History NightmareFuel / AlienIsolation

* There's something otherworldly about the reactor, as if it doesn't belong on ''Sevastopol''. It's in the middle of a gigantic room where you can't even see the walls, floor, or ceiling. Somehow, it's raining. The nodes are constantly being struck by lightning. After the grimy, utilitarian design of the rest of the station, it's like you're in a whole different world altogether, and it feels off, like the UncannyValley for environments. And that's not even getting into the hive beneath it.

* Waits detaching the Gemini Lab module from the station while Ripley is still inside with the Xenomorph.

* And then there's the moment where you must hack the elevator. It's bad enough having to watch the paranoids die and wait for them to be dead and the xenomorph to scurry, but if you don't run like hell and get the code entered quickly, you will get killed.

*** Fortunately, you can deal with the Working Joes before they activate - put two EMP mines and three Pipe Bombs on the path in between them all - then push the button. As soon as one moves, the EMP mines trigger... and then Pipe Bombs follow after, quickly finishing them all off.

* Samuels easily pummeling a Working Joe to death, and evidently, having done the same to a few others before you entered the level. Considering the prevalence of KillerRobot traitors in this franchise and that you barely know the guy, you might be paranoid that this synthetic from "the Company" might ''also'' be your enemy... fortunately, that isn't the case.

* ''Alien: Isolation the Digital Series'' confirms at least one thing about the Xenomorphs. They CAN survive in space and Amanda is [[FromBadToWorse right in the heart of where they're napping.

* Dealing with a Joe and the Alien. Fighting the Joe will guarantee you to get attacked by the Xenomorph, and in the worst case scenario, the Alien uses the Joe as a decoy.

* ''Alien: Isolation the Digital Series'' confirms at least one thing about the Xenomorphs. They CAN survive in space and Amanda is [[FromBadToWorse right in the heart of where they're napping]].
* There's something otherworldly about the reactor, as if it doesn't belong on ''Sevastopol''. It's in the middle of a gigantic room where you can't even see the walls, floor, or ceiling. Somehow, it's raining. The nodes are constantly being struck by lightning. After the grimy, utilitarian design of the rest of the station, it's like you're in a whole different world altogether, and it feels off, like the UncannyValley for environments. And that's not even getting into the hive beneath it.]]
* You thought dealing with one alien was bad? How about [[https://youtu.be/1nd_C3zwpac an upcoming mod where you can face up to ''nine xenomorphs at once''?

* It's maybe a glitch or a randomization mechanic, sometimes there'll be new/different enemies when you return to an area after you clear it. There's nothing like walking through an area you *thought* you cleared only to bump into a Joe or crazed gunman. And, of course, if you engage in any way you'll attract the attention of you-know-who.

** Even if you've seen the ''Alien'' movies before, the Xenomorph's EstablishingCharacterMoment is a good reminder of just what you're dealing with. [[spoiler:Axel sees the Alien's drool dripping onto his coat, right before he's ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice by the Xenomorph's tail.]]

** One possible point that a lot of people don't seem to have thought of is how aware APOLLO itself is. The simple-mindedness of the Working Joes is at arguably due to the crudeness of Seegson's AI tech, most likely due to a lack of miniaturization, and the Joes are designed from the ground up like [[Franchise/StarWars Trade-Federation OOM-series Command Droids]] (semi-autonomous, some independent processing power to aid reaction times and to allow them to accomplish simple programmed tasks, but still reliant on a central mainframe for higher functions), giving the possibility that some of their more... disturbing lines might be coming from APOLLO itself. [[spoiler:Or from the Weyland-Yutani programmer tasked with reprogramming APOLLO to protect the Xenomorph after Sevastopol was secretly sold to WY.]]

* [[spoiler: Waits detaching the Gemini Lab module from the station while Ripley is still inside with the Xenomorph.]]
* The first time you call and wait for a tram is just nerve-wracking. This happens just after you've caught the first glimpse of the Alien as it [[spoiler:killed Axel]]. You're a complete sitting duck as you have to wait there, all the while this tense background music builds and builds.....

* In [[spoiler:the hive under the reactor core and the final level, it is possible to [[OhCrap encounter multiple Xenomorphs at the same time]]]].
** [[spoiler:The hive setting as a whole is practically made of Nightmare Fuel. The walls are covered in the remains of the dead, Alien eggs are everywhere and the shallow water on the floor often conceals Facehuggers. The place is eerily silent except for dripping water and a weird, pained moaning echoing from ''somewhere'' deep in the hive. Even worse is when you pull out your trusty motion tracker, only to see a huge mass of swarming green blips which fully illustrate the size of the hive.]]
** [[spoiler:The Facehuggers are also particularly stressful to deal with, as their small size makes it easy for them to ambush you; furthermore you're practically required to kill them and destroy their eggs as they can kill Amanda in one hit, but killing them often attracts the attention of the full-grown Xenomorphs...]]
** [[spoiler:Try not to jump when a Facehugger catches you, or really, just the goddamn Xenomorph lunging straight at you. Easier said than done.]]

* [[spoiler: Finally at the end of the game you safely make it back to the Torrens. Everything is quiet except for the quiet pleasant tune that plays when you were on it the first time. It's quiet... Too quiet. You head to the bridge calling out to Verlaine and open the door. Only to be greeted with the sight of another Xenomorph. You slowly back up to the airlock and space yourself in a last ditch attempt to kill the beast. Then, just as your mother before you, everyone is dead, you are the only survivor, and you float around in space until someone picks you up.]]

