REVIEWED: ALL EPISODES | WHERE TO WATCH: YOUTUBE (CHANNEL IGN)
After the travesty that was Alien: Colonial Marines in 2013, British based developer Creative Assembly set out to create the greatest video game adaptation of the Alien franchise. In late 2014, they accomplished that dream with Alien: Isolation – a pure horror game where gamers were thrust into the shoes of Amanda Ripley, daughter of the movie’s heroine, Ellen (again portrayed by the legendary Sigourney Weaver).
Since its initial release, fans have been yearning for a true sequel. But for those who are yet to experience the true terror, the folks at Reverse Engineering Studios and DVgroup (with the support of 20th Century Fox) have crafted a neat little package of new footage, in-game segments and cut-scenes from the game to present an approximately 73-minute long version of Amanda’s terrifying story broken up into seven episodes.
Set 15 years after the conclusion to Ellen Ripley’s first chapter in 1979’s Alien, Amanda Ripley is approached by ‘The Company’ who offer her closure after the flight recorder from Ellen’s craft, the Nostromo, is salvaged and currently resides on Sevastopol Station. After Amanda and her crew make their way onto the station, it’s clear that this isn’t going to be a simple job as something is on board that is leaving a trail of death and destruction.
Even though the game that the digital series expands upon is first person (to heighten the terror), this version goes predominantly third person allowing the audience to see Amanda navigate the world herself. This choice surprisingly makes this re-telling of the story feel incredibly fresh due to you having no control over how she approaches the situations that she is facing, allowing her to truly feel like a fleshed out character in the expanded Alien lore. The team of fans at RES and DVgroup have done a brilliant job in taking the hugely popular and successful platform that Creative Assembly masterly crafted and put their own unique spin on it, meaning that everyone can enjoy Amanda’s story. Using models and assets from the in-game engine, director Fabien Dubois and his team have breathed new life into the ever-changing universe of Alien – seeing some of the interactions that occur during the game in an entirely new light is captivating. Couple that with Andrea Deck’s stunning voice performance as Amanda, who expertly captures every horrifying emotion one would experience if faced with a ruthless and relentless alien killer, and you have a superb alternative if you don’t have time or the inclination to play the game. Whether a veteran fan of the game, a life-long viewer of the cinematic universe, or just a lover of sci-fi/horror in general, Alien: Isolation – The Digital Series has something for everyone.
