Alien game in the vein of Penumbra/Amnesia? - Games

[img]http://collider.com/wp-content/image-base/Movies/A/Alien/alien_xenomorph_01.jpg[/img] Ridley Scott was right when he mentioned the Alien shape being worn out. More than just the shape is worn out, the whole idea of the Alien/Xenomorph has been butchered and disfigured into something else entirely. Simply put: Aliens aren't scary any more. Every game we've had thus far has been an action game where at it's most basic, is little more than a shooting gallery. Even in the Marine campaign featured in AVP2, which did a fairly decent job of creating atmosphere, still had you armed to the teeth, using swarms of Aliens for shock and awe rather than creating actual fear. The stories featured don't help the case either, you're always in some shape or form a rootin tootin ass kicking soldier/marine/badass. So while these games may make you jump, it's still only cheap scares. I propose the idea of a true horror game featuring the Alien, taking heavy inspiration from the Penumbra series: Just a normal everyday person in a fucked up situation. No heavy firepower, no means of real defense other than running, hiding or using your brains. The Alien shouldn't be some dumb wall crawling ant, it should be a stalking terror, intelligent and cunning. Ideally to me, you could even make a game of the first movie, or in similar settings. Take time to build up the characters and give the player a sense of familiarity, then suddenly tear it all away and leave the player feeling alone and helpless. Eh, it probably won't ever happen, but I still think it's a much better idea than producing another cookie cutter squad FPS, as much as I do want to play Colonial Marines if it ever comes out.

The problem is, a normal person cannot survive an alien attack. Contrarily to amnesia/penumbra monsters, aliens are either single or very numerous, and always overpowered. Following the canon you couldn't even run away - they would catch even before you could realize you have to run.

[QUOTE=z0nk3d;27495076]The problem is, a normal person cannot survive an alien attack. Contrarily to amnesia/penumbra monsters, aliens are either single or very numerous, and always overpowered. Following the canon you couldn't even run away - they would catch even before you could realize you have to run.[/QUOTE] What Have you even seen Alien? Go back and watch it again, the Alien isn't really into chasing after people, it hides in unexpected locations or stalks them. It wasn't until Aliens (don't get me wrong, I love the film) that Cameron butchered the idea of the Alien and turned them into little more than killer ants. When I say in vein of penumbra, I mean you shouldn't really have any easy means of killing the monsters. A players defense should be in the form of using their smarts, not in the form of a pulse rifle that fucks everything up.

Space Hulk (the playstation game) has this sort of atmosphere, but gameplay, probably not. It's a bit dated too

I think the original concept for Amnesisa would apply to this well. Completely free-roam (on a derelict ship) and you discover locations and do quests from other people who are alive. But, the goal would to be just survive for a few days (ala Dead Rising but without a real goal) gathering food, repairing things, finding new locations to stay in as other locations will gradually be attacked by the singular Xenomorph on the ship. To explain the lack of weapons and such, it could be a grim story of a peace cult who lives in the further reaches of space and was mining and found an egg or some stuff like that. That'd be rad as shit.

[QUOTE=Take_Opal;27495187]I think the original concept for Amnesisa would apply to this well. Completely free-roam (on a derelict ship) and you discover locations and do quests from other people who are alive. But, the goal would to be just survive for a few days (ala Dead Rising but without a real goal) gathering food, repairing things, finding new locations to stay in as other locations will gradually be attacked by the singular Xenomorph on the ship. To explain the lack of weapons and such, it could be a grim story of a piece cult who lives in the further reaches of space and was mining and found an egg or some stuff like that. That'd be rad as shit.[/QUOTE] Holy fuck that does sound rad as shit. If you don't save certain people they get cocooned and your game gets harder.

I don't want an alien game with absolutely no guns. Even in the first alien there are weapons (the cattle prod and the laser welding pistol stuff, plus the harpoon gun). And I meant that aliens don't roam around to find their victims, they follow them. A character such as daniel or phillip wouldn't stand a chance, but someone like Isaac Clarke without a gun (so basically big engineering skills and good survival knowings) could survive. It would be really good if you could build and elaborate traps or weapons to slow down aliens while you run the fuck away.

[QUOTE=z0nk3d;27495318]I don't want an alien game with absolutely no guns. Even in the first alien there are weapons (the cattle prod and the laser welding pistol stuff, plus the harpoon gun). And I meant that aliens don't roam around to find their victims, they follow them. A character such as daniel or phillip wouldn't stand a chance, but someone like Isaac Clarke without a gun (so basically big engineering skills and good survival knowings) could survive. It would be really good if you could build and elaborate traps or weapons to slow down aliens while you run the fuck away.[/QUOTE] For my concept I had Isaac Clarke in mind for the character, but mostly helpless. A pistol that could really only stun him. Kind of like Nemesis.

