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[IbizaPocholo]

In Defence of Alien: Isolation - IGN

On Alien: Isolation's tenth anniversary, we revisit both Creative Assembly's divisive survival horror and our own review.

www.ign.com

Alien: Isolation's tenth anniversary is inbound, and with that, we revisit both Creative Assembly's divisive survival horror experience, as well as our Alien Isolation IGN review.

It may not be fully universally beloved, but in 2024 Alien: Isolation has many fans who remember it as something special. It’s considered a landmark horror game, so does it still hold up in 2024? Let's find out!

 

[Codes 208]

“It may not be fully universally beloved…”

Um what? The game got rave reviews and still sits around 80% on meta. The game didnt get shat on like AvP or Colonial Marines

N/M, its ign. They gonna do what they do best: clickbait articles and lowball reviews for no fucking reason like giving Transformers One a 5/10

 

[kevboard]

the only Alien Isolation review that matters:

 

[Hoddi]

'In defense'?

I'm not gonna google it but they rated it poorly, didn't they? Okay, I did while writing this and of course they did.

One of the biggest gaming journals in the West trashed one of the better games of the past decade. And now they're playing innocent that it didn't sell well enough to get a sequel or whatever.

 

[Esca]

I remember the game had very good reception and fans of the IP like myself really enjoyed it. The only complaint I remember mostly was some saying the Alien AI. My only complaint was once you got the flamethrower the Alien was no longer a threat

 

[Codes 208]

'In defense'?

I'm not gonna google it but they rated it poorly, didn't they? Okay, I did while writing this and of course they did.

One of the biggest gaming journals in the West trashed one of the better games of the past decade. And now they're playing innocent that it didn't sell well enough to get a sequel or whatever.

May I remind you of this absolute gem?

 

[Pasta la Vista]

This is like the only universally loved Alien game. WTF are these guys talking about.

 

[nkarafo]

"divisive"

"not universally loved"

Oh, fuck off IGN. These are only in your head. Stop trying to excuse that shitty review.

 

[DeepEnigma]

"divisive"

"not universally loved"

Oh, fuck off IGN. These are only in your head. Stop trying to excuse that shitty review.

For real. They don't live in the real world.

 

[Porcile]

I don't know what their justification for the low score was as I have never read their review, but personally I found Alien Isolation extremely tedious to play. Of course IGN has made some huge and laughable mistakes over the years but this one just seems like an opinion and that's all.

 

[adamsapple]

5 for Alien
3 for God Hand
2 for Deadly Premonition

Fuck off, IGN.

 

[poppabk]

May I remind you of this absolute gem?

Worldwide Soccer Manager 2009 Review
This game gets a red card, and possibly a lifetime ban.
by Avi Burk
Summary
The menus are complex and difficult to navigate, graphics are terrible, the sound is non-existent and there is no traditional gameplay to speak of. I couldn't imagine why anybody would prefer Worldwide Soccer Manager to FIFA 09 or Pro Evolution Soccer 2009.

2/10

 

[cyberheater]

IGN have always been shite reviewers.

 

[drganon]

There is no defense for Ign.

 

[DirtyBast8rd]

IGN needs to go the way of the dodo.

 

[Swagballs717]

What are they talking about? I've heard nothing but praise for Alien: Isolation.

 

[Puscifer]

the only Alien Isolation review that matters:

I'm so sad they didn't post this on the main RLM channel, it didn't deserve the low views it got by trying to be different when video games come up often in their reviews.

 

[Skyfox]

It’s click bait because they are (rightfully) dying.

 

[N0S]

IGN rewriting history

 

[Jesb]

I don’t even like the mechanic of running away and hiding from an enemy like this or other games and even with that as the core experience it was still one of the best horror games ever crafted.

 

[Thief1987]

Um what? The game got rave reviews and still sits around 80% on meta. The game didnt get shat on like AvP or Colonial Marines

Just a look at the game's card on OC telling that you have pretty selective memory

 

[Thebonehead]

Just like the game whenever I see a IGN/Kotaku thread title...
... Time to hide

 

[Soodanim]

I’ve figured out what happened. It all makes sense. IGN defended the wrong game.

IGN wanted to do a piece on something Alien related, and remembered there was a game that was panned. But they're not really that great with games or long term memory, so they mixed up Isolation and Colonial Marines. They played Isolation, enjoyed it, and without realising or doing things like checking review scores from others did a whole piece on how it's not as bad as the reviews say Colonial Marines was. It could happen to anyone (that doesn't have a clue).

 

[Codes 208]

Just a look at the game's card on OC telling that you have pretty selective memory

I dont see the issue. The game averaged between 7-8 out of 10

In what world is that considered panned?
Well, outside of IGN’s world that is because anything below 8 = shit for them

 

[FeralEcho]

Didn't know it needed a defense...Thought the game was a classic.

