You might be hellbound in December, and we’re not talking about the wildly popular South Korean fantasy series that has just displaced Squid Game as the most-watched show on Netflix right now. Alien: Isolation will debut on handheld devices on December 16. Feral Active will bring one of the most-played survival horror games of the 2010s to iOS and Android devices. The genesis of this game came about in 1979 with the Hollywood blockbuster Alien.
The Alien legacy: Ridley Scott’s 1979 science fiction horror film has been ranked the seventh-best science-fiction film of all time by the American Film Institute. The film recounts the story of the crew of a commercial space tug, Nostromo that encounters the eponymous alien. This deadly and aggressive alien runs loose on the ship. Sigourney Weaver stars as Ellen Ripley, the protagonist and one of the key crew members aboard the spaceship. Alien’s cutting edge visuals won the film the academy award for the Best Visual effects.
Alien: Isolation–the gaming transition: 35 years after its Hollywood debut and the 1986 sequel Aliens, this iconic film moved to consoles. British video game developer Creative Assembly, also known for their Total War series developed Alien: Isolation. The game arrived in 2014 on PCs, Xbox and PlayStation. The game is set 15 years later and this time it’s Amana Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, who is in the spotlight. She investigates the disappearance of her mother with a set of cool tools. Stealth and survival gameplay drove Alien: Isolation with tools such as a motion tracker and flamethrower.
While the 1986 sequel Aliens was more action-oriented, the game opted for a lo-fi 1970s version of what the future would look like. The retro-futuristic art direction, AI and sound design made it a favourite among gaming enthusiasts. The game added several DLC (Downloadable Content) packs, some of which allowed gamers to relive scenes from the 1979 movie. Feral Interactive, whose ported games to Mac and Linux include the Total War Series and Batman: Arkham series, ported Alien: Isolation to Linux and OS X, and eventually to Nintendo Switch in 2019.
What you can expect from the iOS and Android versions: There is buzz that Feral Interactive has replicated the stunning AAA visuals, an arresting narrative and a terrifying atmosphere. The trailer has only added to the anticipation. In a no-compromise approach, Feral has aimed to recreate the vision of the award-winning sci-fi masterpiece for smaller screens. It has added customisable touchscreen controls that you can connect through an external controller. The game costs $15 and includes all seven DLC packs. We certainly hope that the small-screen version has the same terrifying atmosphere and the first-person perspective that brings on a feeling of dread as you try to evade a xenomorph. If the widely appreciated Switch port is anything to go by, we can’t wait to check it out on our smartphones on December 16.