[QUOTE=Take_Opal;27495187]I think the original concept for Amnesisa would apply to this well. Completely free-roam (on a derelict ship) and you discover locations and do quests from other people who are alive. But, the goal would to be just survive for a few days (ala Dead Rising but without a real goal) gathering food, repairing things, finding new locations to stay in as other locations will gradually be attacked by the singular Xenomorph on the ship. To explain the lack of weapons and such, it could be a grim story of a piece cult who lives in the further reaches of space and was mining and found an egg or some stuff like that. That'd be rad as shit.[/QUOTE] in DR2 it isn't even necessary to complete any of your goals. The only reason I was even phased about dying was because of the ridiculous loading time and the fact that the restroom/save point was probably not in the same building. Which meant MOAR LOADING.

I've always wondered, how in the name of god can the Alien see without it's eyes? Or is it blind and follows a scent?

[QUOTE=JaegerMonster;27495135]It wasn't until Aliens (don't get me wrong, I love the film) that Cameron butchered the idea of the Alien and turned them into little more than killer ants.[/QUOTE] Might want to do some research. 57 years of technological advancement in warfare tends to make you pretty damn effective against an enemy that hasn't changed at all. Imagine a team of modern U.S. soldiers going up against a Korean PRC unit from 1953. I think it's a safe bet who'd win. The Aliens franchise has always been, primarily, an [b]action[/b] movie series.

[QUOTE=Paramud;27496509]Might want to do some research. 57 years of technological advancement in warfare tends to make you pretty damn effective against an enemy that hasn't changed at all. Imagine a team of modern U.S. soldiers going up against a Korean PRC unit from 1953. I think it's a safe bet who'd win. The Aliens franchise has always been, primarily, an [b]action[/b] movie series.[/QUOTE] I'm talking about how the Alien was originally a cosmic horror and a metaphor for rape. It was only with the advent of James Cameron's Aliens that the Alien was turned into a simple monster. What the fuck are you talking about?

[QUOTE=JaegerMonster;27496592]I'm talking about how the Alien was originally a cosmic horror and a metaphor for rape. It was only with the advent of James Cameron's Aliens that the Alien was turned into a simple monster. What the fuck are you talking about?[/QUOTE] I'm talking about how Cameron wasn't brutally and violently raping xenomorphs by simply jumping ahead 57 years. Which I thought you were implying. Maybe I was mistaken.

I'd like to see a game like that, the original Alien has always been my favorite.

[QUOTE=God dammit;27496464]I've always wondered, how in the name of god can the Alien see without it's eyes? Or is it blind and follows a scent?[/QUOTE] Echolocation, pheromones, and probably different sensors than eyes. You know, eyes might be a purely Terran thing as well, extra-terrestrial species, especially modified ones, might have other ways to receive light and turn it into a valuable information. [editline]18th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=JaegerMonster;27496592]I'm talking about how the Alien was originally a cosmic horror and a metaphor for rape. It was only with the advent of James Cameron's Aliens that the Alien was turned into a simple monster. What the fuck are you talking about?[/QUOTE] Reminded me that one of the few female characters in the first movie was effectively supposed to be raped by the alien.

This is scary, and features something just as scary as alien! [url]https://www.digipen.edu/?id=1170&proj=546[/url]

[QUOTE=Paramud;27496599]I'm talking about how Cameron wasn't brutally and violently raping xenomorphs by simply jumping ahead 57 years. Which I thought you were implying. Maybe I was mistaken.[/QUOTE] Not at all. I'm just saying the way the Alien is viewed has changed. Cameron's Alien is a vastly different being to the one Scott, Darabont and Giger composed. Regardless, when your armed like your ready to take a planet by force, not much is really scary, which is why I think games like penumbra and Amnesia are brilliant. I've never played a horror game scarier than Amnesia. [editline]18th January 2011[/editline] Hell technically you can still arm the player and have it be incredibly scary, but the player shouldn't be able to take comfort in a large arsenal at any time. At any rate, I'd just rather see a new Alien(s) game focusing on horror elements rather than another shooting gallery.

[QUOTE=Paramud;27496509]Might want to do some research. 57 years of technological advancement in warfare tends to make you pretty damn effective against an enemy that hasn't changed at all. Imagine a team of modern U.S. soldiers going up against a Korean PRC unit from 1953. I think it's a safe bet who'd win. The Aliens franchise has always been, primarily, an [b]action[/b] movie series.[/QUOTE] except turning the aliens into a force that can be gauged and eliminated with military efficiency completely removes all sense of fear and isolation, regardless of how realistic and totally canon it is

You know what would be really scary while still having guns ? Being in a ship where any single bullet can kill yourself because of all the essential shit around that must stay intact. Just imagine how stressful it would be if you had only a few magazines, if not only one, and have to deal with every single bullet very carefully while an alien is rushing straight towards you, because if you open fire and miss your target, you will probably have a 90% chance of hitting a critical layer and cause a huge vacuum effect, sucking out the air and leading you to die of asphyxia.

