(The alien's crawling through the vents) AI director: Yeah, so she just pulled a lever in medical, i'm gonna teleport you there but you're gonna have to do your thing and find her, okay? Alien: Medical!? She was in medical the whole time? Can't you just tell me where she is? AI director: We've been over this, no, i can't. I don't wanna lose my job, i'm gonna teleport you to medical now, but you only get two of these, okay? so make it count. Alien: oh gee, yeah, okay... ᵈᵉᵉᵖ ᵇʳᵉᵃᵗʰˢ, ᵈᵉᵉᵉᵖ ᵇʳᵉᵃᵗʰˢ, ᶠᵒᶜᵘˢ... okay, i'm ready, go.
@@millenniumhandandshrimp2610 Dude said that the Alien isn't allowed to teleport (they only do so twice for cutscenes, but everything else is the monster wandering freely), remember? So it'd be more like; Director: Heads up, she's leaving the area and going through a loading screen into Medical. Give her a few minutes then go after her, alright? Alien: Sure. I'm gonna go get a muffin until you get the go-ahead. Director: Might as well pick up a coffee while you're at it; you're going a bit heavy-handed on Ripley right now so she's reloaded a few times. Lay off the vents for a while, let her get her bearings. Alien: Aren't there survivors in Medical? The ones with guns? Director: Shit... Alright, keep the coffee but be ready to enter the stage on a moment's notice.
Can't agree more. It had its flaws, navigating was terrible for instance, but atmosphere, ai, difficulty and situations were top notch. Hell, even the longevity was stellar for a horror game.
First couple hours: *I hear ambience I can't save the Alien must be right there.* Last hours of the game: *Saving right behind the Alien as he stares at a flare.*
@@wicksic9928 entirely possible of course. but on hard and higher difficulty I think you need them to fool the alien sometimes, if you don't want too many trial and error sections
Terminal: "Do you want to overwrite save data?" Player: Yes. Xenomorph: :stands patiently next to player waiting for them to finish overwriting old save, then feasts:
Well, if you listen to it, the xenomorph had actually jumped down from the vents right as they were saving. It was attracted to the sound of the flamethrower.
@ThePabloSylar I no longer remember what happened, so I'll have to rewatch the video, but as far as I can tell, I don't think saving attracts it, but firing weapons has been known to attract it.
No saving doesn't. It would of heard the flamethrower and theres a vent slightly to the left of the door the face hugger comes from next to the save machine.
This only started happening to me once I had completed around 80% of the game. At that point I thought I had seen everything. I was wrong. So, so wrong.
I remember coming back from down a corridor past communications, and it was crawling alongside the vent next to me. i could see it through the grill, i was just about to go in it.
@@AIandGames Dude that literally happened to me for the first time after like 4 playthroughs, I had no idea it could do that and when it happened it gave me the biggest jump scare in existence LOL
Alien three gets a lot of shit (granted a whole lot of it is pretty fair) but it's not a terrible movie, definitely not the best in the series, but also definitely not the worst. I think it's the middle ground between bad and good. I left the movie thinking it was alright, and decided I never need to watch it again.
@@jsabourin8593 I actually like Alien 3, i love the dark atmosphere and the music. I like the bad ending, it's a horror movie, it doesn't need a happy ending, so the fact that Newt and Hicks were killed didn't bother me. However, alien isolation is better than Alien 3. That's why i said it was the best thing that happened to the series since Aliens.
RDV V I wish that their deaths were at least spread out in the movie, if they actually absolutely needed to die; hell, Michael Biehn himself was upset with Hicks dying at the very beginning of the movie
Yeah, because every time I step into a locker this definitely-not-cheating-AI comes running straight to it, looking inside, but not noticing the player due to power of the plot and sits under it for 20 minutes hoping you open the door, before it finally gives up so you can actually get back to playing the game.
I died countless times in lockers... Never had issues being pinned in one either, I think I only had one moment in the entire game where I was annoyed he wouldnt go away.
@@RoyBrown777 Merely stepping into a locker wasn't enough. You needed to hold breath/hug the back of the locker to actually hide, otherwise the alien would immediately snap to your location from across the room and insta-kill you.
This game is still just as terrifying as it was at release, and the graphics look great. It's one of those games where the art style is going to make it age nicely
Joseph Engelhardt left 4 dead is a perfect example of a director ai it sends zombies depending on health, difficulty, how much you've been attacked it can send hordes or cut back the zombies and drop ammo weapons or health kits, and on harder difficulties the director just wants to murder you lol
Director AI is commonly known as Story Tellers. And boy do they do a good job at telling stories. Rimworld is another example of "Director AI" and, while basic at it's core, it's kind of a system that should be used in more single player games. Throwing different events at you based on what the AI is trying to make for you, hell there's no hard population caps in Rimworld, but instead the storytellers basically get mad at you and try their best to hit you with "killing" events, up to literally infecting a colonist with a terminal illness to get rid of them. It's amazing for what it does, if your colony is failing and dying it will be nice to you and send you a random new colonist even. It makes it to where a procedural game can still control itself to make an experience. It almost removes the need for "difficulty" levels because if you're not good at the game the director AI tends to be nicer to you just by default. I don't see the "Director" AI in this a cheating AI (oh boy do I hate cheating AI) typically because they usually give just as much as they take. They stop the alien from doing the annoying behavior of, say, looping AI pathing found in a cry-engine game which can make it to where you're stuck sitting in a bush for 10 minutes because the randomized AI pathing doesn't give you a free moment to move. But it also stops the AI from banging it's head against the wall in the wrong part of the ship the entire game. Director AI is how RTS or TBS games should "cheat" against players (who will out-wit the basic AI no problem). I never liked that you could barricade most RTS or Turn Based AI's and stop them from farming any resources and they will still print out units because they don't actually care about the resources. The amount of Civ games where a civ without access to horses makes a load of horse units really grates on me... Director AI should be standard practice for any game where there's AI players in it. Stop giving the "unit AI" wallhacks (like you get in Rainbow 6 Siege) just let the AI Director give them the nudge in the right direction if they're floundering.
William King no not really. SC 's AI enemies are bordering on "cheating" in your favour or in theirs. The campaign is straight up just the same, almost no random elements. All things are on the exact same timet(depending on the difficulty) the "Vs ai" is able to multitask obviously faster than any human, can build perfectly timed units and buildings and actually knows at any given time, what YOU are up to. It just pretends to not know to give you a fighting chance.
this is still one of the only games i can think of where i absolutely couldn't get a solid handle on what the AI was doing.. i remember the feeling of dismay after dying and then trying again, only to find that i couldn't game the AI by studying its patterns like in other games. that more than anything made the game so terrifying for me. and to make matters worse i also had trouble with working out precisely how the aliens vision and hearing worked. so i just had to assume it would hear everything and see almost all of what i did if it was anywhere near me. AND on top of all that the fact that it would learn from past trickery and not fall for my bullshit just made it crazy stressful for me lol. still one of my fav horror games ever though
Honestly I've seen parts of SovietWomble's let's play of this game and I actually *didn't* buy the game because of that since I felt it's *too* scary for me. (I sometimes have, uh, immersion problems).
@@dasstackenblochen9250 That's the Thing. I already had Problems with Fear & Fear 2 and Dead Space (the work with Audio was amazing) but this game is just too much.
This game was amazing to me as well. Played it twice, second time on nightmare mode. Let me tell you, you didn't play this game to its full potential if you didn't play it at the nightmare difficulty. Its awesome.
Smells like Bitch in here. I stopped being afraid of the Xeno when I started laying traps for him. It started as joke, I would use a Molotov and a Noisemaker to scare him but then I started hording Grenades just to see how big of an explosion I could create. There are also points in the map where you can use cannisters for extra blowing potential. 3/4 units of each deployable Grenade makes up for a sick explosion, you should try.
Apparently you can run through the entire game. The Alien AI gets confused if the player moves quickly through each area, not allowing it to keep up. Someone did this in a youtube video a while ago.
murnavid I think you’re talking about psycho running, which makes you sprint quietly by mashing the crouch button. Sprinting normally is a death sentence.
Yeah well sprinting just got it on my arse within seconds. You can walk pretty safely but crouching is safer as I have had it come down almost on top of me and even though I was exposed if I broke line of sight fast it doubts what it saw
Nightmare mode in the hive. Nuff said. But yeah they need to make a new one. The only reason the sales weren't great was due to the effect Colonial Marines had. Seriously, this was a fantastic game and definitely needs a sequel.
@Outbreak.Birdflu: I really loved the game at first, but its true that it does start to repeat itself too much eventually. You get to the point where you can easily predict every action the Alien will take against you, and once you get the flamethrower, most of the horror is gone. The Xeno is no longer a case of "if its sees you, you're already dead", but just a case of "if it sees you, just scare it away with fire". I'd like a sequel too but if one comes, I'll need a bit more variety in the gameplay because sadly even though I loved it at first, I lost interest before I completed it because it became too much of a "wax on, wax off" type game. Despite that, I'd still class it as one of the most frightening horror games ever made. It captures the pure terror of the old Alien Vs Predator on Atari Jaguar (the 1st FPS that was actually capable of scaring people).
you should probably play on nightmare where the alien laughs at the flamethrower unless it's a full blast (and sometimes even then) in a mode where you will barely get the chance to release a couple full blasts.
A lot of games are guilty of this. The player needs time to breathe. Like he said in the video, under constant stress the player will just give up. You get annoyed and start laughing at the game as a way to release stress and thus you lose immersion. I would say even this game holds the player under pressure for too long periods. The best thing I ever felt in a horror game was the calming hall after the water monster chase in Amnesia. And safe rooms in RE games. All of those are the small comforting spots in otherwise completely horrific places.
Unfortunately gamers are the most retarded community out there and they don't get suspense at all. There's this stupid idea that a game abusing the same "tension" over and over without any kind of break is a legit, effective method of managing horror...just look at what the ORIGINAL Alien movie does, barely anything happens in the whole movie, and that makes the "scary" moments so much more meaningful. Amnesia and the RE safe rooms are good examples, as well as most foggy spaces on Silent Hill games.
@@Eggmith this *is* a video game, you know that, right? Alien Isolation was fairly popular, and it is enjoyed by those who play it. Outlast 2 was hated by most gamers. I dislike how you portray us, since if we didn't appreciate nuanced horror, Outlast 2 would be top horror game.
I so badly wanted outlast 2 to be better. It's still a fun dumb mindless game, but not a very good horror game, especially when compared to the original. There are some things it exells at such as graphics and *water* physics but I never found myself genuinely scared. Hell, I never found myself caring about the story, I just wanted to finish playing it. And, again, it's not a *bad* game, it's well made and utterly beautiful yet fails on the horror side of things. And with the game being the sequel to one of my favorite horror games, you bet I was dissatisfied. I still play the game every now and then when I have nothing better to do, but each play through has me wishing the game were even slightly different. That entire last quarter can go fuck right off, but I stand by my opinion that the opening in the town is absolutely amazing. Playing through that section made me think the game had potential to be better than the original but the game loses that feeling so fast.
I really loved this game , my heart was racing throughout . Scariest thing is that you were never safe anywhere , not in the lockers , not in the vents not hiding under tables . I was more relieved more than anything finishing this game . For some reason they did not give this game highest review scores , I personallly thought it was a masterpiece that perfectly captured the atmosphere from the first Alien movie .
I was about 80% through the game on the hardest difficulty (before unlock the nightmare difficulty) believing throughout the game that the alien never goes into the vents you can go into, since I have yet to see the alien when I'm in the vents. I then hear the aperture door open up ahead, thinking "that can't be the alien, he can't get in here!" I then hear fast echoing footsteps getting louder and louder for the alien to storm around the corner and charge toward me! It scared the crap out of me and ended up using far too much flamethrower fuel all over the place!
This game is a love letter to all the Alien fans out there. We've watched a franchise we love crash and burn spectacularly by incompetent hacks with no passion or artistic vision. This game made 2014 one o the best years in gaming for me. If Creative Assembly makes a sequel, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.