 

[FunkMiller]

Ah, I see games reviewers were fucking idiots ten years ago as well.

One of the best games of the last generation, and the best Alien 'thing' after Alien and Aliens.

 

[Randall365]

In defence of IGN more like - that review stands as a testament to the fact that they have some wacky cunts on their team.

 

[EDMIX]

Just a look at the game's card on OC telling that you have pretty selective memory

I mixed on something like this..

Looking at this picture I know a lot of people are going to question the review scores that are a little bit lower but I need you guys to understand review a simply someone's opinion and I'm actually more OK if the score is lower and someone's being completely honest then if the score is higher because the fucking person is scared to be honest so they're giving out the score they assume everyone else is giving out..

If you ever want any evidence just look at how we generally talk about games here, We are all not going to agree 100% of the time so why the fuck would a review reflect 9s and 10s only?

 

[kunonabi]

The game is painfully overrated as it is so a defense seems pretty unnecessary.

 

[Duchess]

Up to a point, I loved the game.

It outstayed its welcome, however. There was an obvious place where the game should've finished, but then it just kept going and going and going. I binned it off.

 

[RPCGamer]

It's the only alien product to come out that's good since Aliens. The only complaints I would give it, is it's too long and the alien can be annoyingly persistent at times.

 

[SJRB]

Amazing idea for ragebait. Hats off to IGN for coming up with this.

Next up: “in Defense of Elden Ring”

 

[RPCGamer]

Up to a point, I loved the game.

It outstayed its welcome, however. There was an obvious place where the game should've finished, but then it just kept going and going and going. I binned it off.

I know exactly the moment and that's when I switched it to easy. It was all getting too annoying.

 

[Lucifers Beard]

I don't get why this is such a big deal, these are personal opinions of people who are reviewing something objectively. I think the game is overrated by the community personally.

The game was great for the first 10 hours, but then carried on for almost another 15 hours. Don't get me wrong, the game is very atmospheric and looks incredible (and still does!), but there is only so much mileage I can get out a game where I'm basically running away and hiding from aliens and androids for the vast majority of the game. To be honest, I probably would have rated the game around about a 6 or 7 and I absolutely adore the franchise.

 

[Dick Jones]

Amazing idea for ragebait. Hats off to IGN for coming up with this.

Next up: “in Defense of Elden Ring”

The next series is Forgotten Gems. First up is Tetris, then Mario 64 and LoZ: Ocarina of Time

 

[Judge Magister]

More like Alien Isolation - In Defence of IGN "Perspective"
A professional reviewer imo has to give more than a simple opinion based on personal taste.

Anyway i don't care what they say. Creative Assembly adventure outside Total War series is a masterpiece for me.
The first movie is my favourite. When i played Isolation it blew me away. The ship design, the soundtrack, unerving atmosphere, stealth / survival gameplay, those AI robots gave me the creeps.

Ok it may not be perfect, the Alien is indeed a "Perfect Organism" at times and you keep dying or it's a bit repetitive. Also DLCs aren't that lenghty, they are just an extra.
But overall it's super immersive / believable, the story it's his own thing but full of tasteful details that ressemble the movies. It's not just another common walking sim / jump scare game.

 

[RCX]

It was awesome, until the halfway mark. Then it outstayed its welcome.

The last 8-10 hours felt so unnecessary to me. If they'd stopped at what felt like a great end point before that it would've been perfect.

I do still revisit it from time to time using the mod that boxes the alien into a single space. Then you can just wander around and enjoy the perfectly realized atmosphere and environment.

 

[zaga]

“In defence” sure is some clickbait BS. The game is incredible!

 

[Nonehxc]

Tl;dr

'Ryan McCurdface was a retarded jawless inbred ten year ago; Ryan McCurdface is a retarded jawless inbred today. But since now he is my boss, he ordered me an absolution piece for himself so we can spread cream over the sensitive skin of this jawless inbred 'special boy''

 

[Arachnid]

This article is a start toward redemption, IGN. Step 2 is a retraction of the original review. Step 3 is McCaffrey stripped naked and whipped through the streets.

Only then, will we let it lie. The north remembers.

 

[Arsic]

IGN needs to go the way of the dodo.

You think you want that but you don’t. If IGN goes under so would most other sites like it. And while ign reviews suck, they do get good early footage and interviews with devs.

Because the alternative to ign is then shill YouTubers and twitch streamers being your only means to learn about games you may or may not like… and that’s a whole lot fucking worse.

You think the journalist mode meme is bad? Imagine every game needing an asmongold mode because the guy is a full blown retard playing games.

 

[Arachnid]

I mixed on something like this..

Looking at this picture I know a lot of people are going to question the review scores that are a little bit lower but I need you guys to understand review a simply someone's opinion and I'm actually more OK if the score is lower and someone's being completely honest then if the score is higher because the fucking person is scared to be honest so they're giving out the score they assume everyone else is giving out..