** Sinclair's last audio log, titled "Blood on my Hands", which you find next to his dead body in the Habitation Decks as the station is [[spoiler: falling apart into the gas giant.]] It's both this and TearJerker. In spite of his efforts at making the place secure, he and his team couldn't keep the Aliens out. The log also reveals that his wife was killed and [[AdultFear his children had been taken by the Aliens]], and he himself was apparently attacked and left to die. He [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone laments over how much blood is on his hands]], from the killing of other survivors to the deaths of his team and family. His last words are for "whoever has to clean up this mess", where says to just send in the Marines or blow the place up to take the creatures back to Hell, before presumably dying from his injuries.

* There's something otherworldly about the reactor, as if it doesn't belong on ''Sevastopol''. It's in the middle of a gigantic room where you can't even see the walls, floor, or ceiling. Somehow, it's raining. The nodes are constantly being struck by lightning. After the grimy, utilitarian design of the rest of the station, it's like you're in a whole different world altogether, and it feels off, like the UncannyValley for environments. [[spoiler:And that's not even getting into the hive beneath it.]]
* You thought dealing with one alien was bad? How about [[https://youtu.be/1nd_C3zwpac an upcoming mod]] where you can face up to ''nine xenomorphs at once''?

** The Working Joes themselves might be approaching some degree of self awareness too. When killed, they might say "it's my chance to dream." This could be a reference to Phillip K. Dick's novel "Do androids dream of electric sheep?" which focuses on androids gaining intelligence.

** The Alien constantly scaring you is largely due to the fact it is implied that it sees you surviving as an insult. That's right, this particular Xenomorph apparently has developed a sense of pride, and it is going after you because it was slighted.

* [[BigBad The Xenomorph]] in general. It's an enemy that [[ImplacableMan can't be injured, killed, stunned, or slowed down]]; the most you can hope for is to distract it or drive it off with fire and flee. [[OneHitKill Any contact with it kills you.]]. It runs faster than you. [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard There are places all over the game it can go that you cannot; the opposite is NOT true.]] It knows you're hiding, and the slightest movement or mistake will give away your position. [[ArtificialBrilliance It learns your patterns]] so you're constantly forced to change up your tactics to avoid it. ''[[ParanoiaFuel It can be anywhere, and you are NEVER safe; it can get you during hacking minigames, while you're navigating menus, even while you're saving]].''

* There's something otherworldly about the reactor, as if it doesn't below on ''Sevastopol''. It's in the middle of a gigantic room where you can't even see the walls, floor, or ceiling. Somehow, it's raining. The nodes are constantly being struck by lightning. After the grimy, utilitarian design of the rest of the station, it's like you're in a whole different world altogether, and it feels off, like the UncannyValley for environments. [[spoiler:And that's not even getting into the hive beneath it.]]

* There's something otherworldly about the reactor, as if it doesn't below on ''Sevastopol''. It's in the middle of a gigantic room where you can't even see the walls, floor, or ceiling. Somehow, it's raining. The nodes are constantly being struck by lightning. After the grimy, utilitarian design of the rest of the station, it's like you're in a whole different world altogether. [[spoiler:And that's not even getting into the hive beneath it.]]

** The Working Joes themselves might be approaching some degree of self awareness too. When killed, they might say "it's my chance to dream." This could be a reference to Phillip K. Dick's novel "Do androids dream of electric sheep" which focuses on androids gaining intelligence.

* And then there's the moment where you must hack the elevator. It's bad enough having to watch the paranoids die and wait for them to be dead and the xenomorph to scurry, but if you don't run like fucking hell and get the code entered quickly, you will get killed.

---> "Orbital stabilizer failure. Abandon station. Abandon station."

** [[OhCrap OH... then as you're about to press the final switch, it starts to approach...]] and then you realize was waiting for backup. A second Xenomorph appears, then a third, a fourth and suddenly there's a fucking swarm of Aliens ready to kill you! You hastily press the button just as they lunge... and you just barely make it.

* You want to use the Alien to take care of obstacles. Great. Be ready for a massive JumpScare, because it will pop out of the vent closest to you and then proceed to go on a rampage. Sure the other humans will run off before the Alien kills them. Think it's over? NO! The Alien will conduct a thorough search of the entire area where whatever made the noise and will enter a brutal close quarter game of hide and seek with the Alien being a possible corner turn away. And if you want to try the old stay behind the monster trick, the Alien will periodically turn around or double check areas it already looked to be sure. You got your distraction, alright.
* It's through even a glitch or a randomization mechanic, sometimes there'll be new/different enemies when you return to an area after you clear it. There's nothing like walking through an area you *thought* you cleared only to bump into a Joe or crazed gunman. And, of course, if you engage in any way you'll attract the attention of you-know-who.

* Because of their limited power, the console versions of the Xenomorph's movement [[SpecialEffectsFailure can be very jerky and cause it to skip frames at times]]. Because of this, this can make the creature reminiscent of ''{{Slenderman}}'' at times. As if it wasn't terrifying enough.

* ''Alien: Isolation the Digital Series'' confirms at least one thing about the Xenomorphs. They CAN survive in space and Amanda is right in the heart of where they are sleeping.

* ''Alien: Isolation the Digital Series'' confirms at least one thing about the Xenomorphs. They can survive in space for long periods of time by entering some form of hibernation state.

** At first, the Working Joes themselves aren't universally hostile. Instead, you have to pay attention to their GlowingEyesOfDoom. If they're white, they're friendly...so long as you don't harm them or the Alien. If they're [[RedEyesTakeWarning red]], you'd better stay out of sight. However, even that's not that simple. Sometimes you'll find "dead" Working Joes with glowing white eyes. DO NOT turn your back on them unless you want your leg crushed or to accidentally summon the alien. Likewise, if you encounter a Joe in a well-lit area and see it approaching you, don't let your guard down. Its eyes may appear white under good lighting, but the moment it steps into darkness, [[OhCrap there's a chance they'll turn red.]]