@@heavyartillery-qm5huAccording to reports the game broke even in its first few months after 2.1m sales in 2015. And considering the growing community supporting it I would guess it was eventually a mild success financially yet a huge success critically, and that’s probably why they are bringing a sequel. I think it’s fair to criticize some aspects of the game but to say it flopped seems very inaccurate.
The game actually warns you multiple times that the alien is extremely sensitive to sound but learns to ignore some sounds if it hears them too often. You even get a gadget that creates a sound that lures the alien to its position. The reviewer was not just moving in the locker, he had in his hand a BEEPING MOTION SENSOR. That was going crazy with a, you know.... Alien right in front of it.
@@codystegemueller9428 Because it is a Xenomorph? They are literally called that IN THE SECOND FILM, it's in-canon-lore they are Xenomorphs. Are you as retarded as IGN?
The thing that struck me listening to the IGN guys talking at the end: players play the game to have fun - reviewers play the game to move onto the next game.
Devs should troll in the next game by adding a journalist difficulty that doesn't include the xenomorph or any mobs and just let the journalists explore the map and finish missions without anything chasing them down
Most lore/timeline videos also include it as canon since nothing ever conflicts with it. Even Amanda's eventual dead as an old woman 2 years before Ripley returns from space.
In the next game they should create a character named Bryan McGafery that is the first one killed because he wouldn't be still and quiet when the xenomorph is near.
I remember watching a livestream of someone playing it and they had their mic in game the setting where the alien can hear you make sounds in real life and he had no idea and got progressively more agitated
I think they should use the name "Ryan McCaffrey" as our first-person protagonist - a Weyland Yutani journalist, tasked with criticising space hotels in the Zeta Reticuli area ... His reviews often decide where wealthy travellers will spend their money en route to Alpha Centauri or Barnard's Star ... Needless to say - he gets into trouble with the ALIEN while reviewing Seegson's last functioning space hotel, "Excelsior TP2" By the end of the 74 hour ordeal he is subjected to (in real time), Ryan is a completely different person - no longer a wanker, but an understanding and knowledgeable warrior who is intent on telling the world how dangerous the ALIEN really is, but knows that he can never be a Weyland-Yutani employee ever again; his redemption complete
The journalist does need to be named. The only thing that needs to happen is that and unamed journalist is in a locker, hiding from the Alien, documenting the Exnomorhps every move over the phone to another journalist, the Alien hears the reporting, sneaks up on the journalist and murders it after the journalist on the other end warned him that he was making a noise. And then the other journalist survives because he was totally silent in his own locker and you find him during the game in a random locker.
@jazzx251 a remarkable idea given the context of Alien, I like it! Even gives the man a shred of respect… I mean he doesn’t really deserve it right now, but it’s still nice to treat him like a human every once and a while
My wife with almost no gaming experience played for the first time on hard difficulty by mistake and she loved the game so much that to this day its her favorite game ever, she struggled in every level possible due to not having game knowledge, so even walking around was a challenge from the start, but she kept going on and finished the damn thing! when se saw she had played on hard by mistake we had a great laugh
You must have been so proud of her. 😄😆 I’ve always considered myself a casual gamer and it was first game I ever played on hard difficulty. Loved it. The devs were not wrong in their recommendation.
I call bs on that, sorry. Most people with "almost no gaming experience" would be able to play this game on hard to completion. My wife also has almost no gaming experience. It's almost impossible for her to just control a character and a camera at the same time...
@@thoughtsandgamesandstuff it’s possible. My first fiance did not have any motor skills back in the 360 days but near the end of our relationship she would outrun me in black ops zombies and she did that within 6 months.
@@thoughtsandgamesandstuff But every individual person has a different level on co-ordination and problem solving ability. His wife might be naturally better in these skills and your wife might be more naturally average in those departments, hence it's very plausible that two different "greenhorns" could have vastly different experiences playing a tough game.
Well ign got someone to review a football manager game...who had no idea about football manager games and wondered where the gameplay was lol, and i am still bitter about Godhand
The author was Ryan McCaffrey, I do believe we need to call out these reviewers for having bad takes. We do not need to harass them online. His opinion is awful, so I won’t listen to him when a new game comes out. That is the appropriate response
The difference between people like Ryan, and a RUclipsr that is totally in control of their own brand and reputation, is that Ryan would never say "This isn't usually my type of game, so take some things with a grain of salt." Nope, it has to be "I'm Ryan, a total pro reviewer at the total pro IGN games journalism site, and you will take my word for the truth." That is the biggest difference between independent reviewers, and this corporate BS charade.
Yeah so weird how the xenomorph can find you while... you have a BEEPING MOTION DETECTOR in your hand! WOW its almost like the trope in horror movies where you have a phone ring at a crucial time except you're hiding with a ringing phone and cant tell why you keep being found.
@@heavyartillery-qm5huMaybe it's just not your type of game...I thought it was amazing! I'm sure there are many reasons the game didn't sell well, but I don't think this game is objectively bad...
I don't know that it was a flop. It's seem to grown quite the following over the years. Its reputation wasn't immediate. Obviously it had to have something go right for it for a sequel to be greenlit.
I think the Reviewer didnt understand, that the sound of the Motion Detector could attract the Alien, when you are hiding in the vent or the closet^^ xD
Except he didn't. When in lockers, the top of the Motion Tracker is always within view and, depending on how the player leans while in the locker, you can also get a view of the screen, which is what he's doing. When actually raised the full screen can be seen and takes up a good portion of your screen. He's still an idiot.
Alien Isolation remains one of the scariest games I ever played. I still haven't completed it because I couldn't take it anymore. Awesome game, but too much for me.
This is how I am lol love the franchise & after colonial marines when I was a kid(my god I wish I could go back & save myself every bit of disappointment, but this is litterally the most absolute perfect game if you love everything alien, with some outlast gameplay, but man did they get the vibe of the stations,world, sounds I mean everything just like in the first alien
I recommend going back and reading some tips online, it can be hard to get through at times due to the sheer horror, but once you learn some good tips it does feel more manageable. For example, avoiding lockers unless ABSOLUTELY necessary is beneficial, it's far better to just keep moving, go under tables, etc. Also the alien can hear crafting if you are too close, pretty much assume it'll hear anything if too close. The alien will also flee after a molotov attack, which saved me a ton. It's so worth completing, especially with a sequal on the way.
@@ezekielcaselton5842 not really if you consider that "Aliens" explained that Ellen Ripley died of old age so it's not really that bad all things considered, just felt like a harmless homage to the movies.
The game also tells you repeating hiding places will cause the Xeno to check those spots more and more often. It learns your habits, if you're not constantly evolving your strategy you'll get caught over and over.
@@dtstar331 That I had not seen or heard it in a while. Then again I might have missed it since I am not looking for IGN related articles all the time and I stopped watching or reading their reviews. Not that it really matters since it was always true.
@@Esiaa Ya, back in the day people read ign reviews and articles. Was before youtube was a thing. Back before gaming youtubers became a thing sites like their was the only way to get news on games, that or buy a magazine.
It's funny hearing them describe how they kept almost getting away and then not getting away. Dude.....that is exactly how the movie was. How many times did they think they had everything under control, only to find out they most certainly did not. Even at the very end of the movie she discovered she did not, just like the game.
Exactly. The game succeeds in placing the player in the movie franchise. Particularly invoking the feel of the first movie - not just the visuals and the atmosphere. It kinda felt like you had walked on to a Star Trek like holodeck.
The FEAR game had amazing AI as well and how you had to stay sharp and listen to their talking and sounds and the layout of the rooms. The mixing of action to jump scare horror was intense as well. Pulling on different emotions so it keeps you under pressure but in different ways so it's not so repetitive
I didn't like Alien Isolation. Not because it was bad. It's just personal taste. I don't like waiting and sneaking around slowly. And there's undeniably alot of that in this game. What I will say Alien 1979 is one of my favorite films ever. This game nailed the aesthetic. It gets like 6 points out of 10 for that alone on my scoreboard.
That’s the thing. It’s not for you and you acknowledge it. These reviewers don’t review the games on their merits. They review them if they like them or not. That’s not how a review works. I can play a game, not like it but still give it a 9/10 because I recognize it’s doing what it does as it’s supposed to and those that like those things will love it.
TBH i sucked at Isolation. To be fair I was also only 15 or 16 when it came out, but god did that game seem hard. super rewarding when you outsmarted the alien though.
Luke is spot on about getting the right person to review. I wouldn't give any From game above a 3/10 but my review would be useless to those people that like those boring, edgelord titles.
As someone who hates those kinds of games too, id still give them 4/10 (below an average of 5) for their lore and story and beautiful vistas alone. Just because it's not for me doesn't mean there isn't some aspects that are ok and well done.
