This game was my first foray into the Alien universe. I had never seen any of the movies, and really didn't even know what the Alien looked like (DVD covers of the movies was the only image I had).
I love horror games, but hate ones that dabble in spiritism and occult. So when this game was released, I jumped on it. Un-killable Alien monster stalking you on a spaceship and no way to fight back?? Sounds good to me!
This is probably one of the best horror games ever made, hands down. From a design and atmosphere perspective, Creative Assembly did their homework, and they successfully replicated the look and feel of the Alien Universe. The tech looks straight out of the futuristic ideas of the 70s, and the music matches Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack perfectly.
The story is good enough, nothing spectacular. You play as Amanda Ripley, all grown up. If the last name didn't give it away, she is Ellen Ripley's daughter. She is approached by Weyland-Yutani to join a team that is about to pick up the Nostromo flight recorder from Sevastapol mining station. Amanda is hoping this will give her answers about her mother's fate. Amanda gets stranded on Sevastapol, and learn that the station's inhabitants are being stalked by the Alien, and now the player must try and survive.
The Alien is animated so well, and the AI of the Alien is almost too smart. If you play on Nightmare difficulty, the hardest one, the Alien is breathing down your neck constantly. At times, it does get frustrating. But usually I am to blame, because I didn't make use of the tools I have or I sat in one place for far too long, too scared to move. The Alien can pull you out of lockers and cabinets, or ambush you from a vent. It's terrifying, and its great.
Creative Assembly has said there is no sequel in the cards. I don't understand why the hell not. In an age when sequels and prequels are being made for franchises people have forgotten about (Terminator, Charlie's Angel's) it boggles the mind that they are not going to make a sequel that is highly demanded by the gamer community, and for a franchise that is still loved by many. I have since watched the movies, and I am a fan of most of them. So come on Creative Assembly/Sega, greenlight the damn thing and make a sequel that takes place on a colony or something!