouch in the shadows in the hallways. (definitely crouch walk more than regular walk, or especially run. Running is bad)

Also, don't stay too long in lockers. I find hiding under beds/desks is better for mobility.

 

[SuicidalSteve]

So I just noticed holding breath relates to health...so if you escaped first time remember a med kit otherwise if the alien does it again a short time later you will get ripped to spreads.

Also its great to ease the stick forward when releasing your breath so you can control it more

 

[Cudder]

So I've been killed by the alien, like, five times now. Why does the game cheat on me?

Stop letting it see you. You can literally be in the same room as the Alien and be crouched and circling a table or desk and it won't see you if you keep it on the opposite side of the table or desk, on hard mode.

 

[twisted89]

Just of bunch of my ideas...

Tower defence mechanics
More freedom
Survivors: ground vehicles that need a mechanics to be operative and so on...
A gameplay that push the players deepers in search of foods, and hint.
The goal? Wait and resist for 30 days until rescue

Alien: Resistance?

Sounds like a game that belongs on the app/play store.

 

[thelurkinghorror]

Sounds like a game that belongs on the app/play store.

That's racist and untrue

 

[twisted89]

That's racist and untrue

I can't work out if that's a serious reply or not. I can picture it already - Alien: Resistance $0.99 and micro-transactions to upgrade your towers. Might have to steal your idea, it'll make a crap ton of money.

 

[SparkTR]

Is there anything someone can tell me about the AI routine for the Alien? Like how it decides to come out of the vents and what triggers that?

 

[CappyHamper]

Is there anything someone can tell me about the AI routine for the Alien? Like how it decides to come out of the vents and what triggers that?

Noises, running, fighting (even melee).

If your going to run to a hiding spot make sure you walk the last couple of meters.

On some levels it's just programmed to be on the ground with you most of the time.

 

[thelurkinghorror]

I can't work out if that's a serious reply or not. I can picture it already - Alien: Resistance $0.99 and micro-transactions to upgrade your towers. Might have to steal your idea, it'll make a crap ton of money.