GoKawiilI got a feel of this new approach from the game's prologue, which acted as an extended tutorial. As Blake, I had to maneuver through the dead woodland area of the planet to reach the crashed module. Compared to the eerie silence of Sevastopol Station, the colony is loud and chaotic, with limited visibility into the world beyond. With the clock ticking to reach the module before a flood came in, I had to carefully maneuver through the debris field to reach the crash site.
Inside the module, my memories of playing Alien: Isolation came rushing back. Just like the original film and the 2014 horror game, the interior was that familiar blend of low-fi/high-tech design with working-class workspace. There was even a great jump scare with a wrecked Working Joe android giving one last bit of aggression before powering down. As I explored for scrap to repair the power system, I noticed to the strong sound design, which captured the eerie quiet of the ship and the storm outside. With the power back on, I was able to activate that familiar, slow-acting save station to record my progress. Once I got into the computer room, the alien appeared, which then kick-started the careful sneak back to the exit.
Much like the original game, maneuvering past the alien requires patience and careful attention to your surroundings — one wrong move or an ill-advised sprint can alert the beast and send it your way. By hiding under desks and in crawl spaces to avoid its gaze as it lurked about, I was able to reach the exit. As the demo closed, the alien spotted me and went in for the kill, but I was saved by the ensuing flood, which reached the module and sent it careening down a hill. And that's where the demo ended.
Creative Assembly/Sega
I found Blake to be a solid choice for a new protagonist, though I would like to know more about their motivations and background. Currently, the character feels a bit too similar to Amanda Ripley's, so I hope the game offers a different spin on Blake's story and experience.
According to the creative director, one of the main reasons for the change in protagonist was to create a perspective that makes it feel like a new "journey of discovery" in a totally new environment.
"So we obviously love Amanda; she's super important to us as a character from Alien: Isolation," said Hope. "But I think it was all about thinking about this opportunity to make a sequel from a really high level. We were like, "Ok, we want to tell a story that's really closely connected to the first game, but we want to tell a new story in a new world that really lends itself to that horror experience. It was all about this journey of discovery and mystery for Blake, and so it just felt like this was the right path to take with this sequel."
This early look at Alien: Isolation 2's opening offered up the right amount of scares and tension that made the original game so memorable. But what intrigued me most about this sequel was the new setting. While the demo was very familiar in terms of the original's flow, I really dug the new location, which was such a big departure from Sevastopol Station. It still captured the same sense of dread as the original game, but with the added pressure of navigating a chaotic setting. The devs were unfortunately tight-lipped about how the game's structure changes in a more open environment compared to the original. Still, the new atmosphere it provides offers a new way to experience that full blend of stealth-action and survival horror. I'm a big admirer of the original game, and so far, Alien: Isolation 2 has a great concept for a follow-up to one of the greatest horror games ever.
Alien: Isolation 2 is currently in active development, and is planned for release on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.