For one thing, preorders at GameStop are usually like $5. And it sounds like the Ripley DLC will only be available on release if you preorder.
I will definitely be getting Alien: Isolation for PS4
- Thread starter martok2112
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I did my very first digital pre-order very recently with InFamous: First Light. And the only reason I did that was because it is a proven series that I know I like. I would have bought it anyway, and pre-ordering it allowed it to automatically download as soon as it was ready. I turned my PS4 on on Tuesday, and it was already there and ready to play.
It was very convenient.
However, I certainly wouldn't do that with a new game that I was unsure about. Especially the Alien games, which have been a mixed bag at best.
Msg deleted....since folks don't understand the difference between "If I decide to preorder...." and "I fully intend to preorder.". The only thing I said for sure in my original post was that I fully intend to buy the game....much as was said in the title of this thread.
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Yeah, like I did essentially pre-order the second season of Telltale's 'The Walking Dead' since 4/5ths of the game wasn't available on purchase. But that was on the basis that I really enjoyed the first season--for which I waited until all the episodes were out--and I had a good idea what I was getting into.
I also pre-ordered Mass Effect 3, but again, that was the third in a series that I was going to get anyway AND I specifically wanted the collector's edition since I didn't have a physical copy of the previous two games. It was a splurge and I knew it. I don't pretend that the DLC gear or that stupid robot dog was worth the extra cash, but that wasn't the reason.
That's the exception though. By and large pre-orders (even physical these days) has become something of a scam with all the "exclusive bonus content" that gets offered as incentives. Doubly so when it's vendor specific.
I have the same attitude towards DLC "season passes" that a number of companies have adopted. I mean basically asking your customers to pay for DLC in advance, typically without even specifying exactly what they're even paying for is *very* anti-consumer. Indeed, didn't Colonial Marines have a season pass? I wonder how well that worked out for folks....
One of the journalists who works for Official Playstation Magazine got to play the game for a couple of hours a few months back, and wrote a 4 or 5 page article about it. Came across as pretty positive. From what he had to say, it seems like they've done a good job with the atmosphere of the game. He wrote about how you really do feel isolated and hunted, and because it's more survival than shooter, there's pretty much constant tension throughout.
He also talked about how genuinely shocked he was by how good the AI is for the Alien, citing the way it hunts you and the way it reacts to different situations and environments as being noticeably "next gen". He said the Alien actually seemed to adapt to some of his strategies.
Now, yes, this is while the game is still in development, and he only got a relatively short amount of time to play the game, but it's hardly a case of an inebriated journo squeeing at con footage.
I'll admit I have it preordered. I had it preordered before the DLC was announced, but then I add any game I'm interested in to my preorder list, and I don't read reviews. The places I preorder from don't require a down-payment, and if it turns out I don't like the game, I can get most of my money back in sale or trade. Worth a gamble.
Not to sound jaded, but I've heard it all before.
It may seem blunt, but unless it's a full copy of the game they got to properly review, I'm not interested. It's just more hype based on incomplete information and lacking in proper context.
I recall some years before 'Duke Nukem Forever' finally floated to the surface some gaming journalist (I think it was someone with Screwattack?) got some hands on time with what was at the time their current build (this was when 3D Realms still had it, before Gearbox got involved.) IIRC he was similarly impressed...and look what came of that.
Speaking of Gearbox, that whole "vertical slice of gameplay" nonsense they put out was a calculated fabrication and the trade show journalists fell for that too.
Basically, for me it's not enough that some journalist or vloger likes a demo, or even the full game. There are a few reviewers who's opinions and integrity I trust. Until one of them does a review and offer an opinion against which I can judge what my own reaction will be, I ain't risking it. If for no other reason than to *not* help encourage devs and publishers from anti-consumer practices.
Call it splitting hairs, but I'd call that "reserving a copy", not "pre-ordering" in the manner we're talking about here. I suppose what we should really call it is "pre-purchasing" since that's essentially what it is. Semantics!
The last Alien game was horrible so I will wait until this one is on the cheap rack.
Don't know what platform anyone who is interested in this wants but there's a code here for $38 for the PC version which seems a decent deal.
http://kotaku.com/all-the-preorder-deals-xbox-one-with-game-sandisk-sto-1631949279
http://kotaku.com/all-the-preorder-deals-xbox-one-with-game-sandisk-sto-1631949279
I am enjoying it very much. Haven't run into the creature yet, but the atmosphere is building up the tension. When my character (Amanda) was on the Terrens (a ship used to get to the main locale of the game), the layout of the ship was very much like the Nostromo from the movie, so I sat there going "Yeah, this is where such and such happened. This is where Ripley first confronts Ash about yada yada..."..the attention to detail and the set pieces are gorgeous,as are the lighting effects. 