@@heavyartillery-qm5huThe problem with these organizations/companies is they all want to band together as one entity or separately be singled out when it’s convenient. Like it or not, you’re only as good as your worst. Don’t like it, eject them.
To start off I was like ok I can understand some of the critism about the game dragging at the end etc. I don't agree but I could definitely see how some people might feel that way. Then the guy started the comparison to Super Meat Boy and complaining about the unpredictability of the alien and they completely lost me. It's the whole shtick with this game and probably the best thing about it. It would be annoying in games where the player is meant to feel powerful like MGS but horror is all about making you feel small.
Well to be fair, even if it actually was a 7/10, then it still would’ve flopped this hard. The market for games like these is saturated AF. Other games simply do things better without a $70 price tag. Sony really doesn’t understand the market anymore
Was playing the cyberpunk dlc again recently and got to **that** part. Made me realize how much I wanted a game that produced unreal levels of anxiety hiding from an uhkillable death machine. And then I remembered alien isolation existed.
I absolutely love the first two movies as well as this game, so much that i completed it 100% on PS3 and again on PS4 a few years later. It blows my mind when watching people stream it on twitch, who try to run everywhere and then get angry when they keep getting killed over and over again. It requires stealth, patience, low visibility and being as quiet as possible...i.e., sneaking around while crouched. The game TELLS you from the start that loud footsteps and the noise from your motion tracker make you much easier to be hunted down.
Very hyped for Alien Isolation 2, but I'm also worried it's too late. Even if it's the same studio, it's 10 years later so it's not the same team anymore. If they had been allowed to get right to work on the sequel after the launch of the first one, they'd be able to build on what they learned, fix the problems, and expand things. This team doesn't have that previous knowledge and experience to work from.
I have the same concern. They captured lightning in a bottle. Difficult to do that again without the experience of the original people involved. In saying that… the remake of Dead Space shows what can be done when people take the time to really understand how an original piece of work was done and what made it work so well.
The problem with the whole roundtable thing is that they are all from IGN. Their goal is to make sure the brand is okay instead of having people on that have an array of people from outside to explain their point of view. One of many reasons that I don't personally hold IGN reviews with much regard.
I believe his review was and still is indefencible because the novelty this game's revolutionary A.I. requires a buy-in that Ryan just didn't have or wasn't willing to have. In the lead up to this game, I was quite excited, so much so that I devoted an inordinate amount of time to researching what this was, what the developer was intending it to be and just how new this approach was. By the time I had it in my hands, I was prepared to let the game be what it was trying to be, and it far exceeded my expectations. Because I understood that this was a game where you need to learn how-to-do rather than what-to-do. Most game's have their antagonists on rails, and what you're learning is exactly when something happens, so you know exactly what-to-do. Whereas, with Alien: Isolation, you're simply learning how-to survive, so that you can meet the challenge of a largely unpredictable experience. I went in ready and prepared for an unpredictable experience, and it wholeheartedly delivered.
I agree. It seems Ryan 'fought' the world itself in the game instead of trying to play by its rules. I died A LOT at the beginning of the game, but when it finally clicked, it was easier and so much fun.
Yahtzee did a great video about whether games need to be fun. His conclusion was basically, no they need to make you FEEL something. Alien isolation was a masterpiece in making you feel something.
Am I correct in remembering that if you had the Xbox One camera it used the mic to detect sound levels in the room you were playing in? On top of everything else it was an extra "oh shit hold your breath" pucker mechanic? I feel like I remember that being a thing but then never heard anyone ever talk about it again. (maybe not a lot of people had the camera)
Yeah, if you played this game with a an xbox kinect it would "hear" you through it's mic. If you also jumped or were startled it would have a similar effect. It was something unique to the hardware, but the game also tells you up front that it's going to do that.
Oh, yes… the Kinect. It was the only time it came in useful. I remember the intensity of having to stay quiet irl. I had my young nephew sitting with me, clinging on to me at one point and he screamed at a noise; the Alien jumped out of a vent and then we both screamed. I distinctly remember turning to him and dryly thanking him for getting us killed. He very sheepishly said sorry and we both burst of laughing. The game is an experience and the Kinect - which I never cared about - actually made it better. Good memories.
I hope CA doesn't give IGN a review copy but does for all the smaller channels and better outlets so we can watch them cry like they do every time they don't get a review copy
Their couch discussion really showed that gamers and 'game journalists' are two completely different groups. They want AI to be predictable and have patterns, gamers want something new and unpredictable. They complain about the Xeno, we love that little freak.
It is wild to me the guy who did the review didn't just retweeted the news of Isolation 2, but he had the gall to even make fun at the fact his review harmed the sales of the first game... like yeah dude you kinda went down as one of the reasons it took a whole decade for a sequel to even be announced, and it's not even in proper production stages yet!
@@thecircusfreak5364 it is a masterpiece in the immersive sim community. It's very detailed while being simple and convenient. Some people give it the best immersive sim ever made
Really good point about reviewer selection. Maybe video game reviewers need to make more like Yahtzee and call themselves narrative game specialists or fighting game specialists or horror game specialists. Just because you can review one game that works one way doesn't mean you understand how all games work
To the person in the live chat who commented “ Who the F*** cares about Alien: Isolation?” First why are you starting off so aggressive lol? Second, many people care. For me personally ever since the game came out every couple of months I see a new play through of it, or a review/ video essay. This also isn’t including the resurgence in gaming commentary content. Then finally the Alien franchise is still going strong, so many people in fact do care about alien: isolation.
I got into it with him. He doesn’t understand what terms mean. He pathetic loser of the highest order. He think alien isolation flopped. It didn’t mean unreasonable sale expectations However unless they had 100 million dollars budget than it more likely than not broke event
It helps to be a fan of Alien and H.R. Gigers work to really appreciate the game. But the A.i. in this game, regarding the Alien, adapts to sound, its environment and it learns to identify repeated sounds if you abuse certain mechanics. Like if you throw too many noise makers, it'll learn that youre throwing something to try and confuse it and it will actively search for you instead.
it absolutely baffles me that they decided to make a video discussing a game when 2 of them (don't remember if it was ever mentioned if red shirt played it or not) haven't even finished it. it 100% came off as the original reviewer using colleagues that didnt know any better to just agree with his arguments
I just STILL can't believe people don't enjoy games that are not in 60fps. Like, I've two 144hz monitors and a 4k 60hz tv, and I still don't get the issue with 30fps (on a 60hz or higher display). I *see* the difference, I just don't care. And I know that's exactly the point of having the right reviewers for the right games, but still... my mind is like "they are shittng u, this is all a big conspiracy specifically made for you, the whole planet is on it, and they are f'ing with you" XD
So I played this game maybe 2 years ago so its a bit fresh in my mind. As far as the pacing I do agree the game takes long to get going. Like the first 3 hours were hard to get through because little was happening. I also do agree that for the first couple of hours after the stalker monsters are introduced the gameplay does get exhausting and this can be because the game is just a long game. I enjoyed the game but I can see the complaints. I do find it weird they don't think that games should have any frustrating elements at all.
The game is definitely too long. I've loved it but I'm on chapter 17 now and I've been ready for the game to end for a few chapters now. As one of the guys said, horror movies a shorter for a reason and I think the same applies or at least should apply to horror games.
This is a timely convo, I’ve been playing The Forever Winter EA, and it is also pretty stressful and has unkillable enemies, and so many of the complaints about it boil down to wanting it to be a different game, usually with no survival or punishment mechanics or allow you should be able to pilot mechs instead of scurrying around them. Lots of butthurt people when they get pushback about this stuff, ESPECIALLY at the suggestion that the game may not be for them
I owned Isolation for around 4 yrs before I got into it properly, I just couldn't get into the game. Until, I watched a walk through and learned , yes learned how to play it... And once I learned the game, wow what a game. Defo one of my all time favs. Your assessment about the IGN reviewer seems very valid, no info for possibly the wrong reviewer and ending with a low score for what is in my view a true gaming classic. Imagine the pressure on the next game, even with a bad start of the original it's turned into a classic and it's gonna take some beating. Great vid by the way
I love horror and I think Alien Isolation is still impressive and brilliant. But I can’t play this game because I get freaked out too easily. I can play a lot of other games in the horror genre and get spooked just fine, but the Xenomorph thinking and sprinting when I fuck up is too much for me. So I can understand from that perspective. But the reviewers seem to see it as a stealth game that you can plan and win, but they are overwhelmed by the innovation introduced, so they cry foul. I can agree with most of the points like the lighting and setting, but he didn’t seem to understand HOW smart the Alien is, so he thinks it’s a mistake.
Maybe this will be pointed out because I haven't watched the full vid but I believe the motion tracker also makes a noise that can be heard by the alien.
