Alien: Isolation released way back in 2014, and while it wasn’t an initial financial success, it was a massive hit for fans of the horror genre and for fans of the Alien franchise. Over time, the game grew to sell over two million copies, leaving players wondering: where’s the sequel? Alien: Isolation was not only a beloved game, but it was a beloved entry into the Alien franchise, something that is absolutely not always the case. The debacle that was Aliens: Colonial Marines was not received well by much of anybody, and there are plenty of divisive movies in the Alien franchise, as well.
But Alien: Isolation proved that a game that had that same vibe of the original Alien movie is possible, with plenty of tense moments in the game feeling like fans were getting to play a scene straight out of the movie. By polishing up some of the relatively few not-as-bright-spots in Isolation, Sega could craft a sequel in Alien: Isolation 2 with more mass appeal than the original, while still keeping the DNA that made Isolation into a cult classic alive.
Horror is already a genre that isn’t nearly as popular as things like action-adventure or FPS; throwing sci-fi into the horror mix is an even rarer phenomenon. That isn’t to say that it’s unpopular, the Dead Space series is a prime example, just that it doesn’t happen nearly as often as horror games with more traditional settings.
The side effect of this is that people who love horror sci-fi are often absolutely starved of content. Fans of the genre are going to buy just about anything in that category, meaning there are plenty of guaranteed players right from the start. This game also has the unique opportunity of attracting players who might not be hardcore gamers, but are more fans of cinema. Isolation was easy enough to understand for someone who isn’t well-versed in gaming, while still having some of that cinema flavor that made the game feel really unique. While Fox has confirmed more Alien games are coming, that doesn’t necessarily mean that these games are going to be anything like Isolation, as the Alien franchise could easily go in the more action/adventure category, as well.
The original Alien: Isolation teased VR support, but didn’t actually have it upon release. Modders came to the rescue with some solid VR support for Isolation on PC, but actual VR support for an Isolation sequel would be huge, especially for PlayStation players. VR gaming is on the rise with better and more affordable hardware; while the original Isolation was developed before VR gaming had hit any real kind of stride, Alien: Isolation 2 could hit once the widely-rumored PSVR 2 is out, not to mention the slew of different PC VR headsets.
Millions of VR headsets have sold now across various platforms, and considering VR gaming doesn’t see a lot of AAA titles, especially not in the horror category, Isolation 2 has the opportunity to be a VR classic. Games like Resident Evil 7 have shown that it’s more than possible to develop a game that is very strong both inside a VR headset and outside of one, ensuring it doesn’t divide either playerbase. (Incidentally, Resident Evil 7 is the best-selling game in the series.)
All in all, Alien: Isolation and its possible sequel could have a melting pot of different players. It might be difficult to please everybody at the same time, as these players will come to this game with different expectations. But, the first game did a fairly good job of making players happy, and the sequel would already have an entire games’ worth of experience to draw from. It remains to be seen whether Sega sees a sequel as worth the investment, though the mobile game Alien: Blackout did star Isolation‘s Amanda Ripley, keeping the narrative alive.
As of 2019, Fox confirmed that an Alien: Isolation sequel is not in development, so fans are just going to have to wait for the situation to play out.
Alien: Isolation is available now for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
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