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Alien: Isolation PS4, PS3, Xbox One, 360, Sega, cert: 18(Observer (UK) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) When the developer Creative Assembly promised a return to the brooding horror of 1979's Alien for this latest video game tie-in, it left fans eager to see how such a tone would translate to a modern, big-budget title. For the most part, the results are thrilling. This is a taut, nerve-jangling experience that makes outstanding use of sound and lighting to maintain an atmosphere of impending doom. You play as Amanda Ripley, right, daughter of series stalwart Ellen, searching a decommissioned space station for clues as to what happened to your mother in the original film. Something otherworldly is also on board, wreaking havoc. Initially, foes are terrified humans or malfunctioning androids. But when the alien finally reveals itself, the wait is justified: the creature is fantastically well realised, a creeping, slick horror that cannot be stopped, merely avoided. It's a refreshing angle for a tent-pole title and terrifying while it lasts. Some of the characters are slightly underwhelming, but by and large this is a close encounter you won't forget quickly. Stuart Richardson (c) 2014 Guardian Newspapers Limited. |