Checkpoint and auto save is honestly gone too far recently, I remember playing Ghost of stushima dying clearing a camp, then respawn to see the ennemies i've had defeated were not here anymore. I was playing on hard and it trivialize the difficulty so much, it's just stupid.
People these days like to say they don’t have time to play the game so they want free passes to get past levels or checkpoints, they don’t want to actually play the game, they like pretending like their playing but in actuality they aren’t playing it at all.
I’m confused. If you already did the work, does it matter? It saved your progress so you didn’t have to waste time repeating what you already showed the game you could do.
@RedOblivion711 It's more like they made an attempt, failed, but still got rewarded for it, which defeated the purpose of playing a harder difficulty. Not a challenge if you can just war of attrition through everything.
survival horror is very difficult, people think they like survival horror cause stuff like resident evil 4 and dead space get lumped in with it....when in reality those are essentially modern checkpoint action shooters with a horror skin....when you throw an actual survival horror game at these people like re2r, alien isolation, silent hill....they may have no idea what they are getting into. the main ideas of survival horror are puzzle box style maps, puzzles, finite resources....things like re4 are designed to ensure you always have resources and are never lost. its important to realize horror was mostly dead in 2013, 2012 was re6 and silent hill downpour
If you are not interested in the game you shouldn't be reviewing it. Also "IGN Review" is not just "some random guy's opinion", They "Review" games as an outlet They should be hold accountable for what their review says.
If anything the alien is too limited. Granted it takes some experience with the game to learn the limitations. While the alien does learn to a degree, it's search path is still somewhat scripted, and it often will not check every part of a room, and in some cases will ignore rooms entirely. Sometimes that means you can simply stand in a corner or against a wall and you'll be fine indefinitely. It also can't climb ledges or ladders, or crawl into certain spaces to follow you. I think the alien should be able to climb anything, even walls (like it does when you see it crawl back into the station from outside). The AI adapts to you hiding in lockers or vents, but not to you hiding behind random boxes. I also think it doesn't react quickly enough to you being in it's line of sight. There have been many instances where it's clear the alien should have seen me, but because I managed to duck away in time the alien concludes it must have been the wind and walks away. None of these are complaints btw. The game is still fantastic. I wouldn't have faulted it 10 years ago, but since it's been 10 years I can't help but imagine how much better it can get.
35:04 Hard Agree. There is an enormous difference between teasing out meaning from evidence and clues provided in the story and writing the story for the devs; between finding genuine meaning and excuse making.
Reminds of this time a PC magazine reviewed A Final Unity. The reviewer hated Star Trek and gave it a terrible score while it was doing well in other publications. They actually printed an apology and re-reviewed it. But I do think a Mechanic could cook you a pretty good steak.
some games are not for everyone, and that's ok. It's a leadership issue, you assign the right person to review the right game. I remember reading a review one time where the reviewer admitted to not liking the genre of game they were reviewing, and I'm like "then i don't need to read any further".
I kinda get the feeling these IGN guys hadn't watched the original movie in quite some time when they were making these videos. They keep complaining about the part of the game where the xenomorph gets pushed to the background and the androids become the main threat, forgetting that there's a point in the film where the xenomorph gets pushed to the background and an android becomes the main threat. When it comes to the ending, that's horror 101. Many horror stories have abrupt and unsatisfying endings. Halloween (1978) comes to mind, as does The Thing (1982) (John Carpenter was really onto something). But those kinds of endings are so abundant in horror for a reason. Abiguity is scary. The fewer answers you have when the credits roll, the more your imagination can run wild. And it's not like we don't have an idea of what happens, we get confirmation that Amanda survives the events of Isolation in the director's cut of Aliens. In that sense, Isolation's ending is satisfying. The xenomorph threat is defeated (for now) and she's made it out alive.
There is, on easy. I was mopping up the last trophies at the time on easy and the last one left was "Get killed 100 times by the xenomorph" (or something close to that). I had to up the difficulty for the trophy just because on easy, the alien wouldn't come out from the vents and kill me no matter what I did.
What are they talking about? Have they seen the films that’s what to game was trying to bring? No one in that universe you don’t survive and if you do you’re lucky.
Think the criticism at 36:31 is relevant in some ways. Often think it's a legitimate criticism that game length can negatively affect a game. I'm unsure how that is met here, as I've not played isolation through all the way. It's true that it is sometimes the case in horror games that you're finding a reason to get thrown back into the action, but I suppose if he sees it as artificially inflated or extended for reason that isn't justified in a fun or interesting that feels like a fair criticism.
I will say that I am playing the game for the first time now and I think I am in the second last chapter basing off of my trophies. I definitely think the game could have ended by now. Its a fantastic game but my one complaint is that it's a bit too long for a horror game in my personal opinion. However I do think context matters. This game came out in 2014, this was a time where games were getting shorter. Order 1886 came out the same year and was panned for being only 8 hours long. So I can see why people at the time were resistant to this critique of the game overstaying its welcome. But the gaming landscape now is different and we are seeing the opposite problem now where games are stupidly long, padded with boring filler content and empty open worlds. So I tend to look for shorter experiences these days and I think Alien Isolation could have been 3 or 4 chapters shorter.
Most people that I knew who played Alien Isolations main critique was they wanted more. Game has some of the coolest AI tech and is still ahead of its time. The way the alien learns and retains information without it feeling unnatural or unfair was genuenily revoluntionary. And it feels like the canned inital reception of the game made developers regress in their view of advanced AI.
Idk man. I'm playing it for the first time now. I'm on chapter 17 I think and although I've loved it. I've been ready for it to end for a couple of chapters now. Horror games are better as shorter experiences imo. People were starved in 2014 as games had gotten shorter in general but in today's landscape where games are 100 hours long because they are bloated with empty open worlds and boring side content, I appreciate shorter experiences and I do wish Isolation was just a couple of chapters shorter. Still an excellent game and certainly not a 5.9.
@@heavyartillery-qm5hu not you calling me “you weirdos” when i didn’t say shit about any review killing any game. i said they need to stop making reviews. that’s all you dimwit
I honestly think they misrepresented and misunderstood the gameplay loop in respect to the player. The game doesn't hold your hand entirely, but you are encouraged to learn. But you, the player, needs to pay attention to the cause and effect of your actions and to actively think on your feet when a preferred strategy doesn't go to plan. (Insert joke about IGN game reviewer and using brain etc...) When the Alien starts responding and adapting to the way you play, it's on you to think of an alternative. I can respect how that's not for everyone, but it is what makes this game so fun and replayable a decade later. Glad that this game is finally getting a sequel it deserves.
They forgot to mention the reviewer at the time didn't like the Alien Franchise and was vocal about it as well. Doesn't help their case in the re-review.
Alien Isolation is an all time classic and this was evident to me in 2014 when I first played it. If you're a horror fan you'll like it. If you're an aliens fan you'll like it... Any low scored review of this game is just failing to give your audience useful information to them. Sorry, there is such a thing as a wrong opinion
We must take off our nostalgia glasses, the game was not perfect, but considering the time when it was released and what it offered to players, it was a good game that was worth it. If they are going to develop a sequel, there are things they can improve in the gameplay, but there are things they must keep(fear factor and difficulty) because those are what made the game awesome for horror fans
@@heavyartillery-qm5huthe only flaw the game had imo was its length, didn’t need to be that long, maybe cut down 4/5 hours to tighten the experience and it would be a much more enjoyable experience, still loved it.
But the IGN review was poor, I think people don't realize how bad IGN botched that whole thing. It wasn't JUST the review that read like someone who didn't actually finish the game and whose review footage looked like a 5 year old playing. IGN's cope stream after where Ryan called the audience morons for not understanding how hard his job is or how much he actually did play the game. Meanwhile he continues to double down on how little he paid attention to the game, as he reiterated his frustration with the weapons and the motion tracker. Look, you don't HAVE to like AI. It's a slow burn, and does have an odd 1-hour anti-climax in the middle. But if you think IGN's review was acceptable, you're wrong.
Man I remember when I was young and stupid and didn't play Alien Isolation because I listened to this review. I'm so glad I'm not the same gamer I used to be.
I think their review was terrible. I also think that them trying to defend it afterwards when they obviously just put out a bad review was foolish. But to say they were the reason the game didn't sell well? I honestly don't buy it. At the most they slightly influenced people away from it, but word of mouth is much more powerful than one publication. It was also at the time when dislikes were still visible on RUclips so people would click the video, see a huge ratio of dislikes and then go to the comments to see that IGN doesn't know what they are talking about.
My opinion on it is their review had more impact on developers than players. It told developers that if you put a bunch of work into an advanced AI that you will be crucified for it
@@TNTspaz I mean they didn't really get crucified. It may have seemed like that to them at first, but I am sure once they saw everyone lash out at IGN for their god awful review, they probably felt vindicated.
