April 26 marks “Alien Day” for fans of Ridley Scott’s Xenomorph franchise, and Xbox Game Pass holders are in for a fun weekend if they want to get into the Alien spirit with Alien: Isolation being free for the weekend.
Alien: Isolation is a modern classic that came out back in 2014, and people have been singing its praises over the years—and if you haven’t tried out the game until now, maybe this incoming weekend would be the best time to put on your space boots and hide around a claustrophobic ship.
Alien: Isolation Free on Xbox Game Pass
As per the official announcement from the Alien: Isolation page, the game will be free for Xbox Game Pass holders from April 24-26. Here’s the post:
Though Aliens takes place years after the events of the first Alien, Isolation follows a story much closer to the original film. Set 15 years after Ripley takes on the Xenomorph, Isolation will follow the story of Ripley’s daughter Amanda.
Here’s the official description:
“Discover the true meaning of fear in Alien: Isolation, a survival horror set in an atmosphere of constant dread and mortal danger. Fifteen years after the events of Alien™, Ellen Ripley’s daughter, Amanda enters a desperate battle for survival, on a mission to unravel the truth behind her mother's disappearance.”
Though Amanda is dead by the time of the events of Aliens, here she actually gets her own story, and it’s sad to say it’s not too different from what her mom had to go through when she ran into a Xenomorph.
Critical Reception
Though some critics were pretty harsh about Isolation when it came out back in 2014, time has been kind to the game, and it’s considered to be one of the most authentic Alien experiences when it comes to survival horror.
The AI of the Alien itself was considered revolutionary, as it didn’t move in a repeating pattern, but instead adjusted itself based on the player’s ability. Like to hide in lockers? The Xenomorph will start raiding those first. Like to hide under tables? You bet that thing is going to start looking there too.
Alien: Resurgence
click to enlargeWith the success of the last movie Alien: Romulus, it does look like it’s a good time to be an Alien fan. Even the recent trailer for Predator: Badlands has confirmed that the movie shares a universe with Alien, seeing that Elle Fanning is a Weyland-Yutani android.
As for Isolation, it continues to be touted as a landmark in survival horror games, and I’ve personally been too scared to check it out until now, no matter how many people have been recommending it to me. I mean, I needed someone else to play Dead Space with since I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep well if I played it alone.
With it being Alien Day and the hype surrounding the upcoming Predator projects, maybe the weekend can be spent turning off the lights and running around corridors hiding from one of pop-culture’s most infamous monsters.
Alien: Isolation is available for free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers from April 24-26.
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