Fanboys Anonymous

There's been a clear divide between fans of the Alien franchise since as far back as the cinematic release of James Cameron's big budget sequel, Aliens, in 1986. Never mind which film was your favorite, out of Ridley Scott's terrifying odyssey and James Cameron's epic bug stomper, which made you fill your pants? Or, more accurately, which made you fill your pants the most?

Alien, made in 1979, remains one of the most spine-chilling sci-fi horrors of all time, even in comparison to its sequel. Much like Cameron's Terminator in comparison to its own sequel, its emphasis was on the horror and suspense of the moment and not the science-fiction element that provided its theatrical stage. So the difference for fans is: if you prefer being shit scared rather than watching stuff blow up lots, you have a preference for the original.

As a fan of the franchise, and specifically the very first film, I'm excited to announce that Sega has been producing a new video game that actually goes back to its roots rather than offer the sour milk of yet another colonial marines-based shoot 'em up (seriously, guys, your cow needs some fresh grass—or shooting). From Creative Assembly, the studio that brought you Total War, and set for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, comes Alien: Isolation, a survival horror experience that aims to make you wet the bed rather than just shoot at stuff.


Set between Alien and Aliens, its plot is actually taken from a moment in Cameron's sequel where Ellen Ripley learns of the fate of her daughter Amanda. Fifteen years after the events of the original movie, Amanda goes in search of clues as to what happened to her missing mother, which brings her on board an abandoned space station, where she herself encounters a Xenomorph.

So, just like in the original film, our character is facing off against one deadly alien foe, as opposed to having an armory at her disposal and an entire hive as cannon fodder, which will make for a more unpredictable, atmospheric, and ultimately frightening experience.


Granted exclusive access to Fox's extensive Alien archives, Creative Assembly has been busy re-assembling, from scratch, everything about the designs aboard the Nostromo of the original 1979 movie that gave it its dark, dank and suffocatingly claustrophobic atmosphere—from the sterile retro sci-fi deco of the officers' quarters right down to the nightmarish industrial underbelly that provided the terrifying Xenomorph its endless shadows to scurry around in.

"Dang I say, you sneaky blighter."

The sense of dread I'm sure the player would feel may also be ridiculously amplified by the fact that Creative Assembly aren't adding any fancy new gadgets to the game, just to make it appeal to tech geeks and the likes. No, you're going to make do with comparatively outdated junk straight from the 1979 Alien, and you'll like it or die.

"This spaceship's so big, I need to Google Street View my bathroom!"

So, I don't know about you. I don't even have an Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, or PS3, but it looks like I might have to go fork out for one, or borrow one, just for this when it's released. Sound off, Fanboys and Fangirls, are we wet yet? Comments below and thanks for reading.