This isn’t Elden ring, the game does a good job explaining all the mechanics. The vent thing is explained. You shouldn’t need a guide for this game if you’re paying attention in the slightest
Yup people get so touchy about games 😂🎯, but there's never any harm in reviews calling it like it is and usually an aggregate of the reviews ends up telling the full picture rather than people just getting mad at one solitary review.
OMG. You had to play test this bloated game? It honestly started feeling like work 10 hours in and you probably had to invest hundreds. I am so sorry...
What would your name happen to be i just checked the QA credits so i believe you are lying which is silly since anyone can look up the credits to fact check you.
@@JordanForan2019I get your scepticism but dude isn’t gonna dox himself and also some people will work months on stuff and not get credited, it sucks but it’s the way it is
One my top 10 favourite games of all time. The only part of the IGN review I remember was him saying not to play it on hard…I completed it on hard and loved it!
@@baronvonslambert exactly, same thing happened to the dead space remake, they canned the sequel cause the sales didn't meet their expectations, and don't listen to that other guy, he's so pissed at the news of isolation getting a sequel for some reason lmao.
Aliens is one of my favorite games and it captured me the entire time. It is revealing how they bring up Ninja Gaiden and Splinter Cell when comparing it to Aliens. It just sounds like this is not their type of game, but a more action type is. I played it on the hardest difficulty and loved it. And the ending was a wonderful twist. I can’t believe their complaining about the best parts
I think this game is a 10/10. I've played this game through dozens of times in the last ten years, it's in my top 5 all-timers, I'm crazy hyped for the sequel. It's so fun. Sure, it's also exhausting and frustrating, but fixating on that is like complaining that a trampoline stretches down before launching you into the air. That said, I agree some of the extra endings are not as fun; the last one is just a cinematic linear button prompt obstacle course. That and the story really didn't have a satisfying conclusion because it pulled the most predictable stunt. Those criticisms are valid, even if most people disagree. But every fully fledged set piece in this game is an endlessly replayable masterclass in sandbox level design. The flaws of this game are utterly inconsequential in the grand scheme of all the great things this game does. I can't imagine what a sequel could even improve, aside from making sure they have a more impactful ending. The criticism is forgivable, I made a lot of those same mistakes (and learned from them, but we can't all have double digit IQ). The doubling down and brazen lamp shading is less forgivable. But the score is entirely unforgivable, those criticisms did not justify that. Dude was just being a stink sphincter.
Ok, I find it absolutely ridiculous that they thought the Android sequences were "out of character" or "too difficult" when compared with the Xenomorph sequences. The game literally provides you with the best weapons and ammunition to take down the Androids. Those being electro rods and EMP charges. IF you choose to craft them and/or save them up, the Androids are literally rag dolls in comparison to the Xenomorph (whose only fear is essentially, fire). These reviewers clearly don't seem too bright when it comes to puzzle solving and critical thinking. They seem to be too comfortable in what they expect to be 'good game design' without acknowledging 'novel game design and/or player ingenuity. Also, the first time they introduced the Androids as true 'side-villains,' purposefully leaves you short-handed! That was CLEARLY a design choice! It made the scenario that much more desperate! Having you fight for your life against an NPC you essentially assumed was meant to be completely dormant or just a passive attendant. Even though Alien fans know WY Androids are most likely a dormant threat, it's still a shock when they turn. Especially when you're barely equipped!
"If it were just luck, and it was just a dice roll, yeah that would feel... bad" -also "the unpredictability is the point" What's the difference exactly? If something is truly beyond prediction, it would be indistinguishable from being totally random. And guessing correctly at that point would just be luck.
I'm actually terrified to play this game lol. I never understood "Desthloop" or why people enjoyed it. I just didn't understand the over all premise. It didn't click with me lol.
The working joes worked because they operated on a completely different basis than the alien, which would stalk you. The Joes worked more like traditional guards except unlike MGS2 you can't snipe them and have to pay attention to their FOV to get through a level. If it was just the alien for 20 hours, people would complain it got boring or would have figured it out completely to the point where it wouldn't be a threat since all its behaviours would be known
![FREE] Drip _ Trap Beat _Rap Beat Instrumental](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/m7bl0yZIJjw/mqdefault.jpg)
Alien isolation is hands down one of the best survival horror experiences. The fact that IGN shat all over it like that was ridiculous.
@@heavyartillery-qm5hulooking at sales it definitely didn’t flop
If IGN shits on it then it is good
@@heavyartillery-qm5huAccording to reports the game broke even in its first few months after 2.1m sales in 2015. And considering the growing community supporting it I would guess it was eventually a mild success financially yet a huge success critically, and that’s probably why they are bringing a sequel. I think it’s fair to criticize some aspects of the game but to say it flopped seems very inaccurate.
@@azura8675 the game flopped
@@heavyartillery-qm5hu you need a hobby... How many people are you gonna reply to in these comments we get it the game was "bloated"
The game actually warns you multiple times that the alien is extremely sensitive to sound but learns to ignore some sounds if it hears them too often. You even get a gadget that creates a sound that lures the alien to its position. The reviewer was not just moving in the locker, he had in his hand a BEEPING MOTION SENSOR. That was going crazy with a, you know.... Alien right in front of it.
And it's well worth noting the alien *learns* what that sound is. Once it knows what it's hearing you are 100% stuffed.
Finally someone that doesn't call the alien a xenomorph
@@codystegemueller9428 Because it is a Xenomorph? They are literally called that IN THE SECOND FILM, it's in-canon-lore they are Xenomorphs. Are you as retarded as IGN?
@@codystegemueller9428 why shouldnt he call it that?
@codystegemueller9428 you do know that it's actually called a xenomorph, right? As in the species? Come on now.
The thing that struck me listening to the IGN guys talking at the end: players play the game to have fun - reviewers play the game to move onto the next game.
Exactly. This is why the only thing I look for from reviews are stuff like game breaking bugs.
A very good point.
@@therealfodder I 100 % agree!!!
Devs should troll in the next game by adding a journalist difficulty that doesn't include the xenomorph or any mobs and just let the journalists explore the map and finish missions without anything chasing them down
@@h.n.r_funi3324 Genius. Every game from now on needs this.
While having Barbie music playing on repeat
Yeah, just name it something silly, and they'll love it.
I like this idea better you name an npc Ryan who talks to loud and does something dumb and gets killed
Asmon played the crab "souls-like" game that had a dev mode where it literally just gives you a pistol that one-shots everything.
Alien isolation is considered canon by latest Alien director. This game is amazing.
Most lore/timeline videos also include it as canon since nothing ever conflicts with it. Even Amanda's eventual dead as an old woman 2 years before Ripley returns from space.
Didn't they also include some set pieces of Isolation in Romulus?
@@xenomorphlover Yes, the savepoints/boxes I think.
@@Hauerization well technically Isolation took those from the original Alien movie i believe. But ya Romulus then also put those in their movie
Alien, Aliens and Alien isolation, those are the only cannon!!
In the next game they should create a character named Bryan McGafery that is the first one killed because he wouldn't be still and quiet when the xenomorph is near.
I remember watching a livestream of someone playing it and they had their mic in game the setting where the alien can hear you make sounds in real life and he had no idea and got progressively more agitated
I would die of laughter if this happened. One of my favorite horror games ever
I think they should use the name "Ryan McCaffrey" as our first-person protagonist - a Weyland Yutani journalist, tasked with criticising space hotels in the Zeta Reticuli area ...
His reviews often decide where wealthy travellers will spend their money en route to Alpha Centauri or Barnard's Star ...
Needless to say - he gets into trouble with the ALIEN while reviewing Seegson's last functioning space hotel, "Excelsior TP2"
By the end of the 74 hour ordeal he is subjected to (in real time), Ryan is a completely different person - no longer a wanker, but an understanding and knowledgeable warrior who is intent on telling the world how dangerous the ALIEN really is, but knows that he can never be a Weyland-Yutani employee ever again; his redemption complete
The journalist does need to be named.
The only thing that needs to happen is that and unamed journalist is in a locker, hiding from the Alien, documenting the Exnomorhps every move over the phone to another journalist, the Alien hears the reporting, sneaks up on the journalist and murders it after the journalist on the other end warned him that he was making a noise.
And then the other journalist survives because he was totally silent in his own locker and you find him during the game in a random locker.
@jazzx251 a remarkable idea given the context of Alien, I like it! Even gives the man a shred of respect…
I mean he doesn’t really deserve it right now, but it’s still nice to treat him like a human every once and a while
My wife with almost no gaming experience played for the first time on hard difficulty by mistake and she loved the game so much that to this day its her favorite game ever, she struggled in every level possible due to not having game knowledge, so even walking around was a challenge from the start, but she kept going on and finished the damn thing! when se saw she had played on hard by mistake we had a great laugh
You must have been so proud of her. 😄😆
I’ve always considered myself a casual gamer and it was first game I ever played on hard difficulty. Loved it. The devs were not wrong in their recommendation.