Despite its flaws it was definitely a beautiful game. Pure nectar for any real Alien fans out there. One of the things I loved the most is how it still retained the "80's vision of the future" rather than "21st century vision of the future". I'm not sure if that makes sense but what I mean is how the game pretends it was actually MADE in the 80's how everything looks retro futuristic, just like the 1st Alien movie. That was defo a love letter to the old Alien fans!
I would have happily sat through an hour of listening to you dissect this AI. I wish they would have given the alien a larger aggressive search radius, playing on hard mode, the thing could SOMEHOW hear me typing on a console while alarms and explosions are going off everywhere within a mile radius, then sprint down 300' of hallway to yank me out of the wall locker that I snuck for 50' to reach.
Yea that mod sounds like it could breath new life into the game. Does it also stop the Xeno from being able to do impossible stuff, such as running off into the distance to the south, then instantly appearing behind the door in the opposite direction? Cos that was f*cking annoying I gotta say. I've seen all the Alien movies and not in any of them was a Xeno so perfectly evolved that it could teleport.
dude it had a detection trough microphones in order to hear you there was an indie game with same mechanic also horror game it was "hearing" your breath and typing if u had mic on
Isolation is far and away the best game ever made based on the Alien franchise. And the Alien's AI is a big part of that. A lot of people were surprised that it took a company like Creative Assembly to make a good Alien game. But it makes sense. What are CA known for: Strategy games. And strategy games are made or broken by their AI.
+charles jones I plan to look at CA's AI work in Total War one day. They've done some pretty impressive stuff over the years. Arguably the most innovative studio in gaming when it comes to AI.
I'm just amazed that CA did the best ever horror game, on their first attempt - when all they had done before was Total War. - the definitive 3D battle-tactics simulations. It's like the designer of Pacman making Resident Evil 9 on his first go. Maybe this "outsider" thing was what needed to happen. As you said in the video, they broke some modern gaming rules - because it was the right thing to do. They made the game that they themselves had always wanted to play. No autosave (mostly), invincible boss, one-hit-kills on the player. But that's good - that's what a game should be. You shouldn't be sat at your console/computer munching popcorn as you mindlessly take out some enemies and pop some QTE keys; while popping the quick-save button every 20 seconds. You should feel physically sick with fear as your last 40 minutes of progress hang in the balance as you hide from the Alien with the next save station so tantalisingly close by. They achieved this - and it feels effortless - beautifully made, and absolutely nerve-shredding.
@murnavid Yeah eventually the player will notice similar patterns of behaviour by the AI. Until we get Skynet-level AI which will basically open every locker, check underneath every table and investigate any noise and movement it detects. I think that's when the xenomorph will become truly frightening.
@Dapper_Dog1 I was using that as an extreme example, what would happen if we wanted an AI that we couldn't fool or exploit through patterns of behaviour.
I had a hunch, I watched a play through and the guy always died in the lockers and he always had the scanner open while inside them, I noticed that whenever the alien was close and I pulled out the scanner it would head in my direction so I stopped using it when I heard the alien nearby.
the alien 'does' teleport however. there is a section where your searching for the doctors keycard in the medical ward rooms. one of the rooms opposite can be locked using the rewire (disabling power to the door). there are two doors in that room and provided you don't unlock the other by hacking it - it will remain closed. the very first time I played the game I noticed I could lure the alien in there using a flare and once it was inside access the rewire and trap it. There's no venting in the room or other method it can escape. upon trapping it I gleefully ran out into the corridors and whacked the glass panel on the door, taunting the alien who was roaring in anger and me thinking I'd out smarted it.. nope. a second later it pops out of existence right before my eyes and spawns down the corridor circumnavigating my trap.
I implore you to try it yourself for a bit of a laugh. You need to go to Room a-29 when your helping Dr Kulhman. The room opposite it can be locked off using the rewire in a-29, just don't unlock the other door inside the room. Throw-in a flare and make sure the alien is all the way in, otherwise youll lock the door in the open position, as soon as it shuts you have a couple of seconds before it walks back infront. It will scream at the door, and you behind it very angrily and then.. Poof! Vanish.. A few seconds later youll get the irate beasty running up and killing you from down the corridor unless you hide.
I suppose the game would have been a bit short when you get to the explosive trap and then to the agog of the Marshall, inform him you've trapped it yourself and it was pretty easy really.. 😉
Oh my god. I thought I was the only one that notices that. I spent like 40min to an hour trying to trap it in that room. When I finally did the exact same thing happened. Still loved the game though.
“The player can’t be scared shitless all the time, otherwise they’ll just give up” Well said, dude. This was why horror games like Resident Evil 7 and Evil Within 1 & 2 succeeded over Outlast 2. Players need time to breathe and gather their bearings as well as calm down, which is why the safe rooms work a treat and the calming atmosphere of getting new stuff.
I know this post is two years old but I just wanted to say it makes me happy there are still people who remember the Evil Within games. It's a shame people don't seem to talk about them that much.
@@TheEvilWithinFan Wow I was just coming to respond to this saying they reminded me of Evil Within and I always wanted to play it as a kid so I'm gonna buy it and play it finally 😄 And your comment definitely added to that motivation thanks bros
It makes it worse, dead space stopped being scary fast because its non stop, alien isolation is terrifying because just as you start to get used to the xeno it is gone for the middle of the game and by the time it comes back you've built up the terror in your head again and it is even scarier than before. Other games and movies just make you get used to the monster and not really take advantage of the way proper dread builds
What's interesting is that Resident Evil 4 does something similar, but in a different way. The horror is relieved by hilarious camp and cheesy one-liners, then you get scared again.
I love how it basically becomes cautious of you if you use the flamethrower often, or eventually ignores the noisemakers and other distractions you try to use. It makes the Alien so terrifying.
NO, IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT SAID IN THE TITLE CARD. 🧐 (Geez, sooooooo many people jumping into the comments to make the same bad joke.) It's been over two years since I published this video and it's great to see new people still cropping up to check it out. Glad to see it's proven interesting for so many of you. If you like this video, be sure to check out the rest of the case studies on my channel where I look at the likes of StarCraft, DOOM (2016), Halo 3, The Division, Spec Ops: The Line, Total War and a lot more.
@@kristiyangrigorov5232 i wouldnt say its really spooky or scary. But its really really intense and stressful. Not that many jumpscares (which i like) but it will keep your butt clenched for hours
@@bluebaconjake405 hmm seems interesting. Well i guess im the opposite 😁. I dont like jumpscares at all because i shit myself and my reaction is to punch something 😂😂 but i like it when there is always some tension
@@kristiyangrigorov5232 I hate horror games based entirely on jumpscares as well. The most terrifying game I ever played was Amnesia, which is not based strictly on jumpscares but mainly in an opressive atmosphere. And SOMA was absolutely wonderful, it keeps you distressed all the time with an awesome atmosphere and story... and what an ending.
Well damn, so the smarter the player you are, the more likely the AI is to catch on to how you'll react. Fucker knows to scare me into doing nothing. lol
The most frustrating adaptation to deal with is that the Alien seems to learn how the player uses the flamethrower. At first you only need like 20 flamethrower ammo to deal with it, then stop: Alien runs away. After a couple times it learns that you stop after a short moment of firing, and waits it out in pain, so you need to waste more and more ammo on it. It's pretty brilliant, but so annoying to deal with ;p
lol i knew that bitch was learning!!! also i had this encounter with 3 working joes, one of them saw me running into a dead end room where I managed to hide in a locker before they came after me. all 3 of them were patroling the room for a good while, checking every corner and even looking into the locker twice (held my breath) before they finally they left the room. for a second i thought about leaving my hideout, but then out of nowhere one of them came charging back into the room, ran straight for the locker, shouted "ahaaa!", pulled me out and killed me. like they finally have come to the conclusion "this is a dead end, we clearly saw her enter, there is no way out, we ruled out every other possibility, she MUST be in that locker 100%". I don't know if this was intentional, a coincidence or bug. either way, i immediately felt the urge to pull a game developer out of his hideout and kick him in the nuts shouting "AHAAA!!!"
SiLeNCel2 I still remember when I tried to hide in a locker next to two inactive Working Joes. Was the first mission you encountered aggressive ones. Hid in it, inactive working joe warped out of his pod, pulled me out and jerked my throat like a drum stick. I fended him off, he forgot reality and warped back to sleep in his pod. Then the other three Joes came in and gangbanged me
Wahahaha, that's hilarious! Honestly, forget the alien! The working joes were the real horror in this game and those bugs make them even creepier. What they say sounds rational, but what they do is absolutely not. They're so trusty, but have red eyes and their face doesn't move.... I wonder if I really want to learn about Sevastopol saftey protocols... :D
For the people that are farming this game (still) and not noticed it... The alien AI only tracks heads. So your body can stick out, but always bury your head in something. It can save you at moments. That said, This game is my favorite and I played all difficulties with fear, frustration and scaring moments. I loved every single part of it.
I'm commenting without completing the video, but as someone who has put close to 400 hours into this game, I can attest first hand that the Alien WANTS you to win. If he is about to drop from a vent that is very close to you and there is no cover, the alien will do it's VERY best not to look at you so you have a chance to escape. He wont' land on your head unless you are running or get very unlucky.
These are always really difficult issues to balance: the need to provide challenge while also ensuring the player doesn't get trolled by the AI. A similar issue arises in games like Arkham Asylum where AI will refrain from backtrack on itself in stealth segments so that players won't get caught exposed.
It never wants me to win. I'd either be under a desk or in a locker, and no matter how far back I go, or how much I hold my breath it just stands there, then boom gets me.
This game was so well done. Never has an enemy in any sort of fiction (game, movie, etc) scared me as deeply as the xenomorph did in this game. I felt powerless against it and the flamethrower was only ever a temporary feeling of power. I felt like I was being hunted but that I wasn't the only one being hunted either. That it hears things I don't and scrambles off randomly in search of another human. Cowering under desks and in lockers just begging the thing to go away. Now, I'm not one to be scared easily in regards to almost anything - especially considering it's a game, but even just watching this brings back anxiety and fear from my own experiences in this game. Extremely well done, bravo to the devs
After reading a couple hundreds of reviews, can't help noticing all said the IGN made them reluctant to buy the game, until other reviews gave them another perspective. Having IGN around 8 million subscribers, I can only imagine how many millions of copies this game didn't sell because of Ryan being so stupid he though this was Call of Duty in Space........Creative Assembly should sue IGN for damages.........this will make them to receive the funds to make Alien Isolation 2, plus putting into bankrupcy that stupid IGN evil channel.
But on the other hand there are many people who agree with the ign review. your claim is ridiculous, no one can sue a critic for giving his honest opinion on a product. Alien Isolation is simply a very niche game that caters to a rather small audience
teehundeart He wasn't saying that his opinion was shit. His point was that IGN made the game seem like a game it wasn't, making obviously stupid decisions and blaming the game for it.
Not really niche, It's Sci-Fi horror. You've got not only people who like horror, but those that like sci-fi games in general. Plus it's in a franchise too. The game didn't sell terrible, just not as much as expected.
@@teehundeart "very small niche audience" RIGHT gamers with more then two brain cells who like new experiences and a game that makes us actually use our brain. Shouldn't you be playing "COD 27: The Redundancy Continues?"
I absolutely love how the Alien is so terrifying because of the AI. It’s absolute genius background work and still makes it terrifying because there’s no predictability and gets better
I just started playing Alien: Isolation (yes, I am late to the party) and I've been totally fascinated/frightened by the alien, so I had to research it. Thanks for this educational and interesting video! Having some insight into the AI does not make the game any less stressful!