In a time when people are constantly complaining about games being to short, and that we don't get enough content for our money, I find that an odd criticism to level at a game.
Not if the missions are simply repetitive.
I don't think that I've ever complained about a game being too short. I always complain about games being too long.
Maybe you haven't, and I can't say I complain about that much either, but I spend a fair amount of time on gaming websites and forums, and aside from the ongoing complaints about DLC and paying for on-disc content, the short length of a lot of games these days is a top complaint in the gaming community.
The fact that this game has a 15-20 hour campaign is one of the things it has been praised for. But then there is no MP element, so it kinda needed a longer campaign to justify the price tag.
I am so glad they did not try to tack on some multiplayer element.
If they did, the only feasible scenario I could see would be where four players can go online, with three of them being humans, and the fourth being the Alien.
The story for the multiplayer element would be roughly the same as the campaign:
The Alien has long since been loose on the ship or station (depending on which arena the players choose). Most of the crew are dead, and the three human players are the only remaining survivors. Separated by a catastrophic accident, brought on by an encounter with the creature against other crewmembers (who are now among the dead), the three human players must scrounge and craft equipment to attempt to locate each other and either escape the ship/station, or try to destroy the creature themselves. And the creature will not be an easy kill for them as a team, and will be impossible to kill if the Alien player manages to find the humans individually. Or perhaps rather leave the Alien as an AI opponent, and have one to three players simply be the human survivors. Placement of materials, and the spawn up point of the Alien would be randomized from game to game.
But overall I am gratified that there is no MP element to this gorgeous and atmospheric game.
If they did, the only feasible scenario I could see would be where four players can go online, with three of them being humans, and the fourth being the Alien.
The story for the multiplayer element would be roughly the same as the campaign:
The Alien has long since been loose on the ship or station (depending on which arena the players choose). Most of the crew are dead, and the three human players are the only remaining survivors. Separated by a catastrophic accident, brought on by an encounter with the creature against other crewmembers (who are now among the dead), the three human players must scrounge and craft equipment to attempt to locate each other and either escape the ship/station, or try to destroy the creature themselves. And the creature will not be an easy kill for them as a team, and will be impossible to kill if the Alien player manages to find the humans individually. Or perhaps rather leave the Alien as an AI opponent, and have one to three players simply be the human survivors. Placement of materials, and the spawn up point of the Alien would be randomized from game to game.
But overall I am gratified that there is no MP element to this gorgeous and atmospheric game.
My Estimated Death tally:
Death by humans: 5
Death by androids: 2
Death by stupidity: 1
Death by the star of the show: 1 (and it scared the bejeezus out of me when it happened)
Androids killed: 2
It's kinda sad for me too...I used to have a big ginger cat who looked a lot like Jonesy from Alien, so that's what I named him. He ran away a couple of years ago because of some roadwork being done just outside my apartment. (he was an indoor/outdoor cat whom I'd simply taken in at the time, and he stayed with me for a good couple of years before the roadwork. We were bestest of buddies. And he ruled my street with an iron paw! Hahahaha.). I would love to have Jonesy by my side as I play this....it would certainly add to the already strong authenticity of this game. . Wherever he is, I hope he is safe and happy.
Btw, it really helps if you have a surround sound headset for this game. In addition to the motion tracker (which you must use with caution, as enemies can hear it if they're close), a surround sound headset can be your best friend in this game.
Death by humans: 5
Death by androids: 2
Death by stupidity: 1
Death by the star of the show: 1 (and it scared the bejeezus out of me when it happened)
Androids killed: 2
It's kinda sad for me too...I used to have a big ginger cat who looked a lot like Jonesy from Alien, so that's what I named him. He ran away a couple of years ago because of some roadwork being done just outside my apartment. (he was an indoor/outdoor cat whom I'd simply taken in at the time, and he stayed with me for a good couple of years before the roadwork. We were bestest of buddies. And he ruled my street with an iron paw! Hahahaha.). I would love to have Jonesy by my side as I play this....it would certainly add to the already strong authenticity of this game. . Wherever he is, I hope he is safe and happy.
Btw, it really helps if you have a surround sound headset for this game. In addition to the motion tracker (which you must use with caution, as enemies can hear it if they're close), a surround sound headset can be your best friend in this game.
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