I call bs on that, sorry. Most people with "almost no gaming experience" would be able to play this game on hard to completion.
My wife also has almost no gaming experience. It's almost impossible for her to just control a character and a camera at the same time...
@@thoughtsandgamesandstuff it’s possible. My first fiance did not have any motor skills back in the 360 days but near the end of our relationship she would outrun me in black ops zombies and she did that within 6 months.
@@thoughtsandgamesandstuff i think my wife just beats yours, skill issue mate
@@thoughtsandgamesandstuff But every individual person has a different level on co-ordination and problem solving ability. His wife might be naturally better in these skills and your wife might be more naturally average in those departments, hence it's very plausible that two different "greenhorns" could have vastly different experiences playing a tough game.
Well ign got someone to review a football manager game...who had no idea about football manager games and wondered where the gameplay was lol, and i am still bitter about Godhand
no logic, all vibes, ign.
@@heavyartillery-qm5hu what the fuck bro are you that ign reviewer?? you in every comment
I had a chuckle when I saw the revisited review for godhand
Flawed, not even close but ight @@heavyartillery-qm5hu
@@heavyartillery-qm5hufound Ryan’s alt jk
The author was Ryan McCaffrey, I do believe we need to call out these reviewers for having bad takes. We do not need to harass them online. His opinion is awful, so I won’t listen to him when a new game comes out. That is the appropriate response
Finally, a reasonable man.
Maybe a liitle bit of harassment - its the only way they will learn! 😇
The difference between people like Ryan, and a RUclipsr that is totally in control of their own brand and reputation, is that Ryan would never say "This isn't usually my type of game, so take some things with a grain of salt." Nope, it has to be "I'm Ryan, a total pro reviewer at the total pro IGN games journalism site, and you will take my word for the truth." That is the biggest difference between independent reviewers, and this corporate BS charade.
Honestly that is why I don’t care for IGN because I don’t know the reviewers so the opinion means nothing.
@@af4396when did he say that?
12:15 it’s because he had his motion sensor out. You can peak around all you want in the locker…but it will hear the beeps.
This IGN reviewer had brainrot before brainrot was a thing
People who pretend that Isolation wasn't bloated and flawed have brainrot. The game was a flop.
People who finished Isolation despite all of the bloat and flaws are basically the origin of brain rot
The Patient Zero 😱
One of their work requirements
As long as humans have existed so too has brainrot
Yeah so weird how the xenomorph can find you while... you have a BEEPING MOTION DETECTOR in your hand! WOW its almost like the trope in horror movies where you have a phone ring at a crucial time except you're hiding with a ringing phone and cant tell why you keep being found.
It's definitely not like it ever happened at any other time and that same situation happened each death, with the game having zero cheap deaths.
Extremely happy to see this game is getting a sequel, it absolutely deserves it. The Ai, the atmosphere, stealth and horror are all so good!
They are good..during the first half. Too bad the game is bloated. No wonder it flopped.
@@heavyartillery-qm5huMaybe it's just not your type of game...I thought it was amazing! I'm sure there are many reasons the game didn't sell well, but I don't think this game is objectively bad...
@heavyartillery-qm5hu yep it's a bait user
I don't know that it was a flop. It's seem to grown quite the following over the years. Its reputation wasn't immediate. Obviously it had to have something go right for it for a sequel to be greenlit.
@@heavyartillery-qm5huit didn’t flop lmao that’s why it’s getting a sequel stupid.
I think the Reviewer didnt understand, that the sound of the Motion Detector could attract the Alien, when you are hiding in the vent or the closet^^ xD
Gotta love how their "discussion" is more of a circle-jerk where there's no opposing idea.
None of them even finished the game. How the fuck can they discuss it?
A bit like this comment section, no?
Anyone can comment in the comment section. The reviewer specifically had people who agreed with him invited to the discussion@@Jonatan606
That’s what most of Luke’s takes are and the main reason I don’t watch him much anymore.
So literally Luke and you right now? 😂😂😂
9:37 he also had the scanner out and the alien can hear that too lmao.
Except he didn't. When in lockers, the top of the Motion Tracker is always within view and, depending on how the player leans while in the locker, you can also get a view of the screen, which is what he's doing. When actually raised the full screen can be seen and takes up a good portion of your screen. He's still an idiot.
Alien Isolation remains one of the scariest games I ever played. I still haven't completed it because I couldn't take it anymore. Awesome game, but too much for me.
This is how I am lol love the franchise & after colonial marines when I was a kid(my god I wish I could go back & save myself every bit of disappointment, but this is litterally the most absolute perfect game if you love everything alien, with some outlast gameplay, but man did they get the vibe of the stations,world, sounds I mean everything just like in the first alien
I recommend going back and reading some tips online, it can be hard to get through at times due to the sheer horror, but once you learn some good tips it does feel more manageable. For example, avoiding lockers unless ABSOLUTELY necessary is beneficial, it's far better to just keep moving, go under tables, etc. Also the alien can hear crafting if you are too close, pretty much assume it'll hear anything if too close. The alien will also flee after a molotov attack, which saved me a ton.
It's so worth completing, especially with a sequal on the way.
I still have nightmares over it from time to time lol
@@baxterclagmoar9333 Good to know! Thanks
Yeah, the tension is palpable the entire time. They really nailed the dread.
That "rug pulling" of the ending is also thematically correct to the movies. How many times do they almost escape in the Alien movies.
It was a horrible rug pull, tho.
@@ezekielcaselton5842so are the ones in the movies tbh.
@@ezekielcaselton5842 not really if you consider that "Aliens" explained that Ellen Ripley died of old age so it's not really that bad all things considered, just felt like a harmless homage to the movies.
The game also tells you repeating hiding places will cause the Xeno to check those spots more and more often. It learns your habits, if you're not constantly evolving your strategy you'll get caught over and over.
Yes, can't wait for the 2nd game, hope it has all those features and improve on.
This is why people used to say that you can't write ignorant without IGN.
What do you mean "used to"?
@@dtstar331 That I had not seen or heard it in a while. Then again I might have missed it since I am not looking for IGN related articles all the time and I stopped watching or reading their reviews.
Not that it really matters since it was always true.
@@Muppemaniayou mean people used to read/watch ign's reviews. I still see that ignorant bit here and there.
@@Esiaa Ya, back in the day people read ign reviews and articles. Was before youtube was a thing.
Back before gaming youtubers became a thing sites like their was the only way to get news on games, that or buy a magazine.
It's funny hearing them describe how they kept almost getting away and then not getting away. Dude.....that is exactly how the movie was. How many times did they think they had everything under control, only to find out they most certainly did not. Even at the very end of the movie she discovered she did not, just like the game.
Exactly. The game succeeds in placing the player in the movie franchise. Particularly invoking the feel of the first movie - not just the visuals and the atmosphere.
It kinda felt like you had walked on to a Star Trek like holodeck.
The FEAR game had amazing AI as well and how you had to stay sharp and listen to their talking and sounds and the layout of the rooms. The mixing of action to jump scare horror was intense as well. Pulling on different emotions so it keeps you under pressure but in different ways so it's not so repetitive
I didn't like Alien Isolation. Not because it was bad. It's just personal taste. I don't like waiting and sneaking around slowly. And there's undeniably alot of that in this game. What I will say Alien 1979 is one of my favorite films ever. This game nailed the aesthetic. It gets like 6 points out of 10 for that alone on my scoreboard.
That’s the thing. It’s not for you and you acknowledge it. These reviewers don’t review the games on their merits. They review them if they like them or not. That’s not how a review works. I can play a game, not like it but still give it a 9/10 because I recognize it’s doing what it does as it’s supposed to and those that like those things will love it.
TBH i sucked at Isolation. To be fair I was also only 15 or 16 when it came out, but god did that game seem hard. super rewarding when you outsmarted the alien though.
Not outsmarted. You just learned the AI patterns.
@@heavyartillery-qm5huSo he outsmarted the AI
@@youtubesucks1821 There is a difference. The AI in the game is very flawed and due to the bloat you will encounter it way too much.
@@heavyartillery-qm5hu Thats literally what he meant
@@BigSmiggles Nah. He tried to pretend that the AI wasn't flawed
Luke is spot on about getting the right person to review. I wouldn't give any From game above a 3/10 but my review would be useless to those people that like those boring, edgelord titles.
As someone who hates those kinds of games too, id still give them 4/10 (below an average of 5) for their lore and story and beautiful vistas alone. Just because it's not for me doesn't mean there isn't some aspects that are ok and well done.
The moment they reviewed Pokemon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire, I completely disregard any review they do. “too much water” 😂
That's weird considering that there isn't only 1 IGN reviewer.