If you ever want any evidence just look at how we generally talk about games here, We are all not going to agree 100% of the time so why the fuck would a review reflect 9s and 10s only?

A 5.9 is indefensible man. Especially when the reviewer's frustration more stems from him being an inept player. McCaffrey struggled and died hundreds (not an exaggeration) of times because he never figured out how to actually play the game and started on hard difficulty. He messed up all kinds of ways, but the biggest is that he walked around the game with the motion sensor out the whole game and didn't know the beeping it gave off was attracting the alien leading to his repeated deaths. Stupid stuff like that.

I haven't died 100 times across 5 playthroughs, nevermind 100. At some point, the "reviews are opinions!" defense just doesn't apply.

 

[V1LÆM]

.

 

[EDMIX]

A 5.9 is indefensible man. Especially when the reviewer's frustration more stems from him being an inept player

I disagree, if that is their experience with the title, the review is just. It reflects how they feel about the game. I don't believe in just attacking or name calling someone playing a video game just cause they didn't share the exact same view as you.

I haven't died 100 times across 5 playthroughs, nevermind 100. At some point, the "reviews are opinions!" defense just doesn't apply.

but a review is an opinion, we are not talking about objective things here, merely subjective opinions and the review is merely how that person felt about the game.

I can't tell you how to fucking feel about a game act as it if MUST be this score or above and then say "defense just doesn't apply" lol as if I KNOW what you like or not.

That is up to you.

I love the game and their score isn't mine, but shit most of the scores I might give games I like won't fit the majority, but that is why they are opinions, that is why its subjective....its subject to differ from person to person.

Thats ok.

Thats how this is suppose to be.

 

[HogIsland]

It's been in my steam backlog for years and I finally tried it recently. I only played like 3 hours, but i was blown away by how well it holds up. Great gamepad support, and graphics are still very attractive.

 

[Vick]

It outstayed its welcome, however. There was an obvious place where the game should've finished, but then it just kept going and going and going. I binned it off.

I know exactly the moment and that's when I switched it to easy. It was all getting too annoying.

Last third of the game at Nightmare mode is what made the game immortal.
What made this impossibile to forget for the rest of your life:



An hardcore survival horror made for hardcore survival horror fans was never going to be for everyone, but should be judged for what it offered to its core audience. And what it offered is the best survival horror experience seen since the early "128 bit" era. A nightmare doesn't end when you want it to, nor when you expect it to. It gets worse, and worse, and worse before it can climax.

Alien: Isolation is the polar opposite of games I would see IGN journalists understanding, let alone praising.

 

[EDMIX]

It's been in my steam backlog for years and I finally tried it recently. I only played like 3 hours, but i was blown away by how well it holds up. Great gamepad support, and graphics are still very attractive.

I love the art direction of that title how it aims to fit that 70's sci vibe. I feel many enjoy it more being fans of the film as they did a good job capturing that look and feel with the iconography and materials.

 

[HogIsland]

I love the art direction of that title how it aims to fit that 70's sci vibe. I feel many enjoy it more being fans of the film as they did a good job capturing that look and feel with the iconography and materials.

it would be a great candidate for one of these ray tracing mods

 

[Arachnid]

I disagree, if that is their experience with the title, the review is just. It reflects how they feel about the game. I don't believe in just attacking or name calling someone playing a video game just cause they didn't share the exact same view as you.

but a review is an opinion, we are not talking about objective things here, merely subjective opinions and the review is merely how that person felt about the game.

I can't tell you how to fucking feel about a game act as it if MUST be this score or above and then say "defense just doesn't apply" lol as if I KNOW what you like or not.

That is up to you.

I love the game and their score isn't mine, but shit most of the scores I might give games I like won't fit the majority, but that is why they are opinions, that is why its subjective....its subject to differ from person to person.

Thats ok.

Thats how this is suppose to be.

I have always disagreed vehemently with this take. This is a job they are being paid to do. If your subjective opinion can impact the success of a game and potentially millions in sales, it should be well informed. Understanding the games mechanics is the bare minimum of their responsibilities. This isn't something to be hand waved with "opinion".

He fucked up. That's on him. The review is now infamous because of it for a reason.

 

[RPCGamer]

Last third of the game at Nightmare mode is what made the game immortal.
What made this impossibile to forget for the rest of your life:



An hardcore survival horror made for hardcore survival horror fans was never going to be for everyone, but should be judged for what it offered to its core audience. And what it offered is the best survival horror experience seen since the early 32-bit era. A nightmare doesn't end when you want it to, nor when you expect it to. It gets worse, and worse, and worse before it can climax.

Alien: Isolation is the polar opposite of games I would see IGN journalists understanding, let alone praising.

I've done it since. That was my first play through. I do stand by what I said though. If does go on too long.