Not gonna lie, I had to take breaks when I started playing it until I began to suss who the AI was working. Didn't help that during the first couple of hours I played next to a friend (who was only watching) and was completely freaking out the whole time.
at numeroud times I was shaking, also the stress and fear left me exhausted by the end of the night to the point I was falling asleep while brushing my teeth
Giovanni San José me too i was really stressed playing it as i never took a break. i have this odd feeling in my stomach, my back hurts because I'm constantly sitting on the edge of my seat staring into the screen. what an awesome game
thefury187 I wouldn't really call it "scary", but it sure was very intense and nerve-wrecking. In many aspects it reminded me of System Shock 2, which is a game that I can't play for too long, since my nerves are becoming a mess very quickly.
Just started my first playthrough on "Hard" difficulty. I've made it to mission 6 and can confirm this difficulty utilezes this videos AI to its best capability. The Xenomorph is constantly patrolling corridors looking for you and as soon as you it senses you in an area it immediately finds you and kills you. Playing this game on hard is the greatest AI I have ever seen in a game. A true masterpiece
man, this is such a perfect game. it breaks conventions, it puts things on itself that players would actually want and not exchanges practicality for eye-candies, it keeps the player on his toes, its full of action, theres some lore, it is beautiful on its arrangement and graphics, the sounds are pretty good. They nailed it.
Been looking for the longest time for some kind of in depth description of how the alien's A.I. works. Thanks so much for this video. Not sure what else could be said about it, but I want more info.
There was a more detailed talk by Andy Bray (lead AI programmer at Creative Assembly) at the 2016 nucl.ai conference. Though the talks are behind a paywall. archives.nucl.ai/recording/its-in-the-vents-the-ai-of-alien-isolation/ My video is a mixture of content from that original talk as well as some discussion I had with the team from Creative Assembly.
This is my favorite game. You have explained a lot. Like for instance I played a DLC level many times. Every time I played it I opened the door and throw a flare or a noisemaker and then access the vent on the right. The vent always leads to a room with a locked door and another vent. 99% of the time the Alien would go for the flare as I escaped through the walls. I was not prepared for the 1%. But I was lucky I had a flamethrower. Now I know the 1% happened because I had the Flamethrower.
Cat and Six Gaming! in my gameplay i rarely ever agitate the situation. i always wait for it to go away, as making distractions usually made the alien faster and more motivated to explore.
I need help with the crew expendable DLC. i'm at the vent but the alien always bumrushes me. it may be unpredictable but CE is just cruel torture designed by masochists, for masochists
able2ful1 Number one priority is to throw a flare and wait. When she comes around the corner torch the shit out of her. It takes more flamethrower fuel to drive the alien out of the vents. Then if you have the balls pull up your motion tracker and follow the green line out of there. You should be able to sneak out of there before you become lunch. If you lack the stomach to try crawling through the dark consult the map and plan a route out. Then with your flamer drawn so you can see follow your planned route. However the Alien will return if you use this strategy so be ready to burn it again.
able2ful1 there's usually a different route to the objective. The alien will always try to cut you off by dropping in front of your path. You can take a slightly longer route to evade him. Also he becomes suspicious if you use the same hiding spot over and over again, try to diversify. Good luck!
@@smalliesmalls9601 It goes deeper than that, I'll never understand why so many people have this blind obsession with GTAV. Just because a game is fun it doesn't mean the game is great, there was nothing amazing about it, it's just a fuckfest of fun, explosions and violence. Now I'm not saying that's inherently bad, I myself have put many hours into GTAV and GTAO and know it is a good game, but to compare it to a Survival Horror Classic and Masterpiece like Alien Isolation? Doesn't make any sense to me.
I love how much it learns. Early in my experience I had to hide in the same locker because it kept returning to the room. That thing's patrol pattern changed every single time. You can't map out anything it does. I tried multiple times to figure out how what it was doing but it changes every time.
Small bit of constructive criticism: your intro was a tad long. I was starting to think it was just gonna be a music video with game play footage before you started talking.
The alien is a jerk. All it does is wander around pissed off killing everything without reason. What the hell would it do when it had no one left to kill? Just sit there and cry in loneliness? It should try making friends once in a while.
BuddyGroove The alien doesn't really kill without reason. It kills to single out one person to bring back to the hive and impregnate. Its only goal is to prolong the species and keep the hive going.
Yea the reason it kills is to become the dominant species in any given enviroment, and turning it into its own habitat, thus ensuring its own survival above all else. Self preservation, the basis of any succesful organism. Its like how the main aim of any human civilisation/empire is to make the whole world part of their empire, thus, ensuring its own survival above all other civilisations/empire. Shit, I never even looked at it like that before haha. Maybe Xenomorphs are actually a metaphor for humanity!
I played this game 5 times in a row collecting all the trophies. One of the best games I've ever played. I still have game urges to play it because the AI of the alien was so damn clever
I have never died properly even once in normal mode so after saving I just run around to die so am I digging my grave? Also tip to never die is simply play locker simulator with motion tracker
I did a special marathon playthrough of this game for Halloween on Twitch, I feel like I encountered every aspect of the AI you mention and how it related to gameplay, how it learns, gradually becomes more sneaky. About 2/3 into the game I'd used noisemakers a lot, threw one and the alien went halfway to the noise, stopped, and turned round to see me hiding behind a box. What had worked several times before now didn't work, and I was petrified. What. A. Game!
I've never had the feeling of THANK GOD it's over it finally over from beating a game before in my life at the end of the game you finally start feeling safe again awesome game
Underrated as hell, I'm sure it will gain a cult after a while. Bashed by dumb people because "you can't shoot the alien", unable to cope with the feeling of suspense and insecurity. It's a true gem.
@@gymnodinium9 I'm one of those people who don't like horror games where you are unable to fight back ( the only one I've ever beaten are the dead space games), but I at least understand why some people like being helpless . It's just way too stressful for me
@@derrinerrow4369 Its too stressful for me as well but I persevered to the end, its very rewarding and never a dull moment. But it is perhaps only because I am a fan of the film franchise that I bought this game so I can understand why kids not familiar with the films passed up on this great game.
After completing the game 5 times, I'm also a connoisseur (addict) of Alien Isolation playthroughs. It's like watching a brand new Alien movie every time - some of the stuff that happens in these playthroughs is way more scary than in the movie, as the clueless victim does all the wrong things and my hands are covering my mouth - ("you forgot to save 20 minutes ago - and now you are dithering around in the middle of the corridor - oh god! OH GOD! GET OUT OF THERE!") The brilliant dynamic music doesn't help ease the tension ... ... I mean, I would never lie down in my bath and put on some Alien Isolation music to sooth the tensions of the day away... I can guarantee you that!
@@jazzx251 I remember the first time I played this game. The AI broke it's own system. The alien had just killed Axl and you had to wait for the sub to arrive after the scene. I thought I wouldn't see the alien until the introduction somewhere in the story but I was wrong. I turned around and the alien was behind me and slash me down what is not part of how it kills. I freak out in a jump scare. So not only did it break the story code it killed my Avatar and its own way. It truly was AI. It was 1 out of 100000 but it happened
@@freeminded8509 You deserved it! :) "Haha - it's just the tutorial ...." [*************] "Fuck! - they're not kidding!" It happens every time if you're not quick enough ... no bug. I can almost see the devs gleefully chuckling at you! :)
@@freeminded8509 same scene with after axle got killed I'm waiting patiently for the sub the sub arrives I entered the sub and just as I push the button make this up go the alien jumps down from the ceiling and gets to the door just as it closes
This is the only game that genuinely grips me, scares me and makes me have to save at every opportunity just to take a break. It is tiring. Maths and algorithms aside, this game hits the nail on the head.
The AI is this game was so good. The Xeno was stupid when it needed to be smart when it needed to be and most importantly was completely unpredictable when it needed to be but not all the time. It was such a good balance.
10:15 I'm honestly surprised the Alien doesn't have sensors in its tail. One very memorable moment of the game for me was when I was hiding underneath a table, staying perfectly silent and remaining out of its line of sight. The Alien was pacing around the room searching for me, but it did not seem to know where I was, and it finally turned around and started to leave the room. But as it did so, its tail (which I assume is animated in real-time with a physics engine) just so happened to swing underneath the table and make contact with me. All of a sudden, the Alien abruptly changed its mind, turned back around, lunged underneath the table, and killed me. From that moment onward, I was *very* wary of the Alien's tail!
It's also worth mentioning that hiding inside or under something, staying in vents, and using the motion tracker for a long period of time will all draw the alien towards you. In an effort to get better at Survival, I play the regular game without hiding, no motion tracker (or flamethrower), and when I did the game was much faster and easier. I was also surprised it was even possible, but I discovered you can melee smack facehuggers which changed everything.
Friendly Metroid getting the flame thrower and other stuff you said probably unlocks one of the alians tree nodes that was talked about. which I like because the better equiped you think you are the more aggresive its going to be
Yea and crouching is useless too. If you just walk it's faster and still quiet. Movement is what keeps you alive in this game.. when you see the Xeno don't stop and hide just turn the corner and keep moving. This game is easiest when you casually stroll through it tbh lol
I can't remember what easy and normal mode was like, but on hard difficulty the neutral walk was just as loud as sprinting and firing your weapons. You had to stay crouched 100% of the time.
Not true. I completed the game on hard walking most of the time, crouching only when I had actual LoS on xeno, because if you walk upright he's way more likely to spot you. I pretty sure crouching and walking makes the same amount of noise which is, more or less, none at all.
Hmm, well I never had success with that and I've poured in way too many hours into the game. I've found that walking makes the xeno come out from the vents almost instantly. Sure, it wouldn't hear your exact location when walking and bee-line to you, but it would definitely move towards your location immediately from wherever it was before. I'm guessing you let this happen, hid, and used the menace gauge mechanic discussed in this video to continue moving, rinse and repeat.
I always find the Alien balance funny, sometimes, like here or in the movies, a SINGLE DRONE just kills an entire shipcrew etc, but in the shooters, like AVP, Colonial Marines,..., you just annihilate warriors, praetorians and even queens.
DarkMasterM19 Well, the station wasn't outfitted with the best weapons. Revolvers and shotties, probably not even designed to penetrate exoskeletons or armor. The flamethrower hurt it, though.
Lots of guns and ammo change the equation, but that being said you would still be fucked. The creatures attributes ensure you will lose in the end. Unless, you nuke them from orbit.
In the movies, they had 4 gun turrets with 1500 bullets apiece, just mowing down alien drones streaming through a hallway. And that STILL didn't stop them.
Probably one of the best and scariest games in 10 years. It's a shame it was riddled with bad reviews by so called »professional« video game reviewers. It's a masterpiece!
Fantastic presentation. It's obvious that you truly understand the things you're talking about, and I'm happy that you can shed light on such a complicated topic to so many viewers. Great work, looking forward to more of this.
This is why this is the best game I've ever played hands down. Everything about the game is perfect :) I just finished my second playthrough and it was just as exciting when I played it the first time round :)
***** ive sent this to mates because ive needed an explanation for the alien ai (ive been excited about it since i first heard it was unscripted), and this is a really good explanation! :P
It may have to do with Alien Isolation being greatly overlooked. In my opinion it's one of the best underrated games. I only found out about it a year after its release.
"The player can't be scared shitless all the time, otherwise they'll never finish". This to me is the exact flaw of Amnesia The Dark Descent. I could never get past the first 20 minutes of the game because the atmosphere was so intense from the very beginning and never subsided.