Pokémon games are all no greater than 4/10’s. Pokémon games haven’t innovated past red and blue, the games have been the same and trash for decades.
@@ronthorn3based
@@heavyartillery-qm5huThe problem with these organizations/companies is they all want to band together as one entity or separately be singled out when it’s convenient. Like it or not, you’re only as good as your worst. Don’t like it, eject them.
@@ronthorn3tbf Pokémon peaked at gen 5. I'm still upset at the score they gave explorers of sky
Just played this game. It’s a masterpiece and it’s shameful that IGN gave it a low score. They have lost all credibility.
To start off I was like ok I can understand some of the critism about the game dragging at the end etc. I don't agree but I could definitely see how some people might feel that way. Then the guy started the comparison to Super Meat Boy and complaining about the unpredictability of the alien and they completely lost me. It's the whole shtick with this game and probably the best thing about it. It would be annoying in games where the player is meant to feel powerful like MGS but horror is all about making you feel small.
IGN, the online media company that gave Concord, a game that barely lasted two weeks, a 7/10
Well, at least it wasn't "too long."🤣
Well to be fair, even if it actually was a 7/10, then it still would’ve flopped this hard. The market for games like these is saturated AF. Other games simply do things better without a $70 price tag. Sony really doesn’t understand the market anymore
Was playing the cyberpunk dlc again recently and got to **that** part. Made me realize how much I wanted a game that produced unreal levels of anxiety hiding from an uhkillable death machine. And then I remembered alien isolation existed.
Hated that part with a passion, I don't know what the developers were thinking...
I absolutely love the first two movies as well as this game, so much that i completed it 100% on PS3 and again on PS4 a few years later.
It blows my mind when watching people stream it on twitch, who try to run everywhere and then get angry when they keep getting killed over and over again. It requires stealth, patience, low visibility and being as quiet as possible...i.e., sneaking around while crouched. The game TELLS you from the start that loud footsteps and the noise from your motion tracker make you much easier to be hunted down.
Very hyped for Alien Isolation 2, but I'm also worried it's too late. Even if it's the same studio, it's 10 years later so it's not the same team anymore. If they had been allowed to get right to work on the sequel after the launch of the first one, they'd be able to build on what they learned, fix the problems, and expand things. This team doesn't have that previous knowledge and experience to work from.
I believe the original creative director is back but yeah most of the team won't be the same unfortunately.
I have the same concern. They captured lightning in a bottle. Difficult to do that again without the experience of the original people involved.
In saying that… the remake of Dead Space shows what can be done when people take the time to really understand how an original piece of work was done and what made it work so well.
The problem with the whole roundtable thing is that they are all from IGN. Their goal is to make sure the brand is okay instead of having people on that have an array of people from outside to explain their point of view. One of many reasons that I don't personally hold IGN reviews with much regard.
I believe his review was and still is indefencible because the novelty this game's revolutionary A.I. requires a buy-in that Ryan just didn't have or wasn't willing to have. In the lead up to this game, I was quite excited, so much so that I devoted an inordinate amount of time to researching what this was, what the developer was intending it to be and just how new this approach was. By the time I had it in my hands, I was prepared to let the game be what it was trying to be, and it far exceeded my expectations. Because I understood that this was a game where you need to learn how-to-do rather than what-to-do. Most game's have their antagonists on rails, and what you're learning is exactly when something happens, so you know exactly what-to-do. Whereas, with Alien: Isolation, you're simply learning how-to survive, so that you can meet the challenge of a largely unpredictable experience. I went in ready and prepared for an unpredictable experience, and it wholeheartedly delivered.
I agree. It seems Ryan 'fought' the world itself in the game instead of trying to play by its rules. I died A LOT at the beginning of the game, but when it finally clicked, it was easier and so much fun.
Yahtzee did a great video about whether games need to be fun. His conclusion was basically, no they need to make you FEEL something. Alien isolation was a masterpiece in making you feel something.
Im just glad to have boight the game back in 2015 on the PS3. I was supporting this game from the beginning
Am I correct in remembering that if you had the Xbox One camera it used the mic to detect sound levels in the room you were playing in? On top of everything else it was an extra "oh shit hold your breath" pucker mechanic? I feel like I remember that being a thing but then never heard anyone ever talk about it again. (maybe not a lot of people had the camera)
also at 9:00 the androids walk through fire and the reviewer decides... to pull out a flamethrower?
Yeah, if you played this game with a an xbox kinect it would "hear" you through it's mic. If you also jumped or were startled it would have a similar effect. It was something unique to the hardware, but the game also tells you up front that it's going to do that.
@@alaskanyeti907 thats... F*ing cool
@@alaskanyeti907also you could do that with the PlayStation thing as well
Oh, yes… the Kinect.
It was the only time it came in useful. I remember the intensity of having to stay quiet irl. I had my young nephew sitting with me, clinging on to me at one point and he screamed at a noise; the Alien jumped out of a vent and then we both screamed. I distinctly remember turning to him and dryly thanking him for getting us killed. He very sheepishly said sorry and we both burst of laughing.
The game is an experience and the Kinect - which I never cared about - actually made it better.
Good memories.
I hope CA doesn't give IGN a review copy but does for all the smaller channels and better outlets so we can watch them cry like they do every time they don't get a review copy
Their couch discussion really showed that gamers and 'game journalists' are two completely different groups. They want AI to be predictable and have patterns, gamers want something new and unpredictable. They complain about the Xeno, we love that little freak.
Sounds like bro was on a deadline.
It is wild to me the guy who did the review didn't just retweeted the news of Isolation 2, but he had the gall to even make fun at the fact his review harmed the sales of the first game... like yeah dude you kinda went down as one of the reasons it took a whole decade for a sequel to even be announced, and it's not even in proper production stages yet!
Remember, IGN's review hurt the sales of Prey 2017. That game was a masterpiece
@@lalotime not a masterpiece, but the best immersive sim we’ve had in a long time.
@@thecircusfreak5364 it is a masterpiece in the immersive sim community. It's very detailed while being simple and convenient. Some people give it the best immersive sim ever made
@@lalotime System Shock 2 decades later is still way better than Prey.
@@JDelwynn system shock 1 is better than system shock 2. Prey is better than system shock 1
@@lalotime For me: SS2 10/10 > SS1 9,5/10 = Prey 9,5/10
They're all absolutely awesome!
10 fuckin years Bois... Where does time go??
Having the same feelings. It does not feel like this game came out 10 years ago. 👀
I was 30 then, now I have to stand up slowly because otherwise my knees hurt. Nobody can escape time's grasp...
Alien Isolaton is on the list of games that I would like to forget to play and have the same experience as the first time. What an incredible game!
He was also actively using the scanner in the vents and the Xenomorph here’s that lol
Really good point about reviewer selection. Maybe video game reviewers need to make more like Yahtzee and call themselves narrative game specialists or fighting game specialists or horror game specialists. Just because you can review one game that works one way doesn't mean you understand how all games work
To the person in the live chat who commented “ Who the F*** cares about Alien: Isolation?”
First why are you starting off so aggressive lol? Second, many people care. For me personally ever since the game came out every couple of months I see a new play through of it, or a review/ video essay. This also isn’t including the resurgence in gaming commentary content. Then finally the Alien franchise is still going strong, so many people in fact do care about alien: isolation.
I got into it with him. He doesn’t understand what terms mean. He pathetic loser of the highest order. He think alien isolation flopped. It didn’t mean unreasonable sale expectations However unless they had 100 million dollars budget than it more likely than not broke event
It helps to be a fan of Alien and H.R. Gigers work to really appreciate the game.
But the A.i. in this game, regarding the Alien, adapts to sound, its environment and it learns to identify repeated sounds if you abuse certain mechanics.
Like if you throw too many noise makers, it'll learn that youre throwing something to try and confuse it and it will actively search for you instead.
it absolutely baffles me that they decided to make a video discussing a game when 2 of them (don't remember if it was ever mentioned if red shirt played it or not) haven't even finished it. it 100% came off as the original reviewer using colleagues that didnt know any better to just agree with his arguments
I just STILL can't believe people don't enjoy games that are not in 60fps. Like, I've two 144hz monitors and a 4k 60hz tv, and I still don't get the issue with 30fps (on a 60hz or higher display). I *see* the difference, I just don't care.
And I know that's exactly the point of having the right reviewers for the right games, but still... my mind is like "they are shittng u, this is all a big conspiracy specifically made for you, the whole planet is on it, and they are f'ing with you" XD
So I played this game maybe 2 years ago so its a bit fresh in my mind. As far as the pacing I do agree the game takes long to get going. Like the first 3 hours were hard to get through because little was happening. I also do agree that for the first couple of hours after the stalker monsters are introduced the gameplay does get exhausting and this can be because the game is just a long game. I enjoyed the game but I can see the complaints. I do find it weird they don't think that games should have any frustrating elements at all.
