As a lifelong fan of the Alien franchise, I have to say that each new installment brings its own unique twist to the terrifying tale of the xenomorph. From the original’s cold, calculated stalker to the chaotic monsters of Prometheus and Covenant, these creatures have consistently managed to keep me on the edge of my seat.
There’s a unique quality about Ridley Scott’s 1979 film Alien that has kept it a timeless classic. The blend of its characters who are everyday, hardworking people, its gritty, worn-out portrayal of capitalist space travel, and the terrifying, enigmatic monster lurking in the background, produces an atmosphere that many horror movies have attempted to emulate since its debut, but few have managed to capture effectively.
As a dedicated gamer, I can tell you that diving back into the terrifying world of Alien with the new installment, Alien: Romulus, is like stepping right back into the original film. While it does an admirable job of resurrecting the spine-tingling fear that the xenomorph once instilled, it seems to lean heavily on the bombastic and explosive action scenes that have become synonymous with this series’ sequels – much like a modern video game level where you face off against an intimidating boss monster. However, even in these moments, I found myself yearning for the raw, primal terror of the original.
The film is decent enough, but it doesn’t evoke the same terror as Alien does. Unlike the alien species, which surprise and chase their victims relentlessly, hiding only to pounce again, this movie often reduces the creatures to targets for machine gun fire at crucial points, a common trope in Alien-themed productions since the original release.
Among all the Alien sequels, only one truly encapsulates the spirit of the original film, and surprisingly, it’s not a movie – it’s a video game called Alien: Isolation. While Alien: Isolation may not be a flawless Alien narrative, it excels in one crucial aspect: it brings the alien to life and makes it genuinely terrifying.
In Alien: Isolation, the gameplay revolves around frequent interactions with the terrifying alien creature. It recreates the nerve-wracking moments from the movie’s climax, where Ripley is on edge, moving silently with a flamethrower, spotting the creature, and then cautiously retreating, as the core gameplay experience. The game excels at this; you explore the environments of Sevastopol station, which are meticulously designed to resemble the actual film sets and early concept art, while a massive, relentless alien lurks in the vents and stomps down corridors, always on the hunt for you.
Alien: Romulus Review – Structural Imperfection
Generally in Alien: Isolation, your main strategy for handling the creature is to evade it by hiding in lockers or taking cover under tables. You’ll also need to pay close attention to its movements and move around it cautiously. However, occasionally the creature will detect you. When this happens, a burst from your flamethrower could potentially save you, but there’s no guarantee that it will be effective every time.
In Alien: Isolation, the alien is portrayed exceptionally well as a formidable threat. It exhibits cunning intelligence, employing all available resources to locate and eliminate you. At times, it prowls the corridors seeking its prey, but it also ambushes from hidden vents, eavesdropping, laying traps, and striking when you least expect it – snatching you off your feet and into darkness. Nothing can slay this alien in Isolation, and attempting to engage it in combat is usually a suicide mission. This makes coming across other survivors all the more terrifying since if they open fire on you, chances are they’ll endanger everyone else as well.
In Alien: Isolation, you predominantly find yourself in solitude, sharing the environment with the alien, constantly hoping that your concealment is sufficient or that the makeshift distraction you’ve just thrown will deter it, allowing you to escape unnoticed. However, when the alien isn’t stalking you, the game’s narrative follows the familiar pattern of an Alien story, with characters betraying each other for personal gain, only to face retribution when the creature arrives. While these aspects of the game are functional, they aren’t particularly thrilling.
What Alien: Isolation excels at producing, are instances where your heart races intensely, such as when the monster seems to be literally beside you, and you’re praying that your ability to hold your breath lasts so it doesn’t detect you.
Alien: Romulus Shows It’s Time For Alien To Abandon Its Canon
As a devoted fan, I must admit that none of the Alien sequels have truly managed to recapture the haunting essence of the original film. Aliens comes the closest, particularly when the Colonial Marines are annihilated, leaving me on edge with Hudson’s terrified exclamation, “They’re coming out of the walls!” This scene taps into the unsettling notion that what makes the alien so terrifying is its ability to lurk in the shadows, its stalker-like intelligence adding to the fear. Alien 3 tries to maintain this eerie atmosphere but falls short in creating compelling, relatable characters for the alien to prey upon. The prequels, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, take the concept of a terrifying creature and run with it, featuring monsters that charge at their victims and plow through fields to tear off heads. These films concentrate on the chaos unleashed by their monsters, rather than the calculated, methodical horror of the xenomorph as initially conceived.
Moreover, there’s Alien: Romulus, a game that shares many strengths with Alien: Isolation. It masterfully revives the atmospheric aesthetics and retro-futuristic ambiance of the original Alien film. The game takes you through ominous, industrial settings that are both inhabited and unsettlingly disquieting for humans – yet, somehow, seem strangely comfortable for something as inhumane as the alien. In essence, Romulus effectively encapsulates the visual style of Alien and excels at recreating the eerie, cinematic feel of the movie.
However, Romulus struggles somewhat with portraying the monsters accurately. While it effectively intensifies the fear factor by transforming the facehugger from a stealthy, sudden attacker into a swift, scurrying threat, it applies the same strategy to the xenomorph itself. In contrast to the original, Romulus’ interpretation of these creatures shows little inclination towards lying in wait or relying on cunning and surprise. Instead, they seem more interested in being large, slime-covered, and intimidating, rather than remaining hidden in the shadows. The creatures seldom display a shadowy presence; instead, they bank on their size and menacing appearance to instill fear.
Alien: Romulus – 24 Easter Eggs And References To The Alien Franchise
In Alien: Isolation, the alien isn’t just menacing due to its charging attacks; it’s also nearly indestructible, smart, and agile. The fact that it actively searches for you makes it even more terrifying. Contrastingly, in Romulus, while the aliens are still fearsome, they aren’t particularly large, intelligent, or unstoppable. As the film shows, they can be easily taken down by Pulse Rifle fire. However, what becomes most dangerous about them is the acidic residue they leave behind on the space station walls.
Other Alien films, like Alien: Romulus, bring unique elements to the franchise discussion, each one offering something distinct. While I may not have been overly enthusiastic about the latest film, it was still a satisfying watch. The original Aliens remains one of my all-time favorite movies, and I hold a soft spot for Alien 3, Alien: Resurrection, Prometheus, and Alien: Covenant, despite some reservations.
But while all of them have their own unique additions to the franchise, none of them has what Alien had–that creature, waiting amid the machinery to descend on a shocked Brett or hiding in the cramped darkness to ambush Dallas or tearing apart an overmatched Parker to get to a terrified Lambert. I’m still waiting for a movie to recapture that same monster: the one that has haunted my dreams since I first saw Alien. But at least I know that creature is waiting for me in the decrepit confines of Sevastopol whenever I boot up my PC and Alien: Isolation.
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2024-08-22 21:09