Isolation was fantastic due to the aesthetic and focus of the game play. Things that use a property like Alien are going to have to work along these lines to move forward, like how Star Wars BF (for all the flaws) takes the time to make the levels look like the movie, especially for OT material. A:I used this same design philosophy, right down to the phones used for saving the game looking like 70s-era payphones, or DOS font on the computers. Perhaps some day we'll see other homages that go into that level of detail: A game that could look like the player is walking around a hyper-realistic 1966 Batman world, for example, as either Adam West or Burt Ward, would make a lot of fans very happy even if the idea is initially "silly". It's this respect for the source material that made as beautiful a game as A:I, because the creators aren't just stamping the name onto their game to grab attention, but clearly love the source material and "get" it well enough that they want to dive in to it, and not to what it would be compared to our technology now: no cell phones or amped up technology, like we see added to Trek series, but dials and keyboards, out dated fashions and hairstyles, and even camera haze so it looks like the film itself. A:I is the first strong attempt to do this of which I'm aware, certainly the closest to the source material outside of, say, the Adventure Time games (which use the voice actors from the series, so not really the same as a game made 40 years after the release of its parent media property). Your discussion of the game's AI adds to my already high esteem for the game. This level of craftsmanship is where I hope we'll see even larger scale releases heading in future. I'm going through your other videos as a result of this one, and of the Dark Souls video, and I've not been disappointed yet. My thanks!
I bought it 2 days ago. I'm playing on hard for the first time and let me tell you, Lingard's office is so terrifying I had to quit the game for an hour just to calm down.
Lucia Breccia How is that possible in any game? I mean, you know you’ll get a chance to try again you can’t possibly get stressed out unless you’re really sensitive to that. I just bough the game but haven’t started it. Been looking for some impressions and all of them are either it’s amazing or trash.
@@misaeltoral508 If you go into it with a narrow mind then you will get a narrow experience. If you go in with an open mind and allow yourself to be immersed then it is an amazing experience, just like anything in life.
Bought this yesterday for $2, just couldn't pass up that sale. I was very scared going through about an hour of it even though I've already seen a playthrough, I'm sure I'll get used to it and have a lot of fun with it though.
You didn't know that AI actors are randomized every time you reload a save? Because if game did not do that, you'd be stuck in a death loop. Plus it keeps things challenging as you can't just reload and try same sequence of events again. One funny thing you can also do is that if certain area has only one accessible vent (ceiling or wall), you can stand below that vent and make as much noise as you want and the alien will not come. Alien will only snatch you in a vent if it is in "ready" position and waiting at that vent opening. Start of chapter 6 (one with corpse storage room) is one spot where one do this for fun. There is a wall vent, but Alien cannot access it because it cannot use shafts that have ladders in them.
The alien can indeed teleport if it has to. In the clinic, in the ring of patient rooms, there is one room with a second door that you can unlock from inside (but I didn't), and the main door which you you unlock from a console from a nearby room. Additionally, this room had no vents! After quite a few attempts, I was able to get him into there, get to the console, and lock the door once it closed behind him. I then went over to the door, and we stared at each other for a while, as he had no valid path to get to me. But after maybe 5 or 10 seconds of staring, he disappeared and showed up a ways on the motion detector and headed straight to me. Oh Well.
I guess you shouldn't have mocked the alien, you made him angry and while you locked him in the room, you also unlocked his teleporting habilities (which he can't control very well yet, since he could have just teleported right in front of you and fuck you up and down) so he teleported out of that room to run to make a run for you and get it's delicious revenge...
I have beaten this game all the way up to nightmare mode. It’s just so damned good. Nightmare mode takes away your map, as well as health and ammo hud, and your motion tracker barely works. The hardest part is actually remembering where to go. I love the whole atmosphere of Sevastopol, it’s depressing but also really immersive. Thanks for this video it was very interesting.
I've played and replayed this game many times - after a suitable break to calm my nerves lol - but just hearing its footsteps and growl in this video made my heart beat faster. Truly my most fav game. Hoping for a non-linear remake?
The omniscience of the macro AI is really felt on higher difficulties, leading to long stretches of the Alien hovering around the player for no discernible reason and I found it to be genuinely immersion breaking. The artifice of the AI running the antagonist is laid bare. I also have to call shenanigans on the 'the alien does not teleport' claim from the developer. I can attest to several instances when the alien has entered one vent and immediately exited another despite them being at opposite ends of a 20-25m long corridor. A distance, especially given the narrow confines of the vents it is purportedly traversing, impossible to cover in the time exhibited. It was a behaviour it only exhibited on Hard, not noted on Normal difficulty. The narrative 'out' revealed later in the story could be used as an explanation, but the concept that there are multiple Aliens assailing you in these situations but they're taking turns stretches credulity even further. Great video none-the-less!!
I can confirm, the macro AI made the whole experience needlessly tedious and immersion-breaking, while the micro AI kept the alien patrolling my immediate surrounding for way too long at times making me essentially NOT play the game for longer than I did play it.
Looks like I'm a bit late to the party but man is this game brilliant. One of the most underrated gems of the 2010s. It'll be a long time before any developer comes close to designing an AI like this. The game shows what true terror is like, without relying on jump scares. Instead, you feel the terror of going up against a mastermind. Playing a game of chess with the monster in your closet.
LOOOOOVE this game so much! I've recently been going for the one shot trophy, where you make it all the way thru the game w/o dying. And dammit if Mr. Slimy ain't makin it difficult as hell
This is probably the most interesting video i've seen in a while, congrats ! Gonna binge watch your channel haha ! PS : The gameplay in the background made me anxious, i think this game has traumatized me.
I can just imagine the alien wearing an earpiece: "yeah, i can't find her. Can you point me in the right direction?"
THIS COMMENT DESERVES MORE LIKES JFC THAT'S HILARIOUS.
(The alien's crawling through the vents)
AI director: Yeah, so she just pulled a lever in medical, i'm gonna teleport you there but you're gonna have to do your thing and find her, okay?
Alien: Medical!? She was in medical the whole time? Can't you just tell me where she is?
AI director: We've been over this, no, i can't. I don't wanna lose my job, i'm gonna teleport you to medical now, but you only get two of these, okay? so make it count.
Alien: oh gee, yeah, okay... ᵈᵉᵉᵖ ᵇʳᵉᵃᵗʰˢ, ᵈᵉᵉᵉᵖ ᵇʳᵉᵃᵗʰˢ, ᶠᵒᶜᵘˢ... okay, i'm ready, go.
@@millenniumhandandshrimp2610 that's fucking hilarious
@@millenniumhandandshrimp2610 Dude said that the Alien isn't allowed to teleport (they only do so twice for cutscenes, but everything else is the monster wandering freely), remember? So it'd be more like;
Director: Heads up, she's leaving the area and going through a loading screen into Medical. Give her a few minutes then go after her, alright?
Alien: Sure. I'm gonna go get a muffin until you get the go-ahead.
Director: Might as well pick up a coffee while you're at it; you're going a bit heavy-handed on Ripley right now so she's reloaded a few times. Lay off the vents for a while, let her get her bearings.
Alien: Aren't there survivors in Medical? The ones with guns?
Director: Shit... Alright, keep the coffee but be ready to enter the stage on a moment's notice.
A meme Machine I can’t take the game seriously after this
“The alien is smart, but you are smarter.” Ngl I needed that man
Over 1k likes and 2 years old without a comment? I dont think so!
@@yosh1625 I never knew this got 1k likes I sorta just let it marinate
@@yosh1625 I like what you're all about
Depends...
HAHAHABHAAHA
i wish it sold more. it was a refreshing experience from all the games of its time. the developers could use some motivations to make a sequel.
eassily one of the better games in recent years!
Can't agree more. It had its flaws, navigating was terrible for instance, but atmosphere, ai, difficulty and situations were top notch. Hell, even the longevity was stellar for a horror game.
Sega wouldn't fund a sequel due to "low" sales.
Except it was a buggy mess on release with day one major DLC BY SEGA... so yeah... everyone waited for the price drop
it sold 2 million copies!!!
First couple hours: *I hear ambience I can't save the Alien must be right there.* Last hours of the game: *Saving right behind the Alien as he stares at a flare.*
He just wants the pretty light but can't figure out how to carry it XD
I finished the game without throwing a single flare (except the throwing tutorial), i dont even know what the flare does to the Xeno lol
@@wicksic9928 they're not that useful in general, but can be a good temporary distraction for the alien if you're tryna sneak by
@@wicksic9928 entirely possible of course. but on hard and higher difficulty I think you need them to fool the alien sometimes, if you don't want too many trial and error sections
@@wicksic9928 12 seconds of no xeno
Worth it
Terminal: "Do you want to overwrite save data?"
Player: Yes.
Xenomorph: :stands patiently next to player waiting for them to finish overwriting old save, then feasts:
Well, if you listen to it, the xenomorph had actually jumped down from the vents right as they were saving.
It was attracted to the sound of the flamethrower.
@ThePabloSylar I no longer remember what happened, so I'll have to rewatch the video, but as far as I can tell, I don't think saving attracts it, but firing weapons has been known to attract it.
No saving doesn't. It would of heard the flamethrower and theres a vent slightly to the left of the door the face hugger comes from next to the save machine.
Nope the alien teleported more than once on me because I was figuring it out too much that's not fair
Cus... you know... theres not an option to reload save or load previous save before the most recent one or anything...
The most oh shit moment in the game is when you realise that the alien is in the vents with you.
This only started happening to me once I had completed around 80% of the game. At that point I thought I had seen everything.
I was wrong. So, so wrong.
I remember coming back from down a corridor past communications, and it was crawling alongside the vent next to me. i could see it through the grill, i was just about to go in it.
hello there
@@AIandGames Dude that literally happened to me for the first time after like 4 playthroughs, I had no idea it could do that and when it happened it gave me the biggest jump scare in existence LOL
This "Oh shit" moment was proudly brought to you by ******hissssssss****** ....
Alien Isolation is the best thing that happened to the franchise since Aliens
Alien three gets a lot of shit (granted a whole lot of it is pretty fair) but it's not a terrible movie, definitely not the best in the series, but also definitely not the worst. I think it's the middle ground between bad and good. I left the movie thinking it was alright, and decided I never need to watch it again.
@@jsabourin8593 I actually like Alien 3, i love the dark atmosphere and the music. I like the bad ending, it's a horror movie, it doesn't need a happy ending, so the fact that Newt and Hicks were killed didn't bother me. However, alien isolation is better than Alien 3. That's why i said it was the best thing that happened to the series since Aliens.
I agree; Isolation is amazing!
RDV V I wish that their deaths were at least spread out in the movie, if they actually absolutely needed to die; hell, Michael Biehn himself was upset with Hicks dying at the very beginning of the movie
@@DeadlyTowersSux hicks is not dead in colonial marines it states
"The player can't be scared shitless all the time"..
I spent half the game in lockers xD
+paterah Well at least you weren't in lockers all the time.
paterah I spent 95%
Sovietwomble can confirm
It's fine, it's fine
Watch a Short play of the game by The Mighty Jingles if you want to see someone look like they are about to shit their pants, its pretty comical.
Imagine if Steam detailed your playthrough of alien more specifically
Hours played: 20
Time spent in lockers: 15
Times died: *all of them*
Yeah, because every time I step into a locker this definitely-not-cheating-AI comes running straight to it, looking inside, but not noticing the player due to power of the plot and sits under it for 20 minutes hoping you open the door, before it finally gives up so you can actually get back to playing the game.
I died countless times in lockers... Never had issues being pinned in one either, I think I only had one moment in the entire game where I was annoyed he wouldnt go away.
@@RoyBrown777 Merely stepping into a locker wasn't enough. You needed to hold breath/hug the back of the locker to actually hide, otherwise the alien would immediately snap to your location from across the room and insta-kill you.
Pls zzz on
@@LecherousLizard it's not really cheating, opening a locker makes a lot of noise and he has very good hearing
This game is still just as terrifying as it was at release, and the graphics look great. It's one of those games where the art style is going to make it age nicely
@m_hicks12 for me it's the depth of field
just like the original movie - still holds up, even though there's retro-tech on the ship
They should use AI like this in other games such as Resident Evil.
@@LK-em1bv that's what i thought Nemesis would be handled in re3R.
12:35 Now *THAT* is a very unfortunate save point
Had to put that in the video. Scared the shit outta me.
Wouldnt that potentially softlock your game, since everytime you reload the save your are killed?
Jonny Knight When you die there's an option to reload the save before your current one
oh
@@bowldawg4394 im pretty sure that when you load in that save it wouldn't spawn the enemy in the same spot
I love the idea of the "Director" AI. It's like a hand-crafted horror pacing.
