Recently I decided it was time to return to the Sevastopol and continue my terrifying romp through the video game Alien Isolation. 
With the recent announcement of an Alien sequel headed our way from director Neill Blomkamp, it looks like the franchise will have new life breathed into it!
For those of you who haven’t had the chance to check the game out, do it now! It was at the top of many people’s ‘Best Game of 2014’ lists. But I’m not here to sell the game to you, instead I’m here to tell you about an amazing book that was released to coincide with the deep-space horror game. Titan Books released ‘The Art of Alien Isolation‘,giving us a great inside look at this amazing, and beautifully designed video game.
The key to the perfect Alien game begins with the look and feel that The Creative Assembly crafted to deliver an authentic experience. The game itself had a lot of ground to make up, especially after the epic failure of Aliens: Colonial Marines. A game that nearly ended the possibilities of seeing another Aliens video game for a long time. Instead of a violent gun-toting, grenade launching romp through an Alien infested colony, Isolation instead relies on stealth and sneaking around the Sevastopol. The Art of Alien Isolation takes a look at the ‘behind the scenes’ process which led to the successful endeavor.
Most of the time when you play a game you don’t really consider all of the details that made it possible. But when a game delivers a cinematic experience like Alien Isolation does, it’s nice to be able to sit down and flip through the steps that led to the end product. From character designs, to the weapons, and the environments; The Creative Assembly put everything into building a world that would fit right in with the hit films. What I really appreciate about the game is that there are so many small details that were added to it, that give homage to the Ridley Scott film. One of the add-ons for the game takes you back to the Nostromo, letting you play as some of the original characters (from Alien) as they battle (or should I say flee) from the Big Chap. The design of this expansion is intricately explored in the book as well. With just enough reading to deliver the insight you need to understand the what went into the game, the rest of the book is saturated with beautiful pictures to take you through the journey.
From one Alien fan to another, even if you are too scared to try out the game yourself, I suggest you pick up this book. It’s a the perfect companion to the game and/or your Alien collection. Get it for a friend or even yourself and put it on your coffee table! The Art of Alien Isolation can be order by heading over to the official Titan Books website (link here), or wherever books are sold! For you collectors out there, Titan has also released a Limited Edition version of the book (pictured above), numbering only 500 copies in the world! Featuring a clamshell case, a whole new slipcover, and also includes a print that is signed by concept artist Bradley Wright. Interested? You can order that here.
