Alien: Rogue Incursion review

by

As a lifelong fan of the Alien franchise, I can confidently say that Alien: Rogue Incursion has catapulted itself to the top of my list of favorite Alien games. With its immersive VR experience, it’s like stepping into Ridley Scott’s dark and claustrophobic world. The tension is palpable, and the fear is relentless – much like a certain xenomorph stalking you through the vents.

For years, virtual reality has held the promise of transporting gamers into cinematic universes they love. However, there haven’t been many instances of this due to developers wanting to create faithful adaptations and offer more than mere cash-ins on popular franchises. Alien: Rogue Incursion successfully immerses you in the nerve-wracking environment of the Alien franchise, providing an authentic experience while also offering a fresh perspective for players to encounter the terrors of this iconic sci-fi property.

In this game, you assume the role of Zula Hendricks, a former Colonial Marine on a mission to save her friend on the unexplored planet Purdan. Unlike I anticipated, with the suspense similar to Alien: Isolation, where one xenomorph is evaded, Servios has created a game featuring multiple adversaries. Imagine it as more akin to Aliens, where these creatures hide within bloody and ominous facilities. When I defeated my first alien, I felt slightly let down as the encounter was easier than expected, fearing that the rest of the game might lack the necessary tension.

Throughout Alien: Isolation, I constantly lived with a sense of dread, never finding true peace due to the constant threat of imminent doom. Slaying the alien in Rogue Incursion certainly lessened the anxiety, but it gave me an illusion of safety. This false confidence led me to believe that I could effortlessly eliminate these xenomorphs, but my upcoming battles quickly corrected that notion. They can materialize at any moment, alone or in groups, maintaining a high level of apprehension. Like all excellent horror games, this tension is crafted when there’s nothing truly menacing present.

Being fully engrossed in Virtual Reality and feeling a sense of dread, even a slight noise like rattling pipes, blinking computers, or hissing vents can take on an ominous significance. These sounds might not just be random; they could signal the presence of intelligent aliens who, should you perish at their hands, may ambush you from unexpected locations next time. This underscores their individual thought processes and adaptive strategies, allowing them to attack from various angles and spots at any given moment. This unpredictability serves to heighten the fear factor.

Instead of dodging a lone alien invader, you’re dodging them all in Alien: Rogue Incursion. Though you have a variety of helpful tools at your disposal, they sometimes don’t seem quite enough. This game, with its well-crafted environment and exceptional sound design, truly embodies the spirit of a franchise that has had its share of less successful entries. As a single-player game, it demands your full attention for hours on end. Fortunately, there are periods when you won’t be under attack. However, these peaceful moments are rarely noticeable during gameplay due to the high tension.

Zula appears to be on the run from the xenomorphs, as evidenced by the presence of a motion tracker, pulse rifle, medikits, a data pad, and other equipment. Occasionally, you’ll need to access terminals and modify the surroundings, but there are also opportunities to appreciate the stunning visuals that Servios has brought to the franchise. During combat with the aliens, holding your rifle firmly improves your aim, but a clean kill is never a certainty.

Watching an alien run across a floor grate above you, seeing them blink on your motion tracker, and hearing their terrifying screech does put a smile on your face even if it’s through gritted teeth. I love the movies, even the crappier ones, but Alien: Rogue Incursion sits pretty high on the list now. Uncovering the messed up experiments while learning more of the lore is exciting, and a shout out to the android Davis 01 who acts as your guide through the game. While I loved a lot of it, some of the save points are far apart, meaning you sometimes have to go back quite a way and replay areas.

In Alien: Rogue Incursion, players embark on an immersive “extraterrestrial” adventure, delving deep into the origins of the series and offering a genuine exploration of the shady dealings of Weyland-Yutani. The xenomorphs are cunning, keeping you guessing at every turn, boasting a compelling narrative that leaves you eager to unravel hidden mysteries. The controls are user-friendly, ensuring you never have trouble finding the right tool for the job. Servios has created an exceptional game, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it.

Read More

2024-12-18 17:16