Joseph Engelhardt left 4 dead is a perfect example of a director ai it sends zombies depending on health, difficulty, how much you've been attacked it can send hordes or cut back the zombies and drop ammo weapons or health kits, and on harder difficulties the director just wants to murder you lol
Director AI is commonly known as Story Tellers.
And boy do they do a good job at telling stories. Rimworld is another example of "Director AI" and, while basic at it's core, it's kind of a system that should be used in more single player games. Throwing different events at you based on what the AI is trying to make for you, hell there's no hard population caps in Rimworld, but instead the storytellers basically get mad at you and try their best to hit you with "killing" events, up to literally infecting a colonist with a terminal illness to get rid of them.
It's amazing for what it does, if your colony is failing and dying it will be nice to you and send you a random new colonist even. It makes it to where a procedural game can still control itself to make an experience. It almost removes the need for "difficulty" levels because if you're not good at the game the director AI tends to be nicer to you just by default. I don't see the "Director" AI in this a cheating AI (oh boy do I hate cheating AI) typically because they usually give just as much as they take. They stop the alien from doing the annoying behavior of, say, looping AI pathing found in a cry-engine game which can make it to where you're stuck sitting in a bush for 10 minutes because the randomized AI pathing doesn't give you a free moment to move. But it also stops the AI from banging it's head against the wall in the wrong part of the ship the entire game.
Director AI is how RTS or TBS games should "cheat" against players (who will out-wit the basic AI no problem). I never liked that you could barricade most RTS or Turn Based AI's and stop them from farming any resources and they will still print out units because they don't actually care about the resources. The amount of Civ games where a civ without access to horses makes a load of horse units really grates on me...
Director AI should be standard practice for any game where there's AI players in it. Stop giving the "unit AI" wallhacks (like you get in Rainbow 6 Siege) just let the AI Director give them the nudge in the right direction if they're floundering.
William King no not really. SC 's AI enemies are bordering on "cheating" in your favour or in theirs. The campaign is straight up just the same, almost no random elements. All things are on the exact same timet(depending on the difficulty) the "Vs ai" is able to multitask obviously faster than any human, can build perfectly timed units and buildings and actually knows at any given time, what YOU are up to. It just pretends to not know to give you a fighting chance.
Left 4 Dead 2 on expert = the ai director becomes your biggest fear
Jordan Castro Me and my friends used to pray to the ai director on expert. Never really helped lol
this is still one of the only games i can think of where i absolutely couldn't get a solid handle on what the AI was doing.. i remember the feeling of dismay after dying and then trying again, only to find that i couldn't game the AI by studying its patterns like in other games. that more than anything made the game so terrifying for me. and to make matters worse i also had trouble with working out precisely how the aliens vision and hearing worked. so i just had to assume it would hear everything and see almost all of what i did if it was anywhere near me. AND on top of all that the fact that it would learn from past trickery and not fall for my bullshit just made it crazy stressful for me lol. still one of my fav horror games ever though
In other games, you study AI.
In Alien Isolation, AI studies you!
Honestly I've seen parts of SovietWomble's let's play of this game and I actually *didn't* buy the game because of that since I felt it's *too* scary for me. (I sometimes have, uh, immersion problems).
Lord of Argus. Good point.
@@dasstackenblochen9250 That's the Thing. I already had Problems with Fear & Fear 2 and Dead Space (the work with Audio was amazing) but this game is just too much.
This game was amazing to me as well. Played it twice, second time on nightmare mode. Let me tell you, you didn't play this game to its full potential if you didn't play it at the nightmare difficulty. Its awesome.
Technically im still stick in a cupboard in this game, been there for 2 years now.
Dont be a pussy lmao
6 years for me. I'm still in level 3 when the droids are angry and you have to do something on a computer.
you can hold your breath for two years???
Technically, that can't be the case because the game has a manual save point system.
Smells like Bitch in here. I stopped being afraid of the Xeno when I started laying traps for him. It started as joke, I would use a Molotov and a Noisemaker to scare him but then I started hording Grenades just to see how big of an explosion I could create. There are also points in the map where you can use cannisters for extra blowing potential. 3/4 units of each deployable Grenade makes up for a sick explosion, you should try.
Apparently you can run through the entire game. The Alien AI gets confused if the player moves quickly through each area, not allowing it to keep up. Someone did this in a youtube video a while ago.
I experienced this too
But once you are running, alien will instantly dropped from the nearest vent, and the character Reply runs much slower...
murnavid I think you’re talking about psycho running, which makes you sprint quietly by mashing the crouch button. Sprinting normally is a death sentence.
@@qinyima5693 Alien: BUGGITY BUGGITY BOYS, LET'S GO RACING!
Yeah well sprinting just got it on my arse within seconds. You can walk pretty safely but crouching is safer as I have had it come down almost on top of me and even though I was exposed if I broke line of sight fast it doubts what it saw
Nightmare mode in the hive. Nuff said. But yeah they need to make a new one. The only reason the sales weren't great was due to the effect Colonial Marines had. Seriously, this was a fantastic game and definitely needs a sequel.
I very much agree
A:I, this super niche incredibly specific horror game, sold over 2 million copies. Is this really bad sales?
Are you from sega or something?
@Outbreak.Birdflu: I really loved the game at first, but its true that it does start to repeat itself too much eventually. You get to the point where you can easily predict every action the Alien will take against you, and once you get the flamethrower, most of the horror is gone. The Xeno is no longer a case of "if its sees you, you're already dead", but just a case of "if it sees you, just scare it away with fire".
I'd like a sequel too but if one comes, I'll need a bit more variety in the gameplay because sadly even though I loved it at first, I lost interest before I completed it because it became too much of a "wax on, wax off" type game. Despite that, I'd still class it as one of the most frightening horror games ever made. It captures the pure terror of the old Alien Vs Predator on Atari Jaguar (the 1st FPS that was actually capable of scaring people).
you should probably play on nightmare where the alien laughs at the flamethrower unless it's a full blast (and sometimes even then) in a mode where you will barely get the chance to release a couple full blasts.
@Luis Fernando: I play on easy because I'm a big softy haha.
"The player can't be scared shitless all the time, otherwise they'll just give up." Take notes Outlast 2 devs Red Barrels.
A lot of games are guilty of this. The player needs time to breathe. Like he said in the video, under constant stress the player will just give up. You get annoyed and start laughing at the game as a way to release stress and thus you lose immersion. I would say even this game holds the player under pressure for too long periods.
The best thing I ever felt in a horror game was the calming hall after the water monster chase in Amnesia. And safe rooms in RE games. All of those are the small comforting spots in otherwise completely horrific places.
Unfortunately gamers are the most retarded community out there and they don't get suspense at all. There's this stupid idea that a game abusing the same "tension" over and over without any kind of break is a legit, effective method of managing horror...just look at what the ORIGINAL Alien movie does, barely anything happens in the whole movie, and that makes the "scary" moments so much more meaningful.
Amnesia and the RE safe rooms are good examples, as well as most foggy spaces on Silent Hill games.
@@Eggmith this *is* a video game, you know that, right? Alien Isolation was fairly popular, and it is enjoyed by those who play it. Outlast 2 was hated by most gamers. I dislike how you portray us, since if we didn't appreciate nuanced horror, Outlast 2 would be top horror game.
Racraza Venshev outlast 2 made my heart hurt 😂
I so badly wanted outlast 2 to be better. It's still a fun dumb mindless game, but not a very good horror game, especially when compared to the original. There are some things it exells at such as graphics and *water* physics but I never found myself genuinely scared. Hell, I never found myself caring about the story, I just wanted to finish playing it. And, again, it's not a *bad* game, it's well made and utterly beautiful yet fails on the horror side of things. And with the game being the sequel to one of my favorite horror games, you bet I was dissatisfied. I still play the game every now and then when I have nothing better to do, but each play through has me wishing the game were even slightly different. That entire last quarter can go fuck right off, but I stand by my opinion that the opening in the town is absolutely amazing. Playing through that section made me think the game had potential to be better than the original but the game loses that feeling so fast.
I really loved this game , my heart was racing throughout . Scariest thing is that you were never safe anywhere , not in the lockers , not in the vents not hiding under tables . I was more relieved more than anything finishing this game . For some reason they did not give this game highest review scores , I personallly thought it was a masterpiece that perfectly captured the atmosphere from the first Alien movie .
Wakingfromslumber I agree ☝️ with you 100%!!! It was IGN who gave it a bad review! They are idiots. They know shit! And that’s my review of them! Lol
The music is so powerful in this game. Without it, it would probably be only half a game.
IGN and the idiots that listen to them killed any chance of a sequel to the game shame on them.
“Too much water” IGN
The tables are a safe haven.
4:50. Look how the alien looks directly at you at the last second! So creepy, yet subtle.
The problem is Alien doesnt have eyes
@@vucongat5802 It does, if you look at the original design, there's a skull under the 'dome'.
Basically like "I know you're there, I'm just not allowed to see you now"
I was about 80% through the game on the hardest difficulty (before unlock the nightmare difficulty) believing throughout the game that the alien never goes into the vents you can go into, since I have yet to see the alien when I'm in the vents. I then hear the aperture door open up ahead, thinking "that can't be the alien, he can't get in here!" I then hear fast echoing footsteps getting louder and louder for the alien to storm around the corner and charge toward me! It scared the crap out of me and ended up using far too much flamethrower fuel all over the place!
This game is a love letter to all the Alien fans out there. We've watched a franchise we love crash and burn spectacularly by incompetent hacks with no passion or artistic vision. This game made 2014 one o the best years in gaming for me. If Creative Assembly makes a sequel, I'll buy it in a heartbeat.
Amen
I suppose CA were just as frustrated as the rest of us at how badly the franchise has been squandered, and decided to do something about it. Boss move
Despite its flaws it was definitely a beautiful game. Pure nectar for any real Alien fans out there. One of the things I loved the most is how it still retained the "80's vision of the future" rather than "21st century vision of the future". I'm not sure if that makes sense but what I mean is how the game pretends it was actually MADE in the 80's how everything looks retro futuristic, just like the 1st Alien movie. That was defo a love letter to the old Alien fans!
Yes, it was made purely from 1979 Alien canon. Analogue retro tech and the alien is big and heavy, not smaller and faster like Aliens and onward.
Meh, I would prefer to blow them aliens apart like Doom Guy in hell.
I would have happily sat through an hour of listening to you dissect this AI. I wish they would have given the alien a larger aggressive search radius, playing on hard mode, the thing could SOMEHOW hear me typing on a console while alarms and explosions are going off everywhere within a mile radius, then sprint down 300' of hallway to yank me out of the wall locker that I snuck for 50' to reach.
Sounds like THIS GUY *indicates self* is gonna play through that sum-bitch once more now.
Yea that mod sounds like it could breath new life into the game. Does it also stop the Xeno from being able to do impossible stuff, such as running off into the distance to the south, then instantly appearing behind the door in the opposite direction? Cos that was f*cking annoying I gotta say. I've seen all the Alien movies and not in any of them was a Xeno so perfectly evolved that it could teleport.
Seem like that would make the game a lot easier.
dude it had a detection trough microphones in order to hear you
there was an indie game with same mechanic also horror game
it was "hearing" your breath and typing if u had mic on
or headphones with mic
Isolation is far and away the best game ever made based on the Alien franchise. And the Alien's AI is a big part of that. A lot of people were surprised that it took a company like Creative Assembly to make a good Alien game. But it makes sense. What are CA known for: Strategy games. And strategy games are made or broken by their AI.
+charles jones I plan to look at CA's AI work in Total War one day. They've done some pretty impressive stuff over the years. Arguably the most innovative studio in gaming when it comes to AI.
I'm just amazed that CA did the best ever horror game, on their first attempt - when all they had done before was Total War. - the definitive 3D battle-tactics simulations.
