Showing that nothing in the Alien universe is safe from a disappointing sequel, Alien: Blackout has been announced and it’s a mobile game coming to the App Store, Google Play and the Amazon Appstore.
Alien: Blackout is a mobile game in development from FoxNext Games, D3 Go! And Rival Games and it puts you in the overalls of Amanda Ripley as she tries to keep herself and the crew of a crippled Weyland-Yutani space station alive and relatively unmauled by a deadly Xenomorph.
Developer D3 Go! are best known for their work with Marvel Puzzle Quest and Magic: The Gathering Puzzle Quest. Their website offers some details on all things Blackout:
“The terror of Alien is brought to life in ‘Alien: Blackout.’ Try to stay alive while trapped aboard a crippled Weyland-Yutani space station carrying a deadly Xenomorph as it tirelessly hunts you and the crew. Outsmart the perfect hunter by making perilous choices. Players must rely on the damaged controls of the space station or risk sacrificing crew members to avoid deadly contact, permanently altering the outcome of the game.”
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“Survive seven fear-inducing levels by remotely guiding Amanda Ripley’s crew through increasingly challenging tasks using only the station’s emergency systems. The uncertainty and unpredictability of both the alien and her crew can impose total defeat for Amanda and the entire station.”
Personally, as a huge Alien fan, this is a bit disappointing. Fan backlash hasn’t yet happened, but after the bitterness that surrounded the announcement of mobile title Diablo Immortal, it’s no doubt going to happen. So, I’m well aware that i’m actually the entitled fan here, but it’s a shame to see Amanda Ripley’s character appearing in a mobile title rather than a full-scale follow-up to Alien Isolation, a game so scary it made me cry once.
I’m trying to withhold judgement, and hopefully the game will have interesting ideas, but I’ve been hurt by the Alien franchise too many times before, and so hopefully this will impress.
Still, unfortunately we’re probably just a few hours away from the first fan-made petition to cancel the game, because video games. I won’t be signing it. No matter what happens, this game will be more interesting than Alien Covenant.
The release date is, as yet, unknown. But it’s important to recognise that unlike in space, people can definitely hear you scream when you’re using your phone on a rush hour train.
What do you reckon? Let us know on Twitter at @TrustedReviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