[QUOTE=z0nk3d;27507647]You know what would be really scary while still having guns ? Being in a ship where any single bullet can kill yourself because of all the essential shit around that must stay intact. Just imagine how stressful it would be if you had only a few magazines, if not only one, and have to deal with every single bullet very carefully while an alien is rushing straight towards you, because if you open fire and miss your target, you will probably have a 90% chance of hitting a critical layer and cause a huge vacuum effect, sucking out the air and leading you to die of asphyxia.[/QUOTE] sounds like a really annoying and terrible idea reminds me of how in Morrowind i hated the quests with allies because i would always accidentally hit them and have to restart

[QUOTE=z0nk3d;27507647]You know what would be really scary while still having guns ? Being in a ship where any single bullet can kill yourself because of all the essential shit around that must stay intact. Just imagine how stressful it would be if you had only a few magazines, if not only one, and have to deal with every single bullet very carefully while an alien is rushing straight towards you, because if you open fire and miss your target, you will probably have a 90% chance of hitting a critical layer and cause a huge vacuum effect, sucking out the air and leading you to die of asphyxia.[/QUOTE] Then after carefully saving your ammo, and lining up the perfect shot and shooting, you managed the maim the alien and get away. Then it's blood burns through the ship's layers and you die anyways :buddy:

[QUOTE=Mr. Scorpio;27507699]sounds like a really annoying and terrible idea reminds me of how in Morrowind i hated the quests with allies because i would always accidentally hit them and have to restart[/QUOTE] I wouldn't apply such an idea to a whole ship though, just to the parts directly in contact with space in a way or another, more like dead space 2 where some zones are in constructions, shooting weak glass zones causing massive vacuum effects. In the most inner cursives, you wouldn't have to care much about these kind of problems, yet you should think twice before shooting a gas pipe. [editline]19th January 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=DoctorSalt;27507783]Then after carefully saving your ammo, and lining up the perfect shot and shooting, you managed the maim the alien and get away. Then it's blood burns through the ship's layers and you die anyways :buddy:[/QUOTE] Yeah, dealing with corrosive blood would be a great idea as well. You would really have to think about what's better - fleeing, killing, or both (bill said). The ideal solution would be to run to an inner room with no connection with space, trap the alien in, and finish it without caring much about collateral damage.

[QUOTE=z0nk3d;27507810]I wouldn't apply such an idea to a whole ship though, just to the parts directly in contact with space in a way or another, more like dead space 2 where some zones are in constructions, shooting weak glass zones causing massive vacuum effects. In the most inner cursives, you wouldn't have to care much about these kind of problems, yet you should think twice before shooting a gas pipe. [editline]19th January 2011[/editline] Yeah, dealing with corrosive blood would be a great idea as well. You would really have to think about what's better - fleeing, killing, or both (bill said). The ideal solution would be to run to an inner room with no connection with space, trap the alien in, and finish it without caring much about collateral damage.[/QUOTE] except the moment you kill the alien it loses all sense of cosmic horror immediately Not that it matters considering that it's been raped repeatedly already. Ironic.

[QUOTE=Paramud;27496509]Might want to do some research. 57 years of technological advancement in warfare tends to make you pretty damn effective against an enemy that hasn't changed at all. Imagine a team of modern U.S. soldiers going up against a Korean PRC unit from 1953. I think it's a safe bet who'd win. The Aliens franchise has always been, primarily, an [b]action[/b] movie series.[/QUOTE] hey guy watch the first and second movies again not only do they say theyve never seen such a thinkg in the 20 years that archeron has been a colony, they havent even found true alien lifeforms [editline]18th January 2011[/editline] plus alien was the first jesus

How does Aliens take place 57 years in the future and still have Sigourney Weaver?

[QUOTE=Take_Opal;27508542]How does Aliens take place 57 years in the future and still have Sigourney Weaver?[/QUOTE] cryogenics.

Oh, I haven't seen Aliens. Only one.

I'd be thinking more along the lines of AVP2 but feeling a little bit more helpless + survival FPSRPG.

[QUOTE=z0nk3d;27497090]Echolocation, pheromones, and probably different sensors than eyes. You know, eyes might be a purely Terran thing as well, extra-terrestrial species, especially modified ones, might have other ways to receive light and turn it into a valuable information. [editline]18th January 2011[/editline] Reminded me that one of the few female characters in the first movie was effectively supposed to be raped by the alien.[/QUOTE] All EU bullshit contradicted by Alien3. Secondly it was [I]implied[/I] for a reason.

How about this, you are a part of the crew of a small ship and then like that guy said you find an egg, and the egg hatches and infects the guy, then you go on normally, and even interact with said guy until it hatches then shit starts getting ugly, your fellow crewmembers all worried and stuff, then it becomes an adult and starts taking every human one by one, until there are only the smartest or strongest left. Think about it, just one alien stalking you around, waiting for you to make a simple mistake.