It's like the designer of Pacman making Resident Evil 9 on his first go.
Maybe this "outsider" thing was what needed to happen.
As you said in the video, they broke some modern gaming rules - because it was the right thing to do. They made the game that they themselves had always wanted to play.
No autosave (mostly), invincible boss, one-hit-kills on the player.
But that's good - that's what a game should be.
You shouldn't be sat at your console/computer munching popcorn as you mindlessly take out some enemies and pop some QTE keys; while popping the quick-save button every 20 seconds.
You should feel physically sick with fear as your last 40 minutes of progress hang in the balance as you hide from the Alien with the next save station so tantalisingly close by.
They achieved this - and it feels effortless - beautifully made, and absolutely nerve-shredding.
For a horror based alien game, yes.
For an action based alien game, AvP 3 is fucking godly.
It makes sense the AI doesn't actually "learn" and it's just an illusion, otherwise the game would be impossible.
what if all the things we know is fed to us by a director AI upon preset conditions
Evie Belluche wdym what if
More games need this kind of AI, unscripted and non-linear behaviour that the player can’t predict.
Agreed, it's a huge reason I was let down with Re2 and re3 remake, e.g nemesis and mr.x
@murnavid Yeah eventually the player will notice similar patterns of behaviour by the AI. Until we get Skynet-level AI which will basically open every locker, check underneath every table and investigate any noise and movement it detects. I think that's when the xenomorph will become truly frightening.
@Dapper_Dog1 I was using that as an extreme example, what would happen if we wanted an AI that we couldn't fool or exploit through patterns of behaviour.
@murnavid It worked for me, crouched behind the table and stayed still. After a few seconds it just walked off to look elsewhere.
@murnavid it always worked for me so far. Just make sure that the alien is not directly facing you when you’re hiding under the table lol
Alien Isolation and Artificial Intelligence share an acronym. I find this amusing.
I think I remember someone mentioning that that was intentional on the developer's part.
Initialism*
I knew the alien could notice the motion tracker !! I kept telling people not to use it in lockers on hard mode !!
Yeah, why do they need the motion tracker up anyways when they obviously know where it's at?
I had a hunch, I watched a play through and the guy always died in the lockers and he always had the scanner open while inside them, I noticed that whenever the alien was close and I pulled out the scanner it would head in my direction so I stopped using it when I heard the alien nearby.
the alien 'does' teleport however. there is a section where your searching for the doctors keycard in the medical ward rooms. one of the rooms opposite can be locked using the rewire (disabling power to the door). there are two doors in that room and provided you don't unlock the other by hacking it - it will remain closed. the very first time I played the game I noticed I could lure the alien in there using a flare and once it was inside access the rewire and trap it. There's no venting in the room or other method it can escape.
upon trapping it I gleefully ran out into the corridors and whacked the glass panel on the door, taunting the alien who was roaring in anger and me thinking I'd out smarted it.. nope. a second later it pops out of existence right before my eyes and spawns down the corridor circumnavigating my trap.
lmao, thats fucking annoying
I implore you to try it yourself for a bit of a laugh. You need to go to Room a-29 when your helping Dr Kulhman. The room opposite it can be locked off using the rewire in a-29, just don't unlock the other door inside the room. Throw-in a flare and make sure the alien is all the way in, otherwise youll lock the door in the open position, as soon as it shuts you have a couple of seconds before it walks back infront.
It will scream at the door, and you behind it very angrily and then.. Poof! Vanish.. A few seconds later youll get the irate beasty running up and killing you from down the corridor unless you hide.
must be a failsafe to keep the alien from getting stuck somewhere, thus breaking the game. The show must go on :)
I suppose the game would have been a bit short when you get to the explosive trap and then to the agog of the Marshall, inform him you've trapped it yourself and it was pretty easy really.. 😉
Oh my god. I thought I was the only one that notices that. I spent like 40min to an hour trying to trap it in that room. When I finally did the exact same thing happened. Still loved the game though.
9:54 five years after having played the game, this sound alone made my heart skip a beat.
DR Evil I wanna see the queen
“The player can’t be scared shitless all the time, otherwise they’ll just give up”
Well said, dude. This was why horror games like Resident Evil 7 and Evil Within 1 & 2 succeeded over Outlast 2. Players need time to breathe and gather their bearings as well as calm down, which is why the safe rooms work a treat and the calming atmosphere of getting new stuff.
I know this post is two years old but I just wanted to say it makes me happy there are still people who remember the Evil Within games. It's a shame people don't seem to talk about them that much.
@@TheEvilWithinFan Wow I was just coming to respond to this saying they reminded me of Evil Within and I always wanted to play it as a kid so I'm gonna buy it and play it finally 😄 And your comment definitely added to that motivation thanks bros
@@TheEvilWithinFan yea I loved them both
It makes it worse, dead space stopped being scary fast because its non stop, alien isolation is terrifying because just as you start to get used to the xeno it is gone for the middle of the game and by the time it comes back you've built up the terror in your head again and it is even scarier than before.
Other games and movies just make you get used to the monster and not really take advantage of the way proper dread builds
What's interesting is that Resident Evil 4 does something similar, but in a different way. The horror is relieved by hilarious camp and cheesy one-liners, then you get scared again.
12:30 Ooooh buddy. What a poor save.
the game used the xbox Kinect to pick up noise while you played, got me killed loads of times until I noticed the settings and switched it off
Yeah I turned that off immediately. Didn't want to get caught out while because I coughed at the wrong time.
Oh fuck, the ps camera did the same shit. I kept wondering what the fuck it keeps finding me then turned off the feature. Still a cool feature.
I decided for the fun of it turn on the mic and try to test how long I can go without saying a word
@@redseagaming7832
Do you talk often when playing single-player games?
Yeah and you can also turn in real life and ripley actually looks around the corner
I love how it basically becomes cautious of you if you use the flamethrower often, or eventually ignores the noisemakers and other distractions you try to use.
It makes the Alien so terrifying.
NO, IT DOESN'T SAY WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT SAID IN THE TITLE CARD. 🧐
(Geez, sooooooo many people jumping into the comments to make the same bad joke.)
It's been over two years since I published this video and it's great to see new people still cropping up to check it out. Glad to see it's proven interesting for so many of you. If you like this video, be sure to check out the rest of the case studies on my channel where I look at the likes of StarCraft, DOOM (2016), Halo 3, The Division, Spec Ops: The Line, Total War and a lot more.
You did an amazing job with this video already watched it 3 times. Pretty sad tho to see where alian isolation is right now...
Love your work on this video. Huge alien fan and they did the name right with this game. Wish CA would make another alien game
I actually just bought this game for $9 on my Xbox. Gonna play it tomorrow night. Looking forward to it.
Just popped up in my recomendations, really good video. This game was very underated and was a lot better than many people said it was.
Just subbed.
Everybody Gangsta til they play Alien Isolation for the very first time.
Is it really that scary? 😀
@@kristiyangrigorov5232 i wouldnt say its really spooky or scary. But its really really intense and stressful. Not that many jumpscares (which i like) but it will keep your butt clenched for hours
@@bluebaconjake405 hmm seems interesting. Well i guess im the opposite 😁. I dont like jumpscares at all because i shit myself and my reaction is to punch something 😂😂 but i like it when there is always some tension
@@kristiyangrigorov5232 I hate horror games based entirely on jumpscares as well. The most terrifying game I ever played was Amnesia, which is not based strictly on jumpscares but mainly in an opressive atmosphere. And SOMA was absolutely wonderful, it keeps you distressed all the time with an awesome atmosphere and story... and what an ending.
That's me
and ign gave this game medicore score
Antonia Vanna Delgado That's because IGN is shit, and corrupt.
Read their review for it. "It's too haaarrrddddd! OMG! ANOTHER COD? YAY!"
It was hard, it made me start getting mods to make every game harder lol
Antonia Vanna Delgado IGN gave it a 6/10 because it had good AI. I'm not even joking. Search it up.
It dragged on for a little too long, but otherwise it was an excellent game and really did not deserve that score.
IGN just can't handle it... nvm them, they're the "minority" of gamers opinions..
Well damn, so the smarter the player you are, the more likely the AI is to catch on to how you'll react. Fucker knows to scare me into doing nothing. lol
I really like your name lol
Thank you. :) There's another guy with the same name, but he's part of the FNAF group.
Shouldn't you be sad you can't use cheathax,exe to make the player you bitch?
Xenomorpheus Actually, the faster you are, the more progress you'll do, but the Alien will adapt and checks almost every hiding spot you're in
The most frustrating adaptation to deal with is that the Alien seems to learn how the player uses the flamethrower. At first you only need like 20 flamethrower ammo to deal with it, then stop: Alien runs away. After a couple times it learns that you stop after a short moment of firing, and waits it out in pain, so you need to waste more and more ammo on it. It's pretty brilliant, but so annoying to deal with ;p
lol i knew that bitch was learning!!!
also i had this encounter with 3 working joes, one of them saw me running into a dead end room where I managed to hide in a locker before they came after me. all 3 of them were patroling the room for a good while, checking every corner and even looking into the locker twice (held my breath) before they finally they left the room. for a second i thought about leaving my hideout, but then out of nowhere one of them came charging back into the room, ran straight for the locker, shouted "ahaaa!", pulled me out and killed me. like they finally have come to the conclusion "this is a dead end, we clearly saw her enter, there is no way out, we ruled out every other possibility, she MUST be in that locker 100%". I don't know if this was intentional, a coincidence or bug. either way, i immediately felt the urge to pull a game developer out of his hideout and kick him in the nuts shouting "AHAAA!!!"
SiLeNCel2 I still remember when I tried to hide in a locker next to two inactive Working Joes. Was the first mission you encountered aggressive ones. Hid in it, inactive working joe warped out of his pod, pulled me out and jerked my throat like a drum stick. I fended him off, he forgot reality and warped back to sleep in his pod. Then the other three Joes came in and gangbanged me
Wahahaha, that's hilarious! Honestly, forget the alien! The working joes were the real horror in this game and those bugs make them even creepier. What they say sounds rational, but what they do is absolutely not. They're so trusty, but have red eyes and their face doesn't move.... I wonder if I really want to learn about Sevastopol saftey protocols... :D
SiLeNCel2 XD. Your comment about pulling a developer out of his hideout and kicking him in the nuts made me laugh out loud. Thanks!
SiLeNCel2 I think if you stay in a spot for to long everything will find you
Same thing has happened to me before. I hate those creepy Working Joes.
It's still incredibly remarkable that this came from Creative Assembly. My favorite strategy game company made one of the best horror games and A.I.
For the people that are farming this game (still) and not noticed it... The alien AI only tracks heads. So your body can stick out, but always bury your head in something. It can save you at moments. That said, This game is my favorite and I played all difficulties with fear, frustration and scaring moments. I loved every single part of it.
I'm commenting without completing the video, but as someone who has put close to 400 hours into this game, I can attest first hand that the Alien WANTS you to win. If he is about to drop from a vent that is very close to you and there is no cover, the alien will do it's VERY best not to look at you so you have a chance to escape. He wont' land on your head unless you are running or get very unlucky.
These are always really difficult issues to balance: the need to provide challenge while also ensuring the player doesn't get trolled by the AI. A similar issue arises in games like Arkham Asylum where AI will refrain from backtrack on itself in stealth segments so that players won't get caught exposed.
Friendly Metroid not true.
It never wants me to win. I'd either be under a desk or in a locker, and no matter how far back I go, or how much I hold my breath it just stands there, then boom gets me.
which driver graphics ? i play it in 2016 and it work fine i even launch it now and no have only problem i have updated graphics driver
*****
i have gtx 760 2GB and i have installed driver 376.33
This game was so well done. Never has an enemy in any sort of fiction (game, movie, etc) scared me as deeply as the xenomorph did in this game. I felt powerless against it and the flamethrower was only ever a temporary feeling of power. I felt like I was being hunted but that I wasn't the only one being hunted either. That it hears things I don't and scrambles off randomly in search of another human. Cowering under desks and in lockers just begging the thing to go away.
