Newly released ‘Alien’ games receiving unanimous positive feedback
35 years after the film’s original release, 1979’s Alien is still making headlines. Aside from the sequels, prequels, or any other films inspired by the original that have been released every few years, there are several other ways the franchise has managed to remain in the forefront of fans’ minds, even between pictures.
In part the increase in popularity recently can be attributed to the franchise’s new book, Alien the Archive: The Ultimate Guide to the Classic Movies. The book contains in-depth looks at what went on behind the scenes of the films, with a heavy emphasis on design and creation. Readers get an inside look at storyboards, mock-up art, set and costume design, as well as all the other tiring aspects that went into making the film they see on the big screen. Not surprisingly, it only took a few short days for the book to climb to the best-seller position among in Amazon‘s Digital Arts category, where (at the time of writing) it holds a 5 star rating.
However, while the book certainly helped in the recent exposure, the larger boost in attention lately has undoubtedly come from two games recently released in the film’s image. While I have yet to read the book, I have played both of the games, and the positive reaction from fellow gamers and critics on the projects seem to be directly on par with my own opinion.
The most recent game was an Alien-based video slot, which premiered on the Betfair Arcade earlier this month. There are three different levels that players navigate through in the game. The final level is located within the hive, and you have to shoot the alien with weapons you obtained in previous levels in order to survive.
Personally, I found the video slots very enjoyable. I’m a fan of online gaming and I liked that this game incorporated the slots and sprinkled in a little adventure as well. If you like slots, and you’re a fan of Alien, it’s a pretty straightforward choice as far as online gaming options go. Also, I think it’s fair to say that the web designers were very aware of how popular the game would be even before putting it live. When I visited Betfair, the game was the first to popup in the content slider, and if I navigated away from the page it was usually featured in the sidebars.
The second game that the franchise recently had their hand in was Alien Isolation. Released in early October, the long awaited console game had barely hit shelves before securing itself a contender for many committees’ “Game of the Year.” After playing it I can say that it’s certainly a contender for my favorite game of 2014.
Unlike previous games, Alien Isolation features one alien, which cannot be killed for the majority of the game. You alternate between surviving by trying to keep away from it and fighting for your life. As a result, the game has a good balance between the slower exploration parts that require you to be stealthy, and the fast action parts that get your blood pumping.
All of the factors, from gameplay and graphics to the story and characters work beautifully with one another to really suck you in. It’s intense and frustrating in all the right ways. And it plays perfectly into the sensations you get while watching the first Alien film.
But if you don’t believe me or the reviewers that awarded the film an 8.4/10 on Metacritic, I highly recommend that you check the game out for yourself. While I can’t give you an opinion on the book, the reviews seem to speak for themselves. If you’re looking for a new game, the Alien video slots are perfect if you’re searching for something fun that doesn’t require a lot of commitment. On the other hand, Alien Isolation is perfect if you’re in the mood for long gaming sessions – and if you enjoy having the bejesus scared out of you.