The game is definitely too long. I've loved it but I'm on chapter 17 now and I've been ready for the game to end for a few chapters now. As one of the guys said, horror movies a shorter for a reason and I think the same applies or at least should apply to horror games.
This is a timely convo, I’ve been playing The Forever Winter EA, and it is also pretty stressful and has unkillable enemies, and so many of the complaints about it boil down to wanting it to be a different game, usually with no survival or punishment mechanics or allow you should be able to pilot mechs instead of scurrying around them. Lots of butthurt people when they get pushback about this stuff, ESPECIALLY at the suggestion that the game may not be for them
My god it’s true, he really only has one thumbnail!
I owned Isolation for around 4 yrs before I got into it properly, I just couldn't get into the game. Until, I watched a walk through and learned , yes learned how to play it... And once I learned the game, wow what a game. Defo one of my all time favs. Your assessment about the IGN reviewer seems very valid, no info for possibly the wrong reviewer and ending with a low score for what is in my view a true gaming classic. Imagine the pressure on the next game, even with a bad start of the original it's turned into a classic and it's gonna take some beating. Great vid by the way
Thumping around in vents got you caught in MGS 2 lol
I played it when it originally came out, loved it. Got it on PC this week and still an amazing game! So excited for the sequel.
If you got it on of download the mods. There’s some real good ones.
I love horror and I think Alien Isolation is still impressive and brilliant. But I can’t play this game because I get freaked out too easily. I can play a lot of other games in the horror genre and get spooked just fine, but the Xenomorph thinking and sprinting when I fuck up is too much for me. So I can understand from that perspective.
But the reviewers seem to see it as a stealth game that you can plan and win, but they are overwhelmed by the innovation introduced, so they cry foul. I can agree with most of the points like the lighting and setting, but he didn’t seem to understand HOW smart the Alien is, so he thinks it’s a mistake.
Maybe this will be pointed out because I haven't watched the full vid but I believe the motion tracker also makes a noise that can be heard by the alien.
Checkpoint and auto save is honestly gone too far recently, I remember playing Ghost of stushima dying clearing a camp, then respawn to see the ennemies i've had defeated were not here anymore. I was playing on hard and it trivialize the difficulty so much, it's just stupid.
People these days like to say they don’t have time to play the game so they want free passes to get past levels or checkpoints, they don’t want to actually play the game, they like pretending like their playing but in actuality they aren’t playing it at all.
I think that type of checkpoint system has a place in certain types of games, but definitely not in GoT...
I’m confused. If you already did the work, does it matter? It saved your progress so you didn’t have to waste time repeating what you already showed the game you could do.
@RedOblivion711 It's more like they made an attempt, failed, but still got rewarded for it, which defeated the purpose of playing a harder difficulty. Not a challenge if you can just war of attrition through everything.
survival horror is very difficult, people think they like survival horror cause stuff like resident evil 4 and dead space get lumped in with it....when in reality those are essentially modern checkpoint action shooters with a horror skin....when you throw an actual survival horror game at these people like re2r, alien isolation, silent hill....they may have no idea what they are getting into. the main ideas of survival horror are puzzle box style maps, puzzles, finite resources....things like re4 are designed to ensure you always have resources and are never lost. its important to realize horror was mostly dead in 2013, 2012 was re6 and silent hill downpour
If you are not interested in the game you shouldn't be reviewing it.
Also "IGN Review" is not just "some random guy's opinion", They "Review" games as an outlet
They should be hold accountable for what their review says.
If anything the alien is too limited. Granted it takes some experience with the game to learn the limitations.
While the alien does learn to a degree, it's search path is still somewhat scripted, and it often will not check every part of a room, and in some cases will ignore rooms entirely. Sometimes that means you can simply stand in a corner or against a wall and you'll be fine indefinitely. It also can't climb ledges or ladders, or crawl into certain spaces to follow you. I think the alien should be able to climb anything, even walls (like it does when you see it crawl back into the station from outside). The AI adapts to you hiding in lockers or vents, but not to you hiding behind random boxes.
I also think it doesn't react quickly enough to you being in it's line of sight. There have been many instances where it's clear the alien should have seen me, but because I managed to duck away in time the alien concludes it must have been the wind and walks away.
None of these are complaints btw. The game is still fantastic. I wouldn't have faulted it 10 years ago, but since it's been 10 years I can't help but imagine how much better it can get.
35:04 Hard Agree. There is an enormous difference between teasing out meaning from evidence and clues provided in the story and writing the story for the devs; between finding genuine meaning and excuse making.
Reminds of this time a PC magazine reviewed A Final Unity. The reviewer hated Star Trek and gave it a terrible score while it was doing well in other publications. They actually printed an apology and re-reviewed it.
But I do think a Mechanic could cook you a pretty good steak.
some games are not for everyone, and that's ok. It's a leadership issue, you assign the right person to review the right game. I remember reading a review one time where the reviewer admitted to not liking the genre of game they were reviewing, and I'm like "then i don't need to read any further".
I kinda get the feeling these IGN guys hadn't watched the original movie in quite some time when they were making these videos. They keep complaining about the part of the game where the xenomorph gets pushed to the background and the androids become the main threat, forgetting that there's a point in the film where the xenomorph gets pushed to the background and an android becomes the main threat.
When it comes to the ending, that's horror 101. Many horror stories have abrupt and unsatisfying endings. Halloween (1978) comes to mind, as does The Thing (1982) (John Carpenter was really onto something). But those kinds of endings are so abundant in horror for a reason. Abiguity is scary. The fewer answers you have when the credits roll, the more your imagination can run wild. And it's not like we don't have an idea of what happens, we get confirmation that Amanda survives the events of Isolation in the director's cut of Aliens. In that sense, Isolation's ending is satisfying. The xenomorph threat is defeated (for now) and she's made it out alive.
The game clearly needed a journalist difficulty.
There is, on easy. I was mopping up the last trophies at the time on easy and the last one left was "Get killed 100 times by the xenomorph" (or something close to that). I had to up the difficulty for the trophy just because on easy, the alien wouldn't come out from the vents and kill me no matter what I did.
What are they talking about? Have they seen the films that’s what to game was trying to bring? No one in that universe you don’t survive and if you do you’re lucky.
Think the criticism at 36:31 is relevant in some ways. Often think it's a legitimate criticism that game length can negatively affect a game. I'm unsure how that is met here, as I've not played isolation through all the way. It's true that it is sometimes the case in horror games that you're finding a reason to get thrown back into the action, but I suppose if he sees it as artificially inflated or extended for reason that isn't justified in a fun or interesting that feels like a fair criticism.
I will say that I am playing the game for the first time now and I think I am in the second last chapter basing off of my trophies. I definitely think the game could have ended by now. Its a fantastic game but my one complaint is that it's a bit too long for a horror game in my personal opinion. However I do think context matters. This game came out in 2014, this was a time where games were getting shorter. Order 1886 came out the same year and was panned for being only 8 hours long. So I can see why people at the time were resistant to this critique of the game overstaying its welcome. But the gaming landscape now is different and we are seeing the opposite problem now where games are stupidly long, padded with boring filler content and empty open worlds. So I tend to look for shorter experiences these days and I think Alien Isolation could have been 3 or 4 chapters shorter.
Most people that I knew who played Alien Isolations main critique was they wanted more.
Game has some of the coolest AI tech and is still ahead of its time. The way the alien learns and retains information without it feeling unnatural or unfair was genuenily revoluntionary. And it feels like the canned inital reception of the game made developers regress in their view of advanced AI.
Idk man. I'm playing it for the first time now. I'm on chapter 17 I think and although I've loved it. I've been ready for it to end for a couple of chapters now. Horror games are better as shorter experiences imo. People were starved in 2014 as games had gotten shorter in general but in today's landscape where games are 100 hours long because they are bloated with empty open worlds and boring side content, I appreciate shorter experiences and I do wish Isolation was just a couple of chapters shorter. Still an excellent game and certainly not a 5.9.
Your yearly reminder: this review may have been incompetent, but there really was too damn much water in that pokemon game.
I remember this being the review that made me start doubting video game journalists
Ign needs to stop making reviews. they mean nothing
@@heavyartillery-qm5hu Who is "you weirdos" and who is included in this "ominous" group? You too? Maybe? Oh no, you are superior, right? Right?
@@heavyartillery-qm5hu not you calling me “you weirdos” when i didn’t say shit about any review killing any game. i said they need to stop making reviews. that’s all you dimwit
I honestly think they misrepresented and misunderstood the gameplay loop in respect to the player.
The game doesn't hold your hand entirely, but you are encouraged to learn. But you, the player, needs to pay attention to the cause and effect of your actions and to actively think on your feet when a preferred strategy doesn't go to plan. (Insert joke about IGN game reviewer and using brain etc...)