Now, I'm not one to be scared easily in regards to almost anything - especially considering it's a game, but even just watching this brings back anxiety and fear from my own experiences in this game. Extremely well done, bravo to the devs
After reading a couple hundreds of reviews, can't help noticing all said the IGN made them reluctant to buy the game, until other reviews gave them another perspective.
Having IGN around 8 million subscribers, I can only imagine how many millions of copies this game didn't sell because of Ryan being so stupid he though this was Call of Duty in Space........Creative Assembly should sue IGN for damages.........this will make them to receive the funds to make Alien Isolation 2, plus putting into bankrupcy that stupid IGN evil channel.
But on the other hand there are many people who agree with the ign review. your claim is ridiculous, no one can sue a critic for giving his honest opinion on a product.
Alien Isolation is simply a very niche game that caters to a rather small audience
teehundeart He wasn't saying that his opinion was shit. His point was that IGN made the game seem like a game it wasn't, making obviously stupid decisions and blaming the game for it.
Not really niche, It's Sci-Fi horror. You've got not only people who like horror, but those that like sci-fi games in general. Plus it's in a franchise too. The game didn't sell terrible, just not as much as expected.
@@teehundeart "very small niche audience" RIGHT gamers with more then two brain cells who like new experiences and a game that makes us actually use our brain. Shouldn't you be playing "COD 27: The Redundancy Continues?"
@@teehundeart A rather small audience? You realize how huge the alien franchise is?
"The Perfect Organism"
*Alien drops from a vent onto my molotov 3 times in a row on the final chapter*
I absolutely love how the Alien is so terrifying because of the AI. It’s absolute genius background work and still makes it terrifying because there’s no predictability and gets better
I'd love to see a video of a debugged version of the game that has a camera following what the alien does while a human goes through the game
My #1 game of 2014 and one of my all-time favorite games. I adore its atmosphere and story line. I just hope they will make a sequel
I just started playing Alien: Isolation (yes, I am late to the party) and I've been totally fascinated/frightened by the alien, so I had to research it. Thanks for this educational and interesting video! Having some insight into the AI does not make the game any less stressful!
Great. Glad you enjoyed it. I did wonder whether learning how the AI works would influence a players perception of it. I guess not! :D
Not gonna lie, I had to take breaks when I started playing it until I began to suss who the AI was working. Didn't help that during the first couple of hours I played next to a friend (who was only watching) and was completely freaking out the whole time.
at numeroud times I was shaking, also the stress and fear left me exhausted by the end of the night to the point I was falling asleep while brushing my teeth
Giovanni San José me too i was really stressed playing it as i never took a break. i have this odd feeling in my stomach, my back hurts because I'm constantly sitting on the edge of my seat staring into the screen. what an awesome game
thefury187 I wouldn't really call it "scary", but it sure was very intense and nerve-wrecking. In many aspects it reminded me of System Shock 2, which is a game that I can't play for too long, since my nerves are becoming a mess very quickly.
I read “The prefect Orgasm. AI of Alien Isolation”
I thought I was the only one
I thought I was the only one (2)
Thank god it’s not just me
I thought I was the only one (3)
Oh, ok good, glad it wasn't just me then.
Just started my first playthrough on "Hard" difficulty. I've made it to mission 6 and can confirm this difficulty utilezes this videos AI to its best capability. The Xenomorph is constantly patrolling corridors looking for you and as soon as you it senses you in an area it immediately finds you and kills you. Playing this game on hard is the greatest AI I have ever seen in a game. A true masterpiece
man, this is such a perfect game.
it breaks conventions, it puts things on itself that players would actually want and not exchanges practicality for eye-candies, it keeps the player on his toes, its full of action, theres some lore, it is beautiful on its arrangement and graphics, the sounds are pretty good.
They nailed it.
Dener Witt I completely agree. Right up until the utterly rubbish ending 😕
@@AugmentedRealityImagesthere was a planned sequel but due to low sales and bad reputation from colonial marines it didn't meet sales expectations
Been looking for the longest time for some kind of in depth description of how the alien's A.I. works. Thanks so much for this video. Not sure what else could be said about it, but I want more info.
There was a more detailed talk by Andy Bray (lead AI programmer at Creative Assembly) at the 2016 nucl.ai conference. Though the talks are behind a paywall.
archives.nucl.ai/recording/its-in-the-vents-the-ai-of-alien-isolation/
My video is a mixture of content from that original talk as well as some discussion I had with the team from Creative Assembly.
This is my favorite game. You have explained a lot. Like for instance I played a DLC level many times. Every time I played it I opened the door and throw a flare or a noisemaker and then access the vent on the right. The vent always leads to a room with a locked door and another vent. 99% of the time the Alien would go for the flare as I escaped through the walls. I was not prepared for the 1%. But I was lucky I had a flamethrower. Now I know the 1% happened because I had the Flamethrower.
Cat and Six Gaming! in my gameplay i rarely ever agitate the situation. i always wait for it to go away, as making distractions usually made the alien faster and more motivated to explore.
I need help with the crew expendable DLC. i'm at the vent but the alien always bumrushes me. it may be unpredictable but CE is just cruel torture designed by masochists, for masochists
able2ful1 Number one priority is to throw a flare and wait. When she comes around the corner torch the shit out of her. It takes more flamethrower fuel to drive the alien out of the vents. Then if you have the balls pull up your motion tracker and follow the green line out of there. You should be able to sneak out of there before you become lunch. If you lack the stomach to try crawling through the dark consult the map and plan a route out. Then with your flamer drawn so you can see follow your planned route. However the Alien will return if you use this strategy so be ready to burn it again.
InnerFire6213 This is the smartest way to play. I only dish out the pain if I get caught.
able2ful1 there's usually a different route to the objective. The alien will always try to cut you off by dropping in front of your path. You can take a slightly longer route to evade him. Also he becomes suspicious if you use the same hiding spot over and over again, try to diversify. Good luck!
This game along with GTA 5 were both created ahead of their time. Both amazing games. 👍
Wow ManAmal hi
GTA V?
Komaeda Nagito Yeah exactly, the graphics were great, but it played like a much older game.
@@smalliesmalls9601 It goes deeper than that, I'll never understand why so many people have this blind obsession with GTAV. Just because a game is fun it doesn't mean the game is great, there was nothing amazing about it, it's just a fuckfest of fun, explosions and violence. Now I'm not saying that's inherently bad, I myself have put many hours into GTAV and GTAO and know it is a good game, but to compare it to a Survival Horror Classic and Masterpiece like Alien Isolation? Doesn't make any sense to me.
GTAV AI? Really? The detail, sure there's a lot, but the NPC's reaction to your action is just the same with the other games
I love how much it learns. Early in my experience I had to hide in the same locker because it kept returning to the room. That thing's patrol pattern changed every single time. You can't map out anything it does. I tried multiple times to figure out how what it was doing but it changes every time.
Small bit of constructive criticism: your intro was a tad long. I was starting to think it was just gonna be a music video with game play footage before you started talking.
I skipped forward to ensure just that, "Not another goddamn alien killing people montage..."
Same
I liked the intro for how long and slow it is. Just like the original Alien movie does its intro.
The alien is a jerk. All it does is wander around pissed off killing everything without reason. What the hell would it do when it had no one left to kill? Just sit there and cry in loneliness? It should try making friends once in a while.
BuddyGroove It would turn into a Queen and lay eggs. Then it wouldn't be lonely anymore. :D
John Doe
Then it truly is the perfect organism. :/
BuddyGroove The alien doesn't really kill without reason. It kills to single out one person to bring back to the hive and impregnate. Its only goal is to prolong the species and keep the hive going.
Yea the reason it kills is to become the dominant species in any given enviroment, and turning it into its own habitat, thus ensuring its own survival above all else. Self preservation, the basis of any succesful organism.
Its like how the main aim of any human civilisation/empire is to make the whole world part of their empire, thus, ensuring its own survival above all other civilisations/empire. Shit, I never even looked at it like that before haha. Maybe Xenomorphs are actually a metaphor for humanity!
+ncshuriken erm no, xenomorphs are a biological weapon created to wipe out planets. research the lore my dude.
I played this game 5 times in a row collecting all the trophies. One of the best games I've ever played. I still have game urges to play it because the AI of the alien was so damn clever
I have never died properly even once in normal mode so after saving I just run around to die so am I digging my grave?
Also tip to never die is simply play locker simulator with motion tracker
The small edit of "you have my sympathies" @ 0:38 _just_ before the montage of the Xeno attacking was just _perfect_
I did a special marathon playthrough of this game for Halloween on Twitch, I feel like I encountered every aspect of the AI you mention and how it related to gameplay, how it learns, gradually becomes more sneaky. About 2/3 into the game I'd used noisemakers a lot, threw one and the alien went halfway to the noise, stopped, and turned round to see me hiding behind a box. What had worked several times before now didn't work, and I was petrified. What. A. Game!
I've never had the feeling of THANK GOD it's over it finally over from beating a game before in my life at the end of the game you finally start feeling safe again awesome game
Quality content, I didnt expect to learn this much from a video about alien: isolation
I completed this game yesterday, one of my favorite of all time
Barend Nieuwoudt I agree! This game is truly amazing! 💚🖤💚🖤
Underrated as hell, I'm sure it will gain a cult after a while. Bashed by dumb people because "you can't shoot the alien", unable to cope with the feeling of suspense and insecurity. It's a true gem.
@@gymnodinium9 I'm one of those people who don't like horror games where you are unable to fight back ( the only one I've ever beaten are the dead space games), but I at least understand why some people like being helpless . It's just way too stressful for me
@@derrinerrow4369 well that's why the game is so cool and scary cos you are exposed
@@derrinerrow4369 Its too stressful for me as well but I persevered to the end, its very rewarding and never a dull moment. But it is perhaps only because I am a fan of the film franchise that I bought this game so I can understand why kids not familiar with the films passed up on this great game.
I swear, whenever I hear my motion tracker bleep and my controller starts vibrateing my heart rate goes from 1 to 90 real fast
max fischer if you’re heart rate is 1 we got other problems
person underrated
I'm planning to open a restaurant called Xenomorph: "So tasty you'll wish you had two mouths!"
😶
TupDigital as long as it doesn’t say. “So tasty, the both of you will enjoy it.”
“Both of me, what do you mea--eyaaaaaaH!”
@@akaimizu1 Hehe.
i already wish that every day
the AI in A:I
I like it. Very good.
*Click* Nice
I've never played this game, and I was shitting myself just watching the background footage
After completing the game 5 times, I'm also a connoisseur (addict) of Alien Isolation playthroughs.
It's like watching a brand new Alien movie every time - some of the stuff that happens in these playthroughs is way more scary than in the movie, as the clueless victim does all the wrong things and my hands are covering my mouth - ("you forgot to save 20 minutes ago - and now you are dithering around in the middle of the corridor - oh god! OH GOD! GET OUT OF THERE!")
The brilliant dynamic music doesn't help ease the tension ...
... I mean, I would never lie down in my bath and put on some Alien Isolation music to sooth the tensions of the day away... I can guarantee you that!
@@jazzx251 I remember the first time I played this game. The AI broke it's own system. The alien had just killed Axl and you had to wait for the sub to arrive after the scene. I thought I wouldn't see the alien until the introduction somewhere in the story but I was wrong. I turned around and the alien was behind me and slash me down what is not part of how it kills. I freak out in a jump scare. So not only did it break the story code it killed my Avatar and its own way. It truly was AI. It was 1 out of 100000 but it happened
@@freeminded8509
You deserved it! :)
"Haha - it's just the tutorial ...."
[*************]
"Fuck! - they're not kidding!"
It happens every time if you're not quick enough ... no bug.
I can almost see the devs gleefully chuckling at you! :)
I am thinking about it
I'm a major pussy when it comes to games
IrL situations often don't scare me as much as stupid movies and games
@@freeminded8509 same scene with after axle got killed I'm waiting patiently for the sub the sub arrives I entered the sub and just as I push the button make this up go the alien jumps down from the ceiling and gets to the door just as it closes
This is the only game that genuinely grips me, scares me and makes me have to save at every opportunity just to take a break. It is tiring. Maths and algorithms aside, this game hits the nail on the head.
The AI is this game was so good. The Xeno was stupid when it needed to be smart when it needed to be and most importantly was completely unpredictable when it needed to be but not all the time. It was such a good balance.
10:15 I'm honestly surprised the Alien doesn't have sensors in its tail. One very memorable moment of the game for me was when I was hiding underneath a table, staying perfectly silent and remaining out of its line of sight. The Alien was pacing around the room searching for me, but it did not seem to know where I was, and it finally turned around and started to leave the room. But as it did so, its tail (which I assume is animated in real-time with a physics engine) just so happened to swing underneath the table and make contact with me. All of a sudden, the Alien abruptly changed its mind, turned back around, lunged underneath the table, and killed me. From that moment onward, I was *very* wary of the Alien's tail!
It's also worth mentioning that hiding inside or under something, staying in vents, and using the motion tracker for a long period of time will all draw the alien towards you. In an effort to get better at Survival, I play the regular game without hiding, no motion tracker (or flamethrower), and when I did the game was much faster and easier. I was also surprised it was even possible, but I discovered you can melee smack facehuggers which changed everything.
Friendly Metroid getting the flame thrower and other stuff you said probably unlocks one of the alians tree nodes that was talked about. which I like because the better equiped you think you are the more aggresive its going to be
Yea and crouching is useless too. If you just walk it's faster and still quiet. Movement is what keeps you alive in this game.. when you see the Xeno don't stop and hide just turn the corner and keep moving. This game is easiest when you casually stroll through it tbh lol
I can't remember what easy and normal mode was like, but on hard difficulty the neutral walk was just as loud as sprinting and firing your weapons. You had to stay crouched 100% of the time.
Not true. I completed the game on hard walking most of the time, crouching only when I had actual LoS on xeno, because if you walk upright he's way more likely to spot you. I pretty sure crouching and walking makes the same amount of noise which is, more or less, none at all.
Hmm, well I never had success with that and I've poured in way too many hours into the game. I've found that walking makes the xeno come out from the vents almost instantly. Sure, it wouldn't hear your exact location when walking and bee-line to you, but it would definitely move towards your location immediately from wherever it was before. I'm guessing you let this happen, hid, and used the menace gauge mechanic discussed in this video to continue moving, rinse and repeat.
I always find the Alien balance funny, sometimes, like here or in the movies, a SINGLE DRONE just kills an entire shipcrew etc, but in the shooters, like AVP, Colonial Marines,..., you just annihilate warriors, praetorians and even queens.
DarkMasterM19 There were more than one drone on the station
It might also be pretty hard to fight them without good equipment
DarkMasterM19 Well, the station wasn't outfitted with the best weapons. Revolvers and shotties, probably not even designed to penetrate exoskeletons or armor. The flamethrower hurt it, though.
Lots of guns and ammo change the equation, but that being said you would still be fucked. The creatures attributes ensure you will lose in the end. Unless, you nuke them from orbit.
degree7 it's really not, because nearly every other movie refers to events from it.
In the movies, they had 4 gun turrets with 1500 bullets apiece, just mowing down alien drones streaming through a hallway. And that STILL didn't stop them.
This game was so stressful (in a good way). It's a horror game masterpiece. But just warching this video is stressful enough...
Probably one of the best and scariest games in 10 years. It's a shame it was riddled with bad reviews by so called »professional« video game reviewers. It's a masterpiece!
Fantastic presentation. It's obvious that you truly understand the things you're talking about, and I'm happy that you can shed light on such a complicated topic to so many viewers.
Great work, looking forward to more of this.
This is why this is the best game I've ever played hands down. Everything about the game is perfect :) I just finished my second playthrough and it was just as exciting when I played it the first time round :)
this games stresses me out...and i love it
really good video. surprised you dont have more views on this honestly.
Thanks! The popularity of my videos is super hard to predict. But any effort to share and spread the word is really appreciated.
***** ive sent this to mates because ive needed an explanation for the alien ai (ive been excited about it since i first heard it was unscripted), and this is a really good explanation! :P
It may have to do with Alien Isolation being greatly overlooked. In my opinion it's one of the best underrated games. I only found out about it a year after its release.
"The player can't be scared shitless all the time, otherwise they'll never finish". This to me is the exact flaw of Amnesia The Dark Descent. I could never get past the first 20 minutes of the game because the atmosphere was so intense from the very beginning and never subsided.
12:36 "I can't lie to you but...you have my sympathy "
How true is that after 30 or so years.
Isolation was fantastic due to the aesthetic and focus of the game play. Things that use a property like Alien are going to have to work along these lines to move forward, like how Star Wars BF (for all the flaws) takes the time to make the levels look like the movie, especially for OT material. A:I used this same design philosophy, right down to the phones used for saving the game looking like 70s-era payphones, or DOS font on the computers. Perhaps some day we'll see other homages that go into that level of detail: A game that could look like the player is walking around a hyper-realistic 1966 Batman world, for example, as either Adam West or Burt Ward, would make a lot of fans very happy even if the idea is initially "silly". It's this respect for the source material that made as beautiful a game as A:I, because the creators aren't just stamping the name onto their game to grab attention, but clearly love the source material and "get" it well enough that they want to dive in to it, and not to what it would be compared to our technology now: no cell phones or amped up technology, like we see added to Trek series, but dials and keyboards, out dated fashions and hairstyles, and even camera haze so it looks like the film itself. A:I is the first strong attempt to do this of which I'm aware, certainly the closest to the source material outside of, say, the Adventure Time games (which use the voice actors from the series, so not really the same as a game made 40 years after the release of its parent media property).
Your discussion of the game's AI adds to my already high esteem for the game. This level of craftsmanship is where I hope we'll see even larger scale releases heading in future. I'm going through your other videos as a result of this one, and of the Dark Souls video, and I've not been disappointed yet. My thanks!
This game is a masterpiece. Worth a purchase. Play on hard.
I got to the elavator hack section on nightmare and quit cause my heart couldnt take the constant panic and fear
I bought it 2 days ago. I'm playing on hard for the first time and let me tell you, Lingard's office is so terrifying I had to quit the game for an hour just to calm down.
Lucia Breccia How is that possible in any game? I mean, you know you’ll get a chance to try again you can’t possibly get stressed out unless you’re really sensitive to that. I just bough the game but haven’t started it. Been looking for some impressions and all of them are either it’s amazing or trash.
@@misaeltoral508 Just play as blind as possible, Lights off, and headphones. You'll see.
@@misaeltoral508 If you go into it with a narrow mind then you will get a narrow experience. If you go in with an open mind and allow yourself to be immersed then it is an amazing experience, just like anything in life.
This is the only game I put on easy difficulty every time. I can't handle harder ones.
Matthew Hilliker yeas, it is pretty scary. It made me realize I like survival horror.
Matthew Hilliker Yea. I won’t even attempt it on Nightmare Mode! You have no map and no motion tracker😱😱😬😬
Bought this yesterday for $2, just couldn't pass up that sale. I was very scared going through about an hour of it even though I've already seen a playthrough, I'm sure I'll get used to it and have a lot of fun with it though.
That opening was awesome
Great video. This game was incredible. It oozes that first Alien movie's atmosphere.
lmao, you died right when you saved the game. I bet that sucked ass.
+WiffyLight Fortunately when I reloaded the Alien didn't immediately land next to me again. Phew.
You didn't know that AI actors are randomized every time you reload a save? Because if game did not do that, you'd be stuck in a death loop. Plus it keeps things challenging as you can't just reload and try same sequence of events again.
One funny thing you can also do is that if certain area has only one accessible vent (ceiling or wall), you can stand below that vent and make as much noise as you want and the alien will not come. Alien will only snatch you in a vent if it is in "ready" position and waiting at that vent opening. Start of chapter 6 (one with corpse storage room) is one spot where one do this for fun. There is a wall vent, but Alien cannot access it because it cannot use shafts that have ladders in them.
No Way I had no idea. I never got stuck in that situation when I was playing.
The alien can indeed teleport if it has to. In the clinic, in the ring of patient rooms, there is one room with a second door that you can unlock from inside (but I didn't), and the main door which you you unlock from a console from a nearby room. Additionally, this room had no vents! After quite a few attempts, I was able to get him into there, get to the console, and lock the door once it closed behind him. I then went over to the door, and we stared at each other for a while, as he had no valid path to get to me. But after maybe 5 or 10 seconds of staring, he disappeared and showed up a ways on the motion detector and headed straight to me. Oh Well.
That sounds more like a path finding issue. I mean, yes it has teleported, but it probably wasn't it's original intention to do so.
If you locked him in a room, how would you enjoy the game?
@@mininovaq well he did do what the game is. He isolated the alien
I guess you shouldn't have mocked the alien, you made him angry and while you locked him in the room, you also unlocked his teleporting habilities (which he can't control very well yet, since he could have just teleported right in front of you and fuck you up and down) so he teleported out of that room to run to make a run for you and get it's delicious revenge...
12:36 that Save...
I have beaten this game all the way up to nightmare mode. It’s just so damned good. Nightmare mode takes away your map, as well as health and ammo hud, and your motion tracker barely works. The hardest part is actually remembering where to go. I love the whole atmosphere of Sevastopol, it’s depressing but also really immersive. Thanks for this video it was very interesting.
I've played and replayed this game many times - after a suitable break to calm my nerves lol - but just hearing its footsteps and growl in this video made my heart beat faster. Truly my most fav game. Hoping for a non-linear remake?
One of the greatest games I've ever played!
The omniscience of the macro AI is really felt on higher difficulties, leading to long stretches of the Alien hovering around the player for no discernible reason and I found it to be genuinely immersion breaking. The artifice of the AI running the antagonist is laid bare. I also have to call shenanigans on the 'the alien does not teleport' claim from the developer. I can attest to several instances when the alien has entered one vent and immediately exited another despite them being at opposite ends of a 20-25m long corridor. A distance, especially given the narrow confines of the vents it is purportedly traversing, impossible to cover in the time exhibited. It was a behaviour it only exhibited on Hard, not noted on Normal difficulty. The narrative 'out' revealed later in the story could be used as an explanation, but the concept that there are multiple Aliens assailing you in these situations but they're taking turns stretches credulity even further.
Great video none-the-less!!
I can confirm, the macro AI made the whole experience needlessly tedious and immersion-breaking, while the micro AI kept the alien patrolling my immediate surrounding for way too long at times making me essentially NOT play the game for longer than I did play it.
even when you play this knowing it's just an intelligent ai I still get shivers when it walks by, not knowing if its going to check the table Im under
3:08 the way it spirals down is so wonderful, props to the animators!
in short: the onlly scripted parts of the alien are: when he finds you, and when you shoot the flamethrower at him
Looks like I'm a bit late to the party but man is this game brilliant. One of the most underrated gems of the 2010s. It'll be a long time before any developer comes close to designing an AI like this. The game shows what true terror is like, without relying on jump scares. Instead, you feel the terror of going up against a mastermind. Playing a game of chess with the monster in your closet.
LOOOOOVE this game so much! I've recently been going for the one shot trophy, where you make it all the way thru the game w/o dying. And dammit if Mr. Slimy ain't makin it difficult as hell
Great video! Best game I've ever played we just need a sequel now!
This is probably the most interesting video i've seen in a while, congrats ! Gonna binge watch your channel haha !
PS : The gameplay in the background made me anxious, i think this game has traumatized me.
Welcome aboard! There's even a new video out tomorrow too. 😀
@@AIandGames Nice ! I think I'll be following you religiously !
Replayed this recently since it’s debut. Still an incredibly white knuckled, sweaty palm experience. Love this game!