When the Alien starts responding and adapting to the way you play, it's on you to think of an alternative.
I can respect how that's not for everyone, but it is what makes this game so fun and replayable a decade later.
Glad that this game is finally getting a sequel it deserves.
They forgot to mention the reviewer at the time didn't like the Alien Franchise and was vocal about it as well. Doesn't help their case in the re-review.
Alien Isolation is an all time classic and this was evident to me in 2014 when I first played it. If you're a horror fan you'll like it. If you're an aliens fan you'll like it... Any low scored review of this game is just failing to give your audience useful information to them. Sorry, there is such a thing as a wrong opinion
I like Aliens and love horror games, but don't like it very much. I think 5.9 is actually a pretty fair score.
Thank you IGN, this review of yours made me just buy the game.
Anything you dislike must be good by normal gamers standard
We must take off our nostalgia glasses, the game was not perfect, but considering the time when it was released and what it offered to players, it was a good game that was worth it. If they are going to develop a sequel, there are things they can improve in the gameplay, but there are things they must keep(fear factor and difficulty) because those are what made the game awesome for horror fans
Be careful. Isolation simps are even worse that Starfield simps. Defending flawed flops until the end.
@heavyartillery-qm5hu idk. I enjoyed it a lot, and though it was a very good game.
@@heavyartillery-qm5huthe only flaw the game had imo was its length, didn’t need to be that long, maybe cut down 4/5 hours to tighten the experience and it would be a much more enjoyable experience, still loved it.
@@ronthorn3 It's still a flaw that isolation simps can't accept it's there. Hopefully the devs will.
But the IGN review was poor, I think people don't realize how bad IGN botched that whole thing. It wasn't JUST the review that read like someone who didn't actually finish the game and whose review footage looked like a 5 year old playing.
IGN's cope stream after where Ryan called the audience morons for not understanding how hard his job is or how much he actually did play the game. Meanwhile he continues to double down on how little he paid attention to the game, as he reiterated his frustration with the weapons and the motion tracker.
Look, you don't HAVE to like AI. It's a slow burn, and does have an odd 1-hour anti-climax in the middle. But if you think IGN's review was acceptable, you're wrong.
Man I remember when I was young and stupid and didn't play Alien Isolation because I listened to this review. I'm so glad I'm not the same gamer I used to be.
I think their review was terrible. I also think that them trying to defend it afterwards when they obviously just put out a bad review was foolish. But to say they were the reason the game didn't sell well? I honestly don't buy it. At the most they slightly influenced people away from it, but word of mouth is much more powerful than one publication. It was also at the time when dislikes were still visible on RUclips so people would click the video, see a huge ratio of dislikes and then go to the comments to see that IGN doesn't know what they are talking about.
My opinion on it is their review had more impact on developers than players. It told developers that if you put a bunch of work into an advanced AI that you will be crucified for it
@@TNTspaz I mean they didn't really get crucified. It may have seemed like that to them at first, but I am sure once they saw everyone lash out at IGN for their god awful review, they probably felt vindicated.
This isn’t Elden ring, the game does a good job explaining all the mechanics. The vent thing is explained. You shouldn’t need a guide for this game if you’re paying attention in the slightest
"Too much water"
Never forget. You can't spell ignorance without IGN.
"Too much alien"
Lol in a game that is called alien.
I remember my first play through on my PS4, hard difficulty, mic sensor on, I FFFFFckin loved it!
I worked as QA on this game for years and can confirm, the AI is broken and awful lol
Glad people had fun with it, but the review is fair IMO
Yup people get so touchy about games 😂🎯, but there's never any harm in reviews calling it like it is and usually an aggregate of the reviews ends up telling the full picture rather than people just getting mad at one solitary review.
OMG. You had to play test this bloated game? It honestly started feeling like work 10 hours in and you probably had to invest hundreds. I am so sorry...
me when I lie, also watch AI and games' video on isolation.
What would your name happen to be i just checked the QA credits so i believe you are lying which is silly since anyone can look up the credits to fact check you.
@@JordanForan2019I get your scepticism but dude isn’t gonna dox himself and also some people will work months on stuff and not get credited, it sucks but it’s the way it is
One my top 10 favourite games of all time. The only part of the IGN review I remember was him saying not to play it on hard…I completed it on hard and loved it!
10 seconds 1 view.. bro really fell off
Forreal imagine not getting as many views as shroud
Are you like 5 years old? Do you feel special making these comments?
26:35 - "An Irish bar fight" is the most hilarious description for an upset stomach I've ever heard! Sent me into a laughing fit!
Ah, Alien Isolation. A neat game with a bunch of problems
Preach. The game had flaws
This felt like the first IGN review where people decided you can’t have your own opinions about games unless it agrees with their opinion
And the worst part is that the review was actually representative of the quality of the game. Isolation failed. It was a flop.
@@heavyartillery-qm5hu no it wasn't lol, y'all didn't even play the game properly then complain its bad cause you suck at it ffs.
@@baronvonslambert Nah. A flop is a flop.
@@baronvonslambert It was only a flop cause the game was flawed and not enough people bought it
@@baronvonslambert exactly, same thing happened to the dead space remake, they canned the sequel cause the sales didn't meet their expectations, and don't listen to that other guy, he's so pissed at the news of isolation getting a sequel for some reason lmao.
I think part of this reviewers frustration, is that he didn't realise that the Xenomorph can here that very load tracker that keeps beeping.
But the game gives you hints on why you lost, so for them to complain about it just shows that they either don't care or are not that bright.
Aliens is one of my favorite games and it captured me the entire time. It is revealing how they bring up Ninja Gaiden and Splinter Cell when comparing it to Aliens. It just sounds like this is not their type of game, but a more action type is.
I played it on the hardest difficulty and loved it. And the ending was a wonderful twist. I can’t believe their complaining about the best parts
I think this game is a 10/10. I've played this game through dozens of times in the last ten years, it's in my top 5 all-timers, I'm crazy hyped for the sequel. It's so fun. Sure, it's also exhausting and frustrating, but fixating on that is like complaining that a trampoline stretches down before launching you into the air.
That said, I agree some of the extra endings are not as fun; the last one is just a cinematic linear button prompt obstacle course. That and the story really didn't have a satisfying conclusion because it pulled the most predictable stunt. Those criticisms are valid, even if most people disagree. But every fully fledged set piece in this game is an endlessly replayable masterclass in sandbox level design. The flaws of this game are utterly inconsequential in the grand scheme of all the great things this game does. I can't imagine what a sequel could even improve, aside from making sure they have a more impactful ending.
The criticism is forgivable, I made a lot of those same mistakes (and learned from them, but we can't all have double digit IQ). The doubling down and brazen lamp shading is less forgivable. But the score is entirely unforgivable, those criticisms did not justify that. Dude was just being a stink sphincter.
Alien Iso deserves more love and players! I admit I never played it cuz I don't exactly enjoy the play style but it was fun to WATCH...
Mightykeef comment lol massive w. Awesome RUclipsr
Hey Luke where did you get that warhammer statue to the left of you
Ok, I find it absolutely ridiculous that they thought the Android sequences were "out of character" or "too difficult" when compared with the Xenomorph sequences. The game literally provides you with the best weapons and ammunition to take down the Androids. Those being electro rods and EMP charges. IF you choose to craft them and/or save them up, the Androids are literally rag dolls in comparison to the Xenomorph (whose only fear is essentially, fire).
These reviewers clearly don't seem too bright when it comes to puzzle solving and critical thinking. They seem to be too comfortable in what they expect to be 'good game design' without acknowledging 'novel game design and/or player ingenuity.
Also, the first time they introduced the Androids as true 'side-villains,' purposefully leaves you short-handed! That was CLEARLY a design choice! It made the scenario that much more desperate! Having you fight for your life against an NPC you essentially assumed was meant to be completely dormant or just a passive attendant.
Even though Alien fans know WY Androids are most likely a dormant threat, it's still a shock when they turn. Especially when you're barely equipped!
"If it were just luck, and it was just a dice roll, yeah that would feel... bad"
-also
"the unpredictability is the point"
What's the difference exactly? If something is truly beyond prediction, it would be indistinguishable from being totally random. And guessing correctly at that point would just be luck.
I'm actually terrified to play this game lol.
I never understood "Desthloop" or why people enjoyed it. I just didn't understand the over all premise. It didn't click with me lol.
This is still one of my favourite games that I play once a year. I do think it has a long campaign but I couldn’t get enough of it.
The working joes worked because they operated on a completely different basis than the alien, which would stalk you. The Joes worked more like traditional guards except unlike MGS2 you can't snipe them and have to pay attention to their FOV to get through a level. If it was just the alien for 20 hours, people would complain it got boring or would have figured it out completely to the point where it wouldn't be a threat since all